crosswind said:

Certainly they're strand-based hair (SBH). The base geometry of an SBH is polyline. ZB is not able to import polyline. 

Well, you can manipulate polylines with Blender. Firstly, activate Geometry Editor tool in DS, export SBH to OBJ file. Import OBJ into Blender and deform polylines as you wish (in Edit mode).

Then export to OBJ, import OBJ in DS with Morph Loader Pro to create morphs on SBH ~~

Oh thank you so much! I think I need to learn some blender now XD

Certainly they're strand-based hair (SBH). The base geometry of an SBH is polyline. ZB is not able to import polyline. 

Well, you can manipulate polylines with Blender. Firstly, activate Geometry Editor tool in DS, export SBH to OBJ file. Import OBJ into Blender and deform polylines as you wish (in Edit mode).

Then export to OBJ, import OBJ in DS with Morph Loader Pro to create morphs on SBH ~~

For some older hair models, I could import them into ZBrush and then use GoZ to import them into DAZ for hair shape adjustments to accommodate specific poses. However, with newer hair models, I get an "error encountered while importing a file" message when importing into ZBrush, and they appear as a cube, making adjustments impossible. I’d like to ask about these new hair models (likely not strand-based hair). They are the kind with PS Hair and PR Hair (sorry if my terminology isn’t precise, as I’m not very familiar with this). How can I adjust the shape of such hair models? Thank you so much!

Try uninstalling Genesis 8 Starter Essentials product, then re-install it ~~ Check this thread: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/673996/subd-level-changes-arbitrarily

Or check if there's any problematic morph by referring to this thread: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/725541/daz-changes-the-subd-of-genesis-8-1-characters-randomly

barcgwcc said:

export to where?  Hex?  Blender?  Or just export to an .obj file on my harddrive? 

obj

 

   and package it all up in loadable formats (duf, dsf, etc) with runtime (textures), data, and people/character folders.

 Saving out a material preset makes a duf wherever you decide to save it.  That is all it does.

A material preset does not need to write out any files in the /data subdirectories of a content library.  It is not data asset.   Presets like 'Material Preset' and 'Character Preset' and 'Wearable Preset' dont write out any files into /Data or /Runtime.  They just make .DUF that either calls existing files from their respective locations (data assets or texture maps), or they embed the necessary files into the preset itself.

So you need to ensure any shader definition assets are already in the content directory (which if youre using default shaders they will be) and any textures are in /Runtime before setting up and saving out the material preset.  

If you insist the textures be called from a /runtime folder, then I shall amend what I said in my previous post:

For materials, I guess, collect all the used maps into a /runtime folder in your relevant content directory. Then set up the materials using those maps. Then save as material preset.

  I'm pretty sure DS can do this with the tools that it has (other than the actual scuplting).  Or am I wrong?

Yes, if you are savving something like a data assets, Daz will ask you which product and content directory it is for, and then based on that information it will automatically write out all the necessary /data files for that asset.  For example, when you are saving your morphs, it will ask you which product and which content directory, and then write the morph files into the /data folder for that content directory and product.

Material Preset is not an asset, it's a preset, so it will not ask you anything except where you want preset to be saved.

Daz cannot write out texture maps to relevant locations. You need to do that manually where you want them to be called from.

Masterstroke said:

n.aspros123 said:

crosswind said:

n.aspros123 said:

crosswind said:

Okay, but they're different in terms of design ~  It's tight under figure's breasts on the one you're using while that Rendo's one is obviously with a looser design. If the figure has larger breasts, you won't get the expected result with that Shrug Style Top... no matter you simulate in whatever way.

I suggest another way around since I ever mentioned that the initial shape of the cloting is important before simulation. You can make a morph with Blender to give the top a "looser style". (screenshot 1)

Then you'll get the expected result afer simulation and you won't have to tweak it each time after simulation. (screenshot 2)

Which tools did you use in Blender to make the morph?

 

As usual, Draw brush and Smooth brush in Sculpt mode. 

 

I don't know what's going on with Blender. When scuplting the top using the draw and smooth brushes, it looks okay. See Top Blender 1 and Top Blender 2.  When I change back to Object mode the top doesn't look as smooth while in sculpt mode. Top Blender 3.  I've tried more smoothing and drawing sculpting. Best I can without someone having a look for me.

Did I have the Draw and Smooth brushes Radius and Strength set correctly? 

When I dForce the top with the Blender Morph, it doesn't look smooth under the breasts. See Top After Blender 1 and Top Blender 4 p.  I also have the use Mesh Grabber to pull the bottom of the top out as it clips with the skirt. 

I can share any files if needed to be troubleshooted.

Can I try your top morph.obj ? @crosswind . I think the mesh in yours might be better than mine possibly. When the silk shader is applied, the imperfections standout more possibly?

Is your figure the base figure or a character morph?
There is one big annoying issue in DS, that is a downer.
When you make changes in body proportions of your character, as part of a full body morph, you will get those ugly creases all the time.
It happens on clothes and also on hair.
I have not yet found a solution to avoid this. I have fixed it in zbrush and saved it as a character morph on the cloth set, but when loading the clothing the next time the same ugly creases are back.
It might go away with a dforce simulation, but not permanently.
 

Maybe send a ticket with these issues to the DAZ Devs so that they're aware of them. I've applied a Smoothing Iterations and it helps a little but not fully. Maybe it's a limitation of DAZ's programming.

Be good if DAZ had some sculpting brushes like Zbrush or Blenders brushes, so everything can be done in DAZ and just make a morph when done. DAZ's animation needs a revamp as well.

Gordig said:

Which feathers are you trying to use?

 

I have a custom morph and the pixiedragon feathers, I think it's because it's a simulation or something strange is happening.

I had an employee who thought that was the way to get promotions from our male managers. When our department's work was shipped out overseas, guess who was NOT offered a transfer to a new job! All of the rest of us were moved into new positions. But she was let go without a recommendation.

Baking down these morphs can be a few steps and as said above, you will no longer have any correctives the PAs provided which are being driven by those morphs. Many characters or shaping morphs dont have correctives, but many do.

Anyway

1. export at base res

2. load by morph loader pro

3. re-rig the morph (you can use the automatic adjust rigging to shape option)

4. link the rigging changes to the morph so they are dialled in when morph is dialled in (e.g., by using ERC Freeze to link rigging changes as subcomponents to the controller morph)

5. Save out the morph as modifier asset

For materials, I guess, collect all the used maps into a folder. Then set up the materials using those maps. Then save material preset.

All this seems like more effort than it's worth with limitations like loss of correctives.

Character preset seems better.

These are morphs that come from DAZ Orginals morph packs (such as G8F Head Morphs).  And it is for personal use only.  I'm not trying to share or sell them.  I just like making my own characters and then keeping them without being dependent on always having to keep whatever morph I used also installed.

If you want to have the character without the original morphs, you would need to recreate the morph by export/reimport the character.

But that is not recommended as you then will loose all the correctives in the original morphs.

You must also be aware if you do so it will not be your character, as it is based on others morphs.

My recomandation is to either save as a character preset or persona preset.

I've taken a look around and can't find the exact hair in that promo shot, but this one gets really close: https://www.daz3d.com/dforce-strand-based-early-summer-bob-hair-for-genesis-9-and-genesis-8-female. It doesn't look like there's a morph to move the hair over the right ear, though. And the part is off-center versus in the middle.

Well diffeomorphic is a daz importer, so of course it also tries its best to import the daz hairs. However in general most daz hairs don't really fit to blender, as they are extremely heavy both in geometry and texture size. If possible it is much better to import a daz figure without hair then use some blender native hair, which will look better and also render much faster.

https://joseconseco.github.io/HairTool_3_Documentation/hair_library/

The general concept here is that not all the daz content fits to blender. Extensive corrective morph sets are another example, which imports in blender hundreds of morphs thus making the figure extremely heavy. As blender users we should rather take from daz what works and discard the rest, especially when blender has better native options.

Reveal by pulling the shirt up, or the collar down?

Everyday 2 has a number of morph/pose packs that will cover you either way, like Morphs+.

I like wrinkles, too , they give me a feeling of realism and plausibility. I'm using a combination of Aging Morph and a Normal Map (if I remember correctly, it's one of Feng's characters) that I've tweaked a bit so that the overall face isn't affected too much.

sioc said:

SilverGirl said:

Feng has many lovely older folk with crow's feet... I know it's not the same as a separate morph, but in the absence of that maybe you could use one of them as a base?

P3D has some too, but it is hell if you want just crow's feet and not an all old face shape, some people have them more marked at 30 or 40 without having other area as aged, i am so desapointed by the lack of adjustments per area. The area located one we have are so limited...

I am so fed up of all those botoxed models, people have wrinckles and that's beautiful !

 

Entirely fair, and it's so frustrating to run face first into a gap in the available assets. I wish I could offer you something more useful to you.

SilverGirl said:

Feng has many lovely older folk with crow's feet... I know it's not the same as a separate morph, but in the absence of that maybe you could use one of them as a base?

P3D has some too, but it is hell if you want just crow's feet and not an all old face shape, some people have them more marked at 30 or 40 without having other area as aged, i am so desapointed by the lack of adjustments per area. The area located one we have are so limited...

I am so fed up of all those botoxed models, people have wrinckles and that's beautiful !

Feng has many lovely older folk with crow's feet... I know it's not the same as a separate morph, but in the absence of that maybe you could use one of them as a base?

Last Stop Before the Rain

The city was drowning.

Not in water but in broken promises, unpaid debts and all the things people swore they’d never do until they did. John had seen it all before, but it still pressed on him like a weight he couldn’t shake.

They’d been chasing ghosts all week. Leads that slipped through their fingers, witnesses who forgot how to talk, a killer who stayed two steps ahead. The kind of case that got under your skin and made you wonder if the city even wanted saving.

He’d told Madeline to go home hours ago. She hadn’t listened. She never did.

And now here she was, emerging from the rain like some impossible dream, hair darkened and slick, glasses spotted with droplets, dress clinging to her like it didn’t want to let go and it didn't bother her a bit.

“I found something” she said, voice low, almost drowned out by the rain.
“You always do” John replied stepping toward her.

They should have been talking about the case, about the file in her bag, about the danger closing in but the city had a way of stealing your time, your friends, your hope. And John was tired of letting it steal her.

She took his collar in her hands, rain sliding over both of them like it didn’t care who they were or what they’d done.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easy” she whispered.

He almost said something clever. Almost. But instead, his hands found her waist, pulling her close until their breath mixed, until the noise of the streets and the ache of the case faded into nothing.

The kiss was hungry, not of lust, but for time they didn’t have. For the moments stolen between danger and duty. For the truth they both felt but never said.

When she pulled back, her eyes searched his. “We finish this case John. Together. No matter what it costs.”

The rain hammered down harder. Somewhere in the city, someone screamed.
John just nodded. He’d walk through every shadow, every lie, every damn bullet if it meant keeping her by his side.

And if the city wanted to take her, it would have to take him too.
All assets and Madeline 4.0 information in link.

A BIG SHOUT-OUT to Richard of richardandtracy for creating a free Genesis 8/8.1 to 9 converter.  His tool saved me quite a bit of time when I determined that my Madeline v2 (Genesis 8.1) wasn't going to work in this scene. I just don't own any water droplets geo-shell items for 8.1. So, with the use of his tool, I was able to put Madeline v4 (Genesis 9) in place and really love the details of the neck and such for the scene.
Thank you Richard of richardandtracy!!!

nemesis10 said:

something like this: https://www.daz3d.com/sy-the-natural-body-hd-morphs-and-merchant-resource which references crows' feet specifically though older characters are a rarity in the 3d realm.

Yeah and even it is not aging morph or a really visible crows' feet wrinkles... looks like all existing ones are mature / old character with them carved in through sculting :(