I have several iray shaders I made myself for David 3 characters, Michael 3 characters, and Michael 4 characters. Since I like what I've done, I would like to be able to apply these iray shaders to other characters. Should I save each shader as just a regular material preset, or as an hierarchical material preset?

If I apply the material preset to another figure, should I select all parts of the figure and then apply the preset? That is, will it apply correctly to the eyes, nails, skin, etc.? Or, must I select each part of the figure, such as the eyes, or just the eye surface or the pupil? If I need to select just, say, the eye surface, then doesn't that mean that I need to save multiple presets, as, for example, skin, corona, pupil, nails, etc.? If it's an hierarchical preset, and I selected all parts of the figure, would each preset then be correctly applied to all of these parts, such as skin, iris, nails?

What about the character maps? I don't want to save those. I'd want to retain whatever character maps there are on the new figure to which I'm going to apply the preset. I just want to get the iray shaders onto the new figure. Do I have to do something special so that the chracter maps are not saved with the preset? Or, does saving a preset automatically exclude the character maps?

TriAx is the rigging system used in Genesis  and Genesis 2, among others - it's weight mapped rigging with a separate map for each axis. (In face the error is misleading, the requirement is a weight-mapped figure in general not just a TriAx figure.) Michael 4, lime all Poser-format figues importable into DS, uses the legacy parametric rigging system and it isn't possible to save a character preset for those - you can save shaping and materials presets, however, which will give the same result when applied to a loaded Michael 4 figure, or you can save a scene or scene subset.

Many of you want me to tell about the next NGS support for Genesis 8 or the upcoming "9"...

Next NGS will support ANY prop. No matter if it will be Genesis or Genesis 10. (If surfaces structure will be the same until next DAZ Studio upgrade of course, but this will be the next update--not new product-- if it will be happened something like that)

Will it work with Generation 4 (i.e., Michael 4 and V4) and even with Generation 3 (David 3, Michael 3, V3)? I know people have told me you can't convert Generation 3 to work with iRay because they don't have the maps. Well, I've done it, but it really takes time for each one. So, I'm looking for something that will be faster. 

Many of you want me to tell about the next NGS support for Genesis 8 or the upcoming "9"...

Next NGS will support ANY prop. No matter if it will be Genesis or Genesis 10. (If surfaces structure will be the same until next DAZ Studio upgrade of course, but this will be the next update--not new product-- if it will be happened something like that)

Will it work with Generation 4 (i.e., Michael 4 and V4) and even with Generation 3 (David 3, Michael 3, V3)? I know people have told me you can't convert Generation 3 to work with iRay because they don't have the maps. Well, I've done it, but it really takes time for each one. So, I'm looking for something that will be faster. 

I mean just plain old Michael 4.Is it free now? I got the michael 4 base and the morphs++ thing ages back here and installed them all but when I try and merge an M4 character into a new scene (from a scene I was doing previously before a windows restart a couple months back) I get this message on the missing files thing: 'runtime/libraries/character/daz people/michael 4.cr2' the figure appears to still come up but something seems amiss.

Any insight here please?

Actually, with theexception of the Kids 4, all of the fourth generation figures were shapes and maps for Victoria 4 or Michael 4. All the fifth genrations figures are based on Genesis, all of the sixth on Genesis 2 Female or Genesis 3 Male, seventh on Genesis 3 Male or female, and eighth on Genesis 8 Female or Male (the Genesis version number skipped to align with the named figures).

Usually clothes will fit the base and any add-on characters. There may be occasional exceptions, when the clothing is made for a specific add-on with a very different shape, but there are few of them.

The Daz Name 8 characters tend to be pricier, otherwise it's usually down to what is included (fibre-mesh brows or lashes, HD morphs isntead of SD, hair or clothes, multiple base maps, multple shapes, etc. can all push the base price up).

The Pro Bundles for adult, non-toon, geenrally include the anatomical elements - it's the same set in each bundle for a given generation though. Other than that it's just that the Pro Bundle contains items additional to the Starter.

The named characters are usually, in the current generation, shapes and maps - older generations often came with alternative UV mapping to reduce stretching, but few add-ons used those. Essentially it's a matter of whether you like the character (and add-ons, if looking at one of the bundles) though soem will be used more than others for add-on characters (which usually need the shape to look as the designer intended).

Quality shoudl geenrally be high, but certainly style can vary so it's wise to look at the promos, and at other characters from the same artist if you have any through bundles, to decide if you want to buy, Don't forget that you can ask for a refund within 30 days of purchase if you aren't happy for any reason.

I own this product (for instance)

https://www.daz3d.com/michael-4-for-genesis-2-male

But in the notes it says:

**Genesis 2 Male can only use presets saved in the DUF format, so presets saved in other formats must be converted to DUF and saved before applying to Genesis 2.

This is just an example of what some of the products say, but they don't say what to use to accomplish converting the "other format" to duf unless they think you're gonna do every single piece of clothing and save as a material preset.  I'd like to batch convert and entire folder of .pz2 clothing mats to .duf material presets.  You'd think there would be a converter to do this already in the market, or some scripting genius in the forums could say, "hey, that's easy, I can do that!"

 

Well for the specific case of M4 to G2M, Draagonstorm wrote this: https://www.daz3d.com/m4-skins-batch-converter-to-genesis-2-male-s (there's one for V4 to G2F too) - but that doesn't address your question of convertijng Mil Cat mats or clothing mats.

I own this product (for instance)

https://www.daz3d.com/michael-4-for-genesis-2-male

But in the notes it says:

**Genesis 2 Male can only use presets saved in the DUF format, so presets saved in other formats must be converted to DUF and saved before applying to Genesis 2.

This is just an example of what some of the products say, but they don't say what to use to accomplish converting the "other format" to duf unless they think you're gonna do every single piece of clothing and save as a material preset.  I'd like to batch convert and entire folder of .pz2 clothing mats to .duf material presets.  You'd think there would be a converter to do this already in the market, or some scripting genius in the forums could say, "hey, that's easy, I can do that!"

is there a tool in these shaders  can make a michael 4 displacement map meant for ds and poser to lift the displacement 'veins' on the mesh in carrara shader? 

ty!

I've had a go with poor success sorry - you could try normal maps perhaps

is there a tool in these shaders  can make a michael 4 displacement map meant for ds and poser to lift the displacement 'veins' on the mesh in carrara shader? 

ty!

Hi all,

Hope somebody can help. In the Victoria 4.2 Bodysuit Expansion pack there is a V4 Booties item. Is anybody aware of an equivalent for Michael 4?

Thanks

Unfortunatety it doesn't appear that M4 got an expansion pack for his bodysuit, and no sighn of any booties either.  Plenty of boots in the store,  but no booties.

May be these will be good?

High Tech Trekker Boots for Michael 4
Rocky Road for Trekkers

Hi all,

Hope somebody can help. In the Victoria 4.2 Bodysuit Expansion pack there is a V4 Booties item. Is anybody aware of an equivalent for Michael 4?

Thanks

Female anatomical elelments were not around in the V4 days.

The Pro Bundle thing started with Genesis, as did the inclusion of actual female anatomical elements. For  Victoria 4 and Michael 4 the Morphs++ sets have the anatomical elements - a Genital Cleft morph for Victoria 4, a conforming add on for Michael 4.

I'm afraid Bryce run out of memory and I couldn't even save it as image (which works normally). I had to make a printscreen and take it into a picture editor to save it as JPG. :-)

 

Electro-Elvis, do the following.
1. Select Victoria's Trousers.
2. Go to the materials editor and copy the texture.
3. Open the image editor and paste the texture.
4. Reduce the texture to 256 * 256 or 127 * 127 (instead of 2048, 4096, etc.)
5. Copy the reduced texture from IrfanView (Photoshop) and paste it into the Texture Editor in Bryce.
6. Save and close the scene and start again.
Do similar operations with all the elements of clothing and textures of the skin of the face, body, etc. Select the teeth, tongue and other invisible elements and remove them. Each time, save the scene, close and start the file again. Do the same for buildings and cars. Your experience tells you how many times you need to reduce the size of textures. I think that for such a small picture the texture size of 127 or 256 is quite enough.
As a result, you will be happy, and enough memory will be enough for Michael 4. 

Pirate scarf

https://www.daz3d.com/m4-pirate

Hood and goggles 

https://www.daz3d.com/v4-brazen

The helmet is from Epsilon

https://www.daz3d.com/epsilon-for-michael-4

The Cowboy hats could be from sets by Luthbel as could the peaked army hat.

I would just like a classically handsome man 30-ish. (In real life too!) Like a young Robert Redford or Nathan Fillion or even a young Edward 8. Also an M4 for G8. M4 was the last Daz Original male I actually found attractive. I can morph handsome guys myself off the base G8 with all the morphs I have, but it would be nice to have a handsome masuline base to start with. Sorry, I just don't find any of the DO G8 males attractive at all except Edward (as Bond) who is in an older age range...  There are tons of beautiful female characters in the market but I rarely see male characters that I find attractive. Those hot girls need hot guys! I'd be curious to see if Mousso could create males in the style of his/her(?) stunning women! 

here ya go using facegen I added michael 4 face onto michael 8 hd

What a great idea! I hadn't thought of that, using Face Gen on older characters to create new ones! Brilliant! I don't have Michael 8 but will try it on G8 Male 

They were bought out by Renderosity and will eventually appear there under the RPublishing name.

Nod bad. Congrats.
I was surprised that some of the best characters for Michael 4 became unavailable.

I would just like a classically handsome man 30-ish. (In real life too!) Like a young Robert Redford or Nathan Fillion or even a young Edward 8. Also an M4 for G8. M4 was the last Daz Original male I actually found attractive. I can morph handsome guys myself off the base G8 with all the morphs I have, but it would be nice to have a handsome masuline base to start with. Sorry, I just don't find any of the DO G8 males attractive at all except Edward (as Bond) who is in an older age range...  There are tons of beautiful female characters in the market but I rarely see male characters that I find attractive. Those hot girls need hot guys! I'd be curious to see if Mousso could create males in the style of his/her(?) stunning women! 

here ya go using facegen I added michael 4 face onto michael 8 hd

@ANGELREAPER1972, that looks great.  I can't ever get a face that good

thanks. opens up a lot of options actually using facegen can reuse a lot of my old skins/characters on the newer bases plus can do profile side renders which is hard to find photos of usually make do with frontal pics only but when you have side renders to use as well it makes the differance 

I would just like a classically handsome man 30-ish. (In real life too!) Like a young Robert Redford or Nathan Fillion or even a young Edward 8. Also an M4 for G8. M4 was the last Daz Original male I actually found attractive. I can morph handsome guys myself off the base G8 with all the morphs I have, but it would be nice to have a handsome masuline base to start with. Sorry, I just don't find any of the DO G8 males attractive at all except Edward (as Bond) who is in an older age range...  There are tons of beautiful female characters in the market but I rarely see male characters that I find attractive. Those hot girls need hot guys! I'd be curious to see if Mousso could create males in the style of his/her(?) stunning women! 

here ya go using facegen I added michael 4 face onto michael 8 hd

@ANGELREAPER1972, that looks great.  I can't ever get a face that good