I've been reviewing last year's March Madness, starting here, to see how this year compares, and to get a feel for what might be coming up over the next few weeks.

Last year you could buy one MM new release at 40% off, and two at 50% off. If you bought two, you'd also get a free item (which changed every few days). The freebies on offer included Victoria 6, Michael 6 and Gia 6 at different times in the month, as well as some new items, There were catch-up sales at the weekend. Alongside this offer there were some good sales later in the month - 70% off Genesis, 90% off selected characters, 50% off the whole store.

So this year is already better, in my view. The chance to trigger the 50% discount with  a wider range of cheaper non-new-release items is better, along with the extra savings on offer with the Mind Blower (I don't think I got any of the freebies last year, I never found two new releases I wanted at once). If they have some additional sales with 70%+ off, I'll be happy.

Major Daz Sales are a bit like a fireworks display: there are a few ooh's and ahh's early on, but the really dramatic stuff comes near the end. Hoping for some big bangs this year!

Really stupid question this, but I cannot find Navel Gone for Victoria 7 / G3F. And I've looked all over now. And I have the pro poses. http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-3-female-body-morphs

I don't know what I would have done without the RDNA vendors, in particular Arki, when I went through my Elder Scrolls Online render phase.  Between Arki's fantastic sets and the Skadi outfit, I had several high-quality pieces to work with.

Victoria 4, posed in Poser Pro 2014, rendered in Vue

Victoria 4, Poser Pro 2014, rendered with Reality

"Twilight in Tuscany"

Twilight in Tuscany, a magical time where anything is possible; where everything is possible.

What could be more romantic than falling in love with a beautiful person in such a beautiful place?

Rendered in DAZ 4.9, 3Delight, cropping in Photoshop

Assets: 

• Streets of Tuscany
• Skies of Economy
• Gianni 7
• Victoria 5

Lighting: Uber Environment 2 (sunset) with one fill light

I admit, I took yesterday off to clean up the house a tad, then play with some shaping dials.

I cropped out all dials that are automatically linked to the included figures (I didn't fuss with them), leaving just the dials I did fuss with. Some V7, Gia7, Fwsa Paloma, and Fwsa Uma. Then a few more dials (Growing up for G3F)in the mix to fine tune some features a tad. Granted I did use some of the growing up dials, she is not a child by a long shot, nor dose she have a gas giant planet class bra size, lol. Well, there is a tad more I want to do to the face, however that was the brief bit of fun I had before plotting out a new graph.

Reflection compared to Opacity for the different shaders.

Oh, ahhhh, the claw. lol.  Well, the shape of the reflection graph is a tad more like what I expected to see with opacity, however there apparently quite different in many ways. Also, I suspect that IF (stressing the "if"), reflection on the AoA shader is ever fixed to be more like a mirror rather then used charcoal, the times will change drastically for that. Omni is about on par with the Daz default, averaging around fifteen seconds longer for Omni then the Daz default to do Reflection of any strength (That's a hell of a lot better then I expected it to do). One other note, with the Opacity tests, and the Reflection tests, the Face Plant times of all the shaders was less then a second without any SSS in the mix.

I'm still trying to figure out a definitive way to clock Face-plant time of the shaders, without adding load on the CPU running the test renders.

I'm sure my current method of measuring that is not going to give many a lot of confidence. It requires me not blinking the instant the render starts to do something and noting the exact time in the progress bar. Some of them I missed it, and had to cancel the render and do it again, making for a very long set of tests. From all the tests I've done so far with SSS, the only thing I know, is that the AoA shader is consistently five times slower then the Omni shader when percomputing the Subsurface stuff.

P.S. ignore the 0.7mm used graphite stubs over on the left, I was making electrical "Conductive Paper" for doing some tests not related to anything Daz.

(EDIT)

Sitting here looking at those sticky notes, I do see a patron. The Onmi shader goes from 10 or 11 seconds to around 30 seconds Face-plant time between Base resolution and high resolution on the SubD settings. A three fold increase in Face plant time. AoA goes from about 105 seconds to 161 seconds, a jump far less then three times grater. If going from "high resolution" to HD has a similar jump in Face plant time, that may begin to explain Some of the intolerable precompute delay of HD figures, tho not completely. It is a huge difference between half an hour of precompute delay and a mere two minutes and change (or 30 seconds for the Omni shader).

At this point, I'm sure something incredibly bad is going on with the HD mechanism in Daz Studio, I just don't know what it is. I have already ruled out it being just a single thing, like polygon-count, SubD, or multiple faces on a single object. I'm guessing it is some combination of stuff that dose not play well together. Also, I've yet to look at the effects of maps on the total render times and SSS precompute delay.

You know. In a way, I can almost understand why so few G3F items actually fit G3F figures. Especially when the PA making the fit morphs needs to wait over half an hour before a spot render begins to show anything at all, lol. Oh that thing (70's Gym Uniform for G3F), that was a 2015 Christmas Giveaway item, and has already been yanked from the store. Also, I honestly don't know what Mina's face plant time is, I never tried it, I saw the AoA and instinctively drooped in a Daz Default alt shader using her maps without a second thought.

Oh, and I do use the AoA and Omni SSS shaders for final renders that I post at DA. I kind of just reserve them for renders I can let run while I'm sleeping, so I'm not sitting here watching my computer do nothing when I'm awake.

You need to either buy a set of Carrara shaders for each set of the Elite textures' or,... adjust the Poser shaders (from the content browser) to roughly match the settings in the V4 Carrara shaders you already have.

Once you've adjusted all the shaders for a "character",. you can save that "global shader" to your Carrara "Shaders" in  the browser

When this set of textures was released,. they came with Daz Studio and Poser shaders,. (As most products do) ...a separate set of.Carrara shaders were released as the elite sets expanded.

The GKD M4 Ultimate pack,. provides Carrara "shaders",.for some elite M4 characters,.. (But not texture maps) you need to own or buy the Elite character texture sets,. EG Sol,. Rob etc

the same would apply to any of the Carrara shader packs for figures like Victoria 4 elite. EG: Amy,. Lana,.  Marie,. etc.

you need to have purchased the Elite Character/texture set, which comes with shaders for Poser and Daz Studio and the texture maps.

the Carrara shaders,. load those textures, and apply the (adjusted to suit carrara) settings. so if you don't have the textures. you get a "mising files" error.

Hope that makes sense

 

And in the same vein do victoria 4 cloths fit the original Genesis?

If I recall right, Genesis 1 had autofit with V4 and M4.

Yes, the original Genesis includes clones and UVs for both M4 and V4.

K4 clones and UVs are also part of default Genesis. You can also get Genesis clone's (but not UVs) for pretty much all the Generation 3 figures in this store.

And in the same vein do victoria 4 cloths fit the original Genesis?

If I recall right, Genesis 1 had autofit with V4 and M4.

Yes, the original Genesis includes clones and UVs for both M4 and V4.

And in the same vein do victoria 4 cloths fit the original Genesis?

If I recall right, Genesis 1 had autofit with V4 and M4.

It's been a while since anybody posted in this thread, so I thought I'd upload something.

Here's a render of some converted CAD files from GRABCAD in a sea I made in Blender, and of course Victoria in a thigh-fitting wetsuit.

The foam still needs some refinement, and there are quite a few critical bits missing from that boat, but at least it floats : )

Cheers!

Oh, rendered in Octane Render for DAZ Studio.

edit: new version with somewhat better foam.

And in the same vein do victoria 4 cloths fit the original Genesis?

So, yeah, nothing wow-worthy here.  Just a coffee table.  Except the real-life version I used as a reference image costs $1900US.  I figured Victoria was worthy of a such a table, so I modeled it.

Drawers on either side can open/close.  Textures/shaders for Iray included.  Free to do with as you please.

http://www.sharecg.com/v/84072/browse/21/DAZ-Studio/Modern-Distressed-Coffee-Table#

Wellllll, but there were many years of Mil Generation 2, 3 and 4 (1999 - 2011) - and not so many years of Genesis ...

And, well, Daz themselves are still counting with the Gen(erations) - because you see, Genesis is V5, M5 and so on, Genesis2 goes on with V6 and Genesis3 with V7 ... so Gen(eration) is the more common use for Daz too.

 

Yeah but that's counting with generations of Victoria/Michael, so V1 V2 V3 V4 etc. everyone understands. People talk of V3 far more often then Gen(eration) 3 whereas Genesis 3 is the newest, most discussed range right now, but is almost never referred to as Gen7 even if V7 is a common thing.  

Chiyo with a bit of Jenara in the body and a freebie face available in the Daz forum made by user HerYun.
The dress is the Maid of Honor for Genesis 2 Female(s) and the collar is from the free Dark Storm Genesis 3 outfit that come with Daz studio (I altered the leather to match the dress.)
The background is an Image Based Light from Dimension Theory Skies of Terra Volume One
Rendered in Iray with a couple planes turned into emitters (lights) to add some highlighting to the subject.

Title: I Say, Holmes

"I say, Holmes, what manner of creature is this?", exclaimed Watson.

"I should think that would be obvious, Watson", replied Holmes, "We have found the Cat of the Baskervilles.".

Rendered in DAZ Studio 4.6 with 3Delight. No postwork.

Paid Items:
DAZ Michael 4 and Morphs++
DAZ Millenium Cat LE
DAZ Pure Hair Classic for Genesis (used for Holmes character)

No counts:
DAZ Michael 4 and Morphs++

Free items:

Props:

1. F3D Stone Ruins Stair -parts (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/stone-ruins-stair/74430

2. Fictionalbookshelf Dark Woods Background Set (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/dark-woods-background-set-landscape-portrait-sizes/73437

3. Spooky Tree by jenay (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/spookytree/28903

4. Dry Tree by Dinoraul (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/drytreedr/67615

5. Atmospherics - Fog Volume1 by Traveler (registration required)
http://www.runtimedna.com/RDNA-Atmospherics-Fog-Vol-1.html

6. 455 Webley Mk 1 in Presentation Case by Jim Farris (Xaa) (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/40566/view/11/Poser/455-Webley-Mk-1-in-Presentation-Case

7. Victoria 3 Dog Collar Bracelet Prop by Inception8 (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/23024/browse/11/Poser/Victoria-3-Dog-Collar-Bracelet-Prop

8. Shilleliegh by mjc26250 (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/80369/browse/21/DAZ-Studio/Shilleliegh

9. Walking-Cane by Luxxeon (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/75362/browse/5/3D-Model/Walking-Cane

10. Octagonal Lantern by JaneB (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/26450/gallery/5/3D-Model/Octagonal-Lantern

Cat: (Millenium Cat LE)

11. Grey Tiger Texture for Daz Millenium Cat by czarny_jednorozec84 (registration required) - modified
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/grey-tiger-texture-for-dazmill-cat-/64732

Holmes: (DAZ Michael 4)

12. Nicholas for M4 character and texture by Unicornst, (registration required),  also used for Watson character
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38154/favorite/21/DAZ-Studio/Nicholas-for-M4-Part01
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38155/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Nicholas-for-M4-Part02
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38156/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Nicholas-for-M4-Part03

13. CasaBlanca Type NY for Michael3 by ISOP - Suit,shirt, (suit and shirt also used for Watson character)
http://rosy-poison.sakura.ne.jp/poser/dl/CS/csset.html

14. 19th Century Dynamic Coat for M4 by SAV (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/19th-century-dynamic-coat-for-m4/64449

15. Sherlock Holmes Set by BionicRooster (registration required) - for deerstalker and pipe
http://www.sharecg.com/v/48365/browse/11/Poser/Sherlock-Holmes-Set

16. Conforming Dress Boots for Michael 4 by nfredman (registration required) also useed for Watson character
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/m4-dress-boots/67239

17. Tweeds by NanetteTredoux (registration required) for Dynamic Coat above, and for Watson's Trenchcoat below.
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/tweeds/72996

Watson:  (DAZ Michael 4)

See notes for Holmes character items (Nicholas, Casablanca, Dress Boots, Tweed textures)

18. Scott Hair for M4 by Mylochka (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38505/browse/11/Poser/Scott-Hair

19. Bowler Hat Smart Prop for Victoria 3 by Inception8 (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/31586/browse/11/Poser/Bowler-Hat-Smart-Prop-for-Victoria-3

20. Sickle Trench Coat for M4H4 by SickleYield (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/sickle-trench-coat-m4h4/60788

Title: I Say, Holmes

"I say, Holmes, what manner of creature is this?", exclaimed Watson.

"I should think that would be obvious, Watson", replied Holmes, "We have found the Cat of the Baskervilles.".

Rendered in DAZ Studio 4.6 with 3Delight. No postwork.

Paid Items:
DAZ Michael 4 and Morphs++
DAZ Millenium Cat LE
DAZ Pure Hair Classic for Genesis (used for Holmes character)

No counts:
DAZ Michael 4 and Morphs++

Free items:

Props:

1. F3D Stone Ruins Stair -parts (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/stone-ruins-stair/74430

2. Fictionalbookshelf Dark Woods Background Set (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/dark-woods-background-set-landscape-portrait-sizes/73437

3. Spooky Tree by jenay (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/spookytree/28903

4. Dry Tree by Dinoraul (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/drytreedr/67615

5. Atmospherics - Fog Volume1 by Traveler (registration required)
http://www.runtimedna.com/RDNA-Atmospherics-Fog-Vol-1.html

6. 455 Webley Mk 1 in Presentation Case by Jim Farris (Xaa) (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/40566/view/11/Poser/455-Webley-Mk-1-in-Presentation-Case

7. Victoria 3 Dog Collar Bracelet Prop by Inception8 (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/23024/browse/11/Poser/Victoria-3-Dog-Collar-Bracelet-Prop

8. Shilleliegh by mjc26250 (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/80369/browse/21/DAZ-Studio/Shilleliegh

9. Walking-Cane by Luxxeon (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/75362/browse/5/3D-Model/Walking-Cane

10. Octagonal Lantern by JaneB (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/26450/gallery/5/3D-Model/Octagonal-Lantern

Cat: (Millenium Cat LE)

11. Grey Tiger Texture for Daz Millenium Cat by czarny_jednorozec84 (registration required) - modified
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/grey-tiger-texture-for-dazmill-cat-/64732

Holmes: (DAZ Michael 4)

12. Nicholas for M4 character and texture by Unicornst, (registration required),  also used for Watson character
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38154/favorite/21/DAZ-Studio/Nicholas-for-M4-Part01
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38155/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Nicholas-for-M4-Part02
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38156/gallery/21/DAZ-Studio/Nicholas-for-M4-Part03

13. CasaBlanca Type NY for Michael3 by ISOP - Suit,shirt, (suit and shirt also used for Watson character)
http://rosy-poison.sakura.ne.jp/poser/dl/CS/csset.html

14. 19th Century Dynamic Coat for M4 by SAV (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/19th-century-dynamic-coat-for-m4/64449

15. Sherlock Holmes Set by BionicRooster (registration required) - for deerstalker and pipe
http://www.sharecg.com/v/48365/browse/11/Poser/Sherlock-Holmes-Set

16. Conforming Dress Boots for Michael 4 by nfredman (registration required) also useed for Watson character
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/m4-dress-boots/67239

17. Tweeds by NanetteTredoux (registration required) for Dynamic Coat above, and for Watson's Trenchcoat below.
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/tweeds/72996

Watson:  (DAZ Michael 4)

See notes for Holmes character items (Nicholas, Casablanca, Dress Boots, Tweed textures)

18. Scott Hair for M4 by Mylochka (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/38505/browse/11/Poser/Scott-Hair

19. Bowler Hat Smart Prop for Victoria 3 by Inception8 (registration required)
http://www.sharecg.com/v/31586/browse/11/Poser/Bowler-Hat-Smart-Prop-for-Victoria-3

20. Sickle Trench Coat for M4H4 by SickleYield (registration required)
https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/sickle-trench-coat-m4h4/60788

Is there any product that is like Skin Builder Basic for Genesis 3? I'm mostly looking for a ghostly white skin that comes with it that can easily be adjusted to other colors. Thanks!

 

Genesis 1/2 version: http://www.daz3d.com/skin-builder-basic-for-genesis-and-genesis-2-female-s

I saw those too and I don't know how that works but I think like you - I would like extemely pale skin like in NW Europe and added to that various ethnicity / sun exposure tint overlays. It must be done very simply with tint opacity images. http://www.daz3d.com/lie-baker

This product below seems to have Lie Baker and various base textures build in but unfortunately it's for Victoria 5 only:

http://www.daz3d.com/skin-builder-for-genesis-and-genesis2-female-s

How do I contact DragonStorm and/or Zev0 for support? I would not buy this unless I know I can modify the UV sets and source code it uses for other Genesis 2 & Genesis 3, both male and female characters, to create skins. There should be reasonable instructions with such a product on how to use and extend it.

So that's the answer to your question - yes it's possible to do such a thing but the scripts must be extended and new base skins generated. It's shouldn't be that difficult if you started with the Skin Builder Pro for Genesis 2 Female & Genesis if those are made with quality documentation.

Don't forget that the UVs for G3F and G3M aren't directly compatible with previous generations, so it's a lot more work to build from older skins than it would be to start with new ones based on the Genesis 3 UDIM compatible UV maps.

Thanks. I'm not wanting ports of old skins to Genesis three but to use that tool as it says it can be used: start with an unblemished base skin and edit it to create a unique new skin for a new character.

So they need to extend their LIE Bakers scripts (or the buyers of their G2F/G Skin Builder Pro product) to use the DAZ / PA supplied UVs and create a base set of really unblemished base skins using the G3F / G3M UVs. They would need two base skins - one based on pale pink skin and one based on pale olive skin and create overlays for those. Well they may need three base skins as I just read people have 3 different types of pigment - pink (red), brown (pale is blond/olive), and black (pale is grey - that one must only be in hair). I'd need to research that. Add another - albinism - but that would mostly appears to pink/red base skin on the skin and white hair. Basically make the system work in general more like it works in people so it's easier to get good results.

The scroll means that the PowerLoader script is present and will be launching the utility - the error message si coming from that. If the Girl 4 icon lacks the thumbnail then it doesn't have the PowerLoader script and so doesn't throw the error. So, the files are going to My Daz 3D Library in your Public Documnets folder? If so, look to see if that folder holds a Runtime\Libraries\!DAZ\Victoria 4 folder.

Is there any product that is like Skin Builder Basic for Genesis 3? I'm mostly looking for a ghostly white skin that comes with it that can easily be adjusted to other colors. Thanks!

 

Genesis 1/2 version: http://www.daz3d.com/skin-builder-basic-for-genesis-and-genesis-2-female-s

I saw those too and I don't know how that works but I think like you - I would like extemely pale skin like in NW Europe and added to that various ethnicity / sun exposure tint overlays. It must be done very simply with tint opacity images. http://www.daz3d.com/lie-baker

This product below seems to have Lie Baker and various base textures build in but unfortunately it's for Victoria 5 only:

http://www.daz3d.com/skin-builder-for-genesis-and-genesis2-female-s

How do I contact DragonStorm and/or Zev0 for support? I would not buy this unless I know I can modify the UV sets and source code it uses for other Genesis 2 & Genesis 3, both male and female characters, to create skins. There should be reasonable instructions with such a product on how to use and extend it.

So that's the answer to your question - yes it's possible to do such a thing but the scripts must be extended and new base skins generated. It's shouldn't be that difficult if you started with the Skin Builder Pro for Genesis 2 Female & Genesis if those are made with quality documentation.

Don't forget that the UVs for G3F and G3M aren't directly compatible with previous generations, so it's a lot more work to build from older skins than it would be to start with new ones based on the Genesis 3 UDIM compatible UV maps.

They were installed with the Install Manager and Victoria 4 has a scroll on the corner. I also just installed Michael 4 and his genitalia and they also don't work and have a scroll on the corner.

The content folders I use are the default ones. The one that the Install Manager saves them to and the one in the My Library folder.