After reading these comments and watching a couple of videos, I am thinking that the best approach may be to stick to making a morph (no change in number of vertices) for the general shape and adjust the rigging if necessary (which it would be for a baby character, for example). If I want to increase the detail in certain areas I will need to learn how to make geografts and/or create Normal Maps in Blender.

All in all, this kind of research makes me appreciate the skills of the PAs.

Maybe you didn't save the morph in the preset (you saved an empty preset)

Kainjy said:

Make a morph.. the Preset is linked to figure type.

G8 preset should work on G8.1, but...

The preset contains only values for dials (morphs), if there is no dial (morph), there is no visible change

Make a morph.. the Preset is linked to figure type.

A new figure will need:

• a rigging: using a custom rigging the Genesis poses won't be compatible with your custom figure (due the different joint names or starting pose)
• a weightmap: to set the joints effects on geometry
• JCM: to fix some unwanted deformation due weightmap
• Secondary morphs: to create effects like inflate arm muscle when blending the arm joint
• Morphs to customize your figure (or you'll have a fixed shape)
• UV and texture with new materials: all Genesis won't be compatible due the different UV
• A new library of clothes: because every clothing item/hair is compatible with only a figure and sometimes Autofit doesn't work very well.

You can look at this link the Apollo Maximum figure: a custom figure made by some users.

I also suggest you to look at:
https://youtu.be/OuDkr19PJYU
https://youtu.be/rFfAZjuDBQE
or even buy this: https://www.daz3d.com/how-to-create-a-new-daz-studio-custom-creature

PS Transfer Utility works well in surface without details or with a low joint number, when you have high vertices number in a small area or very near joints (mouth, teeth, eyes) it works very bad.

Hi guys,

I have a G3F character that I want to convert to G8.1F mostly to make use of the new expressions.
I already converted my G3F character to G8F with success, I saved the G8F as Shaping Preset but when I apply it to a new G8.1F Base everything works except for the head morph.

I guess that a similar topic has been already discussed but I can't find any specific thread about my case where the original morph was G3F.

Could you explain me if it's possible to convert the Head Morph and how to do it?

Thanks!

Bejaymac said:

Actually those warning are because the blank files are still in 8.1, it basically means that one hell of a lot of G8 content isn't compatible with the default G8.1.

My G8F log is clean (edited files or deleted them), yet when I load G8.1F my Mie Lin 8 coughs up a stack of these warnings (I don't use 8.1 so haven't bother fixing things).

Ok, if that's the case, which means that everybody that hasn't removed the dummy files, and loads a G8.1, gets their log file filled with warnings about the missing expressions...

Fix: Making the G8 base expressions (and any expressions that are using them) work on G8.1 requires removing dummy/placeholder expressions that are installed to G8.1 morph folders - These dummy/placeholder expression files have no other function than to prevent the base G8 expressions from loading. 

The dummy/placeholder files are located in;

...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Female 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Base Pose Head\ (255 files)
...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Female 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Expressions\ (24 files)
...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Male 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Base Pose Head\ (255 files)
...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Male 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Expressions\ (24 files)

Please make sure you are removing the files from G8.1 morph folders and not G8 morph folders.

I am not sure if i understood you right, but if you want to directly manipulate e.g. a face in the viewport with your mouse, you will need sth. like meshgrabber: 

https://www.daz3d.com/mesh-grabber-bundle-win

This is the win version, there is also a mac version, so be careful to choose the right one.

With this you can choose faces, edges or vertices of any morph and move or rotate it. 

Of course you can export also e.g. your character to a 3d modeling software like blender 3D and change it to your liking. Then you don't need to buy anything...

Thank you, just to check if I got everything right - does the G8 starter essentials pack contain all of Genesis starter essentials and is there any point having the latter if I have G8 starter ess.? And dforce starter ess. concerns only the fit of clothing and objects. But does it contain everything that G8 starter essentials contain and in other words, if I want to create a model from scratch, is there a point doing in G8 and then transfer to dforce to dress it up, or shall I rather work only in dforce?

Hi everyone. I found online a model of an armor that I adapted with blender to use it in Daz Studio.

The problem is not in the model but in the materials (chrome) that I cannot transfer them to Daz Studio.

This is how I see it in Blender (see Attachment)

In blender I do:

file > external data > pack resources

file > export > .obj

Then I select: Obj Objects, Obj Groups, Material groups

After importing it into daz and using the transfer utility and rendering it, I lose the material. Where am I wrong?

Thanks

Well, it isn't a daz product that is causing the issue (or at least, not oen that has been installed in a way that gives it metadata). That means the culprit is either a third-party pack (store or freebie) or a morph asset you created yourself.

PerttiA said:

That is quite a large log with a ton of problems...

One thing that stands out is that you have a problem with your Genesis 8 Starter Essentials installation as all the files in ...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Female 8\Morphs\Daz 3D\Base Pose Head\ and ...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Female 8\Morphs\Daz 3D\Expressions\, seem to be missing or DS can't find them - Have you removed them when trying to get G8 expressions working on G8.1?

If so, you removed the real files from G8F morph folders and not the dummy ones from G8.1F morph folders.

Due to the size of the log it would be quite a task to start tracking down other problems in it, fix the problem with the starter essentials first and post a new log

Actually those warning are because the blank files are still in 8.1, it basically means that one hell of a lot of G8 content isn't compatible with the default G8.1.

My G8F log is clean (edited files or deleted them), yet when I load G8.1F my Mie Lin 8 coughs up a stack of these warnings (I don't use 8.1 so haven't bother fixing things).

These store character smile and pout and grimace too much! Is it too much to ask for some actual neutral expression to be able what the character morph actually looks like?

marble said:

I keep telling myself that it time to move beyond just sliding morph parameters to make my own characters and perhaps send a G8 to Blender or some other sculpting application - I don't have ZBrush but have Blender and there's also Meshmolder which is either free of low cost for the "Pro" version. I just don't know what's involved though. For example, can I export a G8 and retain all the JCMs and rigging and, if so, what are the limitations (what if I want to make a much taller or shorter character, for example. Or what If I want to add detail where the base G8 has such a low poly count - Geometry grafts or normal maps perhaps?).

So assuming I can't do those things, what do I lose if I just export an OBJ file and then use the transfer utility (or whatever the process might be) to restore the rigging, etc? Is it possible to restore the JCMs, FBMs and such like? Is there a tutorial (and I don't have $100 to spend on one so free would be ideal)? 

I am itching to sculpt but how difficult are the technicalities beyond just making a new shape? I tried to dial-in a baby character recently for a family scene and it just turned out awful. I could buy the DAZ babies but they already look so ugly to start with (I think the creator must have used a Shar Pei puppy as a reference). 

Btw, Deepsea did a pretty nice baby.  https://www.daz3d.com/deepsea-baby-hd-for-genesis-81-male

Hi. You mean the BD Proportions Petite Morph? Can you post an example? CLothes are fitting fine on my side. Regarding a male version, this product was intended to be a female only product.

Leonides02 said:

This may seem like a bit of a silly question, especially since I've been using Daz for years. 

I prefer my characters to have a realistic percentage of body fat. However, I can't seem to find morphs where the girls don't have abs. I have lots and lots of morphs, but they of course are addidtive to whatever base character I'm using.

So, for instance, when I use the "voluptuous" morph, my character becomes more curvy. However, she still also -- inexplicably -- has abs and musculature. 

What am I doing wrong? Thanks!

I have to drop a rec for RazzleDazzle3D's morphs. She sells off the main sites but the two sets that have the softest body types are "More to Love" and "Oh She Thicc." I end up dialing them into almost all my female characters recently. 

Just discovered this as I am starting to use Genesis 1.

I never seem to know what Uv's I want to use when I start designing a character as I have plenty of character shaders from m4 V4 k4 etc.

Pretty simple steps.

1)  drop in a (eg) genesis child.

2) Shape the child to my character. Let's call him Reginald.

3) If I then drop in a V4 texture on Reginald it won't align as you know.

4) Save the Reginald's Geneisis character Morph using NLA>Creat Master Pose (That tidbit courtesy of Dart) and call  it "Reginald" so you know which one it is when you want to reload it.

5) Drop Basic Female Genesis onto the Reginald child character.

6) This will change Reginal's shape to Genesis female but also the UV's will change. As will the shader of course.

7) Select Genesis and use the NLA Master Pose you saved on the Genesis figure.

8) Presto, your figure Reginald comes back.

9) Drop in any V4 texture you like and it will be aligned.

I'm pretty sure this works because I've tried it quite a few times.

Told you it was simple!

Hya Wendy,

Thanks for that input.

This is how to do it in Carrara.

I drop in a (eg) genesis child.

Shape the child to my character. Call him Reginald.

If I then drop in a V4 texture it won't align as you know.

Save the Geneisis character Morph/Pose using NLA>Creat Master Pose (That tidbit courtesy of Dart) and call  it "Reginald".

Drop Basic Female Genesis onto my Reginald child character.

This will change Reginal's shape to Genesis female but also the UV's will change. As will the shader of course.

Use the NLA Master Pose you saved on the Genesis figure.

Presto, your figure Reginald comes back.

Drop in any V4 texture you like and it will be aligned.

Told you it was simple!

Leonides02 said:

outrider42 said:

This is one of those cases where using the Hexagon bridge helps a ton. You can use the UV Paint tool in Hexagon, specifically the smoothing brush. Use it gently and you can knock out the abs pretty easy, then send that back to Daz and save this as a new morph that corrects the abs. So like if you are editing the Voluptuous morph, you could call this "Voluptuous No Ab" or something like that.

You could also use Blender, but in this case Hexagon is actually more usable. The Daz to Hexagon Bridge is just so easy to use. If you don't have the G8 Dev Kit, you should get it from the G8 Starter download section. Just load the dev kit, dial in the morph you want to fix, and send to Hexagon. It is that simple, no need to worry over having the settings correct because the bridge handles all that. In Hexagon the UV Paint brushes have a Smoothing Brush. This brush will be your best friend. Just gently apply this on the abs, and poof they are gone. Send this back to Daz, give it a unique name (and make sure it is unique to avoid dreaded duplicate ID errors), toggle reverse deformations to on, select the location, and go. You can also select to mirror one side of the morph you are importing if you were not able to mirror it in Hexagon (the mirror function doesn't always work in Hexagon).

If it works, then save it as a new morph. Since this is only the abs, there is no need to do any fancy ERC stuff, you can just save it.

It might sound like a lot, but this is something that can take just a few minutes, even if you are not used to doing it. The longest part might be waiting for Hexagon to load.

Wow, what a helpful post! Thank you. I will try this ASAP. 

NP, I hope it works for you.

If you have not used Hexagon before, you will probably want to go into its settings and disable "Local Redraw" in the Edit > Preferences Editor. There is a viewport glitch that happens with it on that can make Hexagon unusable otherwise. Also, as long as you stick to the Dev Kit you shouldn't have memory problems since the dev kit has no textures. If you import characters with textures on you will almost certainly run out of memory since Hexagon is ancient software. The Hexagon "supposedly 64 bit" Beta improves it a little, but only a little. So it is best to just avoid textures unless you use like one or two very small and compressed textures. You could use say a smaller than 100kb texture on the torso to help make sure you not distorting things too much with the smoothing tool. That is the only problem you might get if you get a little too aggressive with this tool. It is easy to spread the vertices apart, which leads to the the skin looking stretched when you render in Daz. So you want to avoid this. It should be much issue if you are sticking to the abs, but on other areas you run into this.

Once you get a little practice with it, you might find this a very handy way to make those small adjustments on morphs that drive you crazy. It is too bad we can't use it on HD morphs (they just drop to base res when transeferd to Hexagon), but it is still handy and dare I say fun to do. And this is coming from someone who hates using Blender.

Kainjy said:

In a morph you can't add or remove vertices.. you can only move them. If you need more vertices you have 2 options: 1 - create a new figure (creating the geometra and rigging and weightmaps). 2 - use geografths to locally change a mesh

Which is exactly what my original post was asking about. I know that you can't add or delete vertices and I'm always careful to avoid that when I make morphs but, as I said, I wondered what was involved in going that step further and not be limited by the base polygons. That's why I was asking about rigging and the transfer utulity, etc.