This is why we needed Genesis 2

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Jim Willey

Well actually I’m lying. I think. As far as I know Genesis could have shipped with a properly weight mapped and rigged jaw. Was it a bridge to far at the time? Why not add it as an update post release? In any case a rigged and weighted jaw is one example of G2’s greater articulation. This means we have more control over Victoria 6 and Michale 6 when it comes to crafting expressions and creating other effects, such as taking a fist to the jaw in a bar room brawl.

Other key points of articulation are due to weight map improvements, weighted and rigged toes, and the splitting of the male/female figures has allowed for gendered weight maps. This means breasts are weighted much better, where as with G1 the chest had to be weighted to suit both genders. The improvements are quite obvious when doing comparisons.

Below is a 5 min DIY to see if I could get Genesis’s jaw moving by by doing a little elementary weight painting.

Pure horror. Why did Genesis never have a rigged and weighted jaw?

Yes, I’m still working on the review. As you can see I’ve become distracted somewhat with examining finer details and learning more about the software, involved technologies – building myself into a better, stronger, faster 3D nerd.

DAZ 3D Release Michael 6 – Genesis 2 Male

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Jim Willey

So I’d intended I’d already have a full review of M6/G2M and the most useful extra products. I got off to a good start doing a detailed comparison between the various base figure mesh dating back to M4/V4. Next was to get a quick render to go with the rest of the review when it was written. This part of the session degraded into endless play. First of all I wanted to get some lighting that brought out the quality of the skin materials, this led to playing around with said materials, which led back to playing with lights and then lots more material edits AND ON!

Maybe I’m out of practice when it comes to rendering flesh and blood figures, but I also think that the supplied materials with various M6 characters just aren’t doing what I want them to do, which is render something more-or-less realistic out of the box. What I found was lobsters and Jaundice. Could be a problem with my lighting, could be a problem with the mats, or it could be just down to my own preferences. Anyway, this is beginning to sound like a review, so I’ll stop right here. I’m not ready to do one just yet. I’ve yet to test many things. I will say that I like the new M4 and G2M morphs – they both have character and are, in my opinion, a huge improvement over M6 and the base male morph for Genesis – see I just can’t help myself being all reviewy and stuff.

I’ll get back to you all when I’ve got all those tests done.

News Bites 15-Nov-13

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Jim Willey

Ok, so there are always these little snippets of news that I want to write about, but either I can’t get together something significant enough to post or I’m strapped for time. News Bites is a new column or segment or whatever, where I’ll gather up all the crunchy crumbs and serve them up. Sound appetising? Hmm… Let’s hope it tastes better than it sounds, and entirely more hygienic.

What’s covered: 3Delight 11, DAZ Studio User Guide (by DAZ 3D), Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4 (by Paolo Ciccone), DAZ Studio user image gallery, and the release of Vue 2014.

3Delight 11 – Quad Core For Free!

Released back on the 1st of October, 3Delight Studio Pro offers some great new features. Included is a new path-tracing algorithm, which is apparently much more efficient at rendering multi-bounce GI, SSS, and motion blur. There have also been multi-threading optimisations and significant improvements to all round raytrace render speeds. Support has been added for deep image output via EXR 2.0 file format.

Undoubtedly, there will be some time before we see the new algorithm implemented for DAZ Studio, but for adventurous and script savy super nerds this should be little problem. For such as these, and those that prefer to work with the standalone application, there is an additional piece of news here. As of version 11, we have access to a quad-core license (old version was dual core). DNA has also promised that users of the free version of the program will see releases more frequently, so we can expect our versions to be much closer to what the paying user base get to play with.

Download 3Delight Studio Pro

Well, that was a rather significant bite of news right there. What’s next?

Not a manual, but DAZ Studio has a User Guide

As of the 11th of November DAZ Studio has a User Guide and a QuickStart Guide. While these documents are still a far cry from the manual many DAZ Studio users have been asking for (for a good LONG time), they are accessible and perfect for getting new users in and orientated. Topics covered include the basic layout of the GUI and its various preconfigurations.(who knew there was such a thing?), posing, surface editing and render settings. The section on lighting will be of particular use for the many people new to 3D/CG that find this element particularly challenging.

Back to waiting for that manual.

DAZ 3D’s Long Lost Galleries Are Back

We all know what a disaster the website updates were at DAZ. The stores still flips out from time-to-time (or all the time, depending on who you ask), member avatars for the forums have just come back etc, etc, but since at least the 13th Galleries ARE back, though in Public beta. DAZ isn’t promoting the beta outside the members area of the forum, but all users have access now.

To configure your gallery preferences and to start your own collection you just need to visit the new “Gallery” tab in your “My Account” area of the DAZ 3D website. This new feature is still obviously in development, so navigating around the gallery is awkward, but it is shaping up nicely and has a lot of promise. Come by and check me out 🙂

The Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4

As if one guide in the month wasn’t enough, but here it is, and let us be honest and say that this one is far more extensive than the basic introduction provided by DAZ. Written by well-known community figure and creator of Reality for DAZ Studio and Poser, Paolo Ciccone –

The Complete Guide to DAZ Studio 4 shows you how to effectively use DAZ Studio 4 from start to finish. This guide takes you on a fun journey into the world of 3D art with DAZ Studio. Using everyday situations and practical examples, this book leads you from understanding the basics of 3D to the exploration of all the relevant topics, including posing, lighting, rendering, and content installation. You will follow step-by-step examples that will show you how to create great 3D art with fun and ease.

Topics include:

Pose human figures in a natural and believable way
Use morphs to create new characters and install new content in DAZ Studio
Understand the building blocks of a 3D model and modify the DAZ Studio materials
Build a complete scene, with a character in a full environment
Frame your shot and use the camera effectively
Understand the basic principles and approach for lighting a scene
Create geometrically accurate images with photo-realistic rendering
Achieve photo-realism in DAZ Studio with the Reality plugin
Create your own content in DAZ Studio and sell it online
Animate your characters and create movies with DAZ Studio

Vue 2014 Release

Our last compelling news bite of the day is E-on’s launch of the updated line of Vue products. On the 6th E-on released Vue xStream 2014, and Vue Infinite 2014. The lighter versions of the program (Complete, Esprite, Studio, Pioneer etc) will be released later in the month. E-on says the staggered release is aimed at dealing with download demand and providing better customer service.

Vue 2014 Improvements include:

(xStream) Better FBX support allowing for import of textured geometry and cameras. Camera motion import and export.
World Point Position Pass – compositing flexibility
Physically Accurate Sunlight Model and Photometric Lights – nuf said?
Tone Mapping – multiple tone mapping filters to simulate human eye or camera light responces
Natural Grain – natural colour variation suited for… natural stuff.
EcoSystem improvements – natural clumping algorithm to give more natural vegetation distribution.
Improved Plant Factory compatibility
MORE!

And there it is, the first edition of our new News Bites. How does it work for you? Let us know.

RWBY Series 1 Wraps Up

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Jim Willey

The first series of Rooster Teeth’s Poser Pro powered anime, RWBY. wrapped up on the 5th of this month (November 2014). Production continues on the project, but there is little official word on what comes next and when. The series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and the soundtrack is also out.

It has to be said that Monty Oum is one stylish devil and I must further admit to having become something of a fan of his work since a press release from Smith Micro popped up in my inbox. To be 100% honest I’d never heard the name Monty Oum till I started digging into just who was behind RWBY. I’d seen a snippet of the Haloid (Halo/Metroid) fan animation, so I had at least had a run-in with his work. I’d also seen a couple of episodes of Red VS Blue but hadn’t relised that seasons 8+ of the show were made with Poser. It was only after hunting down all Monty’s low-fi but incredibly produced and choreographed action animations (Dead Fantasy, Haloid), that I developed an appreciation of the mad skillz (as the kids say) this guy has as a director, editor and animator. This work also gave me a deeper respect for the animation potential of Poser.

It’s hard to write about RWBY without being all Oum be a god. It’s his baby. He’s responsible for the concept, directing, and large parts of writing, animation, and character design – basically all the stuff that us 3D people are interested in. But let’s not forget the awesome talent of Shane Newille too. For a look at what he can do just check out his awesome Megaman X Fanimation, for which he also did the soundtrack. It is great to see what creative, ambitious people can accomplish with a budget (though apparently with no official figures out there who knows what the budget really looks like), and basic tools.

RWBY certainly isn’t to the tastes of everyone. First and foremost anime is one of those things you either love or “can’t get”. Some are weary or outright snobish about westernised anime, and then there are the clipping and other minor animation flaws. For the most part animation shortcomings didn’t bother me, but every now and then there were instances where hair would phase through apparel and weapons sheathed on the back, or feet would slide. …but I’m not really writing a review here.

So, lets just cut to the chase. Watching RWBY has been entertaining, with some of Oum’s signature intricately choreographed fight sequences, and for me it has all been about the seeing Poser in action for a relatively high profile project. Oum’s work with Poser is inspiring, and his message of working with the tools you know and have at hand (not worrying about the tools and wiz-bang you want or think you should have) is refreshing.

RWBY is now part of Poser history. It is a rallying call to all of us that use inexpensive “hobbyist” software. The success of Rooster Teeth Productions should be equally inspiring – a production house that has its roots in no/low budget, but innovative Machinima. It really is a whole new world here on the internet. If you’re smart and you are driven you can accomplish anything with virtually whatever comes to hand.

I am looking forward to getting a copy of the RWBY DVD, watching all the episodes back to back without the distraction of ads. Most of all, I’m looking forward to Oum’s commentary. You can watch all the episodes for free at Rooster Teeth’s website and on their YouTube channel.

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