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SKYLAB CHAT

skylab

Esteemed
Wow, Seliah, what a year you've had....covid twice....and I understand totally and feel your pain when you describe the condition of the healthcare system. The only comfort I take in this at all is that finally, they are FORCED to do something about working conditions and training. It's like when we were kids, and parents would say "if you can't hear, I bet you can feel it"....which was a final warning usually...haha. Well, for years healthcare, politicians, pharmaceutical companies have had their fingers in their ears, determined to not hear, and keep on hauling in the profits, and living it up while it was going on for decades. But we're in a situation now where, no matter how much they want to do what used to be done....if it continues much longer, total financial collapse will result. I believe it could be called The Perfect Storm :)

You asked about Michael 8.1. I just went with the figure alone...I didn't need the "bundle" nor the price :) There are supposed to be improvements in how the facial features will animate in a life-like way, so that's where my interest was. I'm glad that Genesis 8 clothing, hair and everything else works with 8.1...and of course I'll be watching for freebies that show up on Rendo or ShareCG....and post them here for those who want to experiment with Genesis 8.1.


:coding:
 

Seliah (Childe of Fyre)

Running with the wolves.
CV-BEE
Contributing Artist
You asked about Michael 8.1. I just went with the figure alone...I didn't need the "bundle" nor the price :) There are supposed to be improvements in how the facial features will animate in a life-like way, so that's where my interest was. I'm glad that Genesis 8 clothing, hair and everything else works with 8.1...and of course I'll be watching for freebies that show up on Rendo or ShareCG....and post them here for those who want to experiment with Genesis 8.1.

Yeah, I have no interest in bundles, either. I'm just on the fence about the actual figure. Like... for a still-render artist like me, the animation capabilities aren't going to mean anything. So, I'm trying to figure out if he's worth it enough for me to bother getting him for the sorts of artwork I do render. That remains to be seen yet. So far, I haven't seen anything that would tempt me to shell out that kind of cash on him. He just comes off to me as "let's remake the figure and charge full figure price" from them.

Now, if someone can point out advantages or improvements that are relevant to me as a still-image artist, then I might reconsider. But at the moment, I'm content to just stay with Mike 8 and hold tight until the next genesis figure actually comes out. IMO, they ought to be focusing on improving the next major figure anyway, not trying to pigeon hole little things and re-releasing the same figures again. But then I suppose that's why I'm an artist and NOT a business person. ROFL

:yeahthat: Quite a year indeed. Hopefully things will get better soon.

With the new admin in place, I'm hoping they do as well. Thanks, Terre. :) And hey, at least for the next few months, I'll have lots of time to play in 3D. ^_^ So that's off to a nice start, IMO!
 

skylab

Esteemed
Yeah, the little incremental improvements tends to be the way things are done now with most figures...costs the customers a fortune that way too....and then there's morph packs...haha.

I've been busy messing under the hood of one of my drives today...it's been years since I installed a video card. The first one I did was on a Mac at work...it was a $1200 video card and the service representative said he'd talk me through it. The price tag had me shaking like a leaf, but it worked fine. After that, I started tinkering with drives occasionally. So, after many years, I was back at it today, a small, low profile GeForce NVIDIA 710....not a big deal as far as gamers are concerned, but just enough to improve 3D options.

NVIDIA CARD -- Jan 31.jpg
 

Seliah (Childe of Fyre)

Running with the wolves.
CV-BEE
Contributing Artist
I don't blame you for going the GeForce route, considering Iray if you're working in DS a lot. I'm still running on that Toshiba laptop from a few years ago. On-board AMD gpu. Iray haaaaaaaaaates it. :roflmao: :laugh:
 

skylab

Esteemed
Here's a video demonstration of the NVIDIA card being installed into a HP compact desktop by a kid. He's a little reckless, but it shows that the process is fairly easy. It's best to not skuff around on carpet as static snap could ruin not only the card but other already installed stuff on the motherboard. Also, at first he forgets to use the low profile bracket...but in so doing, it demonstrates the need to do that in order for the height to fit the slim case. In a tower case the tall bracket would fit fine. Once the shorter bracket is secured with screws, just press the card firmly into the slot and power up. He seemed to have an automatic driver recognition, but I had read where others had to work through the installation using the CD and updating drivers from the website....this was true in my case., but it was otherwise a smooth installation. I think this may have had to do with the age of the computer...I was installing on a HP Elite 8200 that was probably manufactured originally around 2011. If it had been a newer system, I suspect that the driver installation would have been automatic, as in this video demonstration.

 

skylab

Esteemed
I thought of Seliah today when I saw this on YouTube. It was posted by Joan Baez last year when lockdown first began in early spring as a tribute to health care workers and front line folks who provided services. She's 80 now, so her singing range is limited, but she still has amazing skills on the guitar. I've seen her twice in concert, in 1976 and again in 2005 in DC, when I had started having health limitations, and remember being totally amazed at her pure vocal range at the time, and finally now she has retired from touring. So now, here's Baez, just like the rest of us, sheltered and waiting out covid, with a tribute to all who serve the public.



She was 60 years old at this concert in France in 2000...and she has no trouble keeping up with the band that has Gipsy Kings type of energy and care free performance.

 

skylab

Esteemed
A pic out the window from this weekend's snow storm :) Nice to enjoy the beauty without having to drive in it. And what's better, I now have arranged for grocery deliveries to my door. I'll miss getting out, doing antics with the handicapped cart....but with covid variants and no end yet in sight, I thought it was best to give up the trip out to the store, at least for awhile...it just puts me and the friend helping me at unnecessary risk....and they started getting deliveries too after I tried it and it worked well :)

IP-parking-lot-snow2.jpg
 

skylab

Esteemed
Hey Janet :) I'm not at my workstation now, but if I remember correctly, there's what appears to be the main Moshi option, but then if you look in I think it's materials, just click around, and you'll see the other options for Moschi, including Moshi with fur...if you click on that, then the character with fur loads. I've not yet pursued how to get the fur to render in an animation....it renders fine for me in just a still shot. Let me know if you still can't find it, and I'll get the workstation going and try to find it for you :)


:drawing:
 

skylab

Esteemed
Hey Janet :) I went ahead and booted up the workstation to check about Moshi....and I was half right. There is a Moshi with fur option, but it's under Figures...looks like this, the middle option:

moschi--fur.jpg
 
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