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Introduction & Probably Newcomer FAQs

Hornet3d

Wise
Ken seems to have answered your question admirably.

As to Superfly, it depends on the firefly shader you are starting with but most of my figures needed work on the eyes. In my case the specular was way too high giving the eyes a white, ghostly appearance. The eyes were also far too bright for my liking even after correcting the specular. For me the skin tones were also too soft but all of this can be sorted but it is really down to personal choice and a lot of trial and error to get the results you like.
 

Tynkere

Motivated
Hi everyone,

Been busy, but not so much that I couldn’t find time to try making a mockingbird, and hopefully better explain what I was wondering about with human hand bones. Hope this isn't too long. Will try to stop by more than just once a week. ; )

For the Birds...


Even with two field guides in front of me, discovered that making a mockingbird is hard! Something about the beak or maybe where it meets skull? Ken might do great work with birds & wildlife, but up to end-users to make them work! Will try to do it justice...

Helping Hands...

Most of the time who cares about movable bones in the hand right?

Every once in a while tho...



In this render wanted to show what I meant about G3/G8 figures and hand bones.

Where Vicky is shielding her eyes from the sun, the bone in her hand connected to the pinky is also flexing down to the inside a little.

In the other hand, four independent carpel bones really help in posing fingers around an irregular shaped object like binoculars. I spent more time fitting hand/fingers to those binoculars than setting up the entire scene! o_O

Am not sure how hands are done if they are grouped into two sets of two? Assume artists twist or bend them for flexion/extension or inversion/eversion?

Anyway, don’t want to dwell on hands overlong. Just noticed (in looking at other artists’ renders) the ones that look really convincing all seem to have relaxed body posture, good expressions and well... believable hands.

“Believable” then leads me to this week’s question. Yes, always “New-Bee” questions! : )

Wild plants/shrubs for quality close-ups?

I haven’t seen English ivy or what is probably a kind of mountain laurel with trapezoid stems/branches... : 0 !

Granted they were sale items probably never meant to be in focus or rendered up close, but...

...If I enjoy nature and “at the park” renders like this example-- plants can easily make or break a scene.

So... Is there a kind of ‘wilderness plant starter pack’ ?

Found plenty of resources for gardens and things, but critters would want dense thickets, etc. Resource intensive and don’t know if PAs even make such a thing. Maybe a limited market for them? Anyway, have rattled on long enough.

Thank you for reading!

--Bruce

---
@ Ken

Clothing does seem hit or miss. For example, I’m assuming one that came bundled with Victoria 8 called “Boho Shirt” is designed for that character. Fits OK, until you pose with it. In the sample render above, I had to delete “Boho Shirt” because the one sleeve was following bottom of arm up (into the sky) rather than down. I don’t think gravity works that way. ; )

@ Hornet 3D

They all have their quirks? For IRay, bump map can bring out or hide details, and every last male character needs tweaks to almost every slider under “Dual Lobe” heading. Skin on males tends to look waxy, and mouths look like they are wearing lip gloss! Even lipstick on females a bit too glossy for my purposes. I just don’t see many women in real life wearing what looks like 2mm of super gloss lipstick!
 

Hornet3d

Wise
Once again I am not sure on DS but in general Poser struggles with vegetation of the sort you describe, I have a solitary grave scene srt underneath a couple of large trees and to say it slows my system down would be an understatement. Then again Poser was developed to help artists with poses and so it has always been figure orientated. When I want the sort of environment like a couple walking in a park I drop out of Poser and use Vue, it is expensive but it allows imports from Poser and the ability to use Poser to deal with Poser materials inside Vue.

There is also Terradome which is great from landscapes in Poser but I am not sure how well it does on vegetation in large areas.

Evening Walk HW.jpg


Scene is purchased for use in Vue although I added the illumination to the lamps. Figures are M4 and V4 posed in Poser and imported to Vue using the option for Poser to handle the materials.
 

Hornet3d

Wise
On the question of hands, I am no expert and I try to find short cuts. I usually start with a pose closest to what I am looking for and sometimes also partial poses from a set for the hands only so once I have the figure pose if the hands are way off I use the nearest partial pose. The final adjustment is then further morphs for the hand such as spread or grasp again to get close and then finally the bend, twist and side to side adjustment starting at the hand then then onto the individual finger sections. Keep in mind I am talking V4 here and for the last few years Dawn, I never ventured into the Genesis series.
 

Miss B

Drawing Life 1 Pixel at a Time
CV-BEE
I pretty much do the same thing Hornet. I find the pose I want, and then play with the arms/hands/finger joints until I'm happy with how it looks.
 

Tynkere

Motivated
Too bad I guess, but better I learn that sooner than later!

DS probably the same as Poser-- maybe more of a sci-fi / fantasy tilt if the store is any indication.

Anyway, quick scene setup from subsets-- no depth of field to blur textured hills in Terradome, or help bring out tiny bird. No spot for his face or anything.



So rolling hills covered with grass & flowers might not be possible in DS or even Poser! In DS, the store offers sets with grass & flowers like this one, but only flat surfaces I think.

Trees & plants in it are OK , but if I wanted to do a portrait of the bird itself... One of Ken's sets? Are the plants props that can be used on any set? Look pretty good from here!

Funny that two of you should mention stock poses and just modifying. I think this was a “Pirate Captain” pose where the character is crouching with sword and pistol or something. Just moved his arms. ; )

Thanks for reading and enjoy weekend!

--Bruce
 

Stezza

Dances with Bees
So rolling hills covered with grass & flowers might not be possible in DS or even Poser! In DS, the store offers sets with grass & flowers like this one, but only flat surfaces I think.

--Bruce

it is done easily in Carrara though FYI ;) :shineon:
 

Steve.M

Enthusiast
So rolling hills covered with grass & flowers might not be possible in DS or even Poser!

In DS yes (well, at least when using iRay, not checked using 3Delight), just a case of creating instancies(for the grass/flowers), then when redering, switch "Instancing optimization" to "Memory"
In Poser pro 11, no. It does not have instancies. Even if you create a prop and strip out the geometry, the geometry is still loaded with each copy of the prop in scene. So you can run out of system resources quickly.
 

Hornet3d

Wise
In DS yes (well, at least when using iRay, not checked using 3Delight), just a case of creating instancies(for the grass/flowers), then when redering, switch "Instancing optimization" to "Memory"
In Poser pro 11, no. It does not have instancies. Even if you create a prop and strip out the geometry, the geometry is still loaded with each copy of the prop in scene. So you can run out of system resources quickly.


That what I was not sure of as regards DS, as you say it is the lack of instances that stops Poser in this respect.
 

Tynkere

Motivated
I'm finding 3D really is small community. Found out "Stezza" is also on DAZ forums, and helped with some questions I had about Carrara.

@ Stezza

Like I posted at DAZ-- Thanks for the help and those are some amazing renders!

@ Hornet3d

Just wanted to say, I appreciate the help. Different apps of course, but some things such as lighting and composition probably universal. Am always open to suggestions. : )

@ Steve M

Will have to learn more about instancies. For scenes where I just need cover for backdrop, eliminate need for Terradome's zone B? Had wondered what that pulldown was for.

Anyway, just wanted to check in with everyone. Carrara looks to be a very powerful app, and getting a basic understanding of it during 30 day refund period might be a tall order.

So I'm off to play with my new 'toy' so to speak. : )

Best

--Bruce
 
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