This Ain't Rocket Science...WIP thread

[Rae134]

Thanks Chris!

 

[David]

This is a new experiment with my base Odd Girl texture. I wasn't pleased with the original, so I started looking for ways to make it better (I hope it's better). This is my first attempt at using SSS that actually works. It sort of blurred some of the texture map details, but I think I struck a fairly good balance. This is a Superfly render, btw.

Thoughts and critique very welcome.

 

[Chris]

Oh that is fun. Skin looks good.

 

[quietrob]

This is a new experiment with my base Odd Girl texture. I wasn't pleased with the original, so I started looking for ways to make it better (I hope it's better). This is my first attempt at using SSS that actually works. It sort of blurred some of the texture map details, but I think I struck a fairly good balance. This is a Superfly render, btw.

Thoughts and critique very welcome.

View attachment 34595

Simply said, for those who do realistic renders, there aren't enough skin textures for Superfly. That alone makes this experiment a good thing. A lot of us tend to have a character but not necessarily use the skin textures provided.

 

[Carey]

Simply said, for those who do realistic renders, there aren't enough skin textures for Superfly. That alone makes this experiment a good thing. A lot of us tend to have a character but not necessarily use the skin textures provided.

Well I myself was just getting poser 2012 and 'ESZ skin" really working for me, First thing EZ skin 3 does is over write EZ skin 2, which has become a sort of kick in the teeth for me, that and the fact poser 2014 isn't exactly stable on my mac. I realize I can't complain too loudly as I do manage to make a fair number of good looking renders but even as a 2D artist my work was never perfect enough for me...lol perfection is not just an obsession it is the very gates of hell itself...lol

 

[Miss B]

Actually Carey, EZSkin2 does NOT work for SuperFly, and EZSkin3 does NOT work for FireFly. So if you're using PP2012, you should only be using EZSkin2. Only P11/PP11 have the SuperFly render engine.

 

[Carey]

Actually Carey, EZSkin2 does NOT work for SuperFly, and EZSkin3 does NOT work for FireFly. So if you're using PP2012, you should only be using EZSkin2. Only P11/PP11 have the SuperFly render engine.

Truth be known, I rarely use superfly do mainly to the lack of both experience with it and a lack of skin textures to use with it. As a general rule I like to keep several versions of poser on my computer, characters and textures I made for EZskin 2 don't really work in later versions poser, heck I have a computer that has windows XP and poser 7 on it as I have yet to find time and desire to make an obj for old props that didn't come with one.. besides I know poser 7 really really well....lol

I like to use an IDL lighting system I helped develop for poser 2012 that worked great with EZskin 2 but not so great with poser 2014 and EZskin 3

I am getting old and don't have the time left nor the desire to reinvent the wheel, I spend too much time worrying about things like when the laxative I took is going to start working...lol

 

[quietrob]

Well I myself was just getting poser 2012 and 'ESZ skin" really working for me, First thing EZ skin 3 does is over write EZ skin 2, which has become a sort of kick in the teeth for me, that and the fact poser 2014 isn't exactly stable on my mac. I realize I can't complain too loudly as I do manage to make a fair number of good looking renders but even as a 2D artist my work was never perfect enough for me...lol perfection is not just an obsession it is the very gates of hell itself...lol

I just wish to apologize for all of the missing words! I cringed when I read back what I wrote!

I do like Superfly for big realistic renders but mainly I still use Firefly in Poser 11. Especially when human or animal figures are involved.

 

[Rae134]

Actually Carey, EZSkin2 does NOT work for SuperFly, and EZSkin3 does NOT work for FireFly. So if you're using PP2012, you should only be using EZSkin2. Only P11/PP11 have the SuperFly render engine.

I only have EZSkin3 and it does both SF and FF (EZSkin2 was written before SF so doesn't have that option)

 

[Hornet3d]

Truth be known, I rarely use superfly do mainly to the lack of both experience with it and a lack of skin textures to use with it. As a general rule I like to keep several versions of poser on my computer, characters and textures I made for EZskin 2 don't really work in later versions poser, heck I have a computer that has windows XP and poser 7 on it as I have yet to find time and desire to make an obj for old props that didn't come with one.. besides I know poser 7 really really well....lol

I like to use an IDL lighting system I helped develop for poser 2012 that worked great with EZskin 2 but not so great with poser 2014 and EZskin 3

I am getting old and don't have the time left nor the desire to reinvent the wheel, I spend too much time worrying about things like when the laxative I took is going to start working...lol

Well I am certainly getting long in the tooth but it has taken me a while to get to a point where I am happy that the skin textures I have which are pretty well as good as those in firefly, I had a lot of help mind, looking through the 'I am almost giving up on Poser 11' and the 'I just wanted to post an image thread' over the same time period I think would be a good start for anyone new to superfly as I was given some stunning information on how to proceed.

Thing is once I was happy with the textures I could now run scene renders with Dawn and other figures and gain the stunning looks of metal, water and the like that superfly does so well. There are other gains to be had, if you use progressive refinement in render settings the picture will start to form within the first few minutes of the render, it is grainy but certainly good enough to spot issues like figures hovering off the ground, lighting in the wrong place or set at the wrong level. It has all of the benefits if the render preview window (which I never use now) with none of the restrictions. Not only that, the render will show the path tracing sample that the render is at and the total needed based on you pixel sample. By see how many samples that are completed in one minute it is easy to work out just how long the full render will take. It is not accurate to a couple of minutes but it does quickly show that the render you thought might take 3 hours will take 10 and you can adapt accordingly. You could lower the samples or let it run and just cancel the render when you reach a point where you are happy with the quality.

The lighting is certainly very different in superfly and none of my default firefly lighting setups were good and it was a hurdle for me at least until someone recommended I used EZdome. What a discovery, that and area lights are all I tend to use now and the lighting is so much simpler. All I have to remember is that it is EZouter that is the light emitter (it has two domes) and it is the ambient here that will set the level of lighting for the scene. If I like the background picture fine, if not I just ensure it is not visible in camera but I still benefit from the lighting.

I am not good with picking up new skills and it took me three weeks to reach a point where I only used superfly now but i have to say I regard it as time well spent.

 

[Miss B]

I only have EZSkin3 and it does both SF and FF (EZSkin2 was written before SF so doesn't have that option)

Interesting, since I was always under the impression EZSkin3 only played with the Cycles and/or PhysicalSurface nodes. I'll have to check that out more closely.

 

[Rae134]

Well admittedly I don't know Poser but when I use EZSkin3 it will let me select conversion for FF or SF

 

[Miss B]

Ohhhhhhh, OK. I haven't seen that option, so didn't know it was available. Good to know.

 

[David]

I am doing my best to get a Firefly version of the skin texture. So far, so good.

 

[quietrob]

Well admittedly I don't know Poser but when I use EZSkin3 it will let me select conversion for FF or SF

I didn't know that either. I thought each was exclusive to Firefly or Superfly. Plus I think that EZaskin2 has more variables thus greater flexibility but perhaps some experts can chip in here.

 

[Nod]

I've modeled two versions of the shoes I plan to use for the new outfit, and I need opinions. The pair with the slouch sort of look is what I planned in my original design, the other pair was a second thought. I shouldn't have had the second thought because now I'm torn. Your opinions would be helpful.

View attachment 28057 View attachment 28058

Include them both. One pair could be her Sunday Best.

 

[Miss B]

I agree with Nod. They're both nice, and can be used with different outfits in different scenes. Variety is the name of the game.

 

[Bonnie2001]

That looks good David. Will you be adding grooves to the tyres? They look a bit odd without them.