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Wish we had for Harry the Horse

Rae134

Renowned
CV-BEE
Contributing Artist
I agree Dax, the level of detail is great but I don't think the artist knows horse anatomy well. I think those who do fantasy art will like it for the detail, but those of use who used to live and breath horses will just see it as wrong lol
 

Desertsilver

Busy Bee
I agree with your comments, and we know it's not the artist's fault that the Daz horse has such ugly, half open eyes, and the mane is so bad you have to find ways to hide or never show it. But I sure would love to have the veins for the Hivewire horse.

I tried doing some layers in LIE today, but for some reason the whole texture map kept shifting off center was off when I applied it. Never have that trouble when using it on humans...not sure what was going on. Going to work on it some more today- I really want the Celtic overlays for Harry!

Do you think the veins are a morph she did or are a texture trick?




OK, I think the new morph for DH2 is pretty ugly from most angles (this one is the only one I've seen that it looks good in) but I DO like the level of detail they have with the veins and musculature, this is the kind of detail I'd love to see on Harry.

 

VortigensBane

Busy Bee
The veins and other details are HD sculpts in the new DAZ horse bundle (yes, I bought it...I love details and fine-tunings; artists who create them need to be encouraged!), so unless DAZ releases the HD morph creation capabilities universally, you'll have to use other options. I'm guessing normal maps would do a fairly good job of it as an alternative, but they would have to be pretty massive in order to get enough detail, and then you need the right software to turn sculpted details into a normal map, unless you are really good at painting just in shades of blue...
 

Rae134

Renowned
CV-BEE
Contributing Artist
I wasn't really bagging the artist. And yes more should be encouraged!

I actually think its the posing I saw in the Promo's (might be the way DH2 poses, I don't know) but I've just done these basic standing pose and it doesn't look as bad as the one I saw. I still think the neck might be a bit big/deep to go with the smaller rump.

Default on Left, new on right (thumbnails so click to view larger)
DH2 Default.jpg DH2 New.jpg
DH2 Original 2.jpg DH2 New 2.jpg
 

Desertsilver

Busy Bee
VortigensBane-I agree the artist did a fine job, it really reminds me of an in game asset- and is perfect for a gritty style render. Her promos are just incredible! I already used him in a commission of an aging ranch hand and they loved the horse.

That said- I personally use the Hive horse as he fits my ideal fantasy of equine shape. As Rae noted, the new horse has more detail- yet to the horse fiend (and I grew up with them and have ridden all of my life) many of the details are not correct.The muscles are shaped oddly and wrinkled- especially the triceps and the thigh and buttock area. In the front view the muscles on the breast are almost emaciated...he s a bit sway backed... stuff a non horse person would not notice- but it's great to have both of them-and I do!
 

Dreamer

Dream Weaver Designs
@Rae134 and @Desertsilver how do these look for ribs and veins?
Firefly
RVFF.jpg


Superfly
RVSF.jpg


Daz 3DL
3DL.png


These are very rough quick draughts done with bump/displacement/normal mapping. Iray is giving me a bit of trouble but should be doable.
 

Rae134

Renowned
CV-BEE
Contributing Artist
I think it might be a bit much for the poser, but the iray one looks good (except maybe the neck veins might be a bit much) but great start!
 

Dreamer

Dream Weaver Designs
Yeah I deliberately set things on the high side so you could really see what's going on, btw the daz render I'd 3DL not Iray still trying to work that one out.
How does the placement look? I am not so good with anatomy, I did the best I could from references in books I have.
 

Rae134

Renowned
CV-BEE
Contributing Artist
I haven't been around a live horse for over 25 years so I'm not sure on the neck veins, the belly one looks good. I've never noticed the lower leg ones but the upper ones I think are ok. Headshots of veins are easier to find than body ones. Not sure of the rib structure I think you'd need to find an under-fed horse to see that many, the ones on racehorses are more muscle than ribs and you only see a few, not as many as you have
 

Dreamer

Dream Weaver Designs
I haven't been round live horses myself for far too long and even then they were more slightly tubby grass fed scruffs lol so not highly refined thin skinned prettys with well defined muscles, ribs and veins lol.
I'll do some tweeking and see how things turn out, could end up with a number of options here
 

Rae134

Renowned
CV-BEE
Contributing Artist
I was 14-15 when I rode racehorses and I'm 46 now so do the math hahahaha. Maybe google racehorses and eventing (especially cross-country and maybe showjumping), I think even some of the dressage horses vein up. (I think its usually the hot or warmblooded ones not so much the cold/drafts)
 

Desertsilver

Busy Bee
Oh wow! that is just with bump and displacement? That is amazing! I do think that al ot less of the rib would be showing unless a very emaciated animal. But then when you add the coat it may become more subtle?
 

Dreamer

Dream Weaver Designs
Oh wow! that is just with bump and displacement? That is amazing! I do think that al ot less of the rib would be showing unless a very emaciated animal. But then when you add the coat it may become more subtle?
Yep just Bump and Displacement. Adding the coat may help smooth things out a bit or I may need to tweek the maps some, its going to be a bit of tral and error.
BTW here are some first test runs on some overlays too
Elven.jpg
 

Desertsilver

Busy Bee
aaa veins.jpg
aaa veins2.jpg

here are a couple of pretty good shots showing veins and ribs. My 1/4 horse looked just like the first one after a good workout in his summer coat
 

Desertsilver

Busy Bee
love your overlays!!! I've been having fun making some of those too. Can't let the Daz horse get all the fun 'make ups!

The blue one is just stunning!!!!
 

Dreamer

Dream Weaver Designs
thank you, the blue one will end up with a glow effect on it too, I have a couple of others but they need some tweeking first. A Celtic, Egyption and a Norse one. I am thinking I might set the Shaman one up to have different colours on it
 
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