Daz Studio 4.23.1.27 Public Build: What’s New?

The latest Public Build of Daz Studio, version 4.23.1.27, introduces several exciting features and enhancements designed to streamline your creative workflow, save you time, and enhance your Daz Studio experience. Here’s an in-depth look at the most exciting updates for all Daz users, as well as some Premier Exclusive and Premier Early Access features.

For more information, check out our Change Log and Highlights Thread.

Persona Preset: A Time Saver for Character Workflow

The Persona Preset is an incredible addition for users who work with the same character across multiple scenes. Instead of recreating your character’s look, clothing, hair, and pose each time, you can now save all these details as a Persona Preset. This speeds up your workflow and can help you create better consistency across your renders. Use this preset to spend less time worrying about getting every single wardrobe and pose detail correct when moving from scene to scene.

Here’s how it works:

1. Load a figure into Daz Studio and customize it with hair, clothes, and poses.
2. Create, or navigate to, a folder in the Content Library pane that you would like to save the Persona Preset to – e.g., Content Library > Daz Studio Formats > My Library > Persona Presets.
3a. Click the + sign at the bottom of the Content Library to save a Persona Preset.
3b. Alternatively, use the action in the main menus: File > Save As > Persona Preset.

You can easily load this Persona into any scene with a double-click, drag and drop, or right-click. Use Ctrl + double-click for additional loading options, including replacing a figure, copying a target’s pose, or selectively applying parts of a figure’s pose using node and propagation settings.

Premier Early Access Features

The following Early Access features are exclusive to Premier members.These features will be rolled out to all users in a future Daz Studio General Release, so all users no matter what their membership tier is, will be able to enjoy and take advantage of these helpful features in the future. But for now, let’s jump in!

Advanced Filtering Updates

Daz Studio 4.23.1.27 introduces powerful Advanced Filtering enhancements, giving you greater control over how you find and manage properties and content. These updates are available in two key areas of the interface:

In Property Views (Premier Early Access)

Property Views now support Advanced Filtering syntax, making it easier to locate and adjust properties across multiple panes, including:

– Parameters Pane
– Posing Pane
– Shaping Pane
– Surfaces Pane
– Lights Pane
– Cameras Pane
– Draw Settings Pane
– Render Settings Pane
– Simulation Settings Pane

This feature is specifically designed to help you find properties in Property Views. To improve usability, the filter field includes placeholder text, with a slight variation for Premier members to confirm their access to the advanced functionality. Once this feature is available to all users in a future Daz Studio General Release, the placeholder text will be standardized across all tiers.

Additionally, 4.23.1.27 includes many predefined filters in the Filter Menu, allowing you to refine searches based on:

– Author
– Whether parameters are used or not
– Whether a parameter is marked as a favorite
– And many more!

These improvements make it faster and easier to manage properties, especially for users with large, complex scenes or expansive 3D libraries.

For syntax details, check the Advanced Filtering documentation for Property Views.

In Content Library Pane (Available to all users)

The Content Library pane now includes the ability to save and apply Advanced Filtering expressions, making it easier to refine searches and organize assets. This new feature, accessible via a long press of the Search button, allows you to filter content based on attributes such as author, category, compatibility, usage status, and more.

For example, let’s say you want to create your own filter in the Content Library pane for every asset in your library created in the last 16 weeks. You can begin by:

1. Navigating to the Content Library pane
2. Enter the following in the Search Field: date::crd::{%0_WEEKS%,%16_WEEKS%]
3. Then, press and hold the search icon to access more options
4. There, you can find the Save Filter option to assign a path and name to your filter.
5. After this, you’ll be able to easily access this filter again by pressing and holding the search button – making it easier for you to navigate through your Content Library.

For syntax details, check the Advanced Filtering documentation for the Content Library pane.

All Public Build users can now access this feature, no matter your membership tier. This enhancement is especially useful for users with extensive libraries, helping them quickly locate the exact assets they need without scrolling through long lists or nested folders.

Spot Render Tool Improvements (Premier Early Access)

The Spot Render Tool has been enhanced to offer greater feedback and control over your rendering workflow. Traditionally, the Spot Render Tool allowed quick rendering of specific areas, but the latest updates take it to the next level:

In the Tool Settings pane, you can now find:

• A new “Manual” Start Mode lets you view and edit “spot” (area) coordinates with precision.
• Editable render area coordinates enable targeted rendering for more control.
• A Spot Render context menu has been added, allowing the use of custom scripts and actions to customize your workflow.

These improvements streamline the rendering process and make the Spot Render Tool more versatile. This is especially useful for fixing specific parts of a render and seamlessly overlaying them in a third-party editing software, saving you the time of re-rendering the entire scene. If you’re a 3D artist with limited time and GPU resources, this tool can help you achieve the results you want without having to render your entire scene again.

Tip: If the “Manual” Start Mode option does not appear, make sure you have logged in recently (periodically) so that the ACL that unlocks the feature has been updated. This also applies to “Premier Early Access” and “Premier Only” features in general.

Premier members can enjoy early access to these upgrades before they become available to all users in an upcoming Daz Studio General Release.

Daz Studio 4.23.1.27 Public Build: More Enhancements to Explore

For users of any tier, these are some helpful new updates included in this Public Build.

Content Library Pane: Enhanced Navigation with Long Press Menus

Navigating a large content library is now faster and more efficient with the addition of long press (press and hold) menus to key buttons in the Navigation/Search Bar of the Content Library pane. These menus provide instant access to deeper navigation options, reducing the number of clicks needed to move through folders and search results.

– Go Back: Long pressing this button opens a menu displaying your recent navigation history, allowing you to jump directly to a previous location instead of clicking multiple times.
– Go Forward: Similar to Go Back, this menu shows forward navigation options, making it easy to revisit locations without retracing steps manually.
– Go Up: Instead of clicking through multiple folder levels, long pressing Go Up presents a list of parent folders, letting you move to any higher-level container instantly.
– Search: Holding down the Search button reveals a menu populated with saved search strings (“Filters”), allowing quick access to frequently used searches. These saved filters are organized based on search type, making it easy to refine results efficiently. You can also specify the Search type – allowing you to choose whether to perform the search using metadata in the database or file names. With the recently introduced (Daz Studio 4.23.0.1) “Advanced” option, you can search using metadata – giving you more control and making your search more efficient.

For users managing extensive content libraries, these updates eliminate unnecessary steps and make browsing more intuitive. Rather than manually navigating through folder structures or re-entering search terms, users can instantly jump to frequently accessed locations or predefined searches, saving time and improving workflow. This update also mimics the Filter Menu behavior in the Smart Content pane’s Files Page, creating a consistent experience across different areas of the interface.

Preset Load Option Dialogs

Dialogs for loading presets—such as Character, Pose, and Material presets—have been redesigned to provide a more consistent and intuitive experience. This update ensures that users can quickly understand and adjust preset settings without confusion. Similarly to the Persona Preset we discussed above, holding Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while loading a preset brings up a dialog that allows users to override default behaviors, giving them more flexibility when applying presets. This is particularly useful for artists who need precise control over how presets interact with existing scene elements, reducing the risk of unintentional changes.

Environment Map Handling

Previously, setting an Environment Map to “None” could sometimes result in unintended default maps appearing when reopening a file. Now, selecting “None” writes an empty value instead of omitting the setting entirely, ensuring that unwanted environment textures do not reappear. This provides a more predictable workflow, especially for users fine-tuning their lighting and HDRI settings without interference from default behaviors.

Scene Pane Updates

Managing complex node hierarchies is now easier with new Scene Pane actions that allow users to quickly select or deselect ancestor nodes. This improvement is particularly beneficial for applying presets selectively—for example, adjusting only specific parts of a character or environment without affecting the entire hierarchy. This update streamlines workflow for artists working with intricate, multi-layered scenes, reducing the time spent manually selecting nodes.

Simulation Data Management

Simulation-heavy scenes, particularly those using dForce, can generate large amounts of simulation data, which can bloat file sizes and slow down performance. With this update, users now have the ability to control whether simulation data is saved with scenes. This setting, accessible in Preferences and save dialogs for scene subsets and presets, allows users to reduce file sizes and improve loading times while maintaining flexibility for when simulation data is necessary. This is especially helpful for artists working on large projects or rendering animations where efficient scene management is crucial.

Property Value Improvements

This update resolves an issue where setting values for Float, Float 2, Float 3, or Float Color properties could unintentionally reset interpolation types or parameters for keyframes. By fixing this, users working with animation or precise parameter adjustments can now maintain smoother transitions and avoid unwanted changes to their keyframed values.

Additionally, several actions related to restoring and memorizing figures, poses, and shapes have been optimized for better speed and efficiency. This means that when users reset or save a character’s shape or pose—whether for a full figure or selected items—the process is now faster and more responsive, reducing delays in workflow. These improvements make managing character states more efficient, especially for artists frequently adjusting and fine-tuning poses and morphs.

These updates collectively offer more control, better performance, and a smoother workflow, ensuring that users can work more efficiently without unnecessary interruptions or unexpected behaviors.

Premier Exclusive Features:

AutoSave Pane and Toolbar: Protect Your Work Automatically

The AutoSave feature takes the stress out of manual saving by automating the process. For any artist who may deal with forgetting to save their work progress while creating or for those unfortunate moments where your machine gets overloaded and experiences a crash, AutoSave is the perfect solution.

Key features include:

– Automatically save scene files, interface layout and/or Script IDE content.
– Configure save intervals, destination paths, and file retention periods.
– Instantly access the latest saves or force a save manually.
– Independent options for including simulation data and saving before renders or simulations.

The AutoSave Pane also allows you to save your layouts and easily load them back up by going to Window > Workspace > Select Layout. There, you will find any layout saved using the AutoSave pane. Ever accidentally close a toolbar or pane without knowing which one it was? Or perhaps, you work on different projects and they all require various workspace layouts and settings? This AutoSave Layout tool is a game-changer for those situations.

The AutoSave feature is customizable and can be docked or hidden as needed. Keep it at the top of the workspace or undock it and have it right next to your figure – the choice is yours.

It’s available now for Premier members via the Public Build channel.

How to Obtain the Latest BETA Version

Don’t want to wait for the General Release? You can test these features now by installing the Daz Studio Pro BETA. Here’s how:

1. Add Daz Studio Pro BETA to your cart and complete the checkout process. It’s free and easy to install using DIM.
2. Open Install Manager and log in.
3. Navigate to the “Download Filters” tab on the left
   
4. Scroll down to “Release Channel Tags” and confirm that the “Public Build” box is checked off. If it’s not, click to check it off. Then hit “Accept”.
   
5. Type “DAZ Studio * Public Build” into the filter field.
   
6. Download and install.

Alternatively: Download via the Product Library. Log into your Daz account, search for DAZ Studio Pro BETA, and click DOWNLOAD & INSTALL.

For more information, check out our Forum thread.

Note: The BETA version is only available through Install Manager and does not affect the General Release.

Premier Membership: Unlock Early Access

If you aren’t a Premier member and are looking to get access to some of these exciting features such as Advanced Filtering in Property Views or AutoSave, check out our Premier membership. Premier gives you access to the best discounts, exclusive 3D software, and so much more.

Here is a quick look at some of our Premier perks:

– Monthly free content found in the exclusive Daz Studio Premier software
– Maximum amount of store savings out of any tier
– Special monthly coupons and saving offers
– Boosted Token Rewards system
– and more!

Stay tuned for the next Daz Studio General Release, and check out the 4.23.1.27 Public Build today!