Question about Inagoni plugins Advance Pack - want Baker - but what of others?

Diomede

Have been looking at Advance Pack by Inagoni

http://www.daz3d.com/advance-pack

I want Baker and am trying to decide whether to buy it separately from Inagoni, or to get it as part of the package here at Daz.   If the other plugins actually add significant functionality than the advance pack makes sense.

My question is about how different a couple of the plugins are from current functions in 8.5 pro.  For example, Replica  Is there a difference between Replica and current replicators?  If so, what?  Others?  Who uses the other plugins in the advance pack and what do you use them for?

 

Dartanbeck

Even though I haven't used them nearly as much as I should have yet, my advice is to go ahead and get the pack. I think you'll like having the extra benefits.

But you should really check out Inagoni's web site and look closer at the tools yourself. The only tools on the site that are NOT in the Advance Pack are ArchiTools and Shaper.

Replica is like having a whole new Replication system within Carrara and, what's more, is that we may move, scale and rotate the individual replicated instances manually afterwards - which can really come in handy. Just know that they are still replicated instances, so no swaping of shaders, changing poses, etc.,

You might get a kick out of having Velouté shader enhancements - also comes with example shaders, Primivol also comes with example volumes to try out.

Deeper may have become obsolete now that we have Normal Map functionality built in - hmmm... I should try that and see if it offers a difference.

I still haven't tried Swap but I've heard others loving its benefits.

...and if you're after Baker, I think you'll like it!

Go. Go on and head to Inagoni's web site and check out, in more detail, what these tools do ;)

Dartanbeck

Oh, and after you get the pack from Daz 3d, go back to Inagoni's web site and download the Latest versions of each.

If you try using Replica, and it doesn't work, it's because you need the latest from the Ingoni site! ;)

wgdjohn

Diomede, get it... you won't regret it. I've never used Carrara's Replicator recently but should check it out... I've only used Replica.

Dart, thanks for mentioning that Shaper is not include in Advance Pack... I'll probably grab it just to have everything. I have Architools but need to install the latest update already downloaded from Inagoni to get it to work in Carrara 8.5 Pro.

Dartanbeck

wgdjohn said:

Diomede, get it... you won't regret it. I've never used Carrara's Replicator recently but should check it out... I've only used Replica.

Dart, thanks for mentioning that Shaper is not include in Advance Pack... I'll probably grab it just to have everything. I have Architools but need to install the latest update already downloaded from Inagoni to get it to work in Carrara 8.5 Pro.

Yeah, I want to get Shaper too. I don't have ArchiTools either. Maybe I should get that one too. It would be nice to have every plugin made for Carrara.

I also bought a bunch of Ringo Monfort's shaders and one of his Digital Painters sets comes with a bunch of Veloute shaders for those whom own Inagoni's Veloute 2. Now I want to collect all of GKDANTAS' Carrara stuff... especially the leaves and the shaders - but the HDRI as well.

Diomede

Thanks for the info.  Counting up my pennies.

chickenman

diomede said:

Thanks for the info.  Counting up my pennies.

It wont be pennies when you are done.

Diomede

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chickenman said:

diomede said:

Thanks for the info.  Counting up my pennies.

It wont be pennies when you are done.

 

Diomede

Did my first Baker test.  Just modeled and uvmapped a simple vertex cube.  I applied a simple blue and yellow checkered procedural shader.  Baker worked like a charm.  Baker created and saved a texture map which I was able to apply to a duplicate of the vertex cube.

 

I am very happy. 

Diomede

Oh, yes, I bought the package.  Will experiment with the others.  So far, I can report that replica does add another type of control, including hand moving individual replicated objects and some ability to adjust the shaders of replicated objects. 

chickenman

Glad to here you have had sucess with this product.

Dartanbeck

diomede said:

Oh, yes, I bought the package.  Will experiment with the others.  So far, I can report that replica does add another type of control, including hand moving individual replicated objects and some ability to adjust the shaders of replicated objects. 

That's right. I forgot that we could work with shaders some. I tried changing the pose of some of my replicants, which didn't work properly. I can't remember exactly what the result was... but I stopped trying because it made sense that this shouldn't really be possible without, perhaps, the use of an NLA clip that we move back and forth on the replicated extras. 

I also wanted to play around with Primivol. That thing looks like it ould be a fabulous toy!

I'm glad you like it. To me, it's very well worth the small expense.

wgdjohn

diomede said:

Did my first Baker test.  Just modeled and uvmapped a simple vertex cube.  I applied a simple blue and yellow checkered procedural shader.  Baker worked like a charm.  Baker created and saved a texture map which I was able to apply to a duplicate of the vertex cube.

I am very happy. 

Kewl... glad you have it. You are welcome to put any examples/instruction in my Modeling Objects in Carrara - Q&A - Come One and All thread. I've not gotten to UV Mapping yet but intend to start learning and experimenting.

wgdjohn

Dart, Primoval is waay cool.

Dartanbeck

Hmmm... I found something cool about Baker's normal map vs Deeper's normal map - check this out

I found that trying to find diomede's cool modeling in Carrara thread that he was running. I've found this one (five ways to fix poke through), but I know there's one where he shows making his models from scratch... really cool thread!

Speaking of cool modeling threads (well, in addition to wdjohn's fun thread) : Polygon Modeling, Post your creations: A New Beginning

Oh... I think that's the one I was looking for. Gareth started it, and diomede really gets into it! Very cool thread!

Diomede

Time permittig, I will try to use some of these plugins in this month's Carrara challenge (#27).  I think Replica in particular might help me make a crowd in a stadium.  Also, thanks for the kind words, Dart.

 

diomede said:

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DesertDude

diomede said:

Did my first Baker test.  Just modeled and uvmapped a simple vertex cube.  I applied a simple blue and yellow checkered procedural shader.  Baker worked like a charm.  Baker created and saved a texture map which I was able to apply to a duplicate of the vertex cube.

 

I am very happy. 

Cool! Baker is the only plugin I own, mainly bought it to export procedurals at higher resolution then the native formats would export...I think they max out at 2048x2048? All the Carrara plugins look awesome. Have fun!

Dartanbeck

wgdjohn said:

Dart, Primoval is waay cool.

Yes! I just need to play with it!!! 

diomede said:

Time permittig, I will try to use some of these plugins in this month's Carrara challenge (#27).  I think Replica in particular might help me make a crowd in a stadium.  Also, thanks for the kind words, Dart.

Well... you put a lot of work into that stuff, and I think wdjohn might get a kick out of reading a lot of that stuff! I know I did! Cool stuff!

wgdjohn

Dart,

I used a mixture of Carrara fire and Primoval fire, lower center. as my entry for Fire and Water earlier this year... my first Carrara Challenge. :)

Also my first run-in that actually worked, somewhat, with the Terrain editor in Carrara any version Pro. Thanks to your excellent  Buiding Carrara Terrains Intro ... now I know more about making Terrains properly.

Dartanbeck

I love that render!

Thanks for the kind words! I really enjoy that Terrain modeler!

Funnnn!!!! ;)