March 2017 - Daz 3D New User Challenge - Posing
New User's Challenge - March 2017
Sponsored by DAZ 3D
Are you new to the 3D World? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around awhile and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest render challenge!
"Posing"
This challenge is a general render challenge with the focus being on how you pose the characters in your image. We're providing you with lots of great links on Posing from a variety of sources. To get started, find a photograph or drawing using this link or this link (be sure the image you use is labeled for non-commercial reuse - though we will only be using it as reference), to use as a reference. EDIT: These additional searches were approved for use Dance 2, Running, Fighting. Google search results return different results for different people. Some were getting fewer results than others. The additional links should give everyone plenty to choose from.
Then try to pose your character as closely as possible to match the reference image. For this challenge, please post your reference image, a link to it, and your render. This will give forum viewers an idea of the pose you are trying to achieve and will lead to more helpful suggestions. Have fun!
How to Use Your Software:
Software is often updated, and online tutorials and information often demonstrate older versions of the software. The software version you are using may differ in User Interface and tools available. Please share links to reference material that you have found helpful in the Challenge thread.
in DAZ Studio
Daz Documentation Center [Wiki] [Associated YouTube Video]
Daz 101: Posing
Pinning, Posing and the Active Pose Tool
Great Art Now - Posing And Morphing [Daz Store Download] [YouTube Video]
Some good tips in this forum thread.
in Poser
Pose and Editing Tools 101
Artistic Posing Techniques for 3D Human Figures - Very in Depth
Introduction to Posing in Poser
Poser Tutorial: Quick Posing
in Carrara
Dartanbeck's simple method of character animation (Carrara Cafe article, great for those who prefer illustrated written tutorials)
Huge list of helpful forum links (scroll to Animation and Posing section) If you have a problem, your answer might be here!
Carrara 8 Joint Rotation
Carrara 8 Puppeteer
Carrara 3D Tutorial - Posing a Figure
Posing in Carrara
Posing Tips - Carrara Cafe
in Bryce
While it is not possible to pose things in Bryce, you are welcome to do your posing in another program such as DAZ Studio or Poser, then export and render in Bryce. For information on how to use the Bryce bridge to import a DS scene into Bryce: http://brycebasics.blogspot.com/2009/12/using-daz-studio-with-bryce.html
I will be checking in as will the rest of the Community Volunteers to try and help with anything you all may need.
For a list of the current challenge rules, please see this thread : Challenge Rules
Closing Date: March 31st 2017
Comments
Google image searches return different results for different people based on their search history or if they aren't logged in to a Google account. The "dance posing" search link only has 10 pictures of people dancing for me.
I was not aware of this. Is this documented some place where I can read about it? As an experiment, I logged out of my Google account and I still see many many poses show up when I click the dancing link. I don't know what to advise, other than to select one that you can see, unless someone else knows specifically why your view has been limited.
Oh! What a delightful idea for a challenge! =^_^=
I had never hear that was how things worked. I always assumed that when people did a search everyone got back the top sites.
If all else fails, you might try doing a search on Pinterest if you are a member there. I've found that there is always someone else searching for some of the same things I am and there is a board for it there. I found a lot of images saved to Pinterest that I could use when I did this same challenge last year.
However, from my understanding the more you search on a topic with Google the more hits you are likely to get. So, if you decided to do a pose of someone dancing, a few searches with keywords like dance, ballet, dance poses, dancing, etc. should get you more hits each time you search. I don't think I've ever done a Google search and come back with only 10 hits, though. I have to admit to using Google a lot to research just about everything, though.
Another thing you could try is to switch search engines. I shudder at the thought myself as Google is my favorite, but there are other search engines and if you aren't having much luck with Google, it's something to try.
Edit: Bad Knittingmommy didn't completely read the rules and follow the all of the links! So, totally ignore all of my advice for challenge purposes.
For this challenge, it is required to use a reference image from one of the two searches listed in the first post. This ensures that the reference image is legal to be reused in this context. The rules are that you must post your reference image, a link to that image, and your render.
Ah, I actually didn't realize that the search couldn't be transferred to a different search engine, but looking at it I see that it looks Google specific. I didn't realize the search links specified limitations for non-commercial reuse for the search. I didn't even know you could save a link like that.
I didn't either. DAZ_ann0314 gave me the links for use in this challenge. If people were to post images from any old place, we would have a hard time validating that they we OK to use. We just want to avoid any misuse of someone else's image and avoid hours of work to determine whether images are OK to use.
These are ok as well:
Dance 2
Running
Fighting
I found this amungst the results from DAZ_ann314's Fighting link, and figured I'd give it a shot. I actualy have both versions of the outfit for crying out loud.
Well, here's my first attempt at a pose from the Dance Posing google search (I chose this one because it's from a yoga site that explains the steps to get into the pose - not that I'll try IRL , but it helped me understand it better). The learning links were very helpful - pinning bones? Where has that been through all my past frustrations?
Also, how do you want the reference image posted - I'll do an image URL but if you want some other form, please let me know.
Helpful comments always welcomed.
Great start! Looking closer, this pose has some tricky bits that will likely be maddening to get just right.
I don't mean this to be too daunting, I really think you've done a lot of work and a good job so far. I just hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Eric
Thank-you Eric! These are extremely helpful, and a great list of things to work on.
Eric beat me to it. An excellent and insightful critique.
The only thing I can add is to start at the hips and work your way out, ie: start with any adjustments you feel are needed with the lower abdoment and work your way up and the same with the pelvis and working your way down.. The hips are the pivot point going up and down.
only one thing to add, it probably is not seen in the original images but maybe in the description, when you stand on one leg like that that foot needs to be centered under your body or you will fall over to one side, consequently there is a shift in the hip to make that happen. I can't even say that it is not there in your render, this is more a thing you might want to get a look at from the front to see. This might take an influence on all the rest of the posing.
But over all you made a really good start with that one.
Posing critique is a lot of nitpicking ( I was having a blast with posing back when I participated in that contest)
Wow, at first I thought you posted two reference images. It took me a bit to even realize that the second one was your render - it was that good. You have gotten some good comments already to get you from 99% to 100%. I can only add that I think the camera angle could be adjusted a little bit. The reference seems to be looking square on and your render seems to be looking down a little bit from a higher camera angle. In the reference she seems to be in perfect profile. In the render I can see some of the other side of her face (the other eye and eyebrow are slightly visible). Good work and way to kick this thing off!!!
here's attempt #1 of what I thought would be an easy pose:
Ref image:
render:
her hands and arms are driving me crazy, especially the left arm, but I can't figure out how to get that arm to do right unless I turn limits off, which I'm sure those are there for a reason, but if I have to I will. and her head's all at the wrong angle. *sigh*
Ok, so this is what I have to start with...It took me about 4 hours to pose this yesterday. The legs were the hardest part of the pose.
Welcome to posing from scratch. I think I spend more time on arms and hands than any other part of the body.
But lets start at the bottom and work our way up:
1. Her feet are not quite correct. They are flat to the ground but the toes are pointing a little too much to the right (as we look at the image). The model in your reference image has them turned a slight bit more towards the camera. This might require a small rotation of the shin (I would try that first) and possibly an adjustment to the feet.
2. The hips and knees look pretty close to the reference image.
3. I think your model needs to be adjusted at the waist slightly. She needs to be shifted to our left and twisted a very small amount. Neither of these are huge adjustments. After making that adjustment you may need to take some of the bend out of her waist but it is hard to tell for sure at this point.
4. Once those adjustments are made you will of course need to work on those arms. First thing I see is the reference model's right collar is lower and more rounded.
5. The reference model's left collar is raised and a little more "square".
Sometimes the issues you run into with arms needs an adjustment to the collar bones. This is fiddly, frustrating and time consuming work. I have learned from experience to make small adjustments to each part of the collar bones, ie: bend, twist and front-back.
You have done some excellent work. As Linwelly as already stated posing critiques are all about nitpicking but it is those small, sometimes minute adjustments that can make a world of difference.
I cannot see her feet because of the hair you are using. Is it possible to post an image with the hair hidden?
Some of these issues are going to be limitations with the 3D figures being used but this is what I am seeing.
The refence model is in a perfectly (as far as I can tell) balanced position. As far as I can tell her shoulders are straight, one isn't dipping lower than the other but the lighting does make it hard to tell absolutely for sure. My first impression was that the shoulders on your figure were not level but it might be the tattoo on her shoulder giving that impression.
One issue is her hands are not spread and supporting her weight like they are in the reference image.
Is this going to be a really challenging pose. You have done an excellent job so far but this one is going to be a real challenge.
Thank you! Ok, so I will post it without the hair and also spread the fingers more. And I will also lose the tattoo, it does throw off the symmetry. Also one question..should I spread her arms out a bit more? In the reference pic her arms seem to spread out futher from her body.
You've got a really good start. I like how you incorporated the railroad tracks, too. It is perfectly acceptable to turn off limits on the posing. Poses in the store often do that. You just have to be careful to not go too far beyond the limits to where it looks totally unnatural.
I think her head should be twisted and tilted a little bit to match the reference a bit better. See if you can tuck her hand under her chin a bit more. (But you already spotted those yourself.) Try adjusting the camera angle a bit - see if you can match the place the horizon hits her higher on the arms instead of at the waist.
Lol first I have the same picture chosen, now I am happy that I use a other.
You did a incredible job with the pose. The only point i would change, are her fingers. They should be more spread, but the rest looks fantastic.
If you can...there are going to be limitations on how well you can match some poses.
Her legs may need adjusting to help with the arm placement but I cannot tell for sure because of the hair.
You like a challenge! It looks pretty close to me, except for the hands and fingers. They seem to need to be splayed out more so the fingers are straighter and spread. Maybe the forearm or hand needs to be twisted a little bit. See how close you can get it to looking like those hands are holding all her weight.
Thank you! also XD, and I know XD I totally forgot about the fingers when I was having trouble fixing her legs. Then I didn't see them until I rendered the pic, so now I need to spread them.
Okay, hmm so make the hands starighter and spread? Okay will do! thanks
Thank-you Barbult, Kismet and Linwelly. I have lots of good suggestions to work on. It seems the more I learn to do, there's a whole other level of effort and learning to follow :-)
The area that can use some attention would be in the balance of the body over the feet. Finding the center of gravity is usually the first objective for an artist since it can change the whole believability of the pose if it is off. Your pose is coming along fantastic, but if you do look at her feet and compare them, the weight seems to be more towards the outside ball of the feet in the original and with yours, more towards the inside of the feet and back towards the heels which would make the viewers eye feel that she is ready to keel over. I think it could make a big difference if this was fixxed.
Yhzmurphy did a very good job of placing the balance of the support on her feet but could still be a little bit more on the outside.
Aloreea really has a big challange trying to find the center of gravity on the model's pose without a side reference but it is coming along great.
Ok, here is my try and the pose is trickier than I thought.
Well, I'm still working on the list of suggestions, but wanted to share work in progress and solicit more feedback, as well as put my mouse down and do some of my Saturday work around the house before the weekend is over...
I fixed the camera angle first, as that was throwing everything else off. Then adjusted the hip/pelvis angle, and fixed everything that changed, and tried to smooth out the arc of the back, followed by the left hand (easy) and adjusting the shoulders, and the right hand (hard) as well as changing the ankle/foot flex which I noticed was different while working on the hand. I also changed the hair to get as close as I could with what I had.
And on Linwelly's advice I looked from the front - and then made major changes because she would have toppled over as the supporting leg was far from the center of mass...