Loretta / Lorenzo help needed
Pjotter
Posts: 274
These are low resolution figures from the Daz shop. They have a lot of morphs which could be removed or more added. But I cannot get it to work. I have selected the figure, loaded the pz2 folder with the inj en REM files in the Carrara browser as runtime. Dubble clicking or dragging does not do anything. What to do?
Comments
Have you clicked on Actor or the equivalent spot in the Instances tab, then clicked on Parameters tab up the top ?
Yes, I have but this character does not have the parameters connected with actor (no tab). They are connected with the parent of all ("Genesis" in you example) and some with the head. I select the parent and double click on the remove of inject pz2 file. But nothing happens. No parameters added or removed. The similar thing works with Victoria, but somehow not with this character.
Click on !LorenzoLorez in the Instances tab, then click on the Parameters tab, morphs are all there.
Bought the package as I had been eyeing it off for some time.
I haven't answered yet because I'm still lost as to what the issue is.
There are (if I remember correctly) two versions for each. One with morphs already injected. I don't think we can use the REM file to remove those morphs, if that's the thing.
The other has no morphs, for times when they'll be so distant or that all we want is the base shape, and we don't want or need the extra files. The INJ file is there for if we change our mind and decide to add the morphs. Does the REM actually remove the morph files from the figure? I don't know. If not, and that's what you want to do, why not just load in a fresh one that doesn't have morphs?
Anyway, that said, perhaps that can get us closer to understanding the dilema. I'd have commented earlier but time is VERY limited right now.
I absolutely love these figures. they load fast, save fast, and have a very extensive collection of texture maps to choose from to alter pretty much every aspect of them - along with the bazillion and three morphs that they come with!
Once in a very blue moon, I'll only want a morphless person in the very distance where I might consider bringing in that one without morphs. But to tell the truth, the fully loaded one is so lightweight that I almost always just grab that one.
Plus there's the fact that I usually lod them from my Carrara browser instead of from the Content tab. I load one in, turn him or her into someone, optimize the shaders, and save it to my NPC folder. Then I change something or many things, optimize, and save that one. I'll do that a few more times, then move on the the opposite gender version and repeat the process. When I need a new style of LoRez person, I go through that process again - instead of only making the one I need, I make several and save them to my browser.
Troglodytes, Angor, Goblins... I do the same thing. make some that are green, with or without this or that. Then make some brown, then grey ones using different shapes and other morphs - optimizing as I go so that if I have thirty of them in one scene, then consolidate duplicate shaders, most of them are all using the same inner mouth shaders. All green ones use the same green skin shaders and so on. I also save some of the LoRez versions as well as the High - same with the Predatron Droid and Demonecornuto.
Lorenzo takes that even further by giving us some Orcs, Dwarves, Elves, Zombies, Kids... it's an amazing package!
I still haven't optimized and saved a LoRez Monk or Arab, but I'll be building a small collection of each of them as well. I have an entire Starship Crew saved using the LoRez Masked Hero, which even has a really cool Alien head! The LoRez Horse is awesome, and I have three versions of that beautiful creature saved. But I only have one version of the incredible Moorland Dragon saved... ouch is he awesome!!!
Alien one is harder to see in this image (behind Loretta to our left) but really looks nice!
Hundreds made by replicating twelve (I think it was twelve?)
Also, have you checked the ReadMe? The Loretta Lorez product includes a very nice pdf user's guide - ReadMe's > Tutorial > Predatron
Did you load LoRenzo via the Content tab in Carrara?
My DAZ3D Library Runtime-->Figures-->P3DA_LorenzoLorez-->!LorenzoLorez
don't select the ones with no loaded morphs
same as Bunyip posted
Hmmm... Lorenzo doesn't seem to come with a ReadMe file, which is most odd.
By going to DIM and clicking on the info icon, we get this:
zz* - Lorenzo Lorez
Yeah... there's the full Alien morph! Top right, just in front of the agent in shades!
Goblin, Orc, Zombie, Elf, Dwarf... I see he doesn't show all of them in that image either. Like he says... it is an ultimate package for instantly acquiring a LOT of people in one shot!
+1 on that
They do alright as feature figures as well.
Yes, but I think they are not all there. I am trying to add for instance jeans to Loretta. I have found many in /Runtime/libraries/Pose/P3DA_LorettaLorez/MATs_Clothes. But I cannot apply them. The files are there (many), but they do not show up in my Carrara browser. All the folders show empty, but they are not. They are pz2 files.
Yes, there are two versions. The ones without morphs have only the pose parameters. Pose and morphs are not the same, but both are listed under parameters. The INJ should inject morphs and the REM should remove the items from the parameters list. I am doing the same with Victoria 4. And this works perfect. I can add or remove any parameter I want. But somehow L & L do nor respond. I want to remove the ones I do not use to make it more workable. But more important I want to give Loretta for instance jeans. There are pz2 files for that. See also my previous reply.
The Lorenzo page says: :"Each figure comes with a blank alternative so that all the morphs can be injected if needed, thus saving on resources further if morphs are not needed." So it should be possible, but so far, no succes.
Yes, but I do not have a Runtime / Figures folder. For me they are in Runtime / Libraries / Character / P3Da_LorenzoLorez.
Thank you for this link. I searched only for Loretta using the info button on DIM. On this page is very little info and a broken link to the file list. Lorenzo is better.
Working on a crowd of about 2000 people, so yes, L & L are perfect for me.
In addition to using lo-res figures, don't forget about using Sparrowhawke3D's Instance Randomizer, which can be really useful for creating apparently different looking instances from the same object.
Got that, but it does not work with the surface replicator. Do not want 2000 real instances.
Perhaps the runtime is loaded into the browser as "Content" instead of as a "Runtime"?
Okay, you see where in the above quote you have /Runtime/libraries/Pose/P3DA_LorettaLorez/MATs_Clothes
In the same folder which holds that particular Runtime is also a folder called ReadMe's. Open that. Look for a folder called Tutorials.
Yeah... just for kicks, go to the Files/Folder menu and "Add Runtime" to your Content tab. In the dialog window, add that same folder that holds the above mentioned Runtime folder. In the next window (after clicking Okay) select "Runtime"
Now, in the Pose category, under P3DA_LorettaLorez > MATs, you should see the files for loading the appropriate MATs.
There is a certain order of things, so reading Loretta's pdf manual will be a big help. The MAT files' icons sort of help, but only if you go through the proper order according to the manual. I only say this because some of the MATs only apply certain materials, while others might apply materials to everything, overwriting what you've already added.
Once you get used to it, you'll see that it's an ingenius system!
But if the loaders aren't showing up in your content tab... that makes things harder, and is an error that MUST be fixed. My option above, adding the folder again as a Runtime should do it for you though.
Ingenius? I have other words for it, which I cannot say. I am always on war with everything related to Daz Studio. If it would be the last animation software available, I would stop doing animation right away. There is not logic, all those tiny windows, everything is placed where you cannot find them. I wish Carrara would not be related to DS. But I have to live with that.
I have found the manual, using search my computer. Manual is for Poser use, but very helpful. Thanks.
The only folders I can use are the folders with de Loretta en Lorenzo basic characters. All other are not accepted as runtime (not a valid runtime) if I add the folders manually. Or if I do Content > Runtime, I get empty folders in my Carrara browser (but the files are there). I have the folder with many REM and INJ morphs, but they do not respond as Victoria does.
I cannot find any of the files in DS. I can get Loretta in DS by using opening the cr2 file with DS. But where all other is hidden in DS? Maybe export to Carrara is my solution. I cannot open them in Poser 7. pz2 should be usable in Poser but it doesn't. Nothing shows up. And not shure if I can export with parameters for Carrara.
So my mood is not very good. Happens always when working with DS. Never happens with Carrara. Going to switch of my computer, otherwise accidents will happen.
Okay, stop. They're installed incorrectly then - that or the way they're added to Poser and/or Carrara and/or Daz Studio is incorrect. They arrive to us in a simple Poser runtime structure. If they're not showing up, then they're not installed correctly.
This can be tough stuff to troubleshoot without any screengrabs of installation folder situations. Argh.
Is there any way you could describe to me how you have the product installed? I remember going through this before with you and you said you didn't care to do it the right way because you don't use this stuff - and you had a real mess on your hands. This can cause a LOT of grief - unnecessary grief, my friend!
I have a fairly straight-forward article on installing Poser runtimes using DIM here
Daz Install Manager - Installing Custom Poser Runtimes
Basic walkthrough of designing your own custom runtime structure
Now Let's make a place to start a Content Organization system. This is a folder which we can easily access on our computer, so let's just put it in C: Users: Public: Public Documents: My Runtimes
So for that, we'll go to C: Users: Public: Public Documents, and inside Public Documents, we'll create a new folder called "My Runtimes"
Open the new folder, My Runtimes, and make a new folder called "LoRez"
Stop.
Now open DIM and click the little gear in the upper right corner to go into Settings (top red arrow in illustration)
Go to the Installation tab and click on the "+" sign in the bottom left
In the dialog window that pops up, select the "LoRez" folder we've just made by scrolling to C: Users: Public: Public Documents: My Runtimes, and then selecting "LoRez"
Click Choose Folder or Okay, whatever it says their to accept the selected folder, then click "Accept" in the Installation tab to close settings.
Did you get this far?
Are you following along?
If you have, and you are, then go to the Install tab of DIM, find Loretta and Lorenzo and click the button on the right of each of them to uninstall them.
They should immediately appear in the Download tab unless you didn't delete the install files, in which case they'll immediately appear in the Ready to Install tab.
In either case, go to the tab that now has them waiting for you, and at the bottom of DIM, make sure "Show Details" is checked.
At the top of those details is the Content Path Shortcuts box. Click that and select "Lorez", which we've just added in the above post
If you've followed along, the Content Path Shortcuts box in DIM now reads LoRez
Place a check in both Loretta and Lorenzo
Start Queue
This whole thing should have given you a new runtime structure called LoRez, complete with Loretta and Lorenzo installed properly to it.
Did you get this far? Are you following along?
If so, and you are, you now have a new LoRez runtime structure with Loretta and Lorenzo properly installed. If not, I'm wasting my time.
If so,
Inside Carrara, with the browser window open, please go to the Content Tab
In the upper right corner of the browser window, click the File/Folder menu (red arrow in illustration)
Click "Add Runtime"
In the dialog that follows, browse to the new LoRez folder we've just made: C: Users: Public: Public Documents: My Runtimes: Lorez
Click Okay
In the dialog which follows, choose "Runtime" from the available options.
If so, you now have all of the files you've been looking for conveniently located in your Content tab.
Just click on the triangle next to LoRez to open the hierarchy
Figures will contain the figures
Poses will contain poses and MAT files
Props will have some additional add-on goodies
Hands will have some hand poses for you
And inside the LoRez folder on your computer, you'll have a folder called "ReadMe's" which contains another folder called "Tutorial" which has a nice User Manual for Loretta inside ;)
Good Luck, my friend! I hope you get it working!
Oh yes, I got it now (for the first time) and followed you step by step. Thanks for explaining this. I would never have figured this out. I was about to give it up and do it my own limited way.
The thing I do not understand, why it didn't work using the default DIM way. I have tried and reinstalled it. After that I got empty folders in the Carrara browser, while the files are there. Or I could not add runtimes. But it is solved now and that is the most important thing. For the first time I understand why Lorenzo and Loretta are so good. No I can have a decent dressed crowd.
I hope you stay in the Carrara forum forever.
Carrara should have two listings for Daz Studio in the Content tab, if DIM was used and everything kept at default:
My Daz3d Library
and
My Daz3d Library Runtime
That second one is where we'd go to use Runtime directory type stuff... Poser stuff.
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