How to Customize Daz Studio - to speed up Workflow!? [WIP]

Syrus_Dante

Hi, in the following posts I want to give you a complete overview of what I have done so far to Customize DazStudio for to speed up my Workflow.

With this I hope to make my usage of DazStudio much easier and faster in the future and I want to share this info with you the community to do the same or encourage you to do similar things with the Customize DazStudio Settings Dialogue. That can be found @ Main-Menu: Window>Workspace>Customize..

This will include:

• customized Mouse Button Modifiers

• custom Toolbars

• custom Menus

• My custom: extended Main-Menu - with the section - Downloading and using the provided config files

• My custom: interface color Style

• My suggestion for the Workspace / Panes Layout

• Viewport Navigation Guide + My custom Mouse Button Modifiers

• My customized Keyboard Shortcuts - Downloadable Config File

 

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Let me know of what you'r thinking. Maybe you have also customized DazStudio - you can take a screenshot and post it here [Print] key to copy - then open an image editor and Ctrl+V. Or Alt+[Print] to just copy the active window - you dont need a fancy Screen Capture Software for that.

If you came here and just ask yourself how to add highres images in this forum - I'm also using PNG files with lossless compression for more details.

Daz3D_ForumPost_EditMenu_1.png 703 x 100 - 66K

Syrus_Dante

changing Mouse Button Modifiers

to Navigate more easily in the 3D Space while your MouseCusor stays over the Viewport:

for Perspective View changes and for to positioning the Camera

Quote from Animation Tools

The 3D Scene navigation in the preview window is the most important part while working with 3D content and used all the time. I always scratch my head if I see people in tutorial videos using the view controls on the right upper corner beside the Cube to change the perspective. How time consuming and tedious. Sometimes I think its just theier inablility to work with both hands the same time. If you are used to First Person Shooter Navigation WASD (Edit: customized not default Shift+K to activate) you can use that but for me its more anoing than helpful.

Before I even get used to work with DazStudio I got my 3D navigation setup like I'm used to with other 3D programs (in ZBrush everything to change 3D perspective works with the Alt key and I managed to teach Blender to do the same - now I can switch my work with the programs without even thinking of how to navigate the view).

To change keyboard shortcuts you can go to Main Menu: Window>Workspace>Customize

In the bottom section of the dialogue you can see the Viewport Shortcuts: View Controls

I think by default the Mouse Button Modifier for Orbit is set to Ctrl+Alt+LeftMouse but I want it to be Alt+LeftMouse like I''m used to in other Programs eg. ZBrush.

I have changed most of the Mouse Button Modifiers there to work with only holding down Alt+[someMouseButton].

But you will be warned that some of the key+mouse combinations I use are allready mapped to something else to control in the Geomerty Editor or the WeightMap Brush - but I dont miss them - I'm so used to press the Alt key while my mouse is over the viewport (after a few years now the Alt key even lost its label).

The most time I use:

• Frame Selection: Ctrl+F (If we orbit we need a fixed point to orbit around - can be found in Actions: View Control then right-click Change Keyboard Shortcut - also WASD navigation can be found here)
• Orbit: Alt+LeftMouseButton
• Pan: Alt+RightMouseButton
• Zoom: Alt+MiddleMouse+MoveMouseUp-Down (let you zoom stepless to get as close as possible to tiny parts - but then even with the Perspectiv View (camera) you get some clipping - eg. you zoom in on someting and then you see throug elements that are close to the camera - the "clipping" value is not that good - could be set better)

So while my right hand is on the mouse - my left hand stays over the keyboard with the thumb over the Alt key. I can also reach every KeyCombination even eg. Ctrl+O or Shift+L with the left hand.

 

changing Mouse Button Modifiers

in the Customize Dialogue

Sorry I usualy explain things more complicated than they are. So I made a new screenshot with instructions for everyone to show how to change the Mouse Button Modifiers in the Customize Settings @ Main Menu: Window>Workspace>Customize.

[PS] I know this is a bit complicated but once you setup your Mouse Button Modifiers and keyboard shortcuts as it makes sens to you, you will get used to it by the time and never think of it again. For the beginning it can help to make a note of all the shortcuts on a piece of paper and post it next to your monitor.

BTW even if you change these Mouse Button Modifiers the mousewheel scroll zoom will still be available

In depth view of the Keyboard+Mouse ShortCutKeys in the DazStudio Config File "actions.dsx"

Here you see the ViewControls section of the ...Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\actions.dsx (this Path is Windows specific) that gets modified and you may want to make a backup of before changing anything. DazStudio also offers a Export button at the bottom of the Customize window (then you have too choose what settings you want to export/backup). You can change the Mouse Button Modifiers in the Customize window but the instead of deleting/unbinding the conflicting keyboardshortcut DazStudio will introduce you to a little minigame where you have to be smarter than the progarmers to setup everything like you want to.

May you accept the challange or simply find the "actions.dsx" config file with the file-browser and edit it with a text editor.

You can have any combination of Alt / Ctrl / Shift + LeftMB / MidMB / RightMB.

 <ViewAccelerators>  <OrbitCameraAccel Accel="Alt+LeftMB"/>  <RotateCameraAccel Accel="Ctrl+Alt+LeftMB"/>  <PanCameraAccel Accel="Alt+RightMB"/>  <DollyCameraAccel Accel="Ctrl+Shift+RightMB"/>  <BankCameraAccel Accel="Ctrl+Alt+RightMB"/>  <ZoomDCameraAccel Accel="Alt+MidMB"/>  <ZoomFCameraAccel Accel=""/> </ViewAccelerators>

 

Here is the Node Weight Map Brush Mouse Button Modifiers I use - the best thing about this is that I can change the brush size with Alt+MouseWheel.

  <DzNodeWeightBrushTool>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush General Size" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Inner Size" ModifierAccel="Shift"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Outer Size" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Constrain Gradient" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Single Side Scale" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Subtractive Painting" ModifierAccel="Ctrl+Shift"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Alternate Brush" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>  </DzNodeWeightBrushTool>

 

And finaly the Geometry Editor here I cant use "Remove from Selection" anymore because of the conflicts with Orbit - but there are workarounds.

  <DzPolygonGroupEditorTool>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Add to Selection" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Remove from Selection" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush General Size" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Inner Size" ModifierAccel="Shift"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Outer Size" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Constrain Gradient" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Single Side Scale" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>  </DzPolygonGroupEditorTool>

 

ShotCutKeys for the Timline also working with all Animation Plugins: AniMate2 - KeyMate - GraphMate

Edit: [PS] You doing Animations - maybe change your keys for faster workflow with that also see @Keyboard shortcuts...

Oh wow just found this, very nice - Thanks!

Tryed to change keyboard shortcuts recently and it works but not like sayed under the Customize Actions list I found the "Animation" entry - there you can find all the usefull stuff like Step To Pevious/Next Frame.

Then right-click Change Keyboard Shortcut: I set it to be the left and right ArrowKeys not linked to anything - for one frame forward/reverse - skip to the keyframes is PageUp/Down and Space key is Play/Pause now Im happy
- should be set like this by default.

BTW tested it for all Plugins and it works with all: Timeline, Keymate, Graphmate and Animate2.

  <Action Accel="Ins" Class="DzAddKeysAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzDeleteKeysAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzLoopToggleAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Right" Class="DzNextFrameAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Space" Class="DzPlayToggleAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Left" Class="DzPrevFrameAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="PgUp" Class="DzSkipToNextKeyAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="End" Class="DzSkipToPlayrangeEndAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Home" Class="DzSkipToPlayrangeStartAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="PgDown" Class="DzSkipToPrevKeyAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

Syrus_Dante

Quote from Clearing the Timeline

custom Toolbars

I've been bussy on that Customize DazStudio Settings.

Now for to find a solution for everyone who cant remember all the KeyBoardShortCuts. Another way to deal with all these Action commands is to create custom Toolbars.

There are allot of Actions if you want to have all on screen for Figures / Items: Memorize - Restore - Zero - Clear (All / Shape / Pose).

I wonder if someone ever written a script for allways trigger both coresponding Actions for Figures / Items with one command?

I mean I can choose what to select in the scene pane and if I make multible selections of Figures / Items - why do I allways have to take care of using both Actions for Figures / Items?

I've also added the Lock-UnLock toolbar with all related Actions on that.

See my screenshot for what is possible (its almost HD this time 1920x670 to show all the Toolbars)

While doing this I've discovered some good and some bad things.

The good things are the Actions that can be toggled on/off like "Scene Lights" and most important "Parent Items In Place" (Parent In Place would also been enougth sayed because it works on Figures too).

The bad thing is that you can choose what Toolbars not to show with the right-click menu on them but then they are gone and no longer selectable in this menu - you have to "Enable" them in the Customize dialouge Activities section again.- it would be realy great if they stay selectable even if Enabled is off for this Activity Layout - to show only the toolbars you need for the moment.

Workaround: use the Activities feature with customized Window Pane Layouts & Toolbars for different tasks with the various Tools in DazStudio.

What do you think? If you like I can attach the Workspace Layout / Toolbars / Style / Actions .dsx config files.

This image has been resized to fit in the page. Click to enlarge.

Syrus_Dante

Quote from Clearing the Timeline

custom Menues

Oh well, good to know about how to customize a Toolbar but with those issues with Enable/Disable them they are not that useful - but here comes a better solution.

I just recently found out that you can create your own menues or change the existing.

The advantages are: you dont waste screenspace and you dont have to remeber a shotcut key (combination) the letters to press are showen in the menu itself.

I've added a ZIP file to the attachments Studio4_SyrusMy_Style-Menues-Toolbars.zip

Dont ask me where to put those files. To use them extract them somewhere you can find - then go to DS main-menu: Window>Workspace>Customize - press the Import button on the bottom and choose what to import Menues / Toolbars / Styles then select the right .dsx file in respect of the previous selection. I give no warranty of any kind that it will work or that DazStudio will work as expected after importing the config files.

See the screenshot for details:

This image has been resized to fit in the page. Click to enlarge.

Syrus_Dante

Customized Main-Menu - Extended

The customized Main-Menu with Zero|Memorize|Restore|Clear|Un-Lock was only the beginning. It took quiet a while untill I drag&droped all actions into my new Main-Menus but I managed to finish this. The other part I did was to test and document these menues so I put everything together in Photoshop to give you this screenshot - because I think documentation is important.

[PS] I hope all this bright orange dosn't hurt in your eyes - I like it.

I didn't add any new actions to DazStudio I just added another set / Layer of custom Main-Menus with some selected Actions.

I think I arranged them in a more accessible way - at least for me - with the Actions I use the most - that can be found most likely towards the top of the menus.

All default DazStudio Menus stay as they are - all Actions can also be found in their default menu locations.

The reason for me for doing this was to simplify the menu stucture to reach the actions I need faster. (in DS functions called actions)
With this I can avoid to allways go and search the action that I need somewhere in some panes options menu or the viewport right-click menu while the action I'm searching for is often down in some sub-menu. This got me sick and tiered and I searched for and also found another way of accesing these Actions.

I also avoid to use sub-menues most times to have a flat menu stucture and to have an strutured overview of all provided Action entrys in the menu list.

An exception is the "Selection" menu and I want to explain why.

 

ShortCutKeys usage Alt+[underscored-Letter]

All menues are linked to a ShortcutKey to open them quickly.

• For example if you want to create a new Camera press Alt+N = New-Item - then x3 ArrowKeyDown - then hit Enter. Still a bit slow - did you use the left hand for that?
• Or for example if you want to create a new Camera you can also press Alt+N - then (don't release the Alt key - keep holding it down) Alt+C - this was quick - wasn't it?
• Another example if you want to select all Figures in the scene press Alt+S = Selection-Menu - then (don't release the Alt key - keep holding it down) Alt+A - then hit Enter.

Yes you still have to move the left hand to the Enter key because untill now the "Select All Figures" action dosn't have a Keyboard Shortcut or KeyCombination linked to it

- but dont worry - this can be changed if you like in the Customize Settings.

Workaround: install the free Application AutoHotkey and remap maybe the Tab key with the Enter key - to hit accept = Enter with the left hand pinky finger on the Tab key - but this is just a suggestion.

To open the Menues starting with Geometry... you can press Alt+G = GeometryEditor - then release the Alt key and press Alt+G a second time = Geometry Editing - then release the Alt key and press Alt+G the third time = Geometry Assign

- I hope you get an idea of how this works and that it can help to speed up the workflow.

 

Known Issues:

• To have more free letters to asign / to control what menu pops up first with the Alt+.. KeyboardShortcut - I have removed some Alt+[underscored-Letter] ShortcutKeyCombinations of the default Main-Menu elements: Create - Render - Connect - Scripts!
• If you use "Update and Merge Menues" everything gets messed up a bit - so default Main-Menu shortcuts come back and my empty main menu seperators "  |   " gets deleted, but this is nothing you can't fix with a few button clicks.
• With the "Scripts" menu there is also a bug: if you use "Create Custom Action" from the Library an additional Scripts menu will appear with the default Alt+S shortcut asigned. Also I tryed to remove the Alt+W shortcut from the "Window" menu but after a restart DazStudio thinks there should be a "Window" menu with the Alt+W shortcut and adds a second Window menu with only the Panes sub-menu in it)

Otherwise it works very well.

This image has been resized to fit in the page. Click to enlarge.

 

Downloading and using the provided config files

As you can see I have attached a few ZIP files.

Dont ask me where to put those files. To use them extract them somewhere you can find - then go to DS main-menu: Window>Workspace>Customize - press the Import button on the bottom and choose what to import Menues / Toolbars then select the right .dsx file in respect of the previous selection. I give no warranty of any kind that it will work or that DazStudio will work as expected after importing the config files.

• Workspace Layout only for the Panes arrangement DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomLayout_1_justWorkSpacePanes.zip

• Workspace Layout including all Main-Menus, Toolbars and "custom Shortcuts"! DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomLayout_2_AllInOne(carefulAlsoAllShortCuts).zip

• The extended Main-Menu DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomMainMenus_1.zip

• The extra Toolbars (not all showen) DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomToolBars_2.zip

• My Interface color Style DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyStyle_EvenDarker_v4.zip

You can't import the Style so you have to put the file into this folder (Windows specific) "C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\user styles" to select it in DS-Main-Menu: Window>Style>Select Style.

Syrus_Dante

custom Style

As you can see on my previous screenshots I'm using a very dark Interface color Style.

This is just easier for the eyes to look at for hours while working with DazStudio and also will give you the impression of working with a professional program like Photoshop or ZBrush.

In the screenshot you can see what colors I've changed. I also brightened up the "02. Forground Color" that is for the text color and it will improve readability and contrast to the dark backround colors.

 

Syrus_Dante

Yes you still have to move the left hand to the Enter key because the "Select All Figures" action dosn't have a Shortcut.

Workaround: install the free Application AutoHotkey and remap maybe the Tab key with the Enter key - to hit accept = Enter with the left hand pinky finger on the Tab key - but this is just a suggestion.

I got this AutoHotkey script to work - its quiet simple:

#IfWinActive ahk_exe DAZStudio.exeSpace::EnterReturnTab::EnterReturn

Here you can see my AutoHotkey script for DazStudio. The first line checks if the active window is DazStudio. The second line repaces the space key with the enter key and the 5th line repaces the tab key with the enter key.

Now I just need to write a if condition to detect if any Alt+[letter] gets pressed to replace WASD with the arrow keys while entering the menues and switch back to normal key bindings if Enter, Space, Tab or Esc gets pressed.

Then I have to write a batch file to execute DAZStudi.exe and the AutoHotkey-Script and replace my default desktop shortcut with this batch file to allways run the script with DazStudio.

Syrus_Dante

My suggestion for the Workspace / Panes Layout

Quote from PANE REARRANGEMENT INTERFACE SUGGESTION

[PS] I thought this would be fit in here as well.

Hi,

yea I was thinking of this issue for a while now - the interface of a program is very important to work with it efficiently.

Foreword

I remember as I once started DazStudio for the first time - maybe it was version 4.5 and I saw the default interface layout I was wondering what all the toolbar icons are for and thought of - damn will I ever know what every single symbol stands for? Today I'm wiser and know most of it I will never use or there is some other way to reach and use this function.

After a while I realised that you can customize the interface - so the first thing I did was to switch the layout to "self service". What this exactly means - I found out just recently.

For the beginning I recomend you to clean up the interface and just concentrate on the most commonly used panes: Viewport - Parameters - Scene - Content Library - maybe Smart Content. Every other pane can be opened as needed with going to Main-Menu: Window>Panes (Tabs) and every Action / Function that the default Toolbars provide can also be found in the Main-Menu or the panes options sub-menus.

 

the Red Dot

Oh you thinking of a RED DOT - maybe you can win the Red Dot design award with that. Sorry for this joke I couldnt resist on that wordplay.

I know what you mean and I've seen this concept of maybe a dotted outline or an empty space to show you the areas where you can drag&drop Interface elements in edit interface mode in other programs. But in DazStudio you can work with the program regardless of - if the "Lock Docking/Undocking" in Enabeld or not - this is an advantage I think. If you drag panes around you should see a highlight line in the area you drag the pane over to create a new Pane Group.

As an alternative you can see that I have included the "Lock Docking/Undocking" Action in my Toolbar (called MyToolbar_Main). With this I can allways see the status and switch it to Enabled/Disabled.

This affects the ability of all panes at once to get draged&droped somewhere else in the interface. I think this is easier to understand than to have to switch the draging&docking ability for every single pane seperate.

 

My suggestion for the Workspace / Panes Layout

As you can see in my screenshot below I have 5 Pane Groups - maybe the Pane Group Nr. 4 is obsolete. But the concept behind this is that I am right handed so my Pane Groups are all on the right side. I wouldnt suggest you to have one Pane Group on the left and one on the right of the Viewport because then you have to move the mouse constantly from the left to the right and you have to remember - is the setting I'm searching for on the left or the right side.

This image has been resized to fit in the page. Click to enlarge.

 

 

Issues with Pane Groups and with the Timeline Pane

One issue with these three vertical Pane Groups Nr. 2, 3 & 4  I use is that - you can only have two opened at the same time - and you have to take care of the width of the groups - dont scale one too big in width or the other dosnt have enougth space. Otherwise it serves me quite well.

One other issue that I had and now its back is the placement of the Timeline pane. Hard enougth to understand how to dock a floating Pane or Pane Group back into the interface but if I try to dock the timline back to the bottom of the screen lately it gives me some trouble - like the timeline only docks in the bottom area of the Viewport Pane Group and I am no longer able to hide / retract it with left-click on the Pane title.

Also other people got issues with the timline docking at the bottom see this thread: How to dock the timeline at the bottom ?

Issues with the Pane Groups Scaling

While talking about panes - there is a main issue with that every pane needs a minimum of space to show its content - because it can not shrink further. But this will also affect the minimum space that is needed for all other panes in the same Pane Group.

This is why I no longer dock the Animation Plugins KeyMate & GraphMate in the same Pane Group like the Timeline. I mean its still big and there and it is awfull how much screen space gets wasted over and under the frames selection stripe - but with the plugins docked together it takes allmost one half of the screen. (Edit: I found a glitch to make it smaler in height - just set it to show in minimalistic mode go to Options Menu and uncheck Advanced View. Then resize it and check Advanced View again it stays in the height it was before with still all advanced inferface elements showing)

While this idea with the minimum space isnt that bad - you can get problems if you try to Dock such panes that need much space by default eg. the Shader Mixer in the same Group like the Viewport - eg. see this Thread Cut Off Viewport

 

Using my provided Layout

Download my Layout and do whatever it takes with it until it serves your needs.

This is including: Workspace / Panes Layout | The extended Main Menu | Various Tool Bars | Interface Color Style

1. To be save first make a BACKUP of your current Workspace Layout! Therefore go to Main-Menu: Window>Workspace>Save Layout As. Then enter a name and leave all other selections Actions, Menus and Toolbars at Custom. Next press Accept - Done. You can use "Select Layout" later and change back to the pevious state if anything goes wrong or you dont like my Layout.

2. To use my Layout you have to extract the content of the provided ZIP-File "DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomLayout_3" somewhere you can find.

3. Then open DazStudio and go to Main-Menu: Window>Workspace>Customize. Next press the Import Button - select the Interface File Type: Layouts and press OK.

4. Navigate to the location where you have extracted the content of the provided ZIP-File and select the file in the folder:

...\user layouts\DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomLayout_3.dsa

With this Layout I didnt provide any custom Actions this stands for Keyboard Shortcuts I think - so your Shourtcuts stays the same. Also the Interface Color Style dosnt get loaded with that - and I dont exactly know how to include it within this layout file because you cant import a Style.

But it is included with the ZIP-File in the folder "user styles" and called "Even-Darker_v4.dsa" you just have to copy it to the special folder

(Windows specific path) "C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\user styles" to select it in DS-Main-Menu: Window>Style>Select Style.

Download Link: DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomLayout_3.zip

I give no warranty that these configuration files will work - I dont even be shure if they can be imported to your DazStudio installation. Please give a comment if they do - dont bother me if they dont. Nor do I give any warranty that DazStudio will work buggy as usual with these files.

 

Syrus_Dante

Viewport Navigation Guide + My custom Mouse Button Modifiers

 

Since I think there should be some kind of guide for the default Viewport Navigation I've made this new screenshot with all possible locations where to find and how to use the default View Controls.
I would have add the default Daz Studio Mouse Button Modifiers but I cant remember or find much info on that - and no I dont want to Reset my Daz Studio installation with the Defaults button in the Customize dialouge - who knows if I can get all the settings back like before after doing this.

ViewportNavigation_ViewControls_4.png 1470 x 900 - 642K

 

 

Sylvan

This is very helpful, thank you! I need to customize some things myself to keep a good workfow as well. Thanks!

DrNewcenstein

Nice work.

Syrus_Dante

As an addition to the existing information I want to add something new I recently posted elsewhere. Its a downloadable configuration file with all my customized keyboard shortcuts and I explain why I had changed those and showing the related settings in the script containers. Its up to you to change things but I think those settings give you a good starting point.

[Quote]: User interface Comment by Syrus_Dante October 18

I've attached my current Keyboard Mouse Controlls with the Shortcuts I use in this ActionList DSX file. Its a plain text XML format easy to read and to edit with a text editor.

DazStudio4-10_Syrus_MyCustomActions_5_4.zip 7K

Just extract and copy this dsx file to C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\user layouts\actions. Then open the Window > Workspace > Customize dialogue, press Import choose FileType: Actions browse to the DSX file and Accept. Before doing that you better save a Backup of your current Actions List with pressing Export - Actions - Save File. Hit the "Defaults" Button to reset everything to default.

 

The following CodeSnippets show the changes I made to the default controlls.

Or just show the default key bindings. The rest is default or nothing assigned to.

I wonder if I can delete the lines with the actions from the list where no keys are assigned and have this dsx file to only import those key bindings as an addition to the current assigned keys.

First the so called View Accelerators that most people complain about. Here are the ones I use.

 <ViewAccelerators>  <OrbitCameraAccel Accel="Alt+LeftMB"/>  <RotateCameraAccel Accel="Ctrl+Alt+LeftMB"/>  <PanCameraAccel Accel="Alt+RightMB"/>  <DollyCameraAccel Accel="Alt+MidMB"/>  <BankCameraAccel Accel="Ctrl+Alt+RightMB"/>  <ZoomDCameraAccel Accel="Ctrl+Shift+RightMB"/>  <ZoomFCameraAccel Accel=""/> </ViewAccelerators>

 

Now on to the Frame and Aim Camera and Perspective view Controlls the Frame also works in Orthograpic view eg. Left Side. I think I will stick with Ctrl+F and Ctrl+A for Frame/Aim.

What it Frames and Aims at depends on the selected Viewport Tool you currently use, you can frame a selected node with the Universal Tool, a selected Joint Center Point with the Joint Editor tool or a face, edge, point Selection with the Geometry Editor. But its important to Frame something before you Orbit around to have the invisble focus point of the current View set to the selected once. Also applies to Camera views or if you select to watch through a spot light to set the focus point from the Viewport dropdown menu.

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+A" Class="DzAimCameraAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+F" Class="DzFrameCameraAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Alt+R" Class="DzResetCameraAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Alt+A" Class="DzPointAtAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

Switching to Ortographic view has become a mess lately in my actions list by default you press Ctrl+ left, right, up, down. New users hit this easily by accident and then wonder why they can't orbit the perspective view in the Viewport anymore.

By deleting the line Accel="Ctrl+Left" and similar in front the Keyboard shortcut is deleted. I acces those views with the Viewport dropdown I also change the Draw Style there. Deleting those Orto View and Draw Style changing shortcuts can even prevent your cats change anything in DazStudio by jumping on your keyboard.

Read the full story behind this here: So my cat jumped on my keyboard when I wasn't around and...

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Left" Class="DzLeftViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

  <Action Class="DzLeftViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzBackViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzBottomViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzFourViewsAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Down" Class="DzFrontViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+P" Class="DzPerspectiveViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzRightViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzSideBySideAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzSingleViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzTopAndBottomAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzTopViewAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

Its important to know if the Keyboard Navigation is turned on or off. You can Add this toggle action to your Toolbar to see if its on or off.

  <Action Accel="Shift+K" Class="DzViewControlKeyNavAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

The following lines are for the Keyboard Navigation controlls. You see all the single letter keys assigned that most people hit by accident: WASDQE + IJKLUO even P and Alt+P never used those. Press Shift+K and you can walk through your DazStudio Scene with WASD like in a FirstPersonShooter game.

  <Action Accel="Q" Class="DzDollyCameraUpAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="E" Class="DzDollyCameraDownAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="W" Class="DzDollyCameraForwardAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="S" Class="DzDollyCameraBackAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="A" Class="DzDollyCameraLeftAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="D" Class="DzDollyCameraRightAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="]" Class="DzIncreaseCameraDollyFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="[" Class="DzDecreaseCameraDollyFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Alt+[" Class="DzResetCameraDollyFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="I" Class="DzRotateCameraUpAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="K" Class="DzRotateCameraDownAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="J" Class="DzRotateCameraLeftAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="L" Class="DzRotateCameraRightAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="U" Class="DzBankCameraLeftAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="O" Class="DzBankCameraRightAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="}" Class="DzIncreaseCameraRotateFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="{" Class="DzDecreaseCameraRotateFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Alt+]" Class="DzResetCameraRotateFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="P" Class="DzLevelCameraRotateAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIncreaseCameraLevelFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzDecreaseCameraLevelFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzResetCameraLevelFactorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Alt+P" Class="DzLevelCameraSnapAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

And here are the other controlls for the Geometry Editor and the Node Weight Map Brush Tool. Funny the internal name is still "DzPolygonGroupEditorTool".

I finaly solved the conflict with my View controlls and "Remove from Selection" ModifierAccel="Shift" (it was Alt by default).

The lines with MouseWheelAccel show the current key binds for changing the brush size with the mouse wheel. But I think in Geometry Editor only "Brush General Size" Ctrl is used. EDIT: for to change the red circle mouse cursor selection radius with the mouse wheel.

 <ViewToolAccelerators>  <DzPolygonGroupEditorTool>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Add to Selection" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Remove from Selection" ModifierAccel="Shift"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush General Size" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Inner Size" ModifierAccel="Shift"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Outer Size" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Constrain Gradient" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Single Side Scale" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>  </DzPolygonGroupEditorTool>  <DzNodeWeightBrushTool>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush General Size" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Inner Size" ModifierAccel="Shift"/>   <MouseWheelAccel ModifierName="Brush Outer Size" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Constrain Gradient" ModifierAccel="Alt"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Single Side Scale" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Subtractive Painting" ModifierAccel="Ctrl+Shift"/>   <MouseBtnAccel ModifierName="Alternate Brush" ModifierAccel="Ctrl"/>  </DzNodeWeightBrushTool> </ViewToolAccelerators>

 

These are the controlls for the Geometry Editor I use those alot. Most are default I've just added Clear Selection on Ctrl+NumpadDot. If I want to select all I just hit Ctrl+NumpadMultiply its Invert Selection.

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+," Class="DzFacetSelClearAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+*" Class="DzFacetSelConnectedAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl++" Class="DzFacetSelGrowAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+/" Class="DzFacetSelInvertAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+-" Class="DzFacetSelShrinkAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

This default shortcut had helped me alot in the Joint Editor deleting unnessacary bones of conforming items after the Transfer Utility.

  <Action Accel="Shift+Del" Class="DzJEDeleteBoneAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

These are my controlls for the Timline and moving to Key Frames. Works also in GraphMate and KeyMate.

  <Action Accel="Ins" Class="DzAddKeysAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Shift+Del" Class="DzDeleteKeysAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Left" Class="DzPrevFrameAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Right" Class="DzNextFrameAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Shift+Left" Class="DzSkipToPrevKeyAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Shift+Right" Class="DzSkipToNextKeyAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+PgDown" Class="DzPlayToggleAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="End" Class="DzSkipToPlayrangeEndAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Home" Class="DzSkipToPlayrangeStartAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

If you start to pose or animate you should use some of those keys. The F3 to F8 shortcuts are my idea to quickly acces the Memorize-Restore Figure/Items actions. The seperate Pose/Shape sibling actions can be found in the main menu. Also all other important actions like Zero, Restore and Clear Figure / Items can be accesed in my main menu.

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+D" Class="DzMoveToFloorAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+C" Class="DzCopyNodeAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+V" Class="DzPasteNodeAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Shift+Y" Class="DzSymmetryAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Shift+B" Class="DzBakeToTransformsAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="F3" Class="DzRestoreFigureAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="F4" Class="DzMemorizeFigureAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="F5" Class="DzMemorizeSelectedItemsAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="F6" Class="DzRestoreSelectedItemsAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="F7" Class="DzRestoreFigurePoseAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="F8" Class="DzMemorizeFigurePoseAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

Its not a bad idea to assign some shortcuts to the Pin actions if you create poses on a regular basis. I tried some lately but most times I can't remember and use my main menu instead.

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Shift+K" Class="DzIKClearPinAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIKClearPinsAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIKConvertToFKAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIKEnableHardPinsAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIKEnableIKAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIKEnablePinsAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+K" Class="DzIKPinBothAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIKPinRotationAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Class="DzIKPinTranslationAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

I hate the right-click on selection in the Scen pane just to Expand From Selected in the sub menu i will try to learn my new shortcut Ctrl+Shift+E in future.

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Shift+E" Class="DzHPExpandFromSelectedAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Shift+I" Class="DzHPInvertSelectionAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

Oh this is like in Blender - just press H and the selected gets hidden Un-Hide is Alt+H. Its the Node Visibility I think.

  <Action Accel="H" Class="DzHideSelectedAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Alt+H" Class="DzUnHideSelectedAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

Exporting-Importing OBJs has become faster since I use these shortcuts alot.

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+E" Class="DzExportAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+I" Class="DzImportAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

With this I can switch between the first two Activity Bar Workspace Layouts without having the Activity Bar on screen. You know the default Actors, Wardrobe & Props and the Pose & Animate "Rooms".

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Shift+F1" Class="DzActivityAction0" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Shift+F2" Class="DzActivityAction1" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

This will toggle to show the Activity Bar if needed, thought most times it is unnassecary ans just wastes alot of screenspace.

  <Action Accel="Shift+F1" Class="DzToggleActivityBarAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

Someone complained about hitting Ctrl+U all time while trying to Undo Ctrl+Z. I changed that Lock Docking/Undocking = Ctrl+Shift+U.

  <Action Accel="Ctrl+Shift+U" Class="DzLockUIAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

 

The DazStudio Fullscreen mode had fooled me the fist time I tried. In the (default?) layout that I used there was no keyboard shortcut assigned. Once I choosed Fullscreen from the mainmenu I never had a chance to exit the fullscreen only a restart helped.

  <Action Accel="F12" Class="DzFullScreenAction" ShowTextWithIcon="false"/>

barbult

Shift-F11 toggles full screen mode on and off for me. I don't believe it is anything I set up manually.

Loony

Heyhooo digging out your Thread ;)

Do you have any knowledge if it is possible to add the side buttons of the mouse to the hotkeys, I hate that they are unused, I love to put undo/redo on them, but I cant select them (or better said daz studio doesnt).

 

LenioTG

Loony said:

Heyhooo digging out your Thread ;)

Do you have any knowledge if it is possible to add the side buttons of the mouse to the hotkeys, I hate that they are unused, I love to put undo/redo on them, but I cant select them (or better said daz studio doesnt).

I have asked for this I don't know how many times!!!

The average comment was "wait, where do you live?! I've never seen side buttons on a mouse!".

I'm sorry, but apparently there's no way to use those buttons inside Daz.

brvsn

maybe using a program and assigning the keyboard shortcuts to mouse buttons for specific executables.. all major mouses producers have their own software to do that, but there are also smaller options like XMouseButtonControl 

LenioTG

brvsn said:

maybe using a program and assigning the keyboard shortcuts to mouse buttons for specific executables.. all major mouses producers have their own software to do that, but there are also smaller options like XMouseButtonControl 

I didn't know it was possible for specific executables, thanks, I'll have to look into that! :D

marble

Just found this helpful thread and, while I am familiar with a lot of it, there is something I've been trying to figure out but I can't, nor can I see it mentioned here so I'll ask.

How do I change the colour of the Hidden Parameter label text. The normal paramters use the foreground colour which I can change but I can't find a setting for the "greyed-out" text and I would particularly like to see what those hidden parameters do but can't read the labels.

DrunkMonkeyProductions

marble said:

Just found this helpful thread and, while I am familiar with a lot of it, there is something I've been trying to figure out but I can't, nor can I see it mentioned here so I'll ask.

How do I change the colour of the Hidden Parameter label text. The normal paramters use the foreground colour which I can change but I can't find a setting for the "greyed-out" text and I would particularly like to see what those hidden parameters do but can't read the labels.

 

It uses the "mid color".

Don't know of a way to set the particular color selection on an individual basis though.

Might be a bit more "under the hood" then us poor users have access to.

 

 

marble

DrunkMonkeyProductions said:

marble said:

Just found this helpful thread and, while I am familiar with a lot of it, there is something I've been trying to figure out but I can't, nor can I see it mentioned here so I'll ask.

How do I change the colour of the Hidden Parameter label text. The normal paramters use the foreground colour which I can change but I can't find a setting for the "greyed-out" text and I would particularly like to see what those hidden parameters do but can't read the labels.

 

It uses the "mid color".

Don't know of a way to set the particular color selection on an individual basis though.

Might be a bit more "under the hood" then us poor users have access to.

 

 

Yep I tried mid-colour and all the others too. Nothing changes that particular shade.

Jhud

@Loony

It is possible to program the side buttons on the mouse. It depends on the mouse though. I am using the Red Dragon Perdition mouse. It is an older model.  It comes with a program that allow me to program each one of the keys on my mouse. There are 12 side keys and 6 other keys. The keys on the side are rather small so I do not use them much. You program each of the keys with a keyboard shortcut as shown in the images by Syrus_Dante. Some may or maynot work depending on your mouse and the software you are using.