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I've posted my attempt at a gingerbread man as a freebie at ShareCG. His decorations are a separate conforming figure included with the zip file. I posted a link in the freebies forum.
Here is a extreme pose and with the smile morph set to 1.
Next Tutorial - Poser Postwork 101 by DarkSeal.
Change of direction with this tutorial. I don't think it has much to do with Poser. It is a 6-part tutorial. Looking forward to switching from moving vertexes around to moving pixels around.
https://www.daz3d.com/poser-post-work-101
My WIP for First 2 parts of a 6 part turorial.
First, I rendered something similar to DarkSeal's default render, although mine had darker shadows and more contrast.
Here is my progress thus far. Most of the changes are to the V4, not the dragon. I watched the first two parts and tried to apply the lessons. Can you tell the difference? Did I actually improve my image?
Also, I attended the Digital Art Live webinar on Flowscape. Probably the reason I only finishe two parts of DarkSeals tutorial. Interesting software. Looking forward to making backgrounds and panoramas.
Watched parts 3 and 4 of DarkSeal's postwork tutorial. The end of part 4 starts working on the dragon, so finished with the V4 female elf for the moment. Here is the difference between the original V4 head and hair render and the changes made so far.
And from part 4, here is the dragon before and after.
Before
After
Finished the final two parts. That makes six very informative videos. For someone like me with no formal training in basic art or art programs, this was a great tutorial series. I will provide my final before and afters for the entire project.
Original render.
After applying some of the lessons in the Dark Seal postwork tutorial.
Next series of tutorials return to pushing vertexes around. I have a series on modeling in Hexagon.
Depending on how I do, I'll offer some of my practice stuff as freebies.
https://www.daz3d.com/master-hexagon-car-modeling-basics
https://www.daz3d.com/master-hexagon-sexy-genesis-outfits
https://www.daz3d.com/master-hexagon-organic-modeling-basics
https://www.daz3d.com/master-hexagon-house-exterior-modeling
Review of one of the "Master Hexagon 2.5" tutorial above, modeling for Genesis.
Frankly, I was disappointed. The presenter rushed through without explaining the setup. If I wasn't already familiar wih Hexagon, I think I would have been lost. For example, the tutorial opens with the author already in multiple view, with no explanation how to get there if you are not there already. That sort of assumption of knowledge is too frequent for a true beginner. But, it is always good to see how someone else does their workflow, I can use the practice. The tutorial uses Genesis 1 and genesis 2. Start in Daz Studio, use the bridge to send o hexagon, and then use the bridge to send back to Daz Studio. I tried to apply the lessons to make a simple vest for genesis 8 male. I've posted the link in the freebies forum.
Next up - I will try the tutorial above on modeling a car and hope it is more thorough. Once again, will apply the lesson to my own similar project, then consider posting as a freebie.
Review - Apologies,sort of
- There is another Dreamlight product called Hexagon Revisited ow to Make Money with Hexagon. This product has the context that the above tutorials (Genesis clothes and concept car) lacked. Jack, the presenter of the two I complained about, does a very good job providing necessary context in the "01_04_Hexagon_Intro" and "01_05_Fast_Extrude" vidos that are part of Hexagon revisited. Unfortunately, the modules are sold separately, so a person could watch in the wrong order (like me!). Furthermore, even if you correctly find the Hexagon revisited folder before the modules, notice that the Intro video is #04, ndot 01.
- For the Dreamlight Hexagon tutorials, you are much less likely to get lost if you watch video 04 of "Hexagon Revisited" before watching the "Mastering Hexagon" tutorials.
https://www.daz3d.com/hexagon-revisited-create-models-money
DreamLight Hexagon Tutorials - Update
Above, I have posted about several Dreamlight tutorials focused on Hexagon. The tutorials are separate products, but DIM grouped them closely in folders so I related them, probably unfairly. I don't think they are related. I have finished all of the"Mastering Hexagon" tutorials and am halfway through the "Hexagon Revisited: Making money with Hexagon" tutorial. In my opinion, people new or relatively new to modeling in general or the Hexagon program would get more out of the "Hexagon Revisited: Making Money..." tutorial than the "Mastering Hexagon" tutorials. It is better organized. It doesn't assume that you know where the tools are. It is more detailed. It finishes the projects off by transferring tem to Daz Studio, with the necessary flles and structure.
Should finish off the second half of the "Hexagon Revisited" tutorials tomorrow. Will probably be able to post another freebie. This time, a better freebie as the tutorials improve my skills
No work-in-progress model today because I am going to watch my team play in the National League Championship Series. #Nattitude.
Aside - My team won and is going to the World Series! #Nattitude. That means I'm a little hungover.
Completion of Dreamlight Hexagon Tutorials
Yay, Hexagon!
I have finished the Dreamlight "Hexagon Revisited: Making Money with Hexagon" series. Really glad I persevered and didn't ;let the disapointing, (IMHO) "Mastering Hexagon" series turn me off. I'm still struggling with the Hexagon interface even though it is very intuitive. The problem is I can never remember when I need to validate or accept or hit enter. Then I end up frozen and can't figure out why "...it has stopped working" when all it really wants is to close the previous tool. I expect to get much faster as I practice more. Has a few cool tools that Carrara's modeler does not have. I'm loving the bridge to Studio.
Still More Hexagon Tutorials
Classic Bikini for Genesis by Fugazi - https://www.daz3d.com/classic-bikini
Modeling a Fantasy Tower by Fugazi and Ironman13 - https://www.daz3d.com/modeling-in-hexagon-fantasy-tower
Who knew I had accumulated so many Hexagon tutorials? I am loosely going oldest to most recent unless there is some seeming connection (like both of the above were Dreamlight). Both of these involve Fugazi.
Substance Painter Tutorials
I'm on the road again but committed to watch tutorials in the mornings before I get started. Now that I've made a bunch of objects in Hexagon, I want to focus on texturing. I have a couple of related tutorials. First up, a Digital Art Live tutorial on Substance Painter.
https://www.daz3d.com/next-generation-texturing-for-daz-studio-or-poser
I've completed the first part of the above two part DAL substance painter tutorial. Turns out this webinar actually cover's Martin's complete workflow, which I found very helpful. He starts in Lightwave and uses UVLayout (and back to Lightwave) then uses Substance Painter and then finishes in Poser and Daz Studio. Even though I don't have and won't be using Lightwave or UVLayout, I found the examples clear and easily applied to the programs I will use. Great context for the Substance Painter portion.
Looking forward to part 2.
I've completed the second part. I am very happy with Martin's tutorial on his workflow. Some of it was uncharted territory for me, such as hacking the obj file to unify some related material labels. Everything was clearly explained. This second one emphasized answering questions that participants had had after the first part, so vey practical overall.
More traveling and exploring in Maine. Will use some photos I've taken here to apply the lessons I've watched so far. I still need a tutorial on Substance Designer before I can really use Substance Painter for my project. Intend to do a simple building exterior with an outer door that opens. This will combine the Hexagon tutorials for modeling an UVMapping, the Substance Painter (and Substance Designer) tutorials for creating the PBR materials, and the Rigging in Studio tutorial for the outer door.
- Some references from the tutorial, a simple building exterior, and a museum exhibit. I've also include a pic that could be converted to seamless. I took a lot more photos. These are not the "best" or anything like that. Just examples. I've made them lower res for the forum.
Woe is me.
My hardware is not quite up to the task of Substance Painter. Or, I should say that Substance Painter is warning me that I should expect freezes and crashes.
I finished the Substance Painter tutorial by Martin Gehre, and I went through a series of Substance Painter tutorials on the software webpage. The free tutorials on the website were very good, but my interface was different from the presenter's which makes parts hard to follow. Apparently there has been another update. That is just quibbling. The tutorals were great and I feel much more confident with the software. Two enthusiastic thumbs up for Substance Painter.
Next up, Creating in three dimensions with 3D-Coat, by Fugazi and Ironman. I'm told that this tutorial may be a little out of date as far as the layout goes, and it doesn't cover some cool features in recent updates, but that it is still a worthwhile tutorial. Looking forward to it. I've already experimented with UVMapping in 3D-Coat, and have been happy with that. Looking forward to learning about sculpting and retopology. These tools should help with my silly custom claymation style figures.
Wow, lot to digest. I can definitely see using 3D-Coat to add detail to some of my low-res models and then bake normal maps. I've been wasting its potential by just using it as a UVMapper. Sculpting is still a foeign concept to me. May be a long time before I get used to that.
Next up - Digital Art Live's sries with Esha on creating content. Long series.
Have completed enough tutorialsw to try the new workflow from beginning to end. As indicated above, two of the Dreamlight Hexagon tutorials focused on an example of a building exterior. I intend to create a Daz Studio - rigged porch with a screen door that opens (rigged and rotating). Haven't decided on the main door behind it. The goal is to create a freebie set that can be used in renders locaed in front of a small house or motel room. Picture little kids trick or treating on halloween, a young lady returning from her date and searching for her keys to give her boyfriend time to kiss her, or an elderly man sitting in a rocking chair whittling some wood.
Progress
- took reference photos of several small beach motels and small houses in southern Maine (where I'm staying). Will composite some elements.
- modeled the porch in Hexagon (yes, I used Hexagon, not Carrara).
- exported the model and uvmapped in 3D-Coat.
- reloaded the model in Hexagon to assign material zones.
Still to do
- transfer the model to Substace Painter to create PBR shaders (I'm concerned that the resources warning from SP will doom this portion. May have to use 3D Coat for painting).
- export to studio to rig the screen door to open/close, and make a morph to open the lower window.
3D Coat Tutorials
Will be going through several online 3D Coat tutorials. I was getting nervous in Substance Painter until I upgrade my equipment. Substance Painter's interface keeps giving me warnings about resource use, potential crashes, etc.
3DCoat has links to a youtube channel, manual WIKI, and a downloadable pdf manual.
3DCoat Tutorial - Take an unmapped OBJ from another program and UVMap in 3DCoat, then send back to original program
Best 10 minutes of my day!!!!!
Often it is the little things that get in the way. Very clear demonstration of getting to the correct UV tools for a simple imported model. I watched all those other tutorials, but for whatever reason, it took this one for the basics to click for me.
Thank you, Mike Hermes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC3bm_yAhPM
and another 3rd party - https://youtu.be/0LWnVLO5lYU
Purchased New Resource Today - Mapmaster - by MikeD
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/355966/map-master-pro-commercial#latest
This product is supposed to make it easier to construct materials and material presets from custom maps, like those fro Substance Painter. Looking forward to experimenting.
If you are wondering what Map Master Pro does, here is the list from the manual. It also builds and saves your own icon presets for layers (cut off from bottom of the page).
Next Up - Ultimate Texture Creation Mastery by Esha
Final Portion (#7) of Esha's Multipart Webinar Series on Creating Content
I completed the first 6 portions of this series before I went through the manual for Map Master Pro. Esha is AMAZING!!!!! Please be aware that Esha is probably going to use some software tha you don't have, but that is OK, becase she goes out of her way to discuss how to do similar things in different software packages. For example, her modeling section (Part 1) touched upon Wings, Hexagon Marvelous Designer, and more - discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each, to help you choose whih package (or packages) to use in your workflow. Yay, Esha!
Next Up - Submerged Inside Hexagon Bundle by Kim Schneider
Hard to believe that I have more Hexagon-related tutorials. This is another multipart tutorial. Always more to learn. Looking forward especially to the section on hair. Will it cover geografts? If so, that would address a big gap in my knowledge.
Arki's Submerged Inside Hexagon is another multipart tutorial.
Yesterday I completed parts 1-3, which included making the environment/ground, modeling the mermaid (with an introduction to geografts), and the dress.
Today I plan to complete parts 4 and 5, which cover making the hair and rigging the envionment. Although this month of tutorials has largely involved learning and practicing tools that are new or relatively new to me, I think Carrara's hair modeler and conversion plugin will outshine other modelers for hair. But, I'm open-minded. Looking forward to seeing how Kim Schneider (Arki) uses Hexagon to make hair. I'm also looking forward to the geografting section. There was a discussion during the part on modeling the mer-tail, but part 5 is supposed to go into much more detail. I anticipate plenty of projects that might use geografts.
I will be saving part 6 on texturing for Monday, and hope to combine it with another texturing-related tutorial.
That was great!
Both the sets by Esha and Arki (Kim Scheider) were excellent, but the Submerged Inside Hexagon tutorial set was better for me because the software lined up better with what I use. Two enthusiastic thumbs up. I will finish the final part of Submerged this morning, then start on another Esha tutorial his afternoon. My next Esha tutorial focuses on joint control morphs and weightmaps. It says it follows a case studies approach.
I am Exhausted!
My October of tutorials is coming to a close soon. I think the phrase that people use is "...like drinking from a firehose." I hope I am retaining some of this. But I'm not done yet. Even though I'm not comfortable usig the Substace Suite on my current machine because of all the resource warnings, I am going to go through another PBR material tutorial. I will be purchasing a new desktop soon and this will be helpful, I hope.
Last Tutorial in My October of Tutorials
Tomorrow I have to start driving across the country again so this is my last tutorial in October. I don't have UVLayout, but I plan to purchase it when I get my new machine. I picked up this tutorial in yesteday's sale.