User interface
handyman4545
Posts: 408
I'd like to see theuser interface keys in botj Daz and Hexigon similarized.
It's disconcerting to shift from several hours on he'd tnto Daz and not have the same key sequenceses to move the camera.
Hex is well thought out, efficient to mouse movement.
Daz is disapointidis and requires Moore thought and motion.
Mimic hex please.
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DS makes sense to me compared to Hexagon. I hate the UI in Hex, but at least it's not as bad as Blender.
Seeing the popularity and priority of DS over Hex, I highly doubt they would ever make changes to DS to get it closer to Hex, more the other way around of getting Hex closer to DS if anything.
DS is very customizable, so it's possible you might be able to make changes to it to make it closer to what you need.
This has probepr been addressed before but I would like to be able to change the desktop color to get better contrast with my images.
The ghastly yellow that the screen changes to when you mouse over the images in the background is utterly horrid.
Hex uses a key and mouse sequence to track ball the images.
In DAZ you have to drag your mouse up to a GUI point and then button and drag it.
Incredibly disconcerting especially for those of us transitiong back and forth.
If I could figure out how to replace the GUI zones in DAZ with the "ALT" key, I'd be overjoyed.
I started a thread about how to customize the DazStudio interface and how to customize the controlls.
You may have a look to find instructions how to change things or simply download the provided configuration files and start to customize those how you want. If you try the configuration files please let me know if they worked for you, if not I am willing to update some. I already made some additional customizations to my current workspace layout lately.
How to Customize Daz Studio - to speed up Workflow!? [WIP]
This is how my interface looks after I've customized some things. Less Sub-Menus, less clicking and less distance you have to move your mouse makes the workflow faster, less tedious and more fun. Ofcourse the fastest workflow would be to remeber all the keyboard shortcuts. The main menus all have Alt+[Letter] shortcuts assigned.
Customized Main-Menu - Extended
This is how I navigate in the 3D space of my Daz Studio scene.
Viewport Navigation Guide + My custom Mouse Button Modifiers
I also had issues using the default DazStudio interface and keyboard / mouse controlls. Also I didn't like the default interface layout or these default ugly washed out interface colors.
But that is the case with every user interface and keyboard / mouse controlls of the various 3D software around. Some get used to the interface and controlls and some just don't want to use it because of the interface and controlls.
Actualy as I started with 3D software I firts tried Hexagon and I liked the interface. I had heared its good for beginners and so I was quickly able to do some basic stuff with the few tools in the tools palet. I would say you can't get lost in the interface because of the limited functions it provides.
Then I switched over to ZBrush and this software is a special case in terms of interface and controlls. The interface and the controlls are designed for artists to use it with a pressure sensitive pen tablet or monitor. Thats why by default they don't support mouswheel scrolling.
The default controlls in Blender, with by default select on the right mouse button drove me mad after 10 minutes working with it.
There is this thing called "muscle memory", actualy its the brain remembering which muscles to activate for the desired motion. Its the same with learning how to drive a bicycle or learn how to swim. This ability is gained by traning and once you have learned that your brain can quickly recall a motion for the desired action without much thinking. In other words once you learned the controlls in whichever software you don't have to think of what keys to press and your brain can concentrate on the actual things you work on.
If you find yourself in the situation of switching from one 3D application to the next (maybe you work with both the same time) its always a pain to get used to the different controlls. I once compared it with suddenly switching cars from a left sided steering wheel to a right sided steering wheel, or from one with a manual to an automatic shifting gear mechanism.
But it dosn't have to be this way. Since ZBrush isn't customizable for the 3D navigation controlls I took those as a reference and changed the controlls in DazStudio and Blender to work almost the same. Now I can switch between the different programs to work on my project without even thinking of how to use the 3D navigation controlls anymore.
This is how it looks if I work in DazStudio. Its a short 16 minute tutorial showing some rigging.
DazStudio Rigging a Cylinder
Then a better solution would be to "Prefab" (by Daz), controlls that match other programs. At-least ones that mirror other programs they own.
Eg, In Hexagon or Bryce or Daz, Have the option to mimic Hexagon, Bryce, Daz, Poser, Zbrush, 3DSMax, Blender... It is just key-mapping and mouse-mapping. Perhaps offer them as a downloadable "Template". One that you could easily swap-out, while working, for an added bonus. Rarely are many things code-locked into specific functions. (Without the ability to change them.)
Two things I wish in this world, which all this technology has not offered yet...
1: Remote contols that operate with the exact same functions, universally. (Not a nasty universal remote that only works half-way on half the things you use.)
2: A universal standard "Universal Input Format", which would make any user-format universal for everything they use. (Move-Up is always Move-Up, but may be "W" key, or "UP ARROW", or "PAGE UP", or all three keys, without mattering to the program code.) {Since no-one follows standards and existing standards are wonky. Like flight controls in a helicopter. When everyone says they are backwards, stop doing it that way! :P }
Standards... A lost art...
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.
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.
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"/>
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.
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.
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.
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.
This default shortcut had helped me alot in the Joint Editor deleting unnessacary bones of conforming items after the Transfer Utility.
These are my controlls for the Timline and moving to Key Frames. Works also in GraphMate and KeyMate.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Exporting-Importing OBJs has become faster since I use these shortcuts alot.
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".
This will toggle to show the Activity Bar if needed, thought most times it is unnassecary ans just wastes alot of screenspace.
Someone complained about hitting Ctrl+U all time while trying to Undo Ctrl+Z. I changed that Lock Docking/Undocking = Ctrl+Shift+U.
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.
I never got used to the default 3D navigation controlls in Blender. Even though they offer you a list of Presets to choose from for to mimic the variouse other programs.
I once managed to change the Blender view controlls to work with Alt+[Mouse Button]. That caused a lot of conflicts with default key bindings, the Alt key is used quiet often for other things in Blender. With the User Preferences and the search field it was possible to find all conflicts and delete those. I migrated my old Key Config to every new Blender release since version 2.4 I think but with the latest release its no loger possible.
There is a Blender Plugin available Mouselook Navigation addon (+ZBrush mode) to have the 3D viewport navigation to work like in ZBrush at least thats how I thought it would work. Interesting Plugin but unforunatly you still have to setup some of the additional controlls like Alt+Right-Click anywhere for Orbit as in ZBrush yourself.
To have the Mouse Wheel working in ZBrush you need an inofficial user created Plugin called "Middle Button" Plug-in for ZBrush 4R6.
It is just that every company in the 3D software buisness wants to establish their own standards. Its not even standard how to name the three axis X, Y, Z for Up-Down, Left-Right, Front-Back thats why you have to twist around the meshes by importing-exporting OBJs to other 3D software.
Another example is the Autodesk exclusive closed exchange format FBX that could solve some of the compatibility issues - but as I heared pepole have issues with importing those into DazStudio or exchange those with Blender.
[EDIT]: There is something other I'd like to mention at this point. I think a successful example of cooperation work and integration into DazStudio is the iRay render engine for nVidia graphic cards. While on the other hand the Pixologic cooperation work with the DazStudio developers for to keep the GoZ plugin bridge updated could be better.
About flight controls in a helicopter.
I remember I've enjoyed those heli missons as I once played this GTA game with the playstation gamepad and those two analog thumb joysticks. In another thread I had the idea to somehow remap the DazStudio WASD keyboad navigation to those gamepad sticks to have a fly mode inside the DazStudio Viewport. How about a Gampad support Plugin for DazStudio with a pane for to configure the key bindings? Someone with Daz Scripting abilities could possible write such a script.
Other examples of how to control DazStudio with various interface devices.
mcjKinectKit for Kinect V1 and in June 2018 Kinect V2
KORG nano KONTROL 2 Plug-in v1.0 PDF Manual DAZ Studio 4.6 to 4.11 for Win 10
The one that I am missing here is the weight map painting support with my wacom pen tablet.
Or what about those VR-headset remote hand controlls to pose genesis figures?...
The future of interface devices? Or will we all live in the Matrix some day? LOL
Due to latest scientific researches it is possible to wear those head caps with sensors to meassure the brain waves. With those caps and a teachable controller interface it is possible to mind control certain actions in a computer interface for example. Those are experimental reseaches by now, people who tried to control something with their thoughts reported in the beginning its hard to concentrate and think of the action the computer should execute but after some teaching the interface understands which actions to execute with the different brainwave patterns the user with the head cap generates by thinking of some action. Its a bit scary to think of your PC could read your mind but the interface would only understand commands that you teach them.
Wow!
First and foremost, Thank you all for your input. The time you put into your responses is both noted and greatly appreciated.
Second. While I'm impressed with the degree of detail in this response and certainly don't mean to insult anyone, I'm inundated and overwhelmed as well.
My Dad once said.
"When asked what time it is, try not to respond with how to build the watch."
What I'd like to do is:
1) Alter the "view" movement to make it similar to Hexagon if possible (alt/mouse combination).
2) Terminate the "gold haze" that apears when I mouse over a scene in DAZ.
If there's a way to do those two items and anyone can point me in the direction of that method, I'd greatly appreciate the help.
In the Draw Settings pane, one of the following, or both:
Set the Highlight Style to Bounding Box only; or
Turn the Active Opacity down to 0%.
In How to Customize Daz Studio - to speed up Workflow!? [WIP]
there is the section customized Mouse Button Modifiers
Changing Mouse Button Modifiers
this picture is all you should need. It also explains why it can be better to edit the DSX file itself.
These are the lines that get changed in the DSX file.Andya:
You can't believe how much I appreciate that help.
It worked perfectly.
I had to find the Draw Settings by clicking the Rt Mouse button in the tabs area of left side, screen pane then select "Add Pane" to find it but it worked like a charm!
Many thanks!
Syrus:
I'm always leary when it comes to mucking about in the system files but I'm gonna try to follow your push and see where it leads me.
I'll update on my success later.
Thank you as well.
UPDATE
i'm getting hung up in the "Open the Customize Settings" in the "Mouse Button Modifiers" drop down menu.
I can't find any tabs or fields that open the "Customize Settings" or the "Mouse Button Modifiers" drop down.
Can you direct me to the fields please?
Sorry by all this tech talk I forgot to mention the most obvious.
The Customize Daz Studio dialogue can be opened by the main menu Window > Workspace > Customize. I just linked the image from my thread but its ripped out of context.
Then you have this Customize window on screen like in the sceenshot above. In the bottom of the Customize dialogue you find the Viewport Shortcuts: with the first register View Controls. The dropdown menu behind Mouse Button Modifiers shows the selected View Control action like Orbit that you can change now by double-clicking on the current shortcut showing in the text box behind.