Howler - Project Dogwaffle Pro!
Dartanbeck
Posts: 21,623
The original Project Dogwaffle Howler Thread is full, so we're starting a continuation thread here! :)
The original begins here, if you want to start from the beginning!
NOTE: There is another Howler discussion thread in the Art Station forum: Amazing PD Howler Dogwaffle Tips and Tricks
...and don't forget to check out Tiffanie's awesome video tutorials at her Immortal Memory Art YouTube channel!
Here are a few you may have missed:
Hi all, I have done a lot of experimenting with PuppyRay in Howler over the last bunch of months, and years, .... time to focus a bit on tools for post work with animation and video. It may come from Carrara or Daz Studio or perhaps other tools such as Moho (AnimeStudio). Here's a starter video and a bunch more.
At the end of part 2 there was also a crash. Oh well, I decided to not edit the capture, it is what it is, and no idea if or what caused it. Or if it will return. If any of you see the same and can reproduce it, say something please so we can perhaps fix it.
By the way this is in preparation for another Community webinar at Digital Art Live, mark your calendars for December 8 (a Sunday) - we'll revisit this and much more.
Argh! I missed this one thanks to the thread not bumping! :(
https://www.deviantart.com/dakorillon/art/Unicorn-Island-814962764
This is Flowscape and PD Howler.
Check this out!
First, Philip takes us for a ride into some of the (unlimited) possibilities of Howler's incredible Particles Modeler
...and then Dan Ritchie reinvigorates what we thought we might have known about Howler's Gradients
I love Howler! It really lets me get creative with making animated selections and edits and, quite frankly working with my animations in ways that just feel artistic to me. I hope to (finally) get some examples shown soon.
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I did a test reply. Same result - or lack thereof.
has now
threads go stale,
is sort of an anti necrothread feature I think
I had one I was posting to that stopped updating for a long time
There is a plethora of video tutorials on PD Howler in their channel. Their Playlists panel can help narrow down the search a bit.
We can also make playlists in our own YouTube channels. So when I first started learning, I made one called The PD Daily Dose in the same order the videos appeared in the index I saw at TheBest3d dot com. The actual Daily Dose playlist has grown quite a lot since then, so don't forget to check the official playlist from their channel.
My New for Howler 8! playlist really helped too, since that's the version I started with. All of this stuff really helped me to get my head wrapped around how to migrate my mind into a Dogwaffle workflow. These days for me, Howler is as natural as drinking my morning coffee, except that there's still a lot more to learn. In the meantime, however, making any of the edits (and a lot more) that I was expecting to make with an image editor is a breeze!
Also, in Daily Dose and other instructional videos - especially if they have a fair amount of playing time, don't let the title fool you. There's always a lot more information packed into each session than the name implies! ;)
So with my new computer, I'll be experimenting with using animated PNG sequences with dynamic hair as animated brushes in Howler, which is how I made this.
Dan, Philip, Tiffanie and all the rest of you wonderful Howlerites, I apologize for my absence. It's so good to be home!
I love all of the new features - the whole new API with all of the amazing benefits it's brought, and all of the cool new videos and notes... Howl On Forever!!!
Wow! Check out what the new year brought in!!!
Just released at Daz3d today, a tutorial course on Animation Tools of PD Howler, by Philip Staiger!!!
Details
PD Howler is a cost-effective, fast-digital-painting 3D and animation program created by artist Dan Ritchie, now available in the DAZ 3D store. There's also a free trial version of PDHowler from the Best3D website.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn a whole series of high-value tips on ANIMATION from Philip Staiger, co-creator of PD Howler.
PD Howler 2020 includes a number of tools to work with animated content, such as image sequences, or video clips, by applying filters across them for post-work.
It also can help with creating traditional frame-by-frame animations, compositing work, motion estimated interpolation, image stabilizing and lots more.
See the power of PD Howler animation in the below example:
PD Howler includes GPU-accelerated 3D landscape generation tools, rendering with path tracing, video-on-video painting, motion tracking, image stabilization, rotoscoping, artist guides, photo editing, realistic media painting with dry out, translucency and pigment lifting, tools for post-work and special effects filters, time stretching with motion estimated interpolation, particle brushes, foliage brushes, bristle brushes, particle brushes, user-defined custom animated brushes, video brushes, an exposure sheet for lip-synched cartooning, animated frame painting, loopable and seamless video creation tools, lens flares and many more amazing tools and gadgets!
What you'll need to follow along with this Tutorial
Tutorial Content
The Basics: how you should store it
Frame by Frame Editing
Hand-drawn Animation
Transitions with Motion Estimation
Animated Filters
Diving in
The Frame Painter – Telling a long story with just a few images
It’s all in the (anim)brush
Other topics (if time permits)
About Philip Staiger
Philip Staiger is the founder/owner of TheBest3D.com, and authorized reseller and partner/co-developer of Project Dogwaffle, including PD Artist, PD Particles and the top-of-the-line, PD Howler. He also likes to use and promote other 2D and 3D art creation tools. Long ago he was an Amapi Evangelist at Eovia, where he also became fond of Carrara.
Phil has partnered with Dan Ritchie on many aspects of developing, promoting and marketing Project Dogwaffle. He has worked for 35 years in the 3D industry, with graphics hardware (Megatek, Digital), and software (TGS, Eovia) for 3D modeling and animation. Phil also has several years of experience in the security software (ESET) and machine translation software industry (SYSTRAN). He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Swiss Federal Polytechnic Institute (EPFL) Switzerland, has programming and scripting experience, is fluent in several languages, but also has an insatiable admiration for the arts and the tools to create and communicate.
Phil loves to explore imaginary landscapes and foreign worlds through rendering and animation with PD Howler. He also enjoys playing Canasta while listening to music by Alan Walker, or a good game of Halo or Life is Strange. It’s a trip!
What's Included and Features
Yes, it was a great session! I'm looking forward to the next one on Jan 8th!
Don't forget there is another Howler thread in the Art section, I think?
Ah, yes, Here: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/291416/the-amazing-pd-howler-dogwaffle-tips-tricks-and-discussion-thread#latest
I have basic videos for Howler on YouTube, too. Under Immortal Moments Art
Welcome back, Dart!
Thanks Tiffanie! It's great to be back up and running!
I'm sorry... sometimes I take for granted that I already know where stuff is, and that cool things exist. So, for anyone perhaps new to this thread, you should also know that Tiffanie is a practiced Howler user and has some wonderful educational courses available. I've updated the first post in this thread with a link to her Immortal Memory Art channel on YouTube, where you can find some tutorials, and then she also has courses available through DigitalArtLive here in the Daz3d Store:
Thank you so much for the shout out. I do appreciate it!
Just a reminder:
PD HOWLER ROCKS!!!!
Have you ever spent hours (or longer) rendering an animation and when it's all done you realize that there was some unforeeable glitch in some of the frames?
Unforseeable - well that's just great. How do we fix something that is anything but predictable? Well, we try our best and wait another pile of hours to see if we see any improvements - only to find that what we did to fix it caused something lese that we don't like to occur. Drats!
The first time I ever tried rotoscoping was to see if I could fix such a problem with one of my animated renders using Howler.
Wow. Not only was it effective, it was easy! How did I learn? Why, by watching immensely entertaining tutorials! It took a bit for this stuff to sink in - now it's just second nature, even though I don't actually have to do it that often. But here's the thing: Knowing how to do this, and then practicing it turned me on to a whole new loss of worry. I don't even flinch anymore if I get a frame where the hair misteriously disappears, nor do I often ommit that bad frame. I just fix it in Howler!
Here's a playlist that I made a while back to help me to wrap my head around this stuff.
Intro Steps for VFX in PD Howler
Within that playlist is this one, which is showing off some new features that came out before I bought Howler. We've come a long way since then, but this toolset is invaluable for anyone doing animations. This one shows how to make a single selection and auto-track it using the motion tracker. Often times I can get by doing the tracking by hand, but if I can do it this way, I do!
I Love Howler!!!
nice and wonderful work Dart
Dart, is This something that is only for Carrara? If not it should be in the Commercial products forum. And really it should be headed by someone for DogWaffle (but we (that's a mderator We) can easily change the name on the first Post to Staigerman)
After I made the first of these threads I guess there was a discussion between Dogwaffle and Daz3d about getting a "Dogwaffle" discussion added to the "Software" part of the forum, since it's sold here. Not sure where that went.
I guess it doesn't really matter to me. I just began this whole thing as a babble about how I was considering buying Howler as a means to further my Carrara endeavors. But if you (and Staigerman) want it moved, have at it! ;) (just let me know where it is! LOL)
I am still trying to work out exactly what howler, or even project dog waffle, is. I used to think it was another paint prgram, but you keep saying animation. I actually have store credit burning a hole in my internet pocket but won't buy if it is purely animation.
Project Dogwaffle is a Digtal Artist (paint) program and it has several versions.
PD Artist doesn't have all of the animation tools, though artists can still use multiple images to create animated brushes to paint with (and more, but I don't want to get confusing).
PD Howler used to be called Project Dogwaffle Pro, which has an entire Animation menu. We can load avi or sequenced images and edit them one frame at a time if we want or as a whole - but still having the lovely artist tools that Dogwaffle has. But there's more. We can use it to stabilize hand-held camera movement before uploading the video to FaceBook, for example, or (in the above video) change the kitty's eyes a different color - but only the eyes (or whatever we want), etc.,
Both of them have "Particle Brushes" which are quite powerful under the hood, but the developer was kind enough to load in a bazillion presets for making plants and trees, hair and other fun stuff without having to even know what a particle is.
It's in constant development too, so it's always getting fun new stuff!
Hmmm... well if you insist! Let's see, I'll have....
So as someone who is used to Photoshop, Poser and of course Bryce, how hard would it be to learn (Old dog new tricks type of thing)
Dartanbeck said
I must admit I frequently wish Daz would introduce the ability for members to buy each other presents and not just gift cards.
They anticipated that everyone and their brother would be cloning photoshop, so Dogwaffle is an entirely unique experience from that. I went to it to get away from that horrific money pit! LOL
There are a lot of tutorials available. I'd suggest checking out a beginner one or two to get a feel for what it does, and for the similarities and differences with other programs.
Here is an excerpt from a post by Tiffanie Grey who has done some of the videos in the Daz Store.
I think, for me, that the biggest differences are:
1 layers work different in PD Howler, they are not opaque, but you can do a few things to "fake" it. Otherwise, they work like "glazes" in traditional oil paint, there are different Modes for the layers
2 It is VERY Brush-centric. Lots and lots of things can be done with brushes, and there are all different kinds of brushes! Dynamic brushes, Animated brushes, Particle brushes, Media Brushes, Brush effects, etc.
3 It has 3D (simple) and 3D terrain generation
4 It has the animation tools as stated above.
Think of it a little more like Corel Paint - natural brushes to mimic real traditional brushes.
5 It is FAR cheaper than PS and you Own it as opposed to rent it! You can even use it on multiple computers that you own!
I'm in the process of getting back into making videos on YouTube for it, especially as some things have changed in the v13/2020 version.
I use it for making textures for 3D clothing, for making 3D landscapes (no auto trees yet, but the water is wonderful!), for doing post work on my DAZ renders, for doing post work on other images, for Photomanip, for making birthday cards, for painting images (Bob Ross style!), for making book covers, website graphics and logos and more!
I would love if there were an official software forum for it!
https://www.deviantart.com/dakorillon/art/The-Grove-827764267
I still can't figure out/remember how to do in body images! lol
Thanks @Diomede! I look forward to the day when I have enough subscribers that I get a REAL address!
i know this is an older thread but does the tutorial for landscape scenes use layers? upgraded to the newest and finally tried figuring it out but layers seem to be a handful themselves lol even after watching a video on youtube it still baffled lmao
Layers work differently, as you've discovered. When I need to build an image using layers, I've been using an entirely different method: Using the Swap Channel.
So I open an image that I want to use as a layer, then I use "Store Image" and it stores on the screen in a little popup box. I repeat this for all images I want to layer.
With my base image in the main buffer, I use the menu I switch to Swap buffer and apply one of my stored images, make a selection, edit my selection, whatever, then go back to the Main buffer and Composite With Swap in whatever way works best - I often use Mix, which can either blend the two or replace the Main with the swap for whatever is selected - it's a slider that gives full control over that, but then it's done. Well, I also like to use the undo slider to partially undo certain things as well, but you need to do that right away before doing the next thing.
It took me a while to wrap my head around doing things in Dogwaffle. I was so used to PS. Now I'll never go back. Those videos on their YouTube channel really help. It just takes practice. Also, just so you know: The videos have titles according to the main subject. But they contain So Much More... so I always watch the all the way through.
i just bought 2 of them :) "How to Create Stunning Landscape Scenes with PD Howler" and "20 Powerful Postwork Procedures with PD Howler" can't wait to check them out, also thanks for information i'll have to try that out as well, i use photoshop mostly but after messing around in howler i'm hooked, i had bought howler 11 from here bout 2 years ago and i never gave it much of a try, now after trying it, i'm so glad i did
Me too! Rock Howl On, my firend!
watched the landscape webinar, it was great, i honestly thought 3d design was just fot mountains
and stuff and puppyray was just for water so was confused on how to create an image, also loved the painting part. now i just need to register for a webinar so i can join the facebook group lol, any chance of a webinar for the advanced texture maps? lol
@tiffanie_gray_aceaa3bc71 do you sell any of your brush sets that you create for howler :) i was rewatching the landscape webinar and following along :)
Here is a link to the Digital art live page you have to keep an eye on it to see what is coming up.
Yesterday was part 1 of a hexigon modeling a sword.
https://digitalartlive.com/events/
awesome thanks definitely bookmarked it :)
Sorry just ran across this! Welcome dkgoose to the Howler addiction! Let's see if I can answer anything that Dart didn't.
No, I don't use layers for that, as you've now seen. In fact, when doing those sorts of images I usually at most only use one extra layer, for doing depths is the trees or foliage. Because it uses multiply for the default layer, it gives you a darker background when using a second layer.
>>now i just need to register for a webinar so i can join the facebook group lol, any chance of a webinar for the advanced texture maps? lol
Actually if you have bought the webinar tutorial you can get into the facebook group - just apply to the Digital Art Live Community, and say that you bought the videos and I'll let you in. I'm a mod there. There is also a PD Howler group, I moderate that too.
>> do you sell any of your brush sets that you create for howler :
I have been thinking about it. Do you thing people would be interested?
>>i was rewatching the landscape webinar and following along :)
Good for you! That's the best way to learn!
Once you are in the facebook group ask me again about advanced texture maps.... Can't talk about them here.
Also, I have a YouTube channel, also, where I go over more basic things than the official channel does. (Immortal Moments Art)
Glad to see another convert! Can't wait to see what you do with it!