Questions From a Beginner...
HyJinx
Posts: 172
Hello Everyone!
For starters, a little background:
Feel free to skip the following two paragraphs if you're in a time crunch :-)
I'm creating a website that will be using a "toon family" as mascots. It's my intention to make the website as anonymous as possible (don't worry, I fully understand that nothing on the internet is truly anonymous), so I will be relying heavily on this "toon family" to provide a face for my website. For a long time I've had a vision in my head for what I intend to create, but because I have absolutely no background in graphic design, I had no idea where to start. I wasn't even sure how to properly word a Google search to find the types of programs I was looking for! I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that my very limited knowledge and lack of resources lead me to designing the first models for my business in Microsoft Word, I've attached one of my early drafts of a packaging box below for your amusement. I have some much more detailed rooms created in the same program, but finding them would require digging through files on my old computer.
From there I moved on to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, where I relied on free vector clipart I found around the web. At some point during this process I realized that I was dragging out the design process because I was enjoying it so much. That's when I started doing more research and discovered MakeHuman, where a quick poke in the forums led me here, to Daz Studio. I landed here about a week ago, and the majority of the rest of my life has been put on hold while I've explored and read everything I could about Daz. I'm happy to report that I'm thrilled with everything I've learned so far, despite knowing I have a LOONG way to go. For starters, I have a few questions about my first project (notice the term "first", as I'm sure many more will follow!) that I'm hopeful those of you with more experience can help with.
The family I will be creating consists of an adult male and female (married parents), one female child, and one male child. Of course I have both Genesis 1&2 that was included with the Daz download. Since I'm going for the toon look, I believe my best option for the kids will be Sadie and Sam for Genesis. I'm also considering the additional purchase of Mavka for Genesis, just to have the option of combining the two and a bit more flexibility. The majority of my questions are in regards to the parents, but I should probably preface this with the fact that my husband and I have agreed on an initial budget of $100 (going over by more than $10 would require another discussion). I also purchased a Platinum Club membership yesterday, which I believe will benefit my budget significantly in the long run!
These are the items that I will need before website launch:
-The four characters mentioned above
-Clothing for the characters (plan to make use of freebies as much as possible)
-At least one room for house (preferably entire house)
-Furniture for room/house
-Any necessary lights/cameras
-All of the things I'm forgetting
I understand that all of that won't be possible with my first $100 purchase, so I plan to start with the characters unless someone would recommend differently? The purchase of Sadie, Sam, and Mavka for Genesis brings my total to $43.90, leaving me with $56.10 for the parent characters. This is where I get stuck. The easiest thing would obviously be to purchase the Jason/Jasmin uber bundle, which would put me right at my budget. But I'm not sure that is the best choice, for several reasons. First of all, Jasmin's clothes wouldn't work for my purposes, and I think I've found usable Genesis clothing for Jason on freebie sites, so I just want the bundle minus the "uber", but that's not an option. I could purchase just the characters separately, but that wouldn't be cost effective. When considering other options I really like the Kimberly character, mostly because she comes pre-equipped with what some would consider a "familial resemblance" to Sadie which would help with the family concept I hope to create. However, I'm concerned that she looks more like a possible older sister for Sadie than a mother? Would she be tall enough to fit the "mother" role. or could I tweak some settings to make her so? Even more than Kimberly, I like the Aiko and Hiro Toons, but they don't seem to be directly compatible with Genesis without purchasing various additional items and plug-ins and even then I'm not sure what the resulting figure would look like or even if it would work at all? Along the same lines, I've found A3 and H3 shapes for Genesis for $11.95. Perhaps I should consider purchasing that set and the Chibi Bundle for $16.95, which I could then mix together and add a hint of Sadie and Sam to create something similar to what I'm looking for?
Once I figure this out, the only thing left for my characters will be deciding how to make Sadie appear as young as possible (she will portray my daughter, age 4), and Sam to look even younger than that (age 2). I've found the Genesis baby, so maybe I should purchase that and Growing Up for Genesis to produce an appropriately sized young toddler when mixed with Sam and the Genesis child? Also, would I need the Genesis Shape Bundle to depict the roundness of toddler cheeks, as well as the plump arms and legs? Of course, my preference would be to avoid the additional purchases if I can produce a similar result without them by adjusting settings.
Does anyone have any suggestions or insight? Any guidance or advice will be greatly appreciated. I intend for these characters to be in use on my website for many years, so I want to have the characters just right. I also hope to have the ability to "age" the character periodically as my children age.
Whew! That was a lot, and I can't promise there won't be more as I go. Thanks so much to those of you who stuck with me through the combination of rambling and stray thoughts/ideas. I'm so excited about this adventure, and I will be forever grateful for your help.
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Comments
I am thinking you should not buy any more right now - like you said you know there are a lot of
free stuff out there .
Start using DS so you can see what will work and what doesn't for you .
Start slow .
You should also be aware that these items go on sale fairly regularly (50% discount or more), so if you're on a tight budget (like I am), and can afford to be a little patient (as I can), it's a good idea to just wishlist items and check them every day to see if they're on sale.
For houses, there are plenty of PC items. The Dream House series, for example, and the Country Kitchen/Dining Room sets are also very good. On other sites like Renderosity, there are also plenty of scenes and products that might appeal, and most/all should be compatible with DAZ3D software.
I don't know if this is of any interest, but for something a little toonier, I recommend the Toon Generations bundle (http://www.daz3d.com/toon-generations-mega-bundle). It's flexible enough that the characters can age easily, the bundle comes with a whole slew of clothing and textures, hairstyles, etc, and the designs are simple enough that they can certainly all be related. It's also very, very easy to use.
This image was made using only this Toon Generations bundle and very basic settings.
Thanks for the advice! I've looked at the Toon Generations Bundle, it looks incredible but unfortunately it's a tad TOO tony for what I have in mind. Does that make sense? A little toonier than Sam and Sadie, but not quite as tony as Toon Generations is what I'm going for.
The houses you mentioned look great, and seem to only be $1.99 right now! Do you happen to know how long items tend to be sold for reduced price to Platinum Club? Can I count on it being there next week, or should I purchase right away?
Thanks Again!
Hi and thanks for the response! So far I haven't purchased anything other than the PC Membership, I'm looking for guidance on which character combinations would produce the best result for my purposes.
Are you suggesting I should hold off on purchasing anything at all? I feel that I need to start somewhere so that I have some sort of foundation to work with. No?
PC $1.99 prices are permanent, so don't worry about that. As long as your membership is valid, all items will cost $1.99 (or $2.99 for a handful of newer PC items, but the Dream House category is not part of that).
Specific opinions? Anyone? Toon Lovers?
I think you like this one - I have used her to make other toons and she can use any thing made for Genesis
maybe you should wait for a sale .
http://www.daz3d.com/toon/jasmin-for-genesis-character
I would say What do you NEED immediately??? Genesis is a great base to start with because of the variety possible,Sadie,Sam,and Mavka are all morphs of Genesis .......I would also recommend the Genesis morph pack,and Zev0's Growing up morphs .With those you can create more variations in Sam and Sadie or any other characters you get for Genesis.Keep in mind though there are always sales,coming up,check Fast-Grab, often........for the sale reason.For everyday clothes check ShareCG. Ummmm that's as far as my brain will go right now....
Oh yeah this was a play I did with Jason and Jasmine and aging morphs......
Oh and the A3 and H3 add on is for use with Diminsion3D's plug-in ,and would only be use able to you if you have the older figures to convert to Genesis....
Akio and Hiro Toon are stand alone figures not usable with Genesis....
I keep going back to look at your post and see what I missed .......
Agreed with the above poster. I highly recommend using the original Genesis figure for what you want.
The 3D Universe toons Sadie and Sam are a fairly cost-effective way to get a family unit. You need only dial in a little of each to create believable 'parents' for the kids. After all, children take after their parents. Another reason I advocate the use of Genesis classic in this instance instead of Genesis 2 is because there are a wealth of freebie outfits available on ShareCG. Wilmap's magnanimous gesture means there's an entire wardrobe available without spending a penny. It's also compatible with older generation outfits without a further purchase, which only extends its flexibility.
Here's a link to Wilmaps downloads .
I think you like this one - I have used her to make other toons and she can use any thing made for Genesis
maybe you should wait for a sale .
http://www.daz3d.com/toon/jasmin-for-genesis-character
swing me - mix of her and Genesis
good idea - be sure to look for a house and other thing you might need too
I'd recommend waiting for a sale, they are frequent and sometimes extremely deeply discounted. If you track this thread someone will post when they see a flash sale. This is when something suddenly goes on sale without warning and is unlikely to last longer than a day (we assume, daz doesn't always like to tell us when sales are ending)
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/21605/P750/
Sales and waiting are good advice, very good advice. Put all those items you want on your wishlist and do check it daily. I'm new and spent more than I had to a few times. There will be sales and you'll think "Sure, for that price, I want that hair etc." Be very careful here. I did notice after six months of shopping the sales I have some things I don't even know how I'll use. (Or when...) I have lots of content now and some of it is more useful than the rest. But now I know I have very big soft spot for clothes and big blind spot when it comes to scenes to set up actual renders. On the brighter side in the six months I've been here, I've seen almost every vendor have a flash sale or some other kind of sale where there are deep discounts of 50% or more.
In the DAZ Store, look up the "Dream Home" All parts are PC items
I have this - http://www.daz3d.com/collective3d-blue-collar-bungalow - and it is a very well made model. Good middle class home.
If you want toons and you have Genesis, then I would recommend the 3D Universe toons for Genesis. Toon dog too. Since Genesis characters can all use the same outfits, you save a ton there.
For furniture, look in the PC list, there is lots there beside the Dream home stuff.
As for lighting, I can only recommend one set - http://www.daz3d.com/advanced-daz-studio-light-bundle - 3 lights in one, well worth the short learning curve.
Depending on what you are doing, don't forget that you can simply use existing photographs or other images as a background. With some care in matching lighting, and maybe a shadow catcher, you may be able to save some time and money.
Since you have a small a specific character set in mind, I dont think i would go the Genesis route as that route is more expensive than just getting Toon Stand-Along figures. Right now:
Ichiro2 - $2.10*
Krystal - $4.50*
Dennis - $7.95
Kiki - $4.50*
* Denotes current sales price
Total $19.05.
Just another suggestion.
-MJ
Hi Carrie! Thanks so much for the advice. I love what you were able to accomplish with the aging morphs, that looks great!
If I understand what you're saying correctly, this product A3 and H3 Shapes for Genesis won't allow me to use the Aiko and Hiro shapes unless I already own the third generation of the characters? Do I have that right?
Thanks again for the guidance!
I'm very sorry for the delay in getting back to everyone! Thank you all for your help, especially the links to resources that I wouldn't have even been aware of otherwise. I'll be making use of them right away as I collect the necessary resources to get this ball rolling.
If anyone thinks of any other resources, information, or websites that would be useful I'd love to hear it.
Thanks again!
Thanks Matty! The bungalow has been added to my extensive wishlist, now I'll have to choose between it and http://www.daz3d.com/modern-bungalow , which I'm not looking forward too :-P
Thanks Matty! The bungalow has been added to my extensive wishlist, now I'll have to choose between it and http://www.daz3d.com/modern-bungalow , which I'm not looking forward too :-P
you don't have to use these ( nothing wrong with them )
you can use any obj file to bring in a house or lots of other things - just so you know
- did you check the link above yet ?
this one - Here’s a link to Wilmaps downloads .
Hi Carrie! Thanks so much for the advice. I love what you were able to accomplish with the aging morphs, that looks great!
If I understand what you're saying correctly, this product A3 and H3 Shapes for Genesis won't allow me to use the Aiko and Hiro shapes unless I already own the third generation of the characters? Do I have that right?
Thanks again for the guidance!
No, you don't need to own the Gen 3 characters. The A3 and H3 shapes for Genesis will turn Genesis into those shapes, and allow you to auto fit clothing made for them to Genesis.
here's a skutchup house ( I converted to obj file ) and imported to DS
another sketchup with every thing inside
That's great to know about OBJ files, thanks Bigh!
As far as Wilmap's store, I was fortunate enough to discover it when I first started researching free items. I'm so thankful for their kindness!
Sorry Bigh, I'm just now learning to navigate the forums. I should have read all of your replies before responding. I don't mean to bug you!
I'm glad you mention SketchUp, because it has (had?) me a little puzzled. A year or so ago I came across the program while working on a different project, and the way I understood it (which may very well be incorrect), anything produced in the free version couldn't be used for commercial use. At the time that was fine, but now that I'm designing a website I assumed it would fall into the "commercial" category. However, I haven't been back to their site since that time, so they could have changed their TOS. If I remember correctly, the price of the software for commercial use was out of my price range, but again that could have changed.
If it IS an option that would be perfect! Did I misunderstand originally, or have things changed enough that it would be worth looking into again?
Thanks SO much!
" I’m designing a website I assumed it would fall into the “commercial” category. "
are you going to sell some thing ?
Hi Carrie! Thanks so much for the advice. I love what you were able to accomplish with the aging morphs, that looks great!
If I understand what you're saying correctly, this product A3 and H3 Shapes for Genesis won't allow me to use the Aiko and Hiro shapes unless I already own the third generation of the characters? Do I have that right?
Thanks again for the guidance!
Okay I was thinking more of the GenX A3 andH3 add on ,the one you are linking will allow you to turn Genesis into the A3 andH3 look-a-likes ,and allow you to use A3 and H3 clothes on Genesis.So that would be yes that product will let you turn Genesis into A3 and H3.......
Okay I was thinking more of the GenX A3 andH3 add on ,the one you are linking will allow you to turn Genesis into the A3 andH3 look-a-likes ,and allow you to use A3 and H3 clothes on Genesis.So that would be yes that product will let you turn Genesis into A3 and H3.......
ooooo riftwitch beat me .....
Right now Taiga for Genesis http://www.daz3d.com/taiga-for-genesis
is on 70% sale. I have rendered her with Mavka's hair.
I have created a simple scene with box primitives (with different sizes and scales)
that are included with Daz Studio. Then I have applied different shaders to them.
There are 2 lights in the scene: 1 distant light and 1 spot light (with raytraced shadows).
Creating scenes with different primitives is another option to have some simple environments.