Blender: How to?

marble

I guess that with the advent of these nifty bridge scripts, more people will be dipping their toes in the Blender waters. I've been doing that for years and never got beyond ankle deep so perhaps it is time to move out of my Daz comfort zone and wade in a little further.

I'm using the Diffeomorphic DAZ Importer and the figures are coming across just fine but then I'm hitting snags that I don't know how to overcome.

1)  I'm really struggling with the viewport. In DAZ Studio, the view is always through a camera but this is not the case in Blender. I can't figure out a way - even after several video tutorials on cameras - how to operate like I do in DAZ Studio where what I see in the viewport is what will be rendered. When I try to follow those tutorials, I end up with the camera pointing in the wrong direction, or unable to zoom in past a certain point or unable to change the aspect ratio. I end up abandoning the scene because undo doesn't always undo the operating mode I have found myself in by hitting key combinations. Is there a way to mimic the DAZ Studio way of viewing the scene?

2)  The Diffeomorphic add-on has come on a lot since I first tried it and things like geografts are working (although I had to figure out how to avoid having the two meshes intersecting). However, I can't seem to get the skin to look like it does in IRay. In Blender, my figures look like plastic dolls with flat, featurless skin, no detail, and very pale. Cycles looks a little better than Eevee but neither approaches the realism of IRay. I suspect it has something to do with lighting but I'm just importing the figure with the default HDRi from my DAZ Studio scene. 

Any tips welcome.

nicstt

In Blender you have to use a Camera to Render. F12 will render through the active camera.

Select a Camera in your scene and Ctrl numpad 0 to make that active. Shift A to add a camera - if there isn't one - and the make it active.

Position the viewport to the view you want.

> Ctrl Alt Numpad 0 sets the active camera to your view in the viewport.

N to open the panel (same as the panel Daz is in), so it may already be open. Select the View tab, you'll see a checkbox that says lock camera to View - if you check that, you can then use the scroll whell to adjust the position of the camera.

you can also use the G to transform (x, y and z) will contrain movement to those asix, rotation can also be accomplished in a similar way.

Note: G then X moves on the global X, where as X again would give local X.

Note2: you can change the view to Rendered as opposed to the default.

Blender has tooltips on everything, unlike Studio. So you can see what each of them does.

marble

nicstt said:

In Blender you have to use a Camera to Render. F12 will render through the active camera.

Select a Camera in your scene and Ctrl numpad 0 to make that active. Shift A to add a camera - if there isn't one - and the make it active.

Position the viewport to the view you want.

> Ctrl Alt Numpad 0 sets the active camera to your view in the viewport.

N to open the panel (same as the panel Daz is in), so it may already be open. Select the View tab, you'll see a checkbox that says lock camera to View - if you check that, you can then use the scroll whell to adjust the position of the camera.

you can also use the G to transform (x, y and z) will contrain movement to those asix, rotation can also be accomplished in a similar way.

Note: G then X moves on the global X, where as X again would give local X.

Note2: you can change the view to Rendered as opposed to the default.

Blender has tooltips on everything, unlike Studio. So you can see what each of them does.

Thanks but I thought I had followed those procedures after watching the video tutorials but got myself in a mess with moving the camera, zooming, etc. I did the CTRL-ALT-0 thing and framed the image as in the vieport but it all went west when I tried to adjust the view a little. I'll try again though and follow your tips more carefully.

marble

Just for comparison, here are three examples of the same figure rendered in Eevee, Cycles and IRay. The figure is G8F with the Grandmother skin (because it has a lot of detail). The export was all defaults except that I selected Principled in the import settings.

 

marble

nicstt said:

In Blender you have to use a Camera to Render. F12 will render through the active camera.

Select a Camera in your scene and Ctrl numpad 0 to make that active. Shift A to add a camera - if there isn't one - and the make it active.

Position the viewport to the view you want.

> Ctrl Alt Numpad 0 sets the active camera to your view in the viewport.

N to open the panel (same as the panel Daz is in), so it may already be open. Select the View tab, you'll see a checkbox that says lock camera to View - if you check that, you can then use the scroll whell to adjust the position of the camera.

you can also use the G to transform (x, y and z) will contrain movement to those asix, rotation can also be accomplished in a similar way.

Note: G then X moves on the global X, where as X again would give local X.

Note2: you can change the view to Rendered as opposed to the default.

Blender has tooltips on everything, unlike Studio. So you can see what each of them does.

OK - I have got to the point where I have locked the camera to the view as per your post and, for some reason, my zoom is now working and I can move around - so I must have been doing something wrong previously.

Is there a way to make the camera view larger? I seem to be limited to a small box, centre screen, as in this screenshot.

 

andya_b341b7c5f5

Uncheck 'Lock Camera to View' and the standard zoom tools will work as they do in the viewport - mouse wheel, numpad + , CTRL and move mouse up/down.  The pan, orbit and roll controls will also work.

marble

andya_b341b7c5f5 said:

Uncheck 'Lock Camera to View' and the standard zoom tools will work as they do in the viewport - mouse wheel, numpad + , CTRL and move mouse up/down.  The pan, orbit and roll controls will also work.

Ah yes, but then what I see in the vieport is not what will be rendered. I then have to match the camera view to the viewport again. Just not as intuitive as the DAZ Studio viewport but that's obviously because I'm very comfortable with the DAZ Studio viewport.

Krys Kryngle

Welcome to Blender.  Take a deep breath.  It will take some time to learn but it is worth it.  I primarily use middle mouse button and shift+middle mouse button to move around.  After you get used to it, DAZ navigation will seem slower...

I've spent a truckton of hours messing with converting materials from DAZ to Blender.  There are tutorials on everything blender, and almost everything DAZ, but not skin settings and adjusting DAZ textures to work in Blender.  I took a try at the Grandmother texture using Subsurface Scattering.  Nodes are attached and the blend file link is below.  I did not include any textures in the Blend file to avoid any copyright issues.  If you are in your own blend file, hit file->append-> and select the 'GM Texture Nodes' wherever you saved it.  Then when you click on the cube you can copy the node setup to your character's face, ears, and lips (they all use the same UV).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDeB9NTkTXlY-NOSFxmVIV9f9_M5mOWq/view?usp=sharing

 

 

j cade

Krampus said:

Welcome to Blender.  Take a deep breath.  It will take some time to learn but it is worth it.  I primarily use middle mouse button and shift+middle mouse button to move around.  After you get used to it, DAZ navigation will seem slower...

I've spent a truckton of hours messing with converting materials from DAZ to Blender.  There are tutorials on everything blender, and almost everything DAZ, but not skin settings and adjusting DAZ textures to work in Blender.  I took a try at the Grandmother texture using Subsurface Scattering.  Nodes are attached and the blend file link is below.  I did not include any textures in the Blend file to avoid any copyright issues.  If you are in your own blend file, hit file->append-> and select the 'GM Texture Nodes' wherever you saved it.  Then when you click on the cube you can copy the node setup to your character's face, ears, and lips (they all use the same UV).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jDeB9NTkTXlY-NOSFxmVIV9f9_M5mOWq/view?usp=sharing

 

 

 

You can actually set up DS to navigate like blender. I have and it's great.

Just go to window>workspace>customize and it's right at the bottom. In addition to mmb to orbit Ctrlmmb to zoom and shift mmb to pan, I also set up alt mmb to control focal length which I need to see if I can also set up in blender, it's super useful.

 

I've also moved the scene tab to the top right because I like to be extra. If only DS had in viewport spot rendering a la blender's ctrl-b I'd be fully set

Cinus

marble said:

nicstt said:

In Blender you have to use a Camera to Render. F12 will render through the active camera.

Select a Camera in your scene and Ctrl numpad 0 to make that active. Shift A to add a camera - if there isn't one - and the make it active.

Position the viewport to the view you want.

> Ctrl Alt Numpad 0 sets the active camera to your view in the viewport.

N to open the panel (same as the panel Daz is in), so it may already be open. Select the View tab, you'll see a checkbox that says lock camera to View - if you check that, you can then use the scroll whell to adjust the position of the camera.

you can also use the G to transform (x, y and z) will contrain movement to those asix, rotation can also be accomplished in a similar way.

Note: G then X moves on the global X, where as X again would give local X.

Note2: you can change the view to Rendered as opposed to the default.

Blender has tooltips on everything, unlike Studio. So you can see what each of them does.

OK - I have got to the point where I have locked the camera to the view as per your post and, for some reason, my zoom is now working and I can move around - so I must have been doing something wrong previously.

Is there a way to make the camera view larger? I seem to be limited to a small box, centre screen, as in this screenshot.

 

You can press the "home" key when viewing through the camera and it will enlarge the viewing area. 

marble

@Krampus ... Looking at your skin render. To me the bump/height map seems too strong and the freckles too prominent. However, you have found a closer match for the skin colour. I really need to lose my fear of that node system. I blame my high school maths teacher who would throw a wooden blackboard duster at us if we didn't get the answer right. Ahh, the good old days. And it left me with a horror on seeing the words "math node".

@J Cade (don't think I can link to your username with a space in it). I'd rather make the Blender viewport behave like the DAZ Studio but that's an obvious preference for me as I've been using DAZ Studio for 15 years.

@Cinus - good tip, thank you.

 

marble

Another how-to question:

How do I find the adjustment dials that I use in DAZ Studio after I transfer the scene to Blender (again, I use the diffeo add-on). Here are some examples of what I mean.

 

TheMysteryIsThePoint

@marble Also be careful to make sure your mouse is over the 3d viewport when you use all of these hotkeys.

the5amkebab

marble said:

Another how-to question:

How do I find the adjustment dials that I use in DAZ Studio after I transfer the scene to Blender (again, I use the diffeo add-on). Here are some examples of what I mean.

 

Anything like this I've been importing as "custom morph" in the Diffeo morphs tab. I don't know of any other way but it would be cool if there's an easy mode I'm missing?

nicstt

For anyone using Rigify and Apending characters, you'll likely find that the options in the N panel no longer appear.

https://blenderartists.org/t/rigify-n-panel-options-gone/531586

This thread suggests appending the python file. There is probably no need, just find it and run it (as I suggest in my reply to it).

brainmuffin

flesing said:

Sorry for offtop, but I am new to Blender and would like to ask if you guys can recommend me some decent guides on how to start? Appreciate

I can feel your pain. It is amazing how may how-to and weclome to Blender videos no longer work.

TheKD

 

nicstt

Blender Guru.

CG Cookie is mostly paid for, but has some seriously brilliant tutorials; I used them mostly years ago, but have looked now and then more recently.

I'd stick with Blender Guru, because his are good, and whilst most are good that you find, there are a few rubbish ones; for a new user, how do you tell?

 

Nath

Blender Guru is excellent.

Also pretty solid: Blender Bootcamp on Udemy (wait for the courses to reduce to 11.99 or 10.99, this happens on a regular basis)

brainmuffin

Nath said:

Blender Guru is excellent.

Also pretty solid: Blender Bootcamp on Udemy (wait for the courses to reduce to 11.99 or 10.99, this happens on a regular basis)

I have never been able to successfully follow a single Blender Guru tutorial and I have tried several times over the last few years.

marble

brainmuffin said:

Nath said:

Blender Guru is excellent.

Also pretty solid: Blender Bootcamp on Udemy (wait for the courses to reduce to 11.99 or 10.99, this happens on a regular basis)

I have never been able to successfully follow a single Blender Guru tutorial and I have tried several times over the last few years.

I think he's excellent at explaining things but I can't follow projects. I just can't motivate myself to spend hours making a donut or a cup & saucer. I prefer short clips that explain specific techniques.

brainmuffin

This is a good video too:

marble

brainmuffin said:

This is a good video too:

Thanks. I enjoyed his talk. What's that photo projection thing he demonstrates at the beginning? That looks cool.

jjcasano

will this plugin work in Blender 2.90? seems to crash when I try to use it.

TheKD

diffeomorphic is crashing your blender? I know it works in ecycles built from 2.9, never tried the official build.

brainmuffin

marble said:

brainmuffin said:

This is a good video too:

Thanks. I enjoyed his talk. What's that photo projection thing he demonstrates at the beginning? That looks cool.

That's on my list to learn. The import image as planes is how I brought the green screen into my Sci Fi aninmation.

Ian goes into a few more details on the image projection here, but I'm not able to follow this tutorial very well yet.

 

marble

brainmuffin said:

marble said:

brainmuffin said:

This is a good video too:

Thanks. I enjoyed his talk. What's that photo projection thing he demonstrates at the beginning? That looks cool.

That's on my list to learn. The import image as planes is how I brought the green screen into my Sci Fi aninmation.

Ian goes into a few more details on the image projection here, but I'm not able to follow this tutorial very well yet.

 

Don't worry, I was irretrievably lost within seconds of him starting to talk. Still entertaining though.