New! Novica & Forum Members Tips & Product Reviews Pt 14

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  • RGcincyRGcincy Posts: 2,834

    Novica said:

    So otherwise, laying sod and watering it 

    Same here. Laid some sod last week and am watering it. We did have a nice storm come through on Saturday, haven't had as many thunderstorms this year as normal. 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    DId you see the latest article on Weather.com about La Nina being in full force instead of iffy? AND that now it's predicted through the end of the hurricane season. This is a HUGE deal. La Nina makes sure wind shear is surpressed, allowing for the monster hurricanes and more frequent smaller (Cat 1-2) ones. Sadly, it means the west drought will be increased with less rain for the west and northwest. This is horrible news :( 

  • Tim82Tim82 Posts: 859

    we have had a La Nina here on the coastal areas of Australia for the last few months, I would say nothing close to as bad as you would get there though!!! ....ours is mostly a little flooding and rain!

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,119
    edited May 2022

    We are supposed to be 88F today, with a slight chance of snow Fri/Sat. The Colorado rollarcoaster is in effect. Actually, everyone will just be happy if we get some rain. I even had my car washed earlier this week to improve our chances.

    Overall our temperatures are a month earlier than last year, so the A/C bill will start earlier and end later. But we are trying to keep it set so it doesn't trigger as much.

    So I went to our local station website, apparently it is a bit more than I last heard, we are in a Winter Storm Watch Friday through Saturday, highs in low 40s, 3 - 6 inches of accumalating snow forecast for Denver! 

    Landscapers have been out planting delicate flowers all week since Mother's Day is past. 

    Glad I haven't stored my snow gear yet.

    Post edited by memcneil70 on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    @memcneil70  I saw that! I was stationed at Ft Carson (Colorado Springs) and I still check the weather there periodically (and watch the fire threat)  I saw the snow forecast! We're up in the 90's here in Pensacola, I like being off schedule (up all night and through noon/1pm) because I am up in the early morning hours and daybreak. It's so neat to hear all the birds wake up and chirp, my fav time of the day. I'm already out watering the sod so the sun doesn't evaporate it lol. BTW there's a neat website weather.com mentioned to see how much risk you are in for fire and floods. Check out riskfactor.com   I am in a low flood risk, and although it says medium fire risk, it's very low IMO.  1/10 flood, 3/10 fire.

    I know Stetson's location would be a 10/10 for fire and probably a 8/10 for floods, it's out on a peninsula and there's been two fires in three years which have come only a mile to the barn. Unheard of, but that's the same with the hurricanes (CAT 3) that hit within 9 months apart here in Pensacola. (Ivan and Dennis.) 

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,119

    My old home in Lompoc CA was at sea level and a flood zone for a reservoir. The original Spanish mission was in a swamp that the natives warned them not to build in, but they ignored, then had to abandon and move up into the hills. Fire and flood were routine threats for us. I learned to drive scanning for smoke. When I moved away in 2014, the golden grass had turned gray where it still remained.  

    Last week I was dog sitting 2 Huskies in an area that was fairly close to the huge fire that burned those homes on 31 Dec 2021. My friend was up in Montana for work and I worried every night as I left what might happen to them if a fire happened. But I had to also be at home to care for Bugsy, who is now 16 and ailing.

    We have a some risk of flooding near the Cherry Creek, but with the drought that is very limited now. Denver has great parks and golf courses that are actually flood control zones, along with bike/walking paths that snake through the city below city street level that can absorb water levels. Our biggest problem is from hundred year old water pipes bursting and having to deal with the damage. Insurance won't cover that as one neighborhood found out recently. Fire though, like any city, old and new, that is an issue. One idiot, a careless cigarette, match, spark on the dry brush can take out a lot. Or an arsonist can torch an apartment building killing a number of people or a home, that spreads. That has been happening all too often here. 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    I was wondering about Bugsy. Give a hug from me and my critters :) 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited May 2022

    I've decided that unless a flash sale is 70 percent, I'm not buying. Items in the Flash sale yesterday at 60 (or 65%) are now 75% today. This isn't the first time they did back to back sales with the better sale the next day, so "I'm Sitting Out-Ain't 70% up" is my new mantra. I got burned by buying yesterday. Piss poor marketing, and they covered it by stating "Can't be used to discount items already owned." AKA OWNED SINCE YESTERDAY.  

    Post edited by Novica on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,245

    Novica said:

    I've decided that unless a flash sale is 70 percent, I'm not buying. Items in the Flash sale yesterday at 60 (or 65%) are now 75% today. This isn't the first time they did back to back sales with the better sale the next day, so "I'm Sitting Out-Ain't 70% up" is my new mantra. I got burned by buying yesterday. Piss poor marketing, and they covered their ass at OUR expense by stating "Can't be used to discount items already owned." AKA OWNED SINCE YESTERDAY.  

    Its like the $3.99 products going for $2.99 the next day. I agree it just angers customers.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    @barbult   It's not like we don't own anything and HAVE to buy...right? devil

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,245
    edited May 2022

    Novica said:

    @barbult   It's not like we don't own anything and HAVE to buy...right? devil

    That's right. I've bought very little in the last few months.The prices, sales and products have not been very interesting to me lately. I let my Daz+ expire and I don't miss it. If I do buy something, I can get the weekly and monthly Daz+ freebies for free anyway.

    I checked my orders. I've spent less than $25 in May so far.

    Post edited by barbult on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    I spent around $50 total in April, May is a bit more- but I'm probably done this month after I trusted the sale yesterday and got burnt.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited May 2022

    Just a nice surprise- the Tough Guy Hair has the option to turn off that spiked hair so you have a bald area on top and short sides. Take a look at the thumbnail promos.

    Post edited by Novica on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited May 2022

    Minha (G8F)       dF Nineties Nostalgia Wardrobe (G8F)      Briggs Hair (G8M/F)      The Enchanted Forest

    I did Minha with her mouth slightly open so you could see her bottom teeth. Very realistic with the shapes.  Also note the extremely nice hairline with Briggs Hair. 

    Here's the settings for this light setup: Minha is located at -69.67 X translate     229.92 Y translate     -931.76 Z translate  -37.01  Y Rotate 
    Scaled her at 193% to sit on a log in the forest. She was incredibly small otherwise.

    The Enchanted Forest uses the Sun setting, this is the X/Y/Z dome rotation:  1.33 / 199.58 / -6   then dome rotation is 289.89
    Sun Disk Scale 6.76

    Tone Mapping: Film ISO 450   Shutter Speed 167.18    Exposure Value 15.56

    These other images I had posted before, don't know what the outfit/hair is, or what the lighting setup was... It shows her teeth well.

     

    Minha Nineties Nostalgia Briggs Hair.png
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    Minha.png
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    Minha 3.png
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    Post edited by Novica on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited May 2022

    Minha (G8F)       dF Nineties Nostalgia Wardrobe (G8F)      Briggs Hair (G8M/F)      The Enchanted Forest

    Next setup:Minha is still located at -69.67 X translate     229.92 Y translate     -931.76 Z translate  -37.01  Y Rotate 
    The Enchanted Forest uses the Sun setting, this is the X/Y/Z dome rotation:  3.04 / 200.10/ -6   then dome rotation is 265.26

    Sun Disk Scale 6.76

    This setting gives her face more uniform fill, and if you click back and forth from the first one you can tell where the light is hitting the left (your left) of her shirt much brighter. 

     

    Minha Nineties Nostalgia Briggs Hair 2.png
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    Post edited by Novica on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited May 2022

    Malka (G8F/ G8.1F)       dF Windflower (G3/8F)      Latte Mornings (G8F) 

    Take a look at the Windflower promos, the 2nd row, 2nd one with her head thrown back. ON the promo image, it lists Natural Eyes as a product. I've done a search and nothing came up. However, I found it in my Product Library.  Have any of you used it? Is it easy to apply? I really like the way the eyes look in that promo.

    I really like Malka's eyebrows, very natural looking. Also note her fingernail length- very natural, not overly long. The Latte Mornings outfit fit like this out of the box, no pokethrough in a very difficult pose (crouching.) I THINK that hem around the upper thigh is supposed to be like that, as the hem is showing. (the leg on our right.) 

    I totally redid her lips by increasing glossy settings and adding metallicity. That character isn't out of the box.

    Click to enlarge, click again, it's 1200 pixels.

     

    Malka wearing High Tech Scuba Diver (G8F)  (which is called Scuba Suit in Content Library) -  ERASES THE BODY underneath. So if you want to load another outfit, the body is gone. I don't remember if there is a quick fix for this?

     

    Malka Windflower Latte Mornings.png
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    Malka Windflower Latte Mornings 2.png
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    Malka Windflower Scuba Suit.png
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    Post edited by Novica on
  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,119

    I have Natural Eyes, but my copy of the promo page has a different image. Interestingly enought, the price is the same since it was release in 2018. I have used them and have liked them very much because they do not look like anime or artificial eyes. 

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,119

    This is what we saw on our 6am walk Saturday morning, you can just see the sprinklers going in the median. That is Cherry Creek Drive. So many trees lost major branches it was crazy. And I got to pull a few them off of sidewalks, so people wouldn't have to step out into traffic to get around them. Or those in wheelchairs would have to turn around.

    Thanks for you kind words Novica. Bugsy is getting many 'Senior' moments now. He heads into the kitchen & laundry room, to exit the apartment, instead of the hallway next to them. Or will just stop, look around, or stare into space. I think we all know that feeling of walking into a room, then trying to remember 'Why?' we did so. Drives me nuts. I am buying all kinds of food that is grain free, red meat free and trying to find what I can sneak his meds into. One will work for a few days, then he will refuse to eat. He has lost 6 lbs since all this started 9 months ago. Stairs give him a lot of trouble, his legs collapse, sometimes he has to pause for a few minutes, then start again. And he is taking perverse delight in laying where I need to move or exercise. And after his two visits in three weeks to his vet/groomer, and helping a friend getting his two Huskies to his vet, my van looked like it had a hairball explosion in it.

    I am going to miss him.

    Mary

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  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    @memcneil70   Wow, love the snow in May! Then you rebound up to the 80's. I remember my time in Colorado Springs (during Army) fondly. We had the same thing in June one year, it rebounded to 73 degrees after two inches of snow the day before. 

    Regarding Bugsy- might I suggest looking at https://www.smartpakequine.com/ and read up on the supplements- they have quite a few which work for dogs. Just find something that works for memory, stiffness/joints and google it for dogs. Stetson gets the Biotin/flaxseed and Trimino (amino acids) as he's now 16 years old (WOW, was 9 when I got him!) 

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,119

    Bugs has started a new supplement from Standard Process, that makes two from them, one from CVS, and a liquid one handmade from Pencol Pharmacy. The fish oil he flat out refused. But I found some small packs of cat chicken and tuna food (think about 2 TBSP sized) in Target at $1.19 each that he adores.

    And we are supposed to be back at 88F by Friday, just where we were last Thursday. As you know around the west, any water is gratefully received here. Maybe the east should consider reservoirs and pipe it out to us?

  • TugpsxTugpsx Posts: 738
    edited May 2022

    Checkout Howie's UltraScenery addon and mCasuals mcjLUT. This plugin adds LUTS to Daz Studio.

    https://www.daz3d.com/ultrasceneryxt--tropics-bundle

    Post edited by Tugpsx on
  • gitika1gitika1 Posts: 948
    edited May 2022

    Check out how Daz has increased the DO prices.

    https://www.daz3d.com/a-gentleman-s-wardrobe - currently listed at 82% off, you might think, "Great!"  Yet, the cost is $6.12.  If you look at its base price, it states $34.95, but if you look at the Price History for the last year, the base price used to be $24.95.

    https://www.daz3d.com/hippie-chick-outfit-for-genesis-2-female-s

    New base price: 19.95, former base price before today's sale and for the last year, $13.97.

    https://www.daz3d.com/merimay-for-genesis-2-female-s

    New base price: 29.95, before this sale and for the past year, $20.97.

     

    PriceChange.PNG
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    Post edited by gitika1 on
  • GordigGordig Posts: 10,062

    gitika1 said:

    Check out how Daz has increased the DO prices.

    https://www.daz3d.com/a-gentleman-s-wardrobe - currently listed at 82% off, you might think, "Great!"  Yet, the cost is $6.12.  If you look at its base price, it states $34.95, but if you look at the Price History for the last year, the base price used to be $24.95.

    https://www.daz3d.com/hippie-chick-outfit-for-genesis-2-female-s

    New base price: 19.95, former base price before today's sale and for the last year, $13.97.

    https://www.daz3d.com/merimay-for-genesis-2-female-s

    New base price: 29.95, before this sale and for the past year, $20.97.

    Daz Deals doesn't show you what the base price is, and base price is a meaningless number when you're a Daz+ member looking at DOs. All of the prices you listed are 30% off the current base price. $20.97 is exactly 30% off $29.95, and $13.97 is 30% off of $19.95. The only one where you might have a point is with a Gentleman's Wardrobe, because 30% off $34.95 is slightly less than $24.95, but that's still not compelling evidence, especially if the number you're giving is inaccurate (my Daz Deals stopped functioning with any consistency when the store changed, so I can't currently verify).

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,990

    Aside from Daz+ items, which end .99, all items will have a base price ending .95.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited May 2022

    A product I've been curious about gets in Fast Grab. Take a peek at Instant Pebbles. 

    Post edited by Novica on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited May 2022

    @gordig  Doesn't Daz Deals seem to show the base price, because it's what that uppermost line is which stays 90% of the time- and from which the line dips during sales?  Note I said, "Seems." I'm no chart expert. But what gitika! said,  that price which stays steady has increased.  I haven't scrutinized it though. And as you said, Daz Deals may be wonky with store changes.  I just know I now only buy at 70% off or more, due to their marketing strategies I'm not getting burnt anymore with the "Better Deals Tomorrow" marketing strategies. 

    Post edited by Novica on
  • MelanieLMelanieL Posts: 7,386
    edited May 2022

    A Gentleman's Wardrobe has had a full price (to non-members) of $34.95 for years - here are a couple of screenshots from the Wayback machine dated 2014 and 2020.
    Hence for Daz+ members, the "base" price would be $24.47 (30% less), which (for me at least) is the maximum that the Daz Deals Add-on shows.

    Capture2014.JPG
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    Capture2020.JPG
    952 x 422 - 71K
    CaptureNow.JPG
    992 x 344 - 90K
    Post edited by MelanieL on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    @melanieL  Thanks for the explanation  yesheart

  • GordigGordig Posts: 10,062

    Also, gitika's screenshot undermines their argument: notice that they're highlighting a price of $20.97 from several months ago, but the line doesn't go above that, indicating that the price has not increased at all.

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,119

    Novica said:

    A product I've been curious about gets in Fast Grab. Take a peek at Instant Pebbles. 

    @Novica I have looked at it and hesitated to buy it. My experience with UltraScenery taught me that the first thing to remove if I don't have a powerful system are pebbles from the scenes. Now this may not have the same effect but I am not going to take a chance with a 32gb, 1080 and a also 64gb, 1080ti. 

    With UltraScenery, it doesn't blow-up, but does add to the time for creating the scene and time to render for me. And I have Accelerator and I love the program and recommend it. It just bites I can't use it on my M1 MacBook Pro. But that is what it is.

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