Legal questions about animating with DAZ Studio 4.8

pavle.nikolic.ddt_22f665f8cb

I am making animated warrior model for sale on TurboSquid. The geometry, UV mapping and textures for the model are created using MakeHuman and Blender, so there is no legal problem there, but I am also using DAZ 4.8 for animation works. Final animation sequence combines BVH files that are not DAZ-related but also a few animations from the aniMate Light (jumps, kicks...).

My questions are:
1. Can I legally use DAZ Studio 4.8 to animate 3D models that are to be placed on a market as a commercial product?
2. Can I use animations from aniMate (aniBlocks) for commercial product that is not 2D (since it’s a 3D model for sale)?

I would be very thankful if anyone knows the legal situation related to this type of usage?

Richard Haseltine

As long as you created the model and rigged it, and created the AniBlocks or BVH files, without using other content as a donor or ingredient then yes you may do with it as you wish.

pavle.nikolic.ddt_22f665f8cb

Thank you for your fast reply,

I am not sure if I understood correctly what my options are regarding bones and aniBlocks. I have created the model’s geometry without using DAZ but the geometry is rigged with DAZ bones/skeleton. Also the aniBlocks that I’m using (with other animations) are the original, unchanged aniMate animation sets.

So, I guess, the total number of DAZ instances that will be used in a final product are:
1. 3D Model will have DAZ bones/skeleton (final product will contain skeletal animations, not vertex animations)
2. 3D Model will be animated with 8 aniMate animations out of 18, 10 animations will have other sources (other BVH sources).

Skeleton will be finalized without finger-nods (only rHand and lHand, no right/left Thumb, Index, Mid, Ring or Pinky node) and with only Foot node (without lToe and rToe nodes). Also rEye and lEye will be excluded, I am only using Neck and Head node.

Richard Haseltine

If you set the bones up yourself they are your own work and you can do with them as you wish; if you copied them from another figure (for example, by using the Transfer Utility) then they aren't and you cannot distribute them, unless the item is an add-on for the bone donor (for example, conforming clothes of hair for the original figure).

If you used existing AniBlocks to make your own then no, you may not share or sell them.

pavle.nikolic.ddt_22f665f8cb

Thank you for further clarification,

So bones won’t be a problem, that’s good to know. With aniMate I am still not, unfortunately, really sure. I’m using existing AniBlocks to make an animation sequence but not as a stand-alone file or addition to current aniBlock system.

The 3D model that I’m planning to animate is not the product that is meant to be used in DAZ, the formats will be MDL, FBX, X, MS3D, DAE and a few others that are used mainly in game engines. So the animations from aniBlocks will be part of the animation sequence and in a format that the model is in. It won’t be a stand-alone file or part of the DAZ animation systems/tools.

So the problem is: can aniBlock animations be part of an animation sequence of a non-DAZ 3D model product?

Richard Haseltine

No, if you use someone else's content - such as an AniBlock - as part of your product then yours is a derivative products and, with the exception of merchant resources (which usually have restrictions of some kind) it cannot be distributed. You need to make your own animations from scratch, or from pre-existing animations that explicitly allow derivatives to be made and used in the way you wish to.

pavle.nikolic.ddt_22f665f8cb

Thank you for the additional information,

It is a bit disappointing, good thing I asked. I knew that geometry and textures can’t be used for 3D products but I was kind of hoping that animations can.

O.k, so it’s back to BVH search, I hope that there are some good jumps and walks out there:)

Moss_35089

not sure if you'll find what you're searching for, but possibly

https://sites.google.com/a/cgspeed.com/cgspeed/motion-capture/daz-friendly-release

mjc1016

Moss said:

not sure if you'll find what you're searching for, but possibly

https://sites.google.com/a/cgspeed.com/cgspeed/motion-capture/daz-friendly-release

Warning: A lot of those are in serious need of adjustments to be usable...especially if used on Genesis/Genesis2.

pavle.nikolic.ddt_22f665f8cb

Thank you for the suggestion Moss,

I have downloaded the CMU's files two/three weeks ago but, as mjc1016 wrote, they need a lot of tuning, especially with my geometry:/ There are some very useful free BVH's from True Bones, I have been checking them in a last few days:)