Fingernails and toenails, and creating characters or skins for Daz

MJW

I am trying to develop skins to use for possibly commercial applications (eg using Merchant resource skin bases) and I am starting to get the hang of changing appearances to give different tones or physical attributes (moles, scars, grime, etc). I am less confident about the effects of base maps for bump and specularity (which I really don't comprehend). I do know that some of my attempted character attributes include 'legacy' images for this sort of thing.

• How do I find such stuff that is not copyright?

I am also trying to find a way to change from the neat manicures of the standard range of figures to ones that are broken/chewed/ragged, but erasing them in the images I use for diffuse maps makes no difference (although a black blob painted on the skin will show up in DS. I have discovered that (in at least one character) changing the opacity of the nails makes them 'disappear' but I don't want them completely gone - I want them visible but not manicure-quality. Even Skin Builder Pro does not really help and it does nothing on G3F.

• So how do I create and show untidy nails? And
• What is there like Skin Builder (or extensions) that works for G3F?

I have gone a long way to developing G3F a character/figure I like, but I suspect she will have elelemtns of 'commercial' or 'copyright' material. Fine for my own purposes, but I think I could use the same techniques to create saleable characters. Is there a reason not to do so? Say I used Bethany 7 as my start point and changed her appearance (size/shape/skin colours/ eyes/ etc) is that allowed? Just taking one of my purchsed characters at random, I can visit the relevant Documentation Center page but there is no indication of the restrictions of use. An example at random because she came up in searching this subject is LY Sophie at http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/19767/start. She is of course G2F but the issues are presumably similar. (Mind, applying the 'Battle Damaged Nails' option still shows the nails as neatly cut, using essentially textures to convey the idea of splits breaks, etc. Another post led me to Layered Image Editor, but that does not seem to allow for shapes to be changed.)

• How do I know what I can and cannot use?

If I create a new set of skins, eyes etc., presumably there is a meaningful way to market them.

• How easy is it to get items into the Daz Shop?

Loads of questions but I hope none is a stupd one!

 

 

nicstt

As far as I can tell; products are not merchant resources unless it specifically states it; basing a model of one that isn't the generic one might limit its appeal. Most are not from what I can tell.