Trouble with shape presets.

lamoid_5f20d3e469

I have several scenes with the same character in them. I extensively changed the chararcter's shape in one scene. I want to apply those same changes to the same character in the other scenes. So I selected the character, then FIle > Save as > Shaping preset. Then I load another scene with the same character, select that character, and use File > Merge to apply the shaping preset. 

It does not work. Some shapes are applied and others are not. In the save dialog, I have selected the character and everything attached by default to the character, and I have tried deselecting everything under the character other than the character itself. I have also tried various combinations of the attached items. Nothing works.

It is not clear to me at all what some of the items attached to the figure are, because I have not used them or they have nothing to do with the figure -- at least not obviously. But they are listed there.

1) Please point me to an accuate up-to-date explanation of how to save a character's shape, independent of its pose and without any meshgrabber morphs applied. And then how to apply that to exactly the same character with exactly the same attributes but in a different pose in a different scene. Please Don't tell me to go to http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php. That appears to be at least 10 years out of date and I have never gotten a working explanation from one of those pages. [Insert diatribe on Daz documentation.] Not only that but current browsers say the pages are dangerous. I have to jump through several hoops just to get them to load. And then they are inaccurate.

2) Please point me to an explanation of how the shape is represented, What are all those items under / attached to the figure in the save shape dialog? Why are they there?

PS, I am using studio 4.22.01 and the character is a G8 female. I could post pictures but when the shape is loaded the figure tears through its clothing and becomes a NSFW picture,

3) This is maddening.

Richard Haseltine

Shaping has nothing to do with attachments, which are saved as a wearables preset 9as long as they are parented to the figure or one of its bones) A shaping presets saves proerpties on the figure itself that aer set as shapes - Modifier/Shape if you click the gear icon on the slider and select Parameter Settings - and are, as I recall, in the Actor groupm or one of its sub-groups (the Path in Parameter Settings).

crosswind

lamoid_5f20d3e469 said:

I have several scenes with the same character in them. I extensively changed the chararcter's shape in one scene. I want to apply those same changes to the same character in the other scenes. So I selected the character, then FIle > Save as > Shaping preset. Then I load another scene with the same character, select that character, and use File > Merge to apply the shaping preset. 

It does not work. Some shapes are applied and others are not. In the save dialog, I have selected the character and everything attached by default to the character, and I have tried deselecting everything under the character other than the character itself. I have also tried various combinations of the attached items. Nothing works.

What do you mean by "... others are not." ? Are they morph (shapping) properties ? Check by clicking the Gear icon on the right of the property slider... in Type field, it should be Modifier/Shape. And, if you want to completely save a Shaping Preset of the selected character, yes, you should keep all sub-nodes selected... (screenshot 1)

It is not clear to me at all what some of the items attached to the figure are, because I have not used them or they have nothing to do with the figure -- at least not obviously. But they are listed there.

1) Please point me to an accuate up-to-date explanation of how to save a character's shape, independent of its pose and without any meshgrabber morphs applied. And then how to apply that to exactly the same character with exactly the same attributes but in a different pose in a different scene. Please Don't tell me to go to http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php. That appears to be at least 10 years out of date and I have never gotten a working explanation from one of those pages. [Insert diatribe on Daz documentation.] Not only that but current browsers say the pages are dangerous. I have to jump through several hoops just to get them to load. And then they are inaccurate.

Generically, I don't think what you did was wrong. But pls be noted:

1) Some vendors wrongly defined Type in Parameter Settings of Pose Control properties, e.g. for an Expression property which should've had "Modifer/Pose" defined in Type, but the vendor wrongly put "Modifier/Shape" there. So if you ever dialed this Expression property, it'll wrongly be saved within the Shaping Preset...  

2) If you Mesh Grabbed the figure's mesh but didn't save them as morph properties, the "grabbed result" won't be saved into Shaping Preset. If you saved the grabbed result as a morph property... yes, it would be saved in the Shaping Preset.

3) If you ever dialed some Scale properties on the figure (on root node or sub-nodes... like Head, Hands, Feet, etc.), they wouldn't be saved into the Shaping Preset 'cause they're with Type - "Modifier/Pose", then you have to save a Properties Preset (save with Shaping + Scale...). (screenshot 2)

4) After saving the Shaping Preset, just dbl-click it to apply to the selected figure, no need to use Merge.... Hold Ctrl key before dbl-clicking to have more Options for applying the preset...(Replace or Additive, Obey Limits or not....)

2) Please point me to an explanation of how the shape is represented, What are all those items under / attached to the figure in the save shape dialog? Why are they there?

They're just the Path(s) that the morph (shaping) properties belong to... (screenshot 3)  With them, one can choose what morph properties can be saved within a Shaping Preset...

PS, I am using studio 4.22.01 and the character is a G8 female. I could post pictures but when the shape is loaded the figure tears through its clothing and becomes a NSFW picture,

3) This is maddening.

lamoid_5f20d3e469

Richard Haseltine said:

Shaping has nothing to do with attachments, which are saved as a wearables preset 9as long as they are parented to the figure or one of its bones) A shaping presets saves proerpties on the figure itself that aer set as shapes - Modifier/Shape if you click the gear icon on the slider and select Parameter Settings - and are, as I recall, in the Actor groupm or one of its sub-groups (the Path in Parameter Settings).

Thak you, Richard. I used the word attachment incorrectly in this context. I mean the properties that appear at the level below the figure name. Those that you see when you click on the down arrow.

lamoid_5f20d3e469

Thank you very much, Crosswind! At first glance, it appears you have answered all my questions. And you did so very clearly. The figures help immensely. I appreciate that very much!  I will try out what you suggest and will reply here with the results.