DAZ Studio Feature request: Morph tool
IsaacNewton
Posts: 1,300
I could not find another thread with this subject so:
One of the most useful features of Poser is the morph tool. Isn't it about time this feature was introduced into DAZ Studio?
I accept that DS has great autofit and auto mesh smoothing features but sometimes they just don't work well enough.
Typical situations that the DAZ auto tools have difficulty with (and probably were not designed specifically for) are:
1) extreme pose positions
2) countering some morphs (eg JCMs) built in to certain clothing which behave badly in some poses
3) extreme morphs on the base figure which go beyond what the clothing designer had in mind
4) use of non-supported (and even some supported) clothing/hair figures on Genesis 3 figures.
With the current technology there are some situations where a little extra push or pull or smooth would help to avoid postwork.
Sure it is possible to export a troublesome item to Zbrush or other such program, but this is DAZ has currently limited all exports to Zbrush to base mesh only, presumably for marketing conciderations. In any case, not everyone can afford Zbrush and even if you can, it's still a hassle.
What is needed (I believe) is a brush tool for minor morphs, pushes, pulls, smoothing, nips and tucks. Yes, deformers can do a lot but they are geometrically limited to spherical regions of application on a single deformer.
Discussion? Agreement, disagreement (with alternatives)?
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
224 S 200 W, Suite #250
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
Although neither is a morph tool as such there are a couple of workarounds using weight maps - a DForm with a weight map, and a Push Modifier with a weight map via a node weight influence node.
D former is not so usable, to adjust aleady posing Figure mesh.. we need Accurate work to adjusth hair or clohitng mesh.
But the handle movements and deformation effect not much , in direction.
And can not find, any reliable work flow, to remove the problem. it is same when I use D-former weight map.
eg when you move handle,, effected vertex which need to move the direction.at least it is minimum precondition.
but d-former not work after Figure and child nodes rotate. DAZ can enhancement D-former. , if DAZ concentrate more.
I didn't know you could modify a d-former with a weight map. This sounds like it would work theoretically, but I also suspect it would be very tedious to use in practice for little touch-ups and probably take longer than remodelling the clothing or adding a new morph in Zbrush. What would be ideal is something like a brush that gives immediate feedback on what verticies have been moved as you move the brush over the clothing (or figure).
Would be helpful; I've started (with hair, mostly, but with clothes too) posing then when close export the items in need to blender, and sort there; is quicker (at least for me) than any alternatives in Daz.
The D former would be much more useful if posing a character didn't skew positional information.
For minor poke-through fixes I think you might be better off with a Pushmodifier, since that moves the surface in and out by the normals (while a DForm translates in a single direction or scales from a point).
People request for a morph brush.
"not needed, end off" very nice indeed. ^^
Who said not needed? I suggested a work-around that may help in some circumstances.
The fact that there does not appear to be a simple work around within DAZ Studio itself reinforces the need for a Morph Brush.
Kitakoredaz points out the need for accurate, precise and detailed work which is not possible (or at least not simple) with a D-former.
Richard Haseltine points out that a push/pull modifier that works relative to the normals {of the character figure to which the clothing is parented}, would be very useful. Amen to that. (my words in parenthesies).
Personally, I would love there to be a smoothing, shrinking and expanding tool on the brush too, as autofit often strangely distorts the clothing mesh, especially with extreme fits.
Any other desirable features for the Morph Brush?
Yes, that the actual "brush' would be somewhat configurable....sure changing its size is necessary, but also I'd say shape is too. If it would end up like the current weight brush. I'd think it more hassle than it would be worth. Not being able to adjust the weight brush makes it a lot harder to use. Being able to make it oval or square would be great. Also changing the brush's 'falloff' would be helpful (or at least some sort of 'feathering' feature).
Now, if you really want to go all out...make it as configurable/useful as Blender's, Z-brush, etc's sculpting tools...
Now, wouldn't that be wonderful! In the meantime, a "simple" tool to correct the errors made by autofit would be extremely useful.
Absolutely agree. I also use Blender for clothing morphs but it would be wonderful to be able to morph-pose-adjust in one go without exporting to Obj, importing into Blender, etc., etc. Second prize would be a Blender Bridge. Ultimate would be both (with HD capabilities!).
I agree, a morph tool would be very useful.
.. meanwhile you can use Blender. Making morphs is very easy.
There is a problem I've had with dformers. Some objects have areas that will not move no matter how much you move a dformer put on it. I've seen this on some long hair, I thought that I could use a dformer to make it hang down when the figure's head was leaning over, but the ends of the hair would not shift.
If this is caused by the way Studio handles geometry there may be no way round it, but a morph brush without these limitations would be very useful.