| » Forum Index » Problems and solutions » Topic: Daz Studio - worth it or not |
|
Posted on 10/01/21 10:06:30 AM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Daz Studio - worth it or not
I've recently been involved in a Daz artzone challenge whereby I had to create 3 renders, all involving man. Daz is trying to encourage more content for the male. Most content involves sexy clad female models....anyway, I wanted to manipulated a model to represent an "hard as nails" intimidating French resistance officer to complement my story line. On meeting him on a makeshift runway in the desert, North Africa: close to midnight: The moon and retreating convoy lights illuminated the face of the most intimidating individual I would ever meet. He puffed once on his pipe and then pointed the stem at me while his eyes bore into my soul…” You’re late! You were supposed to be here at 23h00 sharp! Not 23h12! Wars are not won on tardiness! Go refresh yourself while we fuel up. We’re airborne at 00h00!”  _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 10/01/21 11:05:15 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
The more I learn about manipulating map, the more promise I recognise in Daz Studio. Apart from the water and bow splash, this is an untouched iRay render set up and manipulated in Daz. Okay, it's taken me the best part of a day to set up. I won the face scars for participating in the story challenge. I then further manipulated the maps to place the scars inside the groove of the wound. She's got body hair, vellus hair, cellulite, stretch marks, sub-surface scattering, micro detailed skin, bumps and lumps that effect the epidermis layers. Then on top of it, you can continue with Photoshop. I'm really getting to enjoy my art. It has taken many years though and a great deal of trial and error....as you've all experienced. This image is titled: Leave it be sailor. I believe she means it. She's ready to snatch her dagger out, which would cause her assailant to lunge for it only to get stabbed in the eye with her toothpick splinter...and then settle with the dagger....man, I've been watching to many pirate movies.  _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 11/01/21 4:38:21 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
I tried playing with the camera settings and dof (depth of field) Help David, I have know idea what I was doing and purely got the effect I was looking for because I could wait for the real time render on screen while I worked. It slowed down considerably. The render before, without dof, took approximately 1h45 to render. The same image with dof took over 15 hours to render. The image was satisfactory after about 4 hours but I was getting what Daz members refer to as "fire fly effect" on the rope and the top of her dagger handle. I could have sorted it out fairly easily with Photoshop but I wanted to run the render for an unbiased review. As I said before, I added the water, drips, reflection, spray, wake and sea in Photoshop and Gaussian blurred that to a degree that was satisfactory. When you render in Daz, if you do not choose a background and render without the HDRI sphere activated, you get a perfect png transparency. No cutting out you figure. In this case, I set up the model posed on the crate sitting on the deck of a sail boat. Rendered it, opened it in Photoshop and slapped the desired background image in. Image, you can do this with all sorts of things to help you in PS. Populate the scene with a hair do, light it from the right angel and wallah.... 
_________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 11/01/21 4:42:18 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
David, what would these settings be used for?  _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 11/01/21 4:44:47 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
I could more or less work these out  _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 11/01/21 4:48:32 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
and the lens distortion? What would you use that for?  _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 11/01/21 8:54:07 PM |
|
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 4936 Reply  |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
Hi Dwindt First off both images man and woman are really nice work. To my eye there is still something just a tad plastic/vinyl about the skin but I suspect that may be more a question of prejudicial viewing on my part than reality. You really are getting amazing results. As for your lens questions I really am not sure I can help you. These are virtual lenses and would appear, on the face of it, to have variable qualities and aspects that quite simply are not possible (or at least attainable) with real physical lenses. Looking at the first set: Thickness, Offset: not a clue. X shift Y shift: The digital equivalent of a 'rising front'? The ability to move the lens sideways and vertically relative to film plane so as to eliminate converging parallels? Stereo offset: The distance between the left and right eye in a 3D render or the 2D interpretation of it? Lens distortion type: Keystone, barrel, pincushion, etc? Lens distortion K1, K2, K3: Absolutely no idea. Lens distortion scale: The amount by which the other settings above have effect? Second set: These are clear and obvious physical photography terms. I presume you don't need these detailed. Ask if you do. I can explain most of these. One that is not familiar to many is Focal distance. Focal distance is the closet point that will be in focus at a given f stop when the lens is focused at infinity. Increasing F/Stop will increase depth of field and reduce exposure and vice/versa. Third set: I presume that None, Cylindrical (single axis Spherical) and Spherical need no explanation. As for the polys etc. I haven't even the vaguest notion. Couldn't even guess. These settings seem a bit baffling. They are things we mostly look on as undesirable artefacts to be removed. Since this is a virtual camera it would seem that we are being invited to introduce controlled levels of distortion - presumably to avoid a result that looks unreal because it is too perfect? I really don't know. Sorry not to be more helpful but I am really out of my depth here.  _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 11/01/21 10:00:08 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
Thanks David. You've been a great help. From tinkering with the various filters I feel the focal distance, f/stop etc would be the only ones I would need when called for. If you don't use the others then I can be assured that they will not help me, unless someone convinces me other wise. Thanks you. _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 12/01/21 09:36:44 AM |
|
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 4936 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
I can't help feeling that some of these may be virtual filters that have no real world equivalent. I guess the best thing would be to make a small simple image and try very lo res test renders on the various settings. When something looks like it might be interesting up the res and experiment with better quality renders based around that particular filter. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 12/01/21 10:21:01 AM |
|
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 4936 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
I inadvertently gave you a bum steer. My description of Focal Distance is fact a description of Hyperfocal distance. Not sure what focal distance is in this context. In the end if you want to play with focus and depth then the rules are easy. The greater your f stop the greater the depth of field will be either side of the actual focus point. The wider open your f stop the shallower will be the depth either side of your focus point. The longer the focal length of your lens the lower the depth of field available. I don't know how this works in a virtual camera but with a physical camera you need to double exposure for every stop you close down or halve exposure for every stop you open up. So for example a shot exposed at 1/100 th second at f8 would equal the same exposure as 1/50 at f11, 1/25 at f16, 1/12 at f22 and so on. Or in the other direction 1/200 at f5.6, 1/400 at f4, 1/800 at f2.8, and so on. Usually the focus point will be at the point of interest, but not necessarily. If I have two actors in a scene, one four foot from camera and one eight foot and the director tells me he wants both of them sharp then I would need to shoot at a high enough f stop and place my focus between the two of them somewhere between five and six foot. With experience, I can usually judge this by eye, but my assistant carries a depth of field calculator whereby he can work this out precisely and numerically. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 13/01/21 7:59:06 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
This is an excellent suggestion and you're most probably right about them being some sort of virtual lens of sorts similar to the PS filter gallery. Sorry I responded so late. I started some concrete work yesterday and continued today. Yesterday was hot but by 07h00 this morning, it was already 28 degrees. I am so knacked and burnt, it's unbelievable. _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 13/01/21 8:02:39 PM |
|
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 4936 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
Given the miserable damp cold weather here I am quite envious! _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 14/01/21 07:31:39 AM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
Some rain would be a good excuse to not throw cement. This was a terrible heat with an high humidity level. Great weather for the beach...if we weren't all still locked down. It's the last days of my annual leave but being cooped up at home for 3 weeks, one has to find ways to keep busy. Going to miss the spare time when I go back to work though. Better try those lenses before I do because our work computers don't have the processing power I do at home. _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 14/01/21 7:51:53 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
This is the last of the 3 images from the challenge. The most enthusiastic one. It's hard to make out the detail but there's a lot going on. Daz rendered me a perfect canvas for Photoshop to populate. I was aloud to write a brief story regarding each image (approximately 4 lines) so it isn't written very well as I was try to eliminate questions and direct thought in as little space as I could. This is the paragraph...The Question – VIP priority 12 November 1942… I regain consciousness still harnessed in my seat. It’s dark and cold. My hands are numb. It’s close to 0ºC – (32ºF); possibly about 02h30. We had been flying for about 2 hours before the engine cut out and we crashed. I can still hear the contracting engine metal clicking as it cools down. I have an emergency survival kit that has a miner’s torch in it. I take it to search for and find the French officer. He has been thrown out of the cockpit and into the sand dunes 20 meters beyond the wreckage. He is bashed up badly, unconscious but alive. I drag him back to the wreckage, secure a parachute over the tail wing as a temporary shelter and tend to his injuries. Through rough calculations, I surmise we are approximately 300 miles from the USS Ranger. Our ETA was 05h00 so we will only be missed in another 3 hours. By 15h00 this afternoon, It will be about 50º C - (122º F). The wind blowing across the flats will billow 80º C - (176ºF) hot sand up and over the ridge. Most of the water will be gone. No rescue party will have found you. You will have a decision to make. A shimmer of what appears to be water, lies beyond the mountains and across the flats, some 20 miles away. What will you do? _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 14/01/21 7:54:02 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
_________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 14/01/21 8:00:52 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
_________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 14/01/21 8:03:10 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
Third time lucky?  _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 19/01/21 9:56:02 PM |
|
dwindt
Realism Realiser Posts: 767 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
Behind the smile  _________________ The grass is greener on the other side of the fence because there is more $hit there. |
Posted on 20/01/21 1:58:58 PM |
|
Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6835 Reply  |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
Glorious. I’m really knocked out by these images. |
Posted on 20/01/21 9:39:41 PM |
|
DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 4936 Reply |
Re: Daz Studio - worth it or not
What Steve said. These really are lovely images. I am the only one here who knows where you started with DAZ. And, being somewhat antipathetic to anything less than really professional 3D, I must confess that I was always rather less than encouraging. You have really got good at this Dennis. The girl's portrait is the first time I have seen 3D from you so good that (aside from slightly suspect hair ..... and perhaps the eyes and slight oddity on shoulders and straps) I would probably not have guessed, without close examination and knowing that you were the creator, that it was 3D. It's really convincing! My problem with 3D has always been lack of serendipity and imperfection. Imperfections are essentials if work is to convince. The thing that makes this absolutely real is the tiny hairs on nose and lip. Not many 3D artists are going to do that ..... ....... so the key question is did you? Did you do this consciously? ........ or am I ascribing too much significance to a technical imperfection that you didn't intentionally put there? Either way it's wonderful work Dennis. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
| page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 last |