Its time for new Cat and Dog models!

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  • Picked the new HW3D Big Cats this morning but most likely returning them. What a disappointment, textures are not good at all, head shape is wrong (looks like an hybrid between a lioness, a jaguar and something else, while leopard head has slender traits); limbs, feet and claws are out of proportion. Besides the not-blocky paws, a negligible improvement over the DAZ BC2.
  • Serene NightSerene Night Posts: 17,639

    Yeah saw the announcement on Facebook. I'm holding out for cat and dog... My needs for big cats are pretty limited but those paws look good.

  • BeeMKayBeeMKay Posts: 7,019
    edited August 2016

    Here's a comparision render in 3Delight (just skybox ambient light, no extra lights for shadows) of the DAZ Big Cat 2, and the Hivewire Big Cat unsing the default 3DL skin load (not using the LAHM settings for the DAZ cat). As you can see, the DAZ cat is larger, and both cats do look quite different.

    The cat in the back is the DAZ cat, the cat in the front the Hivewire cat. Landscape is Flipmode's Outback.

     

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  • N-RArtsN-RArts Posts: 1,496

    I wanted one day where I didn't feel sad... But, now I can't stop thinking about our last cat. He was put to sleep seven and a half years ago, but it still hurts like heck today. crying

    I even had cognitive behavioural therapy to try and get over it, but it didn't work. So, I've had to get on with it myself.

    On the plus side, I'd love to see a new cat model. 

    I'm still hoarding them so, the more the better laugh

     

  • Serene NightSerene Night Posts: 17,639

    The hivewire cat face looks better to me. Thanks for showing that.

  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    I just picked it up but am in the middle of a render that's decided its going to take all day so it will be awhile before I can try it out.  But the pictures in the thread over there look amazing.

  • BeeMKayBeeMKay Posts: 7,019
    edited August 2016

    Final render, this time with proper lights&shadows....

     

    Compare to the real thing here: http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/43/431AB807-D3C4-4898-BF45-9AA30582693D/Presentation.Large/African-leopard-walking.jpg

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  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787

    If someone does up a nice LAMH preset for these, I may buy it. I do like the paws better.

  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,754
    BeeMKay said:

    Final render, this time with proper lights&shadows....

     

    Compare to the real thing here: http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/43/431AB807-D3C4-4898-BF45-9AA30582693D/Presentation.Large/African-leopard-walking.jpg

    Thanks for the comparison, I think it looks loads better than what we have now. Can't wait to see what it will look like with a LAMH preset.

    I want to pick it up, but I am on the fence right now based on price vs the different breeds. At leest with the DAZ cats 2 you got 7 breeds for a reasonable price. I have a hard time paying over $15 for a single breed of any animal, hmmmmmmmmmm.

  • scorpioscorpio Posts: 8,413

    I don't have the Daz Big Cat 2 to compare but I do find the new Hivewire Kitty to be a very nice model easy to pose and render as well as being Iray friendly.

  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,754

    Nice one Scorpio, but where is the half eaten gazelle on the tree branch? LOL

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,036

    Nice one Scorpio, but where is the half eaten gazelle on the tree branch? LOL

    ...yes

  • BeeMKayBeeMKay Posts: 7,019

    Nice one Scorpio, but where is the half eaten gazelle on the tree branch? LOL

    Stolen while the leopard napped, by the guy who took the picture, which is why it now looks so miffed. wink

  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    Well it is nice that those of us who purchase it now will get the cub for free....

  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,754
    edited August 2016
    BeeMKay said:

    Nice one Scorpio, but where is the half eaten gazelle on the tree branch? LOL

    Stolen while the leopard napped, by the guy who took the picture, which is why it now looks so miffed. wink

    LOL

    "did someone say there is a new leopard???!!!!"

     

     

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  • IceDragonArtIceDragonArt Posts: 12,548

    Oh and by using my point I got the black leopard for about a $1

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787

    "did someone say there is a new leopard???!!!!"

     

     

    Awesome herd :D

    Do they have LAMH hair?

  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,754

    Awesome herd :D

    Do they have LAMH hair?

    Thanks. No, think of it as transmapped hair, same process. They are game models, subdivided and posed in 3DSMax and exported into DS.

    it actually gave me an idea for a render, now I really need to get the new leopard since I just built a big savannah scene with a ton of these guys.

  • RAMWolffRAMWolff Posts: 10,212

    Have to say the HW cat's body, head shape and size are better.  The paws are hugely better.  The DAZ Big Cat 2 looks like a cartoon kitty compared to the HW's new release.  Now according to whispers I think there is someone working on new animals for DAZ so it will be interesting to see who wins this race!  lmao

  • Serene NightSerene Night Posts: 17,639

    I heard the daz orignal animals didn't sell well here at DAZ. I am curious about that, because hadn't heard anything about it. 

    In general both horse 2 and big cat had serious issues. Horse 2 was useless without a working bridle, saddle and correct riding poses.  Cat 2 had hoof paws, and an incorrect head. 

    I think the hivewire cat does look better than the one sold here. Oddly, even some of the really old poser models sold at Content Paradise had more realisticly proportioned heads. 

  • RAMWolffRAMWolff Posts: 10,212

    I thought the DAZ Horse 2 was is a nice looking figure but the one up for the Harry Hive Horse is that they paid allot of attention to not only the shape but took the extra care for the forlock, fetlocks, tail and mane.  Those elements for a horse are part of it's personality and breed.  I have no idea why DAZ allowed those areas to not be properly addressed from the get go rather than relying on the free mane that was released (IIRC) by Mec4D or someone that worked with fibermesh hair.  Which for allot of folks, still, bogs down their system too much.  The only kavetch I have on Harry's mane is that they should have locked the first few poly's down so they didn't move.  Many renders you see you can see the poly "ribbons" from the neck out and it looks a bit odd to me.  Post work is easy but allot of folks abhor postwork

  • Oso3DOso3D Posts: 15,009

    Every approach is a compromise.

    The nice thing about Daz Cats is that you have multiple animals in one 'thing,' with morphs to change them.

    That approach will generally have a disadvantage compared to a specialized model that represents one specific creature. But... it's cheaper (you get multiple cats in one package), and you can do some weird things like mix animals.

    Which is better? Depends on your needs.

     

  • false1false1 Posts: 43

    Every approach is a compromise.

    The nice thing about Daz Cats is that you have multiple animals in one 'thing,' with morphs to change them.

    That approach will generally have a disadvantage compared to a specialized model that represents one specific creature. But... it's cheaper (you get multiple cats in one package), and you can do some weird things like mix animals.

    Which is better? Depends on your needs.

     

    Actually HW is taking it a step further. They've shown prototypes of their big cat as multiple breeds of dog, house cat and even dragon. All built from the same mesh with the same UVs. You can share textures and morphs. 

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511017888951506691/

  • RAMWolffRAMWolff Posts: 10,212

    Yes, the Big Cat from the Hive is going to have more breeds as well as be the base for other animals and creatures. 

  • Oso3DOso3D Posts: 15,009
    I stand corrected, then!
  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,754
    RAMWolff said:

    Yes, the Big Cat from the Hive is going to have more breeds as well as be the base for other animals and creatures. 

    from a modeling point of view, not a consumer. it looks like you will still have to "purchase" aditional breed morphs and textures as opposed to it all being in one affordable package like the DAZ Big cat. All I want is a new cheetah and male lion.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,036

    ...all I want as little cats that pose like real cats without distortions.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787

     

    from a modeling point of view, not a consumer. it looks like you will still have to "purchase" aditional breed morphs and textures as opposed to it all being in one affordable package like the DAZ Big cat. All I want is a new cheetah and male lion.

    If they are doing it the way they did the horse, buying in bits is only at first. Later, there would be stack/budle options. To me, that's similar to Daz, too. Come out with the main dragon 3 then there are a bunch of add-on products, morphs, and poses. I'm just going to wait for a stack or wait till one using LAMH comes to Daz.

  • Kendall SearsKendall Sears Posts: 2,995
    RAMWolff said:

    Have to say the HW cat's body, head shape and size are better.  The paws are hugely better.  The DAZ Big Cat 2 looks like a cartoon kitty compared to the HW's new release.  Now according to whispers I think there is someone working on new animals for DAZ so it will be interesting to see who wins this race!  lmao

    It's not just whispers.  Alessandro is indeed working on some "less exotic" animals, but I don't think that they are "for DAZ".  Alessandro's animal work is indisputably some of the best available for this market (there are some fanpersons at HW3D who may feel otherwise).  I dare say that his work will outshine the competition.  (FULL DISCLOSURE:  Alessandro is one of my best friends on the planet.)  If DAZ has contracted other artists to make animals, or is making them in-house, I am not aware of it.

    I don't think that anyone considered the BC2 the epitome of Big Cat meshes.  At the time it was released it was all that was available that was new (Alessandro had older Big Cats models, but I guess they were just considered "too old").  I don't know who was responsible for the mesh, nor do I really care.  The "flat" paws were explained at the time the mesh was released, and I believe that a morph to make "non-flat" paws was made available.  As stated in the forums, the reasoning at the time was to keep the rounded pads from poking through whatever the BC2 was standing on (and to minimize the "floating" that would occur with rounded pads if the user just CTRL-D to the floor).  It was probably the wrong decision to make at the time.

    Kendall

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787

     

    It's not just whispers.  Alessandro is indeed working on some "less exotic" animals, but I don't think that they are "for DAZ".  Alessandro's animal work is indisputably some of the best available for this market (there are some fanpersons at HW3D who may feel otherwise).  I dare say that his work will outshine the competition.  (FULL DISCLOSURE:  Alessandro is one of my best friends on the planet.)  If DAZ has contracted other artists to make animals, or is making them in-house, I am not aware of it.

    I don't think that anyone considered the BC2 the epitome of Big Cat meshes.  At the time it was released it was all that was available that was new (Alessandro had older Big Cats models, but I guess they were just considered "too old").  I don't know who was responsible for the mesh, nor do I really care.  The "flat" paws were explained at the time the mesh was released, and I believe that a morph to make "non-flat" paws was made available.  As stated in the forums, the reasoning at the time was to keep the rounded pads from poking through whatever the BC2 was standing on (and to minimize the "floating" that would occur with rounded pads if the user just CTRL-D to the floor).  It was probably the wrong decision to make at the time.

    Kendall

    Until AM does come out with more critters (I now have almost all of them), I'd definitely be interested in the paw morph for BC2. Any idea where I'd find that?

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