DS Bridge not working for me

Trying to learn how to work between Hexagon and DS. If it matters, I am on a Mac. I have seen comments that the bridge may only work once per "session" so I have quit and then restarted both Hex and DS, then in Hex I make sure my model is selected, and then do Send to DAZ Studio on the File menu. Nothing happens.

I can import my .obj file, so I know the model works. Is there any big advantage to the bridge, or should I just forget about it and use the import function?

 

Comments

  • NGartplayNGartplay Posts: 3,113

    I can not make the bridge work for me either.  Never could.  I really need it to now so I came looking for answers.  I have the newest version on my computer but all of my versions of Daz Studio tell me I need the newest version of Hexagon installed.  It is installed.  Makes no sense and there's no option to browse to it so it will 'see' it.  I've reinstalled both DS and Hexagon but it makes no difference.  I just wonder if something needs to be in a specific folder.

  • Wee Dangerous JohnWee Dangerous John Posts: 1,605
    edited March 2017

    Nancy, it works fine for me. I go the manual install rather than the DIM, not sure if that makes any difference. Have you tried turning off your firewall, not sure if installing things as Admin would help ?

    Sorry I could not be more help :(

    I'm going through the back posts to find a solution, I know there have been quite a few posts on this subject. I have my Bridge Icons in my shortcuts tabs, so may-be Richard's solution works.

    Richard H. Said to - Edit>Preferences>Interface should have an option for the bridge. If you go to Window>Workspace Customise then you should be able to find the command for launching the Bridge under Bridges in the list on the left - if it isn't there that's certainly indicative, if it is try dragging the command into a menu or toolbar in the right-hand half of the dialogue and see if it is then available, and working, there. You might also try simply reloading your layout  -Window>Workspace>Select Layout.

    PedroC Suggestion - Try open first DAZ Studio Send "nothing" to Hexagon. Then in the new opened Hexagon windows open your model file, select the model and send it to DAZ.

     

     

    Post edited by Wee Dangerous John on
  • donovancolbertdonovancolbert Posts: 1,421

    Nancy, it works fine for me. I go the manual install rather than the DIM, not sure if that makes any difference. Have you tried turning off your firewall, not sure if installing things as Admin would help ?

    Sorry I could not be more help :(

    I'm going through the back posts to find a solution, I know there have been quite a few posts on this subject. I have my Bridge Icons in my shortcuts tabs, so may-be Richard's solution works.

    Richard H. Said to - Edit>Preferences>Interface should have an option for the bridge. If you go to Window>Workspace Customise then you should be able to find the command for launching the Bridge under Bridges in the list on the left - if it isn't there that's certainly indicative, if it is try dragging the command into a menu or toolbar in the right-hand half of the dialogue and see if it is then available, and working, there. You might also try simply reloading your layout  -Window>Workspace>Select Layout.

    PedroC Suggestion - Try open first DAZ Studio Send "nothing" to Hexagon. Then in the new opened Hexagon windows open your model file, select the model and send it to DAZ.

     



     

    @PedroC 's suggestion worked for me - although the color textures I had set in Hexagon did not transfer using the transfer bridge in Hexagon, while exporting to .obj then importing the .obj file did work.

    ​Go figure.

     

  • Wee Dangerous JohnWee Dangerous John Posts: 1,605
    edited April 2017

    When you export the OBJ file you import it into Daz Studio, then you import the texture via the Surface tab.

    Daz Studio's new Iray materials do not work with Hexagon, just change the textures to 3Delight, use the bridge to send your prop to Hexagon and change it back to Iray afer you've created the morph.

    Glad to hear you got it to work though - Its nice when a plan comes together :)

    Post edited by Wee Dangerous John on
  • tj_1ca9500btj_1ca9500b Posts: 2,057
    edited April 2017

    The Hexagon bridge hasn't fully worked for me so far.  I can send stuff from Daz into Hexagon just fine (although I need to restart Daz if Hexagon crashes in order to re-import), but so far I haven't been able to 'bridge back' into Daz.  My laptop isn't 'ideal' for this (integrated GPU), but still, if I can sent stuff into Hexagon, I should bre able to send it back.

    I haven't been too worried about this up until now, as I'm looking to build a new desktop rendering machine soon, but still it'd be nice to be able to better utilize this program.  I'll see how this shakes out on the new system.

    Post edited by tj_1ca9500b on
  • I created a help ticket for this. Obj is fin if you have no rigging but if you modify a genesis then you are out of luck. I am thinking about refunding my purchase if this doesn't get fixed. In will just use blender for obj.

     

    Really hoping there was an answer in this forum.

  • Daz Studio Bridge

    The Daz Studio Hexagon Bridge provides a way to bring figures, hair, clothing, and props into Hexagon via Daz Studio, modify the item using the tools and paint features of Hexagon, then bring the changes into Daz Studio and apply them to the selected item.

    The created morph target is applied to the root figure and can be left as is or a morph target just for the affected body part can be spawned and imported back on to the body part. See the section on spawning morph targets in the main Daz Studio documentation.

    Topics

    Bridge Guidelines

    When using the Hexagon Bridge, keep the following in mind:

    • Make sure that you have manually launched Hexagon and Daz Studio at least once before using the bridge. This records the location of each program so that they can launch each other as needed.

    • Materials must be in shading domains to go over.

    • By default the bridge will not let you overwrite an existing morph on a figure, however this can be over written by checking the Override Existing Morph check box on the Action dialog that appears.

    • No world translation, rotations, or scaling are sent over, in either direction (figures/props in Hexagon will look as if they had had been zero posed in Daz Studio). Applied morphs however are sent from Daz Studio to Hexagon. If a scale, rotation, or translation is desired, then these actions must be done in Hexagon using face, edge, or vertex selection.

    • Changing geometry in Hexagon will make it so that a morph cannot be created. The object can still be sent to Daz Studio but it will be imported as a prop. Geometry is changed when faces/edges/vertices are added to or removed from the sent over geometry.

    • The bridge relies on the names of objects to be the same. The object in Hexagon that will be the morph in Daz Studio must have the exact same name as the object in Daz Studio. Daz Studio will apply it to the first figure/object it finds in the scene with the sent over name. If no object matches name, the object will be brought over as a prop.

    • It doesn’t matter which application is started first; the bridge will send geometry in either direction.

    • The scale from Hexagon to Daz Studio is 10:1, 1 unit in Hexagon = 10 cm and 1 unit in Daz Studio is 1 cm.

    • If an operation in Hexagon changes an objects name, then the user must change the name back if they wish to have it applied as a morph.

    • When Send to Hexagon is pressed in Daz Studio, all selected props, figures, and their children will be sent over. Selecting a bone of a figure is considered the same as selecting the figure. Children are defined as any object fit to or parented to the selected object or prop.

    • When Send to Daz Studio is pressed in Hexagon, all selected objects in Hexagon are sent over. Daz Studio will use the name of these objects to decide if it should try to apply the changes as a morph or if it should just bring it in as a prop. Props always copy their Hexagon materials. Users are asked if they wish to copy materials for objects that become morphs.

    • Currently all morphs are applied and sent over as full body morphs.

    • The bridge does not change rigging, it only allows morphs. Objects morphed beyond their rigs look very weird when posed.

    • When objects are sent to Hexagon the textures are temporarily copied. These copies are made permanent if they are changed and the user sends the object back to Hexagon. They will be saved in the directory they originally came from with an affixed number to avoid overwriting existing files. Textures created by Hexagon and not sent from Daz Studio, must be saved normally in Hexagon.

    • Objects can be sent to Hexagon, exported, modified by another program, then re-imported into Hexagon and sent over to Daz Studio. This would be the most viable way to create a morph on a welded figure morph. The only caveat is that all programs must maintain the vertex count and order.

    • Props created in Hexagon and sent to Daz Studio will have their Studio orientation based on the Hexagon Universe.

    If you get this to work please tell me, I have followed this and still nothing.

  • That is basically the rules I follow.

    One thing not mentioned is Iray materials, you have to change the materials to 3delight or the prop will transfer over in wireframe mode.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,169

    Has anyone tested the bridge for making morphs for the new Genesis 8?

  • Just tried it and the bridge works fine for me. It does load in with Iray as default so you'll need to change it to 3Delight first.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,169

    Thank you.  Very helpful to me in my decision to acquire V8 or not.

  • Wee Dangerous JohnWee Dangerous John Posts: 1,605
    edited June 2017

    I do not know if this will help, spotted this while putting my PC back together.

    If you are having problems and this box is empty (Edit-Preferences-Bridges) browse to your Hexagon.Exe

    Bridge Preferences.jpg
    591 x 509 - 47K
    Post edited by Wee Dangerous John on
  • Wee Dangerous JohnWee Dangerous John Posts: 1,605
    edited June 2017

    Double Post - Sorry

    Post edited by Wee Dangerous John on
  •  
    • Changing geometry in Hexagon will make it so that a morph cannot be created. The object can still be sent to Daz Studio but it will be imported as a prop. Geometry is changed when faces/edges/vertices are added to or removed from the sent over geometry.

     

    Sorry for continued stupid questions, but how can I create a morph without changing geometry? If Hexagon even able to make a morph and send it in Daz Studio?

    It's probably something very basic i have missed.

  • InkuboInkubo Posts: 745
     
    • Changing geometry in Hexagon will make it so that a morph cannot be created. The object can still be sent to Daz Studio but it will be imported as a prop. Geometry is changed when faces/edges/vertices are added to or removed from the sent over geometry.

     

    Sorry for continued stupid questions, but how can I create a morph without changing geometry? If Hexagon even able to make a morph and send it in Daz Studio?

    It's probably something very basic i have missed.

    The idea is that you make the morph by moving existing vertices around. You can't add or delete anything, just reshape what is already there. When DS loads your obj back in to create the morph, I imagine it discards your mesh and just remembers the delta between the old position and the new one for each point. If points have been added or removed or your program changed their IDs, the morph can't work because the delta can't be calculated.

  • Wee Dangerous JohnWee Dangerous John Posts: 1,605
    edited March 2018

    Ferdinandthebull there is no stupid questions here, we are all learning.

    If you do not delete or add any faces to the object then the morph should work. One thing to try when making morphs is to tick the Soft Selection box (Properties Pane) and vary the dials.

    Post edited by Wee Dangerous John on
  • Now I see! Thank you Inkubo and Wee Dangerous John so much! I used Fast Extrude tool wich added new vertices and faces so I did exactly what I shouldn't have.

  • Just so it's out there, a future release of Daz Studio will have a bridge that works with Iray.
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,888
    Just so it's out there, a future release of Daz Studio will have a bridge that works with Iray.

    I thought it did already.

  • As far as I know, DAZ Studio works with Iray but Hexagon does not. You have to change your object/character to 3Delight then use the bridge.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,888
    edited March 2018
    Post edited by Richard Haseltine on
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