Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
I don't see the point of printing out a life size master, It sounds a lot easier / cheaper to make a mould
out of a human who is willing to be replicated in silicon and sold as... This has already been done... :bug:
If we look far enough into the future, at some point we might be able to somehow 'print' a new body out of the DNA information in our cells, imagine that legal mine field ;-)
I have just one question, should i cancel my print of genesis right now, to be safe???
There's a complicating factor here: the new EULA (the one presented on the website) specifically states that it supersedes any license that "was or will be presented at the time of content installation". For information on the legality of this term, consult an actual lawyer.
I'm not sure what the big deal is here.
"User may (i) access, use, copy and modify the Content in the creation and presentation of animations and renderings, and (ii) incorporate two dimensional images (including two dimensional images that simulate motion of three dimensional objects) derived from the Content in other works and publish, market, distribute, transfer, sell or sublicense such combined works."
Step1: Render 10 hi-res turntable 2d images, covered under above terms.
Step2: Launch Agisoft PhotoScan, load 2d images, it will build a new non-daz mesh
all under curent terms of use
Thank you.
Since I was called back by the notification - Does anybody has any news from DAZ about what they tried to say about 3D printing? (Yes, I'm too lazy to read through all the forums looking for clues...)
Nothing new that I saw.
There's a complicating factor here: the new EULA (the one presented on the website) specifically states that it supersedes any license that "was or will be presented at the time of content installation". For information on the legality of this term, consult an actual lawyer.
Yes, but the problem with this is so did the one I agreed to in the installer. :lol:
Sorry, it's not the "legal mine field" I'm imagining. :bug:
:-)
The $250 printers are usually kits that you have to assemble. Also, the lower costing devices have a small build area. The $500 to $800 units are fully assembled, "pull it outta the box, set it up and go" type devices.
The workflow is exactly what you posted, but the resulting .stl will have errors. And error correcting software will make errors during the correction process. I have almost 2 years of experience with this - I do it on a daily basis at work - so it isn't that easy to make an error-free .stl file from a D|S model. Error-free being the main point.
So, in summary:
1. You are not allowed to print posed 3D models on your own printer until you buy a license.
2. You cannot buy a license because it is not available yet.
3. When the license does become available and you have purchased one, there is no guarantee that your model will be printable without a significant amount of additional work to clean up the mesh.
I might be interested in buying such a license because I have invested several years of my time in learning how to clean up meshes in Blender, so I know that it will be worth it. How many other DAZ3D Studio users will be in such a fortunate position?
Me too. Not that I own a 3D printer or plan to buy one, but I'm wondering, as I said, for it sounds too strange.
Thanks for sharing.
...OK haven't read through all five pages as this is getting a bit deep and confusing for this ol' Bushido Cowgirl to handle.
So for argument's sake, let's say I want a unique 25mm figure of my namesake for use in RPG sessions. I create the character with Genesis mixing Steph4, Aiko4 and a bit of SF4 (for the musculature) though GenX. I apply clothing, hair, and prop content, pose her, then save her as a finished untextured .obj, in a sense making her my unique character derived from the various meshes used.
Now I as don't have the financial resources to purchase a 3D printer and the software to support it, I approach a third party 3D printing service to have the miniature made. I've already paid for the application and content to create her and will be paying the 3D printing service to make the miniature which I will have to paint after it is finished. Unless they have the exact same software tools and content, they will not be able to "backwards engineer" the .obj file to "distill" the various individual meshes used in the character's design as all of that is "locked" in the finished .obj. As with a 2D rendered image (which can easily be downloaded from a gallery site like DA), the only one I see being hurt if someone intended to pirate the character for making copies to sell afterwards is myself.
Hence, I'm having just a bit of trouble grasping why Daz is so uptight about this and will require purchasing a special licence (which will most likely be unaffordable for most of us here given the price of the game developer's licences) so I can have a uniquely "personalised" miniature figure for use in table top RPG play.
One idea, how about if Daz offered a 3D printing service? That way the mesh distribution issue pretty much becomes moot and they would also have a new source of income.
Whoot! 3D printing is expressly allowed - all you have to do is get a yet-to-be-made-available license!
Of course, I almost pity the people who try to make high quality models on the sub $20,000 3D printers. I work at a company that has two 3D printers, one is the $20k variety, the other is around $80k. The very popular, inexpensive 3D printers ($500 - $5000) are simply not capable of producing high quality models. Sure, you will get a very basic shape, but most of the details will be lost due to the thickness of the layers. I would not even use our $20,000 3D printer for making solid copies of my renders. I use the $80K machine. My models look awesome - sorry to brag - but they do. You can see the facial expressions, you can see fingernails, you can even see the eyelashes! My models are only 8" tall, and yet you can see these details.
Of course, not all models can be printed. Clothing and hair have to be chosen carefully. For best results, keep all your people in form fitting clothing; ie no elaborate dresses or outfits. Short hair that fits the head like a helmet usually works fine. Toon hair should be OK too. Yes, there are limitations.
Also, to get the DAZ file into an error-free readable format is quite difficult. So here are the steps to get your figures turned into a 3D model:
1 - export your figure as a .OBJ making sure you select the DAZ Studio units (1 unit = 1 cm), select "remove unused vertices" and scale it to 25%.
2 - download MeshLab (free program) and use it to convert the file from .OBJ to .STL format.
3 - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR SPECIAL DAZ 3D LICENSE
4 - Send the .STL file to me for preparation for 3D printing! Remember, I work at a firm that does 3D printing, so this is allowed under the new agreement. Since the file you send me will be filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of errors I will have to correct the file. NOT ALL FILES CAN BE CORRECTED! Yes, I do charge for my time, typically $25 - $35 is a good estimate. If I can't correct the file, I don't charge.
5 - Provided that the file can be corrected, I will contact you and request the following: size of model and number of copies. Once I have that information, I will provide you with a quote. If you accept the quote for the production of the models, I will process your request. If you decline the quote, I will send you the corrected model file - you paid for it - and destroy the electronic copy in my possession.
For those who are worried about IP protection and keeping your data confidential; my company is routinely used by several manufacturers to produce prototypes of their commercial products. The Department of Defense has used my company to build highly sensitive models. In short, if the BIG manufacturers and military are satisfied with our security, you should be too. There are only 5 people in the company who would have access to your file: the company president, the senior 3D printer service technician, two 3D product designers and myself.
For those who want to build their own models, I would be most happy to sell you a truly awesome 3D printer! The Cube X, Makerbot, Ultimaker and similar devices will print these files, but if you want a HIGH quality model, you will need something like a ZPrinter 450 (acceptable quality) or a ProJet HD 3510 (awesome quality).
I have attached an image showing the design and the model. Sorry for the low quality image, my phone's camera is not the best.
And a big thanks to DAZ for finally putting a definitive statement in the user agreement allowing for 3D printing. Now please make the hopefully inexpensive ($1 to $3 would be appropriate) 3D licenses available soon.
@Kyoto Kid - I've no idea how much a game developers license costs but if we're talking large sums of money then I certainly won't be buying one. As I said, my hobby is building and using 3D printers. The machines I have built cost a few hundred dollars each for the hardware, and all the software was all free to download and use (including DAZ3D Studio). If DAZ were to offer their 3D printing service I would welcome the competition in the marketplace, as long as they play fair and allow other print services to compete on an equal basis. But that wouldn't really help me in my situation as a 3D printer hobbyist.
@KorvisBlack - How lucky for you to have access to such expensive machines, but please don't pity me just because I can't afford more than a basic machine. The point is, it's a 3D printer and I built it with my own hands! It is an amazing machine and I would like to have the freedom to use it to print out the sculptures that I create with my limited design capabilities. I don't need or want large, high resolution, full colour models; for me the challenge is all about making things, not owning things. Once I've finished one model, I'm always thinking about how to improve it and make a better one.
And that's the big difference - iteration cycle times. I have used 3D printing bureau services for many years and the two main drawbacks are cost and time. Each print would cost me between $20 and $50 and I would have to wait a couple of weeks for it to arrive. Now, I can have the result in my hands in just a few hours and if I need to make a change, or the print doesn't work, at least I know it probably only cost me $1 in plastic filament.
I enjoy what I do and I would happily pay a few dollars to have the freedom to print out my own creations.
@entiresia
Yes, I am well aware of the "Maker" movement and am heavily engaged in our local group. I know people with Reprap, Rapman, Makerbot, Ultimaker and other kit built and inexpensive devices. And I am aware of the enjoyment there is in the challenge of producing your own models, and said models are for your own use as opposed to commercial sale. My point is that many people who don't understand the current state of the technology are under the impression that these inexpensive devices can produce layer thicknesses of 16 microns (or smaller) and that the resulting models will be precise, exceptionally detailed figures.
@Kyoto Kid
Excellent idea! I would be pleased to sell DAZ the equipment. Lemme see, they would need at least 5 of the ProJet 7000 and probably just as many of the ZPrinter 850 which would come to somewhere between 3 and 4 million dollars. Most 3D printing bureaus have 25 to 50 3D printers of various types, so my proposed setup would be considered a small bureau.
@entiresia
"Almost pity", actually. I am inundated by requests from people who expect the same level of model quality from a low cost device as is produced by a $80,000 unit. Yes, I can identify with the thrill and sense of accomplishment you must have when you build a model with a device that you built with your own hands. I am just making sure that people here don't rush out to buy a Replicator 2 or Cube X and become terribly disappointed with the results. Even equipment such as the uPrint SE ($15,000 +) can't produce layer thicknesses that are acceptable for fine detailed figures.
As for printing costs, the average 8" tall model would cost between $350 and $450, which is far less costly than what most printing bureaus will charge. If you are getting prints for between $20 and $50 you are either getting very low quality prints or you are getting one awesome bargain! I agree with you that you have a MUCH lower material cost with your own printer, and the enjoyment from making your own models is "priceless" as they say in the credit card commercials.
I certainly hope that DAZ doesn't have licence costs more than a few dollars; the price of an Indy License is $500 for their Game licensing, if a 3D licence is similar, it will be prohibitively expensive.
@Kyoto Kid
Excellent idea! I would be pleased to sell DAZ the equipment. Lemme see, they would need at least 5 of the ProJet 7000 and probably just as many of the ZPrinter 850 which would come to somewhere between 3 and 4 million dollars. Most 3D printing bureaus have 25 to 50 3D printers of various types, so my proposed setup would be considered a small bureau.
...as it would be a business capital expense and based on the size of their staff, they would considered "small business" and should be able to write it off on their taxes. Heck, they might even be able to get an SBA grant or low interest loan :)
Wouldn't have to get a whole bunch of printers at the same time. They could start with a few and as the demand grew, add more later. If the price was right, I wouldn't mind waiting a couple months if need be to get that "priceless" one of a kind figure I've always wanted.
...gotta "think outside the box" here. I certainly couldn't afford a licence that costs 100$ (not much less 500$ or more) just so I can send my .obj's off to a company (such as the one you work for) to get a physical 3D print made.
Yes, but the idea about having a paying license is obviously that users will make money out of that use (see DAZ gamer license).
Now I'm totally convinced (as you might have noticed) this isn't possible (making money I mean), and that thus the whole 3D printing license thing is based on a misconception. But DAZ might have some information I don't have (besides "we're convinced people will make fortunes overnight and we won't get our share"), so I keep asking in case somebody can explain to me the rationale I missed.
The real problem is why DAZ has installed this 3D printing license. That will decide on how much it will cost and how it works. If they are targeting the illusory "professional statue selling market" or some such, licenses will be in the thousands, and thus hobbyist can forget about making a print just for fun. If DAZ is just worried about meshes derived from their meshes being sent around to printing services or whatever, that's an altogether different problem calling for altogether different solutions.
Yes, but the idea about having a paying license is obviously that users will make money out of that use (see DAZ gamer license).
Now I'm totally convinced (as you might have noticed) this isn't possible (making money I mean), and that thus the whole 3D printing license thing is based on a misconception. But DAZ might have some information I don't have (besides "we're convinced people will make fortunes overnight and we won't get our share"), so I keep asking in case somebody can explain to me the rationale I missed.
The real problem is why DAZ has installed this 3D printing license. That will decide on how much it will cost and how it works. If they are targeting the illusory "professional statue selling market" or some such, licenses will be in the thousands, and thus hobbyist can forget about making a print just for fun. If DAZ is just worried about meshes derived from their meshes being sent around to printing services or whatever, that's an altogether different problem calling for altogether different solutions.
You have hit the nail right on the head! You are absolutely correct in assuming that there is VERY little money to be made in producing 3D figures based on DAZ models. Anyone with a low cost extrusion based printer will make models that are most obviously not appropriate for commercial sale - the level of detail and smoothness of the models will be substandard. So the "Maker" community would be doing this for FUN not profit.
For companies such as mine, our primary profit generators are engineering, architectural and product manufacturing firms. We make VERY little from building high quality 3D figure models. You are correct that there is no "professional statue selling market".
With regards to the possibility of extracting usable data from the .STL file to reverse engineer the proprietary information that was used to create the mesh (ie, the intellectual property of DAZ or PAs) I have already proven and given several examples on this forum that it is virtually impossible to do so. There are so many changes that have to be made to the .OBJ to create an error-free .STL that it would be like throwing pineapple, bananas, apples, peaches and mango into a blender and then trying to reconstruct the original parts from the resulting smoothie. You just can't do it.
I am pleased that they have made provision for 3D printing. All they have to do now is ensure that the license is priced at a reasonable level. A blanket license (covering all past, present and future products) for $50 would be the absolute maximum in my opinion. Anything more than that and people would simply just do it anyway and take their chances. When you consider that there are several programs available that can export 3D models (Poser, Sculptris, ZBrush, MakeHuman to name a few) it would be virtually impossible to prosecute someone by saying - "You used our designs without a license." You would have to be able to prove that the model was built with D|S and that would be exceptionally difficult to do since the .STL mesh would have very little in common with the files used to produce it.
And if the folks at DAZ wanted to embrace this new opportunity, they would create a version of D|S that would directly export an error-free .STL file. They could develop 3D printer friendly content. I would pay $100 for a D|S "3D Printer Edition". provided it had all the capabilities and compatibility of the current version.
Remember when Napster and related companies caused the record industry huge worries? Well, Napster is gone, but NOW the way most people buy music and other digital content is on-line. Industries, in general, have to learn to adapt and embrace new technologies - not run away from them. Those that adapt and embrace profit (just look at Apple, they were in the dumpster 15 years ago, they are on top of the mountain today) and those that stay in the past tend to come in last (Blackberry was riding high 5 years ago, now they are trying to crawl outta a very big hole).
At least for personal use only, such an inexpensive license certainly wouldn't be a stopper.
What I'd like to know is "is it possible" to imprint on the base [as in like how a statue might say "made in country"] that an item is 'not for sale'?
As the gaming license is somewhat steeper, I would expect that a commercial license for 3d printing might cost a little more than 2 or 3 dollars but again for a business, not a stopper.
People could use Sketchup to design a base for their models and combine that with the figure file. I have done this on several occasions.
With regards to a business model (no pun intended) for the production of 3D model figures, I should point out that current mass production methods are far more economically viable. There are no great sums of money to be made doing unique models or even short production runs.
Keep in mind, it is the DAZ user that will have to buy the license, not the production facility. The artist will also have very deep pockets - $80, 000 for a printer to make models would be quite expensive for most people. Factor in production costs, and you have a recipe for very expensive models, easily $350 to $450 each. The optimum device for model production would either be a ZPrinter 850 or a ProJet 7000 - both printers are over $150,000. I really doubt that there are many DAZ artists that have that kind of cash to throw down on equipment.
That being said, there is very little $$ to be made on the 3D printing of models for the DAZ artist. As far as service bureaus are concerned, a model is a model is a model. While there may be a bit of an uptick in business for these companies, it really would not amount to a huge increase. The best way for DAZ to capitalize on 3D printing is to create a line of 3D printer friendly content and, hopefully, create a version of D|S that is optimized for 3D printing.
We all have no idea what the cost of the license will be, but if the charge is anything like the commercial or indie game licenses, it will cost far more than it is worth.
Of course, if there is an all-inclusive license as I have previously mentioned for under $50, I would consider that fair. Either that or a $1 to $3 premium per downloadable product for a "3D print use" licence.
Before you get your hopes up, you will have to first realize the reality of the situation.
DAZ is primarily a brokerage. As such they cannot dictate how all the individual product makers will want "their" products distributed.
DAZ can only make general allowances and the specifics will have to be worked out with the individual product creator.
There is nothing that can be done with a blanket license.
Rawn
I guess (but that's me) that they count on installing a license not unlike the gaming one. Installing a $1 blanket license would be pointless, it would cost them more money than it would make, so there is no point in that. If they go through the paperwork, it's surely to ask for some substantial amount.
So when can we expect these 3D printing licenses to become available?
A 3D printing license only makes sense to me financially if it costs based upon quantity. The more you make, the more it costs. Since DAZ is a broker, I would imagine you would also need a separate license for each piece of content you use in the final product. So just a basic DAZ figure with hair, shirt, pants, and shoes would be at least 5 licenses. Add in more for morphs and poses. And some products may never get a 3D printing license made available.
It seems to me that if someone wanted to create a mass-produced item based on a 3D prototype created with content purchased from DAZ, that it would be more economically feasible for them to create the initial concept in 2D with the DAZ content, then pay the 3D modeler they have on staff to create a new unique mesh loosely based on the 2D rendering to create the actual 3D prototype or mold. This would completely by-pass the need to purchase a 3D print license.
I would imagine that if someone happened to create a movie or comic that was lucky enough to be seen by the right people or became popular enough to be purchased by a studio to make into an industry product that this is the way they would go too. They wouldn't want to share profits on marketing, and I would imagine that they would create their own new meshes anyways for the main product so that they own the full copyright and ownership of the product.
In the end, I would imagine that a general license for one-off non-commercial 3D printings will be available from the product page of most products for free, but I wouldn't expect to see that for some time, probably after DAZ realizes that either 1) no one is purchasing licenses for one offs, or 2) DAZ finds out that the licenses for private (or one off) printing are costing more in admin costs than they are making from them. But who knows...
Before you get your hopes up, you will have to first realize the reality of the situation.
DAZ is primarily a brokerage. As such they cannot dictate how all the individual product makers will want "their" products distributed.
DAZ can only make general allowances and the specifics will have to be worked out with the individual product creator.
There is nothing that can be done with a blanket license.
Rawn
Not to rain on your parade, RA, but...isnt' that what the EULA currently is...a blanket license?
By your last statement, then every non-DAZ Original item in the store should have it's own individual, custom 'lawyer-eezed' EULA...
Not to rain on your parade, RA, but...isnt' that what the EULA currently is...a blanket license?
By your last statement, then every non-DAZ Original item in the store should have it's own individual, custom 'lawyer-eezed' EULA...
Dont know why you feel you are raining on my parade?
Thats an odd statement to make. I am just sharing some facts here.
It is a license for a specific purpose that all PA's have agreed to upon uploading THEIR products.
If the products are going to be used for things outside of what the PA's have agreed to, then they will have to make a new agreement with daz to that regard. So far they have only agreed to the 2d print license.
That is why when daz was toying with the video game market, they had to set up a separate license for customers to buy, which individual PA's could agree to sell or not. (I am one who agreed to it....I like seeing my products used in as many ways as possible)
Not all PA's like the idea of having their stuff sent to 3d printing...and that is there prerogative. It is their product afterall.
I particularly dont have many issues with things being printed in 3d...I know I would love to have my characters as 3d sculpts. So I would probably agree to sell such a license for this as well.
Rawn
this is interesting http://www.toynews-online.biz/news/38238/Makies-become-worlds-first-CE-certified-3D-printed-toys
Thanks for the link. I checked out what they are building with. The machine they use is a $300,000 device. Then there is a link to another article, and they show a freaking Makerbot - typically under $2,000. Now I know why I am going bald. Too much misinformation in the industry. Damn press keep putting the hobby printers in the same category as the commercial units. No wonder the people at DAZ and the PAs might be a bit confused.
Now to put some fears to rest. MOST of the 3D content offered by DAZ will not work well for 3D printing. Hair, dresses, elaborate and intricate clothing items will cause problems. Any tops that allow for cleavage won't work well. Many hand props and vehicles won't work well. Actually, the only stuff that might work well are formfitting clothing, toon hair, and the base models.
DAZ dragon? The wings will fall off, they are too thin. Buildings? They will collapse because the walls will be too thin. When I design something to be 3D printed, I have to be VERY selective because of all the limitations in the production of the design. Actually, the only things that can be EASILY 3D printed are bald, nude figures. Oh noes! Nekkid Genesis running amok! :cheese:
Through many of my posts here, I have been advocating for 3D printing. I have posted in the Commercial forum to try to get the PAs to make 3D print friendly content. I would help any interested developer or PA with the creation of 3D content - especially since the vast majority of items available are not good for 3D printing.
I have also just received an announcement in my e-mail from Autodesk that they have just launched their 3D creature creator. Downloadable for your iPad. Autodesk also has 123D Design. Over the past year, Autodesk has launched a bunch of free or inexpensive tools for creating 3D content for the express purpose of 3D printing. Autodesk makes Autocad, as well as Maya, 3ds Max and a bunch of other 3D content creation programs. Dassault Systemes, one of the largest 3D engineering software developers, has their own 3D program suite - free or inexpensive software for making 3D print friendly models.
When two industry heavy-weights get on the "free, 3D software" bandwagon, you can see that this market has much potential. As long as the product developers make free/inexpensive and 3D friendly content, they will do well.
The rationale is it is easier to sell a million pencils at a $1 unit profit than it is to sell one item at a million dollar profit.
There is a HUGE opportunity for DAZ and the PAs to capitalize on 3D printing by offering content specifically designed for 3D printing. For instance, there may be "Space Suit for Genesis" for $12.95 but the 3D print friendly version would be $14.95. The extra $2 would be the license and also the capability of using the file for high quality 3D prints.
Again, if any PAs or devs want to contact me for help in product development, or for answers about 3D printing, I am available for help and consultation - I have 3 years of experience in 3D printing, so that makes me a bit of an expert, as far as commercial systems are concerned. As an added bonus, I won't even charge! ;-)
I would be surprised if that's NOT the direction in which they are heading. ;-)
With my limited understanding if legal American/English I beleive that is one way to interpret the current EULA...
Was reading some information [sorry lost the link] indicating that there's a 3D printer company planning to release 3D printers for sale at about USD800, "all over the world" this summer. From the samples it would appear as something that might passable as toys but not treasures.
And some independent vendors are now selling 3D and gaming licenses as a combined license item, for a 2 digit figure per product.