Is there a tutorial for packaging a product for release

Kitsumo

Sorry, another barrage of newbie questions.

1.  I want to release a freebee, and it includes a prop, materials and poses. Is there certain way to package all of this or do I just collect all the folders and put them in a zip file? I tried searching for a tutorial, but I must be using the wrong search terms.

2.  Also, does anyone have a checklist or workflow that might help a newbie? For example, I was almost finished with this model when I realized I didn't check the normals. It didn't turn out to be a big deal, but could have been catastrophic. Even so, I spent way too much time going back and forth between Hex and DS adjusting my texture maps and then going back and changing the mesh, which caused my UVs (and textures) to change so I'd have to edit the textures again. Here's a workflow I came up with: 

Hexagon	model object	check normals	unfold and save uv maps	create texturesDaz Studio	import model	apply maps	save model	save poser/daz materials	save poses

I think if I completely finish one step before moving to the next one, it'll save me lots of time. If anyone has any suggestions or if I left something out, please share.

3. Is there a convention for naming products? Looking through my content library, I see some PAs create a folder with their name and put all their products in it. Others just put their products in the main props folder, so I have to scroll for half a minute just to find what I'm looking for. I guess this is more of a complaint than a question. I think products should be grouped by PA name.

Thanks for listening and let me know what you think of the preview pics.

3WC

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/publishing/start

Useful info here.

Kitsumo

Excellent. Exactly what I needed. I don't know how I missed that. Thanks

Richard Haseltine

1) I recommend creating a new, empty content directory. Create a Runtiem/Textures folder in that and put your texture fiels in that, in your desired sub-folder, before applying them to the imported OBJ fiel in Daz Studio. Save the imported OBJ as File>save As>Support Assets>Figuer prop Asset, and use the drop-down at the top of the dialogue to select your new content directory and save the preset in a subfolder of that directory (e.g. Props/Sports/My set or /People/Genesis whichever/Accessories/Sports/My Whatever). Save your materials/poses to sub-folders of the prop's folder (e.g. Props/Sports/My set/Materials). Add a readme to the root of the content directory, or create a Readmes folder). Now you can just zip everything in that folder up and you will get all and only the fiels your item needs.

2) I guess the above also answers the second question, as best I can.

3) this is a highly contentious issue - soem people think that PA name foldrs are a good way to keep stylistically similar things together, soem people think they are an exercise in vanity and an abomination unto the user. Do whichever suits you and accept that some people will hate it (personally I like PA folders for characters and hair, where individual styles vary enormously, but prefer grouping by context for things like props so I have a foot in both camps - and don't hate either).

Kitsumo

Thanks. I never thought of creating an empty directory. That would make things a lot easier. I was wondering where DS saves its OBJs. Looking at some of the PA products, I see that most of them use the Poser library for textures (even if the product doesn't support Poser) but I couldn't figure out where they were storing the OBJs. Now I know. Thanks for the help.

As for the content grouping, I like PAs making their own folders for their products. I know exactly where to look for Stonemason or Predatron props for example. For some of the other stuff, I have to either search in DS or find it in Daz Install Manager and look at the files list. It makes putting together a scene a lot more tedious.

FirstBastion

When you save your new asset in DazStudio,  it creates a file folder in the main daz library/content directory "data" folder with the name of your product ( example - kitsumoRacket) .   It also associates your registered DS name to the files giving authorship reference. 

I will suggest you add a tennis ball prop to your set.  It'll make the set significantly more useful along with the racket and poses.  Good luck.

FirstBastion

I've put all 90 of a 100 products in the same Environment/FirstBastion folder.

 

Kitsumo

Thanks. A tennis ball probably would be a good idea. Between that and reading the Daz publishing page, I've got some work ahead of me this weekend.

SixDs

If that is your first time effort, Kitsumo, I must say that it is more than an excellent start!