Victoria 4.2 or Victoria 6
Panic Code
Posts: 40
New user here who needs help on choosing between V4.2 or V6. Pros and cons of both? I've heard V4.2 bends much better than V6, true? I was thinking going the Genesis2/V6 route because its a newer model but my gut tells me I should go with V4.2. Please help me choose.
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
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
From purely an investing standpoint, I'd say V4.2 as there are A LOT more freebies out there for the Gen4 figures until you get your feet wet and learn the ins and outs and what works with what and how.
I think the User is confused. G2F and morphs for it Like V6 do bend better than the Gen 4 figure, V4. But you can get a V4 or a V6 for G2F. I like them both.
That also requires knowledge of fitting and such. I'm thinking of a 'works out of the box' mentality.
I was only speaking to the Bends question. V4.2 does not bend better than V6. It is two generations of mesh behind. That is why the figures have Generation numbers Gen4 is two behind Gen6.
I did not address content in my post. But the V4 Shape for G2F and the New Auto fit in DS4.6 does very well at using V4 items on V6.
I have attached a render showing the crease in the shoulder area when the arms are down. It is pretty clear that in this case V6 bends better than V4.2. V5 is also better in this test than v4.2.
People have gotten use to dealing with the shortcomings of V4.2. In DAZ Studio you can apply a smoorthing modifier and it would make the skin look better in the image below.
Blanket statements that V4.2 bends better than V6 is nonsense. There may be a particular kind of bend where V4.2 is better, but it is not generally better.
I'm thinking the V4 bending better comments are coming from people who have Perfect V4 from Rendo.
As you are presumably using Daz Studio I would suggest that you spend some time working with the base females that are available free with DS, ie Genesis and Genesis 2 Female, which are in the Starter essentials packs.
V4 is a separate standalone figure http://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-2-base , and needs extra purchases to make her more versatile, but there again, so does genesis, in either generation of that figure. However, as I said the base Genesis figures are free, so a good option to experiment with.
THere is a lot of extra content available for V4, either free or paid for because she has been out for a lot longer, but you will need at least V4 morphs++ to use many of the characters available, and sometimes some other morph packs. A good buy is to check out either this bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-3d-model-pro-suite (Expensive but geared to a new User who hasn't yet purchased much content,
or this one http://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-2-pro-bundle
If you just get the morphs++ they are here. http://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-2-morphs
Genesis needs similar add on packs to make her more functional, and V6 is one of the packs available, she is an add on character for Genesis 2 Female, not a stand alone figure.
Genesis 2 female being backwards compatible with V4 as well as having the option to use all of the new Genesis 2 outfits and accessories, coupled with the lower starting price makes it a far more diverse choice. Some people may have difficulties with the DSON importer if they use Poser, but in general it should work fine. If you're a Daz Studio user, the option is more clear.
Of course, the current downside is that V4 morphs don't currently transfer to Genesis 2. So if you plan to purchase any V4 characters, you'll only be buying into the skin textures and poses. I believe a new version of Generation X is in the works to allow morphs to be transferred to Genesis 2, but there is currently no ETA on this and no information on whether it will be V4 compatible or only for converting Genesis morphs.
Ultimately though, if you want the widest range of products and diversity, Genesis 2 is easily the winner of the two.
If you want to go that way, then I'd stick with Genesis 1 as it doesn't require a separate product for V4 UVs or re-saving out mats to duf to get them to work, but it does help to have Sickle's SRMS for better Gen4 clothing fits.
NM wrong !!
Everyone's going to have a different opinion about this. :) Here's how I look at it.
First of all, I'm primarily a Genesis (1) user. If you've already ruled that out as an option, I won't try to convince you otherwise. The lead developer of Genesis and Genesis 2 (MallenLane) described Genesis (1) as "versatility at all costs," (in other words, it sacrifices a little realism in order to give you a greater range of options) which is perfect for my needs but it might not be right for yours.
Comparing V4.2 with V6 is kind of like comparing a really popular older car with a brand new one. V4 was first released in 2006. V6 came out just a couple of months ago. The older model is popular for good reasons: tons of options and accessories available, drives well under any conditions, beautiful to look at, etc. For those reasons it has many fans, most of whom have purchased a lot of V4 content over the years. Those people may still prefer V4...it would be like comparing a fully-loaded car that you've lovingly driven for a number of years, with a brand new, fairly bare-bones model. The new car might be much better under the hood, but on a test drive you probably wouldn't notice that...you'd be thinking how it doesn't operate the same way, doesn't have the souped-up stereo you're used to, or the leather seats (you could put your old ones in, but you'll have to buy an adapter for them first). The driver of the older vehicle might conclude (with some justification) that "this new car just isn't as good as what I'm used to." And for them at least, that might be true. But a new buyer would probably be better off with the new car, especially if there's not a big price difference once all the accessories, etc. have been taken into consideration.
I've kind of tortured that metaphor a little but hopefully you get the idea.
I did a post on the history of DAZ human figures that also includes some info on cross-generational compatibility: here's the link.
If you do opt for V4, I recommend getting at least the Starter Bundle, as it includes V4.2 Base and Morphs ++ as well as some other things, for a lower cost than buying V4.2 Base and Morphs ++ separately. If you can afford it, go for the Pro Suite...that's the best value. And Perfect V4 which was mentioned previously might be of interest if you want maximum realism. It's sold at Renderosity.
If you opt for V6, then take a look at the stuff in the Starter and Pro bundles to decide whether you're interested in them or not. I got the V6 Pro Bundle and I'm happy with it, but you might be better off getting V6 Base, the Genesis 2 Female morphs (they aren't included in the Pro Bundle), and maybe V4 for Genesis 2 Female.
Between the two, personally I'd recommend V6, but I think either decision is valid...depends on your budget and preferences.
Another reason is that the autofit for Genesis 2 is far more impressive than Genesis, and works for everything. Genesis 1's autofit only works for pants and shirts, with distortions to footwear and skirts. It also lacks the ability to convert longer dresses without ruining the appearance. ML's V4 shape comes not only with the UV set but also the excellent clone figure for near pixel-perfect conversions. It's also half the price of V4's base figure.
Lastly, Genesis 2 is compatible with Genesis 1 clothing as well as Genesis 2 clothing, which gives her an even wider scope than simply Genesis 1. There is a clone figure for using Genesis 2 items for Genesis classic, but again that's another additional expense.
You are using DAZ Studio and not Poser, Bryce, or Carrara (or even some other application I didn't think of)?
Because that could also affect your decision.
If you decide to go the Genesis route, it might make more sense to go with the original Genesis (as suggested) given there is more content (and more Platinum Club (PC) content) available currently for Genesis. Plus, you'd then be able to create male and child characters. Only Genesis 2 Female is out currently for the second Genesis generation, and there has been no word on how long before the male appears.
In addition, you should look into joining the Platinum Club sooner rather than later. For Genesis and DAZ Studio users, it definitely pays for itself.
Of course, if you are by some slim chance using Poser instead of DAZ Studio, forget all of the above.
I don't want to confuse the OP but I feel the need to point out V4.2 and V6 and not directly comparable. Victoria 4.2 is the base figure upon which all other generation 4 female figures and morphable characters are built. Genesis and Genesis 2 Female are the base figures, Victoria 5 and Victoria 6 are character built on their respect bases. V5 and V6 adds a few extra morphs and new UV mapping so they are good to have but not essential. The body and head morph packages for Genesis and G2F should be your first purchase if you choose to go with them. Personal recommendation would be go with Genesis Classic (I refuse to call it Genesis 1), since it can be female, male and just about any bipedal humanoid creature you could think of it is the most versatile figure available to DAZ Studio users..
I think that is 0pretty much what I said here, http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/27194/#404621 Just with more detail about the genesis figures.
Whichever model you decide to go with I would recommend waiting until there is a sale to pick the items up. Daz has frequent sales and you can save as much as 70% on Daz Originals if you have a PC membership.
Regardless of using DS or Poser, you can still use Genesis, but you'll need DSON. It was free when I saw it last time, so grab it soon. V4 is definitely a better choice for starting out - it has many more products at DAZ, Rendo, RuntimeDNA, not to mention freebies. Also, Genesis has the same UV-mapping, so skins for V4 will work on Genesis (see V4 Elite series to check out some of the best).
Gen2 is, in my humble opinion, a step backwards, because you can only have females (if you don't get free morphs for males, check out the Freepozitory, there's a thread for Gen2 freebies). It's only good if you focus on female body-related renders, for instance all those strange pinups. I'd go with Genesis - and V4 if you can afford this, because it will pay off in near future.
Anikad told you right that there are huge sales from time to time. Especially during Autumn, Winter and March, where so-called March Madness takes place. Generally, big festivities like Christmas or New Year are a good time to consider purchasing something. Also, watch out for bargains from Fast Grab category (nice things used to show up under Value category too, for instance that Cheyenne Bundle with a Cheyenne village, props, clothes for V4 and M4 with their Unimesh addons - all for $9.99; items purchased separately would cost this price each).
PS When buying hairs and clothes, but mainly hairs, check if there is Genesis version and what price is it, because for instance Xylia Double French Braids 2 is cheaper than Xylia Double French Braids for Generation 4 females, but the Genesis version will support V4 and other females via autofit (it works quite well).
Yes, DSON is needed to use Genesis in Poser. However, DSON can be problematic so based on my experiences with DSON/Genesis (and the experiences of other Poser users), I'd recommend DAZ Gen 4 figures, the Hivewire Dawn figure, or even the Smith Micro figures instead of Genesis for a new user.
Now, once they feel comfortable and have gotten past the nothing works phase and feel confident they can work out or around problems, Genesis could be worth looking into.
DAZ Studio 4+, no question a new user would go with Genesis route instead of Gen 4. I also agree that the original Genesis (Male/Female/Child) is a better choice than Genesis 2 Female ... at this time. Both base figures cost nothing and come with several clothing products, so there is plenty of time to play around with the Genesises before the annual PC and PA sales.
Anyway, regardless of your major figure, there are "iconic" morph sets strongly recommended for each figure:
1) Genesis:
http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-evolution-morph-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/ethnicity-for-genesis-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/genesis-generation-x
2) Gen2:
http://www.daz3d.com/daz-bundles/genesis-2-female-morphs-bundle
3) V4:
http://www.daz3d.com/victoria-4-2-morphs
http://www.daz3d.com/aiko-4-base
http://www.daz3d.com/stephanie-4-elite-base
http://www.daz3d.com/the-girl-4-base
4) M4:
http://www.daz3d.com/michael-4-morphs
http://www.daz3d.com/hiro-4-base
http://www.daz3d.com/the-freak-4-base
Also, if you decide to focus on Genesis, this bundle should get you covered for most characters. Having morph sets, especially resource kits, allows you to create your own characters to suit your needs or even supplement the community.