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Review The Complete Guide To DAZ Studio 4 by Paolo Ciccone

Jim_1831252Jim_1831252 Posts: 728
edited December 2013 in Daz Studio Discussion

Just a heads up that I've posted a full review of Paolo's recent publication.at DigiSprawl This is my first book review, so go easy. Any constructive criticism is welcome.

Feel free to post any questions here about the book and I'll do my best to answer (after you read the review :p)

Post edited by Jim_1831252 on

Comments

  • Dream CutterDream Cutter Posts: 1,224
    edited December 2013

    Thanks for the detailed book review as it's fare and objective. As an advanced user I leave with a clear understanding what to expect in the "The Complete Guide To DAZ Studio 4" book. From the details and examples you provide, I would agree with the assessment. I will buy the book to learn more about Lux & Reality.

    Post edited by Dream Cutter on
  • Jim_1831252Jim_1831252 Posts: 728
    edited December 1969

    Hi Dream Cutter. I'm glad you found the review objective. That is something I always strive for in my reviews. The chapter on Lux and Reality is very useful, but it really is only a brief introduction. For a fuller exploration I would suggest the Make Your Own Reality.

    Thanks for the feedback.

  • Takeo.KenseiTakeo.Kensei Posts: 1,303
    edited December 1969

    Hi Jim

    Your reviewis usefull as it is coherent with what I read from a previous discussion thread. It seems to be more addressed to a beginner but not the complete guide you'd eventually wait for. And I thought Paolo would be a bit oriented on his critics about 3delight. Not something that surprise me.

    About Lux, I'd begin with the wiki and rather look for informations in the Forum. For example, I don't know if there are explanations about Light Portals or if there is some informations about the different shaders supported by Lux and how they work. From what I've read in the forum, Reality is a simplified and limited plugin to use Lux and Luxus seems to enable every features. Depends of what you're looking for. If you really want to master Luxrender, I think you must read some scientific papers

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    Plus of course DAZ 3D have issued a User guide for DAZ Studio, which is free and geared towards New Users. Maybe you should also do a review of that for comparison http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/32249/

  • Jim_1831252Jim_1831252 Posts: 728
    edited December 1969

    @ Takeo: Reality does so much to simplify the use of LuxRender that reading the wiki is often not necessary. the Make Your Own Reality stuff helps with the use of Reality itself while dealing with some of the common Lux issues and realities. By making LuxRender so simplified Reality has quite limited itself, at least with the current versions for DAZ Studio. I can't speak for the current Poser version as I've hardly touched it.

    I would indeed suggest Luxus, but that sort of reading and deep understanding of a render engine is more than a lot of users would actually want to put their time into.

    @ chohole: I've read DAZ's guide. At the price it certainly can't be beaten, but Paolo's guide beats it hands down, giving more technical details while also getting users to think about the quality of their images, what they are intending to portray and the story they are trying to tell. Then it also covers many subjects that are not even covered in DAZ's guide, though admittedly some of the topics covered in Paolo's work won't be relevant to all users.

    Why does DAZ leave pixel samples out of a discussion of their render settings? Somehow it just isn't important enough to make it in. Bah! Both have glaring omisions.

  • FetitoFetito Posts: 481
    edited December 1969

    Personally, I like the book as a BEGINNERS guide, but what I really wanted to learn has been left out: Advanced render settings for 3Delight. I do not really care about "Reality"-tweaks.

    Anyway, great feedback!

  • alexhcowleyalexhcowley Posts: 2,392
    edited December 1969

    patrickgobels said:
    Personally, I like the book as a BEGINNERS guide, but what I really wanted to learn has been left out: Advanced render settings for 3Delight. I do not really care about "Reality"-tweaks.

    Anyway, great feedback!

    I'm with you on the issue of 3Delight, Patrick. Beginners (and relative beginners like myself) need to know more about 3Delight. I think most users of Daz studio are going to want to master the basic product before they start getting adventurous with other render engines.

  • Jim_1831252Jim_1831252 Posts: 728
    edited December 1969

    Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm right with you both, 3Delight render settings need more discussion. I also feel that it would have been enormously beneficial to discus producing common materials with the default shader. I would have given super points for an exploration of UberSurface, which for many is the de facto default anyway.

    Wee, just submitted my first Amazon review. Nothing new in it really, just a sumarisation of the DigiSprawl review.

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