[Released] Now-Crowd Billboards - Modern Sitting Crowd [Commercial]

barbult · January 2020

RiverSoftArt said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

Very good suggestion. I don't know when/if this issue will be fixed with previous BB products. There are 19 Now-Crowd products. Fixing all of them is a daunting task.

Not all Now Crowd products are bad, are they? You are the script master. Could you write a script to fix them? Maybe Rob could give you some suggestions, if necessary. Opening each billboard and reversing normals manually would be a pain. I hope you only need to do it once for each billboard, not 72 times for each billboard. (Fingers crossed!!!)

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

Silent Winter said:

RiverSoftArt said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

Very good suggestion. I don't know when/if this issue will be fixed with previous BB products. There are 19 Now-Crowd products. Fixing all of them is a daunting task.

99% sure it's just the latest one (my other Now-Crowd sets all have normals facing the right way). How many individual planes are there in the set? (not textures, just the plane as saved in the data folder - you only need to correct those as texture settings don't change normals).

Oh, that is much more doable! There are 31 planes.

Silent Winter · January 2020

RiverSoftArt said:

Silent Winter said:

RiverSoftArt said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

Very good suggestion. I don't know when/if this issue will be fixed with previous BB products. There are 19 Now-Crowd products. Fixing all of them is a daunting task.

99% sure it's just the latest one (my other Now-Crowd sets all have normals facing the right way). How many individual planes are there in the set? (not textures, just the plane as saved in the data folder - you only need to correct those as texture settings don't change normals).

Oh, that is much more doable! There are 31 planes

Actually, just checked and the 'Fight' version has the same issue (I've only just got round to using them along with the sitting crowd to populate my bar). But the Fantasy and Medieval City life sets have normals the right way round.

barbult · January 2020

How about just copying the plane from a set that is correct and overwriting the planes in the "bad" sets? Aren't all the planes essentially the same geometry?

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

Silent Winter said:

RiverSoftArt said:

Silent Winter said:

RiverSoftArt said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

Very good suggestion. I don't know when/if this issue will be fixed with previous BB products. There are 19 Now-Crowd products. Fixing all of them is a daunting task.

99% sure it's just the latest one (my other Now-Crowd sets all have normals facing the right way). How many individual planes are there in the set? (not textures, just the plane as saved in the data folder - you only need to correct those as texture settings don't change normals).

Oh, that is much more doable! There are 31 planes

Actually, just checked and the 'Fight' version has the same issue (I've only just got round to using them along with the sitting crowd to populate my bar). But the Fantasy and Medieval City life sets have normals the right way round.

barbult said:

How about just copying the plane from a set that is correct and overwriting the planes in the "bad" sets? Aren't all the planes essentially the same geometry?

Thank you both for the info. Yes, they are the same geometry.

inquire · January 2020

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

I don't understand these things. I opened up Geometry Editor. I don't see an option to reverse normals. I guess these suggestions make sense to people who understand the workings of DAZ Studio better than I. Sorry, I don't know what to do. I guess I could return the product, but I hate to do that.

inquire · January 2020

Silent Winter said:

RiverSoftArt said:

Silent Winter said:

RiverSoftArt said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

Very good suggestion. I don't know when/if this issue will be fixed with previous BB products. There are 19 Now-Crowd products. Fixing all of them is a daunting task.

99% sure it's just the latest one (my other Now-Crowd sets all have normals facing the right way). How many individual planes are there in the set? (not textures, just the plane as saved in the data folder - you only need to correct those as texture settings don't change normals).

Oh, that is much more doable! There are 31 planes

Actually, just checked and the 'Fight' version has the same issue (I've only just got round to using them along with the sitting crowd to populate my bar). But the Fantasy and Medieval City life sets have normals the right way round.

GULP!! And I was just looking at the Fight Billboards as a product to buy. Well, hopefully, these issues will get fixed. They are, otherwise, very fine products.

barbult · January 2020

inquire said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

I don't understand these things. I opened up Geometry Editor. I don't see an option to reverse normals. I guess these suggestions make sense to people who understand the workings of DAZ Studio better than I. Sorry, I don't know what to do. I guess I could return the product, but I hate to do that.

First of all, you don't HAVE TO do any editing with the Geometry Editor to see the billboards in the Textured View in the Viewport. Just open your Daz Studio preferences (F2) and set Per Pixel Shading to OFF and Backface Lighting to ON on the Interface tab. That is the setting I always use for normal work anyway.

If you WANT TO flip the normals so that you don't have to change your preferences, you can do that with the Geometry Editor. It is just another option. I'm confident that RiverSoftArt will get these products fixed. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of the sets because of a concern about the normals, when it is so easy to work around with the preferences anyway.

Most of the Geometry Editor options are accessed via right click in the viewport with the tool selected. Here is the process to reverse normals:

Load a billboard (or any other object) into the scene.
Select the billboard in the Scene pane.
Select the Geometry Editor from the toolbar.
Right click in the viewport and select Selection Type->Polygon Selection.
Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Selection->Select All. The polygon(s) of your billboard should become highlighted.
Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Editing->Flip Normal of Selected Polygon(s)

inquire · January 2020

@barbult: OK, thanks very much. I will try these things.

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

barbult said:

inquire said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

I don't understand these things. I opened up Geometry Editor. I don't see an option to reverse normals. I guess these suggestions make sense to people who understand the workings of DAZ Studio better than I. Sorry, I don't know what to do. I guess I could return the product, but I hate to do that.

First of all, you don't HAVE TO do any editing with the Geometry Editor to see the billboards in the Textured View in the Viewport. Just open your Daz Studio preferences (F2) and set Per Pixel Shading to OFF and Backface Lighting to ON on the Interface tab. That is the setting I always use for normal work anyway.

If you WANT TO flip the normals so that you don't have to change your preferences, you can do that with the Geometry Editor. It is just another option. I'm confident that RiverSoftArt will get these products fixed. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of the sets because of a concern about the normals, when it is so easy to work around with the preferences anyway.

Most of the Geometry Editor options are accessed via right click in the viewport with the tool selected. Here is the process to reverse normals:

Load a billboard (or any other object) into the scene.

Select the billboard in the Scene pane.

Select the Geometry Editor from the toolbar.

Right click in the viewport and select Selection Type->Polygon Selection.

Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Selection->Select All. The polygon(s) of your billboard should become highlighted.

Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Editing->Flip Normal of Selected Polygon(s)

Wow! Nice Tutorial @barbult!

barbult · January 2020

RiverSoftArt said:

barbult said:

inquire said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

I don't understand these things. I opened up Geometry Editor. I don't see an option to reverse normals. I guess these suggestions make sense to people who understand the workings of DAZ Studio better than I. Sorry, I don't know what to do. I guess I could return the product, but I hate to do that.

First of all, you don't HAVE TO do any editing with the Geometry Editor to see the billboards in the Textured View in the Viewport. Just open your Daz Studio preferences (F2) and set Per Pixel Shading to OFF and Backface Lighting to ON on the Interface tab. That is the setting I always use for normal work anyway.

If you WANT TO flip the normals so that you don't have to change your preferences, you can do that with the Geometry Editor. It is just another option. I'm confident that RiverSoftArt will get these products fixed. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of the sets because of a concern about the normals, when it is so easy to work around with the preferences anyway.

Most of the Geometry Editor options are accessed via right click in the viewport with the tool selected. Here is the process to reverse normals:

Load a billboard (or any other object) into the scene.

Select the billboard in the Scene pane.

Select the Geometry Editor from the toolbar.

Right click in the viewport and select Selection Type->Polygon Selection.

Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Selection->Select All. The polygon(s) of your billboard should become highlighted.

Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Editing->Flip Normal of Selected Polygon(s)

Wow! Nice Tutorial @barbult!

Thanks, I try to help when I can, just as so many have helped me.

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

barbult said:

RiverSoftArt said:

barbult said:

inquire said:

barbult said:

Until they are fixed, you can use the Geometry Editor to select the whole billboard and reverse normals on the selected polygons.

I don't understand these things. I opened up Geometry Editor. I don't see an option to reverse normals. I guess these suggestions make sense to people who understand the workings of DAZ Studio better than I. Sorry, I don't know what to do. I guess I could return the product, but I hate to do that.

First of all, you don't HAVE TO do any editing with the Geometry Editor to see the billboards in the Textured View in the Viewport. Just open your Daz Studio preferences (F2) and set Per Pixel Shading to OFF and Backface Lighting to ON on the Interface tab. That is the setting I always use for normal work anyway.

If you WANT TO flip the normals so that you don't have to change your preferences, you can do that with the Geometry Editor. It is just another option. I'm confident that RiverSoftArt will get these products fixed. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of the sets because of a concern about the normals, when it is so easy to work around with the preferences anyway.

Most of the Geometry Editor options are accessed via right click in the viewport with the tool selected. Here is the process to reverse normals:

Load a billboard (or any other object) into the scene.

Select the billboard in the Scene pane.

Select the Geometry Editor from the toolbar.

Right click in the viewport and select Selection Type->Polygon Selection.

Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Selection->Select All. The polygon(s) of your billboard should become highlighted.

Right click in the viewport and select Geometry Editing->Flip Normal of Selected Polygon(s)

Wow! Nice Tutorial @barbult!

Thanks, I try to help when I can, just as so many have helped me.

Well, I certainly appreciate it. With so many products now (94 and counting), I can feel overwhelmed sometimes. All the help I can get allows me to concentrate on developing new products and fixing old ones.

inquire · January 2020

Well, I hate to say it, but neither of these approaches works for me. Maybe it's because I have the Mac version of DS, 4.11x.

barbult · January 2020

inquire said:

Well, I hate to say it, but neither of these approaches works for me. Maybe it's because I have the Mac version of DS, 4.11x.

Can you see other props that are loaded into the scene? Is it only the billboards that are black in Texture Shaded preview? Did you see any change in the viewport when you changed your preferences? Did you see any change in the viewport when you flipped the normals?

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

inquire said:

Well, I hate to say it, but neither of these approaches works for me. Maybe it's because I have the Mac version of DS, 4.11x.

Hmmm, that is very weird. Have you updated your graphics drivers? Do all bitmap textures show up black?

inquire · January 2020

OK, I got it to work. I tried both methods, just to be sure, and, yep, each method works. The problem was that I was trying with the scene I already had made, with several characters seated in various chairs. I tried making the chairs invisible. That didn't work. I tried making all of the billboards invisible except for one. Neither method worked with any of this. Both methods failed with just the one billboard visible. Then, today, I started a new scene, and loaded one billboard into it. Each method worked. I don't know why neither method worked with the scene I already had finished. Any thoughts on that? Well, now I'll have to try a scene with multiple billboards in it. Thank you again, barbult, for your suggestions.

Per Pixel Shading OFF works for a scene with several billboards in it. (I usually have the Backface Lighting ON anyway.) But, even if I create a Group, if I want to use the Geometry Editing technique, I have to do one billboard at a time. So, using Per Pixel Shading OFF (and, of course Backface Lighting ON) works faster.

barbult · January 2020

Yup, you have the easiest workaround. Once you have your preferences set like that, you won't have to do anything with the geometry editor to individual billboards.

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

inquire said:

OK, I got it to work. I tried both methods, just to be sure, and, yep, each method works. The problem was that I was trying with the scene I already had made, with several characters seated in various chairs. I tried making the chairs invisible. That didn't work. I tried making all of the billboards invisible except for one. Neither method worked with any of this. Both methods failed with just the one billboard visible. Then, today, I started a new scene, and loaded one billboard into it. Each method worked. I don't know why neither method worked with the scene I already had finished. Any thoughts on that? Well, now I'll have to try a scene with multiple billboards in it. Thank you again, barbult, for your suggestions.

Per Pixel Shading OFF works for a scene with several billboards in it. (I usually have the Backface Lighting ON anyway.) But, even if I create a Group, if I want to use the Geometry Editing technique, I have to do one billboard at a time. So, using Per Pixel Shading OFF (and, of course Backface Lighting ON) works faster.

I am glad you got it to work. Strange that that one scene is not working though.

inquire · January 2020

In the scene that won't work, I had the characters parented to chairs. I tried unparenting them. Still didn't work with either method. Then, I deleted all of the items except for one billboard. Nope, still didn't work with either method. I can only see the billboard characters if I click on them and drag with the camera preview tool, or if I switch from texture shaded to iRay Preview. Don't understand why.

inquire · January 2020

Well, OK, sorry to report that this still isn't working. I did a test render. Scene included. I could see all the billboard characters BEFORE the scene rendered. Immediately, as the rendered ceased, the billboards all turned BLACK! (WHY?!) I went back and checked the settings, and changed them, and reset them. Nothing. All billboard characters remain BLACK. I then tried the Geometry Editing technique. Nothing. I then tried the Camera Preview, click and drag. Yes, that shows me the billboard I chose. I then switched into the iRay Preview. Yes, that worked. But I can't really work with a scene like this because I might want to make further changes such as billboard orientation, or moving a chair a billboard is parented to. Nope, I would say this is not working for me.

The second image I'm including here is a screen shot of how the billboards now appear in the Viewport after the render. The settings for DAZ Studio still remain with Pixel Shading OFF and Backface Lighting ON.

This is the Macintosh version of DAZ Studio Pro, 64bit, 4.11.0.383. I'm on a Macintosh Pro, late 2013 edition, running OS 10.12.6 Sierra.

Is there anyway around this? I really do like this product, but it's not going to be useable for me if this condition remains. I can't think of anything else to try.

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

Here is a little script that will flip the normals for any selected objects in the scene. Unfortunately, the forum for some reason won't let me upload it. You need to copy and paste this into a .dsa file you make.

(function(){

  function FlipNormals( oNode )

  {

    var list = [];

    if( oNode.inherits( "DzBone" ) ){

      oNode = oNode.getSkeleton();

    }

    

    var oObject = oNode.getObject();

    if( !oObject ) {

      return false;

    }


    var oShape = oObject.getCurrentShape();

    if( !oShape ) {

      return false;

    }


    var oGeo = oShape.getCurrentGeometry();

    if( !oGeo ) {

      return false;

    }


    oGeo.selectAllFacets();

    oGeo.reverseSelectedFacetsWindingOrder();

    return true;

  }

  

/*********************************************************************/

  var sScriptName = (new DzFileInfo(getScriptFileName())).completeBaseName();


// Get the primary selection

var sl = Scene.getSelectedNodeList();

// If nothing is selected

if( sl.length == 0 ){

    MessageBox.critical('Please selected one or more objects(s).  This script will flip the normals for the selected objects(s)', sScriptName, 'OK');

return;

}


  beginUndo();

  for (var i = 0; i < sl.length; i++)

    print('FlipNormals', sl[i].getLabel(), FlipNormals(sl[i]));

  acceptUndo(sScriptName);


// Finalize the function and invoke

})();

inquire · January 2020

Just to be sure I understand: I copied all of the above into Text Edit, and made sure it was in Plain Text mode (It's a Macintosh app). It saved out with the .txt file type. I clicked on it and changed the .txt to .dsa. It's now titled FlipNormals.dsa, and there's a DAZ icon on it. Now, if I did this correctly, I'm assuming I can place it in the same location with your Billboard Scripts for Now Crowds Billboards. And, if the billboards turn BLACK after I render, I can use this script on each one. Is that correct? Any chance I can select all the billboards at once and run the script? If this all looks correct to you, I'll give it a try.

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

inquire said:

Just to be sure I understand: I copied all of the above into Text Edit, and made sure it was in Plain Text mode (It's a Macintosh app). It saved out with the .txt file type. I clicked on it and changed the .txt to .dsa. It's now titled FlipNormals.dsa, and there's a DAZ icon on it. Now, if I did this correctly, I'm assuming I can place it in the same location with your Billboard Scripts for Now Crowds Billboards. And, if the billboards turn BLACK after I render, I can use this script on each one. Is that correct? Any chance I can select all the billboards at once and run the script? If this all looks correct to you, I'll give it a try.

Yes, it looks like you did it correctly. This is for BEFORE you render so that they show up. It is set up that you can select ALL the billboards in the scene and flip their normals.

inquire · January 2020

Well, I tried the script and got an Error message, which said, as usual, to see the log file for more details. Here is the relavent portion of my log file:

2020-01-13 12:13:52.052 File loaded in 0 min 0.6 sec.
2020-01-13 12:13:52.060 Loaded file: Seated Chair Billboard Test.duf
2020-01-13 12:13:52.661 Loaded image C_ChaircushT.jpg
2020-01-13 12:13:52.773 Loaded image C_ChairframeT.jpg
2020-01-13 12:13:52.852 Loaded image Man Sitting 01 30 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:52.909 Loaded image Man Sitting 01 30 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:13:52.978 Loaded image Teen Girl Sitting 01 -60 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.037 Loaded image Teen Girl Sitting 01 -60 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.103 Loaded image Old Woman Sitting 01 90 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.163 Loaded image Old Woman Sitting 01 90 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.241 Loaded image Man Sitting and Talking 01 -30 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.301 Loaded image Man Sitting and Talking 01 -30 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:14:31.987 Loading script: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa
2020-01-13 12:14:31.988 WARNING: Script Error: Line 85
2020-01-13 12:14:31.988 WARNING: SyntaxError: Parse error
2020-01-13 12:14:31.988 WARNING: Stack Trace:
<anonymous>()@/Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa:85
2020-01-13 12:14:31.989 Error in script execution: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 Loading script: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 WARNING: Script Error: Line 85
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 WARNING: SyntaxError: Parse error
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 WARNING: Stack Trace:
<anonymous>()@/Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa:85
2020-01-13 12:14:39.759 Error in script execution: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa

It notes a Script Error and a Parse error.

inquire · January 2020

By the way, it seems that the ground and background of my Viewport is also a lot darker than it used to be after I bought this product and tried rendering with it. Is there a way to lighten it again?

Also, I have tried the flipping of normals over and over again with the two techniques which barbult gave above. If I do get the script to work, will it do anything different?

RiverSoft Art · January 2020

inquire said:

Well, I tried the script and got an Error message, which said, as usual, to see the log file for more details. Here is the relavent portion of my log file:

2020-01-13 12:13:52.052 File loaded in 0 min 0.6 sec.
2020-01-13 12:13:52.060 Loaded file: Seated Chair Billboard Test.duf
2020-01-13 12:13:52.661 Loaded image C_ChaircushT.jpg
2020-01-13 12:13:52.773 Loaded image C_ChairframeT.jpg
2020-01-13 12:13:52.852 Loaded image Man Sitting 01 30 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:52.909 Loaded image Man Sitting 01 30 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:13:52.978 Loaded image Teen Girl Sitting 01 -60 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.037 Loaded image Teen Girl Sitting 01 -60 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.103 Loaded image Old Woman Sitting 01 90 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.163 Loaded image Old Woman Sitting 01 90 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.241 Loaded image Man Sitting and Talking 01 -30 0.png
2020-01-13 12:13:53.301 Loaded image Man Sitting and Talking 01 -30 0.mask.png
2020-01-13 12:14:31.987 Loading script: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa
2020-01-13 12:14:31.988 WARNING: Script Error: Line 85
2020-01-13 12:14:31.988 WARNING: SyntaxError: Parse error
2020-01-13 12:14:31.988 WARNING: Stack Trace:
<anonymous>()@/Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa:85
2020-01-13 12:14:31.989 Error in script execution: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 Loading script: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 WARNING: Script Error: Line 85
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 WARNING: SyntaxError: Parse error
2020-01-13 12:14:39.758 WARNING: Stack Trace:
<anonymous>()@/Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa:85
2020-01-13 12:14:39.759 Error in script execution: /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library/Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/FilpNormals.dsa

It notes a Script Error and a Parse error.

It looks like there is a copy and paste error. I don't even have a line 85 in my version. What is your line 85? (It is best if you paste the 5 or so lines before it too.

Fishtales · January 2020

inquire said:

Well, OK, sorry to report that this still isn't working. I did a test render. Scene included. I could see all the billboard characters BEFORE the scene rendered. Immediately, as the rendered ceased, the billboards all turned BLACK! (WHY?!) I went back and checked the settings, and changed them, and reset them. Nothing. All billboard characters remain BLACK. I then tried the Geometry Editing technique. Nothing. I then tried the Camera Preview, click and drag. Yes, that shows me the billboard I chose. I then switched into the iRay Preview. Yes, that worked. But I can't really work with a scene like this because I might want to make further changes such as billboard orientation, or moving a chair a billboard is parented to. Nope, I would say this is not working for me.

The second image I'm including here is a screen shot of how the billboards now appear in the Viewport after the render. The settings for DAZ Studio still remain with Pixel Shading OFF and Backface Lighting ON.

This is the Macintosh version of DAZ Studio Pro, 64bit, 4.11.0.383. I'm on a Macintosh Pro, late 2013 edition, running OS 10.12.6 Sierra.

Is there anyway around this? I really do like this product, but it's not going to be useable for me if this condition remains. I can't think of anything else to try.

Doesn't look like you have any lights on in the Iray version. Ctrl/L on Windows switches them on/off, don't know about a Mac, or go to the menu Window/Preview Lights.

Richard Haseltine · January 2020

Fishtales said:

inquire said:

Well, OK, sorry to report that this still isn't working. I did a test render. Scene included. I could see all the billboard characters BEFORE the scene rendered. Immediately, as the rendered ceased, the billboards all turned BLACK! (WHY?!) I went back and checked the settings, and changed them, and reset them. Nothing. All billboard characters remain BLACK. I then tried the Geometry Editing technique. Nothing. I then tried the Camera Preview, click and drag. Yes, that shows me the billboard I chose. I then switched into the iRay Preview. Yes, that worked. But I can't really work with a scene like this because I might want to make further changes such as billboard orientation, or moving a chair a billboard is parented to. Nope, I would say this is not working for me.

The second image I'm including here is a screen shot of how the billboards now appear in the Viewport after the render. The settings for DAZ Studio still remain with Pixel Shading OFF and Backface Lighting ON.

This is the Macintosh version of DAZ Studio Pro, 64bit, 4.11.0.383. I'm on a Macintosh Pro, late 2013 edition, running OS 10.12.6 Sierra.

Is there anyway around this? I really do like this product, but it's not going to be useable for me if this condition remains. I can't think of anything else to try.

Doesn't look like you have any lights on in the Iray version. Ctrl/L on Windows switches them on/off, don't know about a Mac, or go to the menu Window/Preview Lights.

ctrl L turns OFF (initially) the preview of lights in th viewport, replacing them with a headlamp. It has no effect on the render. Of course if there were no lights in the scene and Preview Lights had been switched off then the preview would be visible and the render not, which may be what you mean.

Fishtales · January 2020

Richard Haseltine said:

Fishtales said:

inquire said:

Well, OK, sorry to report that this still isn't working. I did a test render. Scene included. I could see all the billboard characters BEFORE the scene rendered. Immediately, as the rendered ceased, the billboards all turned BLACK! (WHY?!) I went back and checked the settings, and changed them, and reset them. Nothing. All billboard characters remain BLACK. I then tried the Geometry Editing technique. Nothing. I then tried the Camera Preview, click and drag. Yes, that shows me the billboard I chose. I then switched into the iRay Preview. Yes, that worked. But I can't really work with a scene like this because I might want to make further changes such as billboard orientation, or moving a chair a billboard is parented to. Nope, I would say this is not working for me.

The second image I'm including here is a screen shot of how the billboards now appear in the Viewport after the render. The settings for DAZ Studio still remain with Pixel Shading OFF and Backface Lighting ON.

This is the Macintosh version of DAZ Studio Pro, 64bit, 4.11.0.383. I'm on a Macintosh Pro, late 2013 edition, running OS 10.12.6 Sierra.

Is there anyway around this? I really do like this product, but it's not going to be useable for me if this condition remains. I can't think of anything else to try.

Doesn't look like you have any lights on in the Iray version. Ctrl/L on Windows switches them on/off, don't know about a Mac, or go to the menu Window/Preview Lights.

ctrl L turns OFF (initially) the preview of lights in th viewport, replacing them with a headlamp. It has no effect on the render. Of course if there were no lights in the scene and Preview Lights had been switched off then the preview would be visible and the render not, which may be what you mean.

If you look at the black image you will see that it is a screen capture and not a render as it has the X/Y/Z widget and it says Screen shot and the date when you hover over the attachment.

inquire · January 2020

Fishtales said:

inquire said:

Well, OK, sorry to report that this still isn't working. I did a test render. Scene included. I could see all the billboard characters BEFORE the scene rendered. Immediately, as the rendered ceased, the billboards all turned BLACK! (WHY?!) I went back and checked the settings, and changed them, and reset them. Nothing. All billboard characters remain BLACK. I then tried the Geometry Editing technique. Nothing. I then tried the Camera Preview, click and drag. Yes, that shows me the billboard I chose. I then switched into the iRay Preview. Yes, that worked. But I can't really work with a scene like this because I might want to make further changes such as billboard orientation, or moving a chair a billboard is parented to. Nope, I would say this is not working for me.

The second image I'm including here is a screen shot of how the billboards now appear in the Viewport after the render. The settings for DAZ Studio still remain with Pixel Shading OFF and Backface Lighting ON.

This is the Macintosh version of DAZ Studio Pro, 64bit, 4.11.0.383. I'm on a Macintosh Pro, late 2013 edition, running OS 10.12.6 Sierra.

Is there anyway around this? I really do like this product, but it's not going to be useable for me if this condition remains. I can't think of anything else to try.

Doesn't look like you have any lights on in the Iray version. Ctrl/L on Windows switches them on/off, don't know about a Mac, or go to the menu Window/Preview Lights.

Nope. That's not it. It's Command-L on the Mac. The Preview Lights are on. But something's happened when the Billboards all went Black. So did the Viewport view. I don't know how to get it back. I've contacted Technical Support.

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