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It generally does not work very well because I don't think any of the export methods will preserve the metadata dForce needs in order to function correctly, e.g. the weight mapping, so garments fall to pieces when simmed in Blender. I wrote a python script that will pin things back for you, you can have it if you want, but I am becoming spoiled by MD's superior simulation engine and I am moving towards just doing things in MD.
I've had great luck just exporting the garment from MD back to Blender via Alembic.
Another really cool think about the Genesis 8 framework: rotating certain joints affects other joints. I think raising the eyebrow also widens the eye, for example, keeping everything looking natural. Like a good bass player in a rock band... you don't notice until you don't have one.
Actually it isn't.
... If you have Blender experience, but yeh if you don't then it will take time to learn but it's a long way from hard.
For me it is a matter of acknowledging the current reality of the situation as I see it.
I too am in the process of a complete migration of my legacy genesis figure content to my recently upgraded Iclone 7x and CC3 pipeline suite with Blender 2.83 as the final render environment via clean Quad,animated FBX export from CC3.
You and I both know that the Genesis Characters we shape project onto our native CC3 Avatars ,with the transformer tool, are NOT the genesis characters we left behind on the "Holodeck" that is the purpose built environment which makes the genesis figure tech fully possible
However,on balance,it would seem we both find the many Iclone Animation options(both body& facial) attractive enough to forego a full "Genesis experience" in an external environment.
From the comments I see ,in the many threads on this subject, I see little to no interest in Character animation from the many people who want a complete replication of all of the Daz genesis functionality right down to the volume based SSS shading,geografts etc and are asking that DAZ make an official "bridge" to Blender beyond what is already available via the .obj,FBX,MDD and the various third party export plugins such as Diffeomorphic
I dont see how it helps the Daz business model to make a specific Blender Bridge when they already provide an excellent tightly integrated still image render envrionment in NVIDIA Iray
Really? This would seem quite evident to me: By creating (or purchasing) a Blender Bridge, they could get people proficient in Blender to start buying characters and scenes from the store.
I have seen indications on Youtube that they're looking into this, actually. A representative from Daz reached out to the maker of a Blender Bridge on the Youtube comments.
I see what you mean. It didn't occur to me because I do my face poses in Daz Studio and then transfer them to Unreal as animation, so I would be getting the benefits of this setup. I don't think bringing those over to Unreal would make sense (they would constantly be fighting with your animations), but if you're animating the face in Blender or Maya it would be nice to have those.
That's what I was trying to get at earlier too. I agree. The DAZ business model is focused on selling content and DAZ Studio is just one means towards that end. I see no downside to having DAZ content easily migrated to other platforms such as Blender or a game engine. Blender has a huge user base, both professional and hobbyist and I have seen tutorials where the tutor has mentioned buying the human figure they use in the tutorial from one of these sites like TurboSquid which, as I've just confirmed, sells a human figure for $350 (the one I looked at).
So please just outline your workflow for us - I think I get it but just to confirm. What I'm trying to get to is a workflow using DAZ Studio to set up the character and scene complete with clothing and props, then use the DAZ Importer (Diffeomorphic) to migrate that scene to Blender and then to render there. Additionally, for some scenes I would like to animate the character(s) in Blender but they are clothed so I don't want the clothes falling apart - I want to sim the clothes along with the animation. I'm not clear on your workflow involving DAZ Studio/MD/Blender.
It's quite possible that the virus has had an impact.
The "people churning out new products" are (for the most part) individuals working alone or in very small groups on their own premises. Covid 19 will have made very little difference to their working practices. My guess is that the developers of the next version of Daz Studio are a team of people working in the Daz offices in Salt Lake City. Swapping to home working will cause disruption to that work, and that's assuming that nobody on the team gets ill and isn't able to work at all.
Let's hope it's gone quiet just because everyone is very busy!
Possibly but my son is a software developer and team leader and he spent the whole of lockdown working from home as did all of his team. Indeed, they were so impressed by the productivity that they have instituted a work-from-home policy where people do so on a rota basis even though lockdown has ended here in New Zealand.
https://www.blendernation.com/2020/04/29/behind-the-scenes-sci-fi-armor/
There is nothing stopping a Blender users from installing Daz studio and genesis models and exporting them to Blender as FBX without a special "bridge" from Daz
There is nothing stopping a Blender user from installing Daz studio and genesis models and exporting them to Blender and using the diffeo plugin to convert thme to proper Blender armatures in fact there is a long running thread on Blenderartist.org about the diffeo plugin.
the fact is most Blender users ,who do character work, are either modeling their own characters or buying Blender native Character Armature's from Blender Market ready to animate.
My observation is that the only Blender users calling for an official Daz bridge that will miraculously bring over the HD morphs JCJ's JCM's and everything else that makes genesis what it is,are the ones who are already active buyers in the Daz content eco system .
Sometimes I can get away with replacing steps 3 and 5 by simulating Daz clothing in Blender. To do that, I use my Alembic Exporter, designating certain parts as "dynamic". I import the resultant OBJs into Blender, use a script to pin the garments wherever necessary to keep them from falling apart, fiddle with the siim settings, and bake everything. But I generally only do this if it's something that I really like and is beyond my current skill level in MD.
Ok, then I misunderstood. Obviously I don't have the range of software that you have so I can't mimic your workflow. I thought you used the DAZ Importer (diffomorphic) but I don't see that mentioned. It also seems that Blender is only used for the render so diffeomorphic wouldn't be necessary and you don't get a rigged character if you are using Alembic. So no posing or animation in Blender?
Clearly my imagined workflow would require a different approach as I was hoping to learn how to animate and render in Blender using Eevee.
Here's another possibility.
https://youtu.be/gP1xh3AYViQ
Thanks Kevin. While that is interesting and worth looking at in more detail,there are things I'm not sure about.
1. Clothing and hair simulation? If so, imported or only those made for Unreal?
2. Genesis 8 figures (this video only specifies G2).
3. Is it possible to animate by posing as I would in the DAZ timeline or does it rely on imported animations such as the Mixamo set?
4. Can morphs be animated? I'm thinking something like facial expressions or muscle tension, etc?
Another thing that I'm reminded of - whenever I've watched a video tutorial on Unreal, at some point they delve into coding and expect anyone watching to know that coding will be required.
I wish I knew all the answers. What I keep bumping into are people who know only part, much like here at Daz. From what I've seen with the iClone plugin, it will work with hair and clothing. The problem is it seems there are game limitations put in on the plugins out there. Genesis 8 is supposed to work, but again I don't know any limitations that may be. Like in this thread we find that JCMs will work and some people didn't know that. It seems it can do most anything well, but you have to find out how. That's the dilemna we're in. And Blender has its own set of issues. As far as coding it seems like some mention it, some don't. I like the tutorials better as they seem much less amateurish than the Blender tutes. I still am hoping for good news on the new graphics cards.
Foremost being that you need to convert your G8 Figure to an Iclone native Avatar with CC3 first (good bye Daz JCM's)
You need the full Pipeline version of Iclone 7x for the Live link to UE4 plugin to work.
So the Daz studio user looking to render stills or occasional animation, in UE4, is better off learning a more direct FBX to UE4 method unless they actully plan to buy rather steeply into the Reallusion eco system.
SO pick your poison,
this is a time where there are many options to render Daz content in other programs in general.
However each individual will have to do his own research and pick a method with which they are are most comfortable and DO THE WORK to learn it,
Or one can sit and wait/hope for some magical "Bridge" plugin from Daz that completely recreates fully functioning genesis 8 people in the FREE external programs like Blender or UE4.
I'm not expecting a Bridge plugin to materialize. So disappointed with past rumors and unfullfilled dreams (half baked plugins and interest lost).
I see substantial quality in UE renders that it is turning my head to the new shiny. But too much older out of date info out there that makes finding answers hard (I'm always checking years something was posted) Thankfully less game focus in newer videos. All I do now is research what I can between doctors appointments and work... thankfully I still have that. Can't pick my poison yet.
It's almost a wait and see thing especially with the pandemic.
I agree about this programme being more buggy specially since DS3 10 years ago. The thing that irks me more is having too many characters slowing G loading to glacier speeds. Makes little sense from a company that makes it's "living" selling you content.. I have mentioned this as part of support tikit..
Looks like Unreal added keyframe animation in mid 2019... it works in the Sequencer. Looking for more info.
Edit: It's still listed as experimental. https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/Engine/Animation/ControlRig/index.html
They've released the 4.12.1.118 DAZ Studio Pro from public beta today: 2020 Jun 29 so I guess they consider that a good baseline to fix other bugs and add new features. Odd, I thought I had already that version installed as released. My public beta is still 4.12.2.6.
@Marble Not at all, the essence is the same. Just export your character animation as Alembic, and the clothing fitted to the first frame as OBJ from Blender.
Ok - forgive me for plugging away at this but I like to have things definitive in my mind. So what you are suggesting is using the DAZ Importer to get the scene from DAZ Studio to Blender, animate the figures in Blender (I'm guessing that there then is no reverse export to DAZ Studio, especially if one uses Rigify or MHX rigging). I'm not clear on where to export the clothing from. Do I import it into Blender along with the rest of the scene? Or export it from DAZ Studio to Marvelous Designer and fit that to the animated avatar exported from the Blender scene?
I'm finally getting to a comfort level with Blender whereby I shall try tweaking materials and poses (so far I haven't tried it but have watched several tutorials so am ready to tip-toe outside my comfort zone).
Thanks again Kevin. Perhaps I'll experiment with Blender first (amateurish suits me just fine right now) before taking on yet another new venture. As for bridge plugins - they are not "magic" (not your word, I know) and they exist for other applications. I think it is a reasonable request but agree it is unlikely to happen.
Yeah, the reason I started this thread was because I too am on 4.12.2.6 and am frustrated with the bugs that prevent saving morphs. These have been reported and recognised for quite a while but still no sign of a fix.
Looking at the change log I'd say they simply moved some of the fixes included in the beta (regarding problems with shortcuts) to the general release.
4.12.1.118 was never on the beta channel: It came straight from the private channel.
The beta went from 4.12.1.117 to 4.12.2.6 and is still there.
The changes resulting in 4.12.1.118 had already been made in 4.12.2.6, and were in the change log. The change log makes it kind of look like 4.12.1.118 came from 4.12.2.6, but I imagine there are other changes in 4.12.2.6 which cause the version to go from 4.12.1 to 4.12.2. Or not.
Well looking at the change log for the private beta there's a new version of Iray and fixes for animate (among other things) in the 4.12.2 branch.
Oh, that explains it. The CM rules I used to have to follow wouldn't have permitted that.