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Professional Feature Requests for Daz

dragonflydan_16ba26a7a0dragonflydan_16ba26a7a0 Posts: 0
edited December 1969 in Product Suggestions

Here are some features that I feel could really push Daz over the top as a serious character tool in professional environments. Don't get me wrong, I love Daz Studio, it just really needs some upgrades in key areas, and I don't think it gets taken seriously because it hasn't progressed very far in the area of features. Again, I'm not hating on Daz Studio, I LOVE IT, I would love to be able to see it used in more high end projects.

#1. Better IK solver for smoother animations.

#2. Render Buffers for composting.

#3. Stress Maps for simulating skin folds and stretching.

#4. Importing video clips into background for reference/roto animation.

#5. Bullet Dynamics for cloth, soft body, and rigid body.

I realize it takes money to incorporate these features, and Daz is focused mainly on content creation, but I think they could benefit greatly from investing time and money into making Daz an affordable and powerful character tool. Just my two cents (which happens to be worth $16 in change)

Comments

  • Zig ZagZig Zag Posts: 96
    edited December 1969

    I suggest you have a look at Carrara. It has some of the features you are asking for. It's a pity that it gets so little love from DAZ.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited July 2014

    Dragonflydan81 said:
    #1. Better IK solver for smoother animations. GraphMate made by GoFigure adds full interpolation control to the user, need a curved spline to ease in and ease out do it, need linear do it and so on.
    #2. Render Buffers for composting. The Render Editor already has built in buffers and some standard filters as well.
    #3. Stress Maps for simulating skin folds and stretching.Most of this can be accomplished with Deformers, for better true physic's would be needed which is in Carrara.
    #4. Importing video clips into background for reference/roto animation.
    Would help I agree but in truth DAZ Studio is a STUDIO as in a photo Studio and is just now getting more power as a starting level animation tool. Once again Carrara has this already.
    #5. Bullet Dynamics for cloth, soft body, and rigid body.
    There are people working on a better Dynamics Engine for DAZ Studio but at this time true Bullet Physic type functions are only in Carrara.
    I realize it takes money to incorporate these features, and Daz is focused mainly on content creation, but I think they could benefit greatly from investing time and money into making Daz an affordable and powerful character tool. Just my two cents (which happens to be worth $16 in change)Nothing wrong with wishing it better, I'm just pointing out what it does have or where those functions are. And no matter what others may say Carrara is the FlagShip Program from DAZ 3D. It has been form its start here at DAZ 3D and always will be. Just because DAZ 3D does not publicly state what is being done to that Program does not mean they are not doing things to and for it. I myself would not give away ideas about functions of my main program for other companies to read and develop either.
    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,235
    edited December 1969

    Zig Zag said:
    I suggest you have a look at Carrara. It has some of the features you are asking for. It's a pity that it gets so little love from DAZ.

    I agree. You might want to also read the opinion of Ivy, a long time animator who concluded this about DS several weeks ago:

    "Please stop advertizing Daz [Studio] as an Animation software because I can assure you it is not a software that can be taken seriously for animation"

    More here, esp. Post #39:

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/42508/

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Steve K said:
    Zig Zag said:
    I suggest you have a look at Carrara. It has some of the features you are asking for. It's a pity that it gets so little love from DAZ.

    I agree. You might want to also read the opinion of Ivy, a long time animator who concluded this about DS several weeks ago:

    "Please stop advertizing Daz [Studio] as an Animation software because I can assure you it is not a software that can be taken seriously for animation"

    More here, esp. Post #39:

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/42508/I wish to point out that in this Post Ivy had been using Genesis and Genesis 2 figures when this conclusion was reached. At this time DAZ Studio has very little animation support for the new generation Genesis figures and 99% of all animation content for or usable in DAZ Studio is designed to be used with the Generation 4 figures. The Addition of a few plugins some free script files and full Generation 4 animation is very doable in DAZ Studio. Note I said do able not EASY. It is a viable platform to learn in as a beginner and can produce good work for hard work put in. The draw to me is overall cost, even with the needed plugins it is the lowest cost to out put ratio option at this time. I animate in DS4.6.3.52 at this time and I even use the Genesis 1 figure in some scenes as there are workarounds to correct the errors if you know what to look for. This is a rather large personal project, I am very much still a beginner at Animation and I am learning new and better ways to do things as I go.

    So DAZ Studio is not a Professional Level animation tool, I have never seen it advertised as such but it can be used to animate just as the promos say. That is the only point I have tried to make with this post. Nothing more and nothing else is implied. I actually enjoy working in and with DAZ Studio to animate.

  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,235
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    ... The Addition of a few plugins some free script files and full Generation 4 animation is very doable in DAZ Studio. Note I said do able not EASY. It is a viable platform to learn in as a beginner and can produce good work for hard work put in. The draw to me is overall cost, ...

    OK, good points. I admit I have not tried animating in DAZ Studio, and being a (fairly) happy user of Carrara probably never will. And with the PC price of Carrara (non-Pro) at $105, and a free trial version of Carrara Pro available at CNET, it might still be attractive to a new animator versus DS. "Easy" does have a value, vs. "hard work".

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Steve K said:
    Jaderail said:
    ... The Addition of a few plugins some free script files and full Generation 4 animation is very doable in DAZ Studio. Note I said do able not EASY. It is a viable platform to learn in as a beginner and can produce good work for hard work put in. The draw to me is overall cost, ...

    OK, good points. I admit I have not tried animating in DAZ Studio, and being a (fairly) happy user of Carrara probably never will. And with the PC price of Carrara (non-Pro) at $105, and a free trial version of Carrara Pro available at CNET, it might still be attractive to a new animator versus DS. "Easy" does have a value, vs. "hard work".And I agree, I do point out the strengths of Carrara to others when I post. I have Carrara 8.5 myself but have not invested the time I need into it to learn it as of yet. I have nothing against any tool that gets a job done. But I live on a fixed income, I have 5 years of time and money invested in DAZ Studio and by Golly this thing is gonna do what I tell it to if I have to beat it with a stick, which I do admit wanting to do very often. I have a Older version of Poser as well and really wanted iClone but the newer versions of things when not on some mega sale are out of my cost range for now. I am saving up for a fully up to date Poser but that will take some time yet. I'm just a old retired hobbyist in no big hurry, I'm not out to win any video awards, I just like to play with things and create. Besides it's so much better to play in 3D than to watch what passes for daytime TV now days...

  • IvyIvy Posts: 7,165
    edited July 2014

    Dragonflydan81 said:
    Here are some features that I feel could really push Daz over the top as a serious character tool in professional environments. Don't get me wrong, I love Daz Studio, it just really needs some upgrades in key areas, and I don't think it gets taken seriously because it hasn't progressed very far in the area of features. Again, I'm not hating on Daz Studio, I LOVE IT, I would love to be able to see it used in more high end projects.

    #1. Better IK solver for smoother animations.

    #2. Render Buffers for composting.

    #3. Stress Maps for simulating skin folds and stretching.

    #4. Importing video clips into background for reference/roto animation.

    #5. Bullet Dynamics for cloth, soft body, and rigid body.

    I realize it takes money to incorporate these features, and Daz is focused mainly on content creation, but I think they could benefit greatly from investing time and money into making Daz an affordable and powerful character tool. Just my two cents (which happens to be worth $16 in change)

    I made all those request before in the past it seems like it fell on deaf ears. its too bad too because I really don't want to learn more software like carrera for animation when i already know how to use daz and poser. maybe that is why i use poser pro more for animation because it can do all the things you listed. . if i could add one more to your list. I would like to see daz be able to bridge other render engines for real time rendering and faster AVI animation rendering as well. I'm not hatting either just saying :)

    Post edited by Ivy on
  • dragonflydan_16ba26a7a0dragonflydan_16ba26a7a0 Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    "GraphMate made by GoFigure adds full interpolation control to the user, need a curved spline to ease in
    I was referring to the algorithm that is used to solve the IK, not the graph editor. I use Lightwave 3d, and it has one of the best IK solvers in the industry, so I guess I'm a little frustrated with Daz when feet and hands slide around when animating. That is just bad IK, and I really hope they can improve it. You shouldn't have to jump into the graph editor to smooth out IK, thats just basic Ik solving.

    The Render Editor already has built in buffers and some standard filters as well.
    That's cool! I didn't know that, thanks, I'll check that out!

    (STRESS MAPS) Most of this can be accomplished with Deformers, for better true physic’s would be needed which is in Carrara.

    Unless I'm mistaken, not sure we're talking about the same thing here. In Lightwave and most other packages, weightmaps and/or bones can trigger displacement maps, bump maps, and texture maps to simulate intricate skin folds and wrinkles. To clarify, this is what I was talking about:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPB-Ov4zA4g

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNiuRnisK98

    Would help I agree but in truth DAZ Studio is a STUDIO as in a photo Studio and is just now getting more power as a starting level animation tool. Once again Carrara has this already.


    If that's the case, then Daz shouldn't try to compare it to animation packages like Lightwave, Maya, and 3D Studio Max on the homepage at the bottom. If they're comparing it to high end packages like those, then they can't use the "photo studio" as an excuse for lack of features. Just saying : )

    There are people working on a better Dynamics Engine for DAZ Studio but at this time true Bullet Physic type functions are only in Carrara
    I get that, it took the other packages some time to adopt Bullet and implement it. That's great news to hear about the possibility for a dynamics engine in DAZ. Any info that I can look up anywhere on that?

    AGAIN, I'm not hating on Daz Studio, I would just love to see the package grow, and wanted share my wishlist with them.
    Have a great day everyone!

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