Someone, please make an advanced animation tutorial for DAZ Studio.

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Comments

  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,828
    edited January 14

    Wolf359, I have tried to do your realallusion pipeline three times, I've used my email, my wife's, and my pops' for the free month trial on separate occassions, each time with the intent to take full advantage of the month and try everything you talk about because I want to see if it could help me in any way. But every single time I'm like okay, I've got nothing going the next few weeks, let me try it, a job pops up that takes up all my time and I'm always like dangit! One day I'll get around to it lol. 

     

     

    @benniewoodell
    Yeah I know man, only so much time in a week for trying out new things.angry
    Actually TBH the Reallusion Blender pipeline tool is mostly only useful if you are already steeped in the Reallusion Ecosystem
    (own $$Iclone & CC4$$) as it retargets motion 
    from Iclone animated figures exported to Blender with Iclone  facial animation as well
    But only a tiny percentage of the Iclone user base actually use the pipeline tool to render animation in Blender
    and wil stick with Iclone's admittedly lackluster native Engine.

    ( again the whole Ecosystem comfort bubble thing)cool
     

     

    Post edited by wolf359 on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,842

    TheMysteryIsThePoint said:

    Dartanbeck said:

    I know my videos are still rough around the edges, but am I really that wrong to keep persuing this? 

    Literally No One said that.

    It just Feels Right to me to keep pushing forward.

    There's a Real Magic I feel when I can take something that I just picked up with my Daz + coupon and render it into an animation! I Love That! 

    Sure, I think everyone understands that satisfaction, but I and BW have both explained how that seems backwards... most storytellers have an idea in their head and then use technology to express it. The process you just described is finding some technology and seeing what can be created with it. That doesn't help a storyteller much. That might be the ultimate reason why people keep saying that DS is not good for animating.

    If I had to model everything myself, I'd never get to animating much. Once a year maybe? Even just setting up a proper armateur with drivers... that wouldn't take nearly as long - in fact I kind of liked that part until I tried finding hair that I like.

    But if you didn't model it in DS, you don't model it in Blender either. Diffeomorphic is even better at environments than it is at characters. No one sets up drivers in Blender. Tools like Diffeomorphic, Auto Rig Pro, and Face-It do all that for you in ways that seem like black magic. There are more hair cards available from places like Art Station than there are in the DS store.

    In DS, I find hair that I like, I put it in my wish list and put it on my character when it makes its way into my library - it really is That Simple - well, since I've found my workflow method. 

     

    I am already feeling a big improvement with the animations I'm doing today compared to those from my very last video - which wasn't very long ago. Hopefully by the end of 2024 I'll have improved a lot more - at least that's the goal.

     

    Again, not trying to be argumentative with the pro-animators here, just trying to understand why animating in Daz Studio is shunned so badly in its own forums? Doesn't make sense to me.

    It's because as cool as your workflows are, to a competent user of an actual animation package, they are still only slightly less primitive than DAZ Studio. The "Great Features" being talked about are unintentionally funny because it's difficult to believe that the feature wasn't available 25 years ago. Most recently, Cubic Interpolation? Seriously?

    HERMITE_INTERP has been an option for Interpoaltion type since 2007 (1.8.0.10 SDK). AniMate exposed it to the UI, using the built-in featues from the SDK.

    Folks should be getting fired up to animate. Why? Because animating is Fun!

     

    Am I way off track here?

    No, I imagine you are empowering a lot of people who don't want to leave DAZ Studio. I would not have commented at all if you had qualified your assertions and hadn't said that you "silenced the nay-sayers' BS" or something like that, because I don't believe you've responded to the points I, Wolf, or BW raised at all. I think the goal should not be to not mind "rolling up one's sleeves" but to most quickly and easily decrease the difference between the images in one's head and the images on a screen.

    But carry on, brother... your stuff is among the best I've ever seen for being wholly done in DS.

     

  • Richard Haseltine said:

    HERMITE_INTERP has been an option for Interpoaltion type since 2007 (1.8.0.10 SDK). AniMate exposed it to the UI, using the built-in featues from the SDK.

    I think I know what your point was, but I interpret it as DAZ hiding a feature from general users for 16 years.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568

    crosswind said:

    Dartanbeck said:

    Oh My... the ability to grab a whole slew of collapsed keys and drag them around... something I've always just taken advantage of in Carrara... it's finally doable in DS! So Happy, and I've been doig a Lot of it ever since!

    Beyond that I'm also amazed at how much easier the keys are to select and work with now. Kudos to whoever on the team decided to make this happen!

    Yeah, being able to 'shape' the motion path of an arm, leg or hip is really cool stuff.

    Again, I'm nearly drown in the ocean of wording though I'm developing my English but I'm happy to learn these animation stuff from you guys anyway, hoho ~laugh

    摇滚吧,我的朋友!

  • crosswindcrosswind Posts: 6,954

    Dartanbeck said:

    crosswind said:

    Dartanbeck said:

    Oh My... the ability to grab a whole slew of collapsed keys and drag them around... something I've always just taken advantage of in Carrara... it's finally doable in DS! So Happy, and I've been doig a Lot of it ever since!

    Beyond that I'm also amazed at how much easier the keys are to select and work with now. Kudos to whoever on the team decided to make this happen!

    Yeah, being able to 'shape' the motion path of an arm, leg or hip is really cool stuff.

    Again, I'm nearly drown in the ocean of wording though I'm developing my English but I'm happy to learn these animation stuff from you guys anyway, hoho ~laugh

    摇滚吧,我的朋友!

    那必须滴! Let's rock !

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568

    crosswind said:

    Dartanbeck said:

    crosswind said:

    Dartanbeck said:

    Oh My... the ability to grab a whole slew of collapsed keys and drag them around... something I've always just taken advantage of in Carrara... it's finally doable in DS! So Happy, and I've been doig a Lot of it ever since!

    Beyond that I'm also amazed at how much easier the keys are to select and work with now. Kudos to whoever on the team decided to make this happen!

    Yeah, being able to 'shape' the motion path of an arm, leg or hip is really cool stuff.

    Again, I'm nearly drown in the ocean of wording though I'm developing my English but I'm happy to learn these animation stuff from you guys anyway, hoho ~laugh

    摇滚吧,我的朋友!

    那必须滴! Let's rock !

    的确!
    在 Daz Studio 中摇滚和动画!

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,842

    TheMysteryIsThePoint said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    HERMITE_INTERP has been an option for Interpoaltion type since 2007 (1.8.0.10 SDK). AniMate exposed it to the UI, using the built-in featues from the SDK.

    I think I know what your point was, but I interpret it as DAZ hiding a feature from general users for 16 years.

    Well, GoFigure didn't make the interpolation type available either as far as I know. I would think it was not a matter of hiding - it's in the SDK, anyone with plug-in-development (not sure about scripting) skills could have chosen to offer a UI - but rather a matter of what end-users seemed interseted in (given that no-one had been motivated to expose it)

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568

    Richard Haseltine said:

    TheMysteryIsThePoint said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    HERMITE_INTERP has been an option for Interpoaltion type since 2007 (1.8.0.10 SDK). AniMate exposed it to the UI, using the built-in featues from the SDK.

    I think I know what your point was, but I interpret it as DAZ hiding a feature from general users for 16 years.

    Well, GoFigure didn't make the interpolation type available either as far as I know. I would think it was not a matter of hiding - it's in the SDK, anyone with plug-in-development (not sure about scripting) skills could have chosen to offer a UI - but rather a matter of what end-users seemed interseted in (given that no-one had been motivated to expose it)

    Hmmm... I wonder if Oscillate is in there! ;)

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,842
    edited January 15

    Richard Haseltine said:

    TheMysteryIsThePoint said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    HERMITE_INTERP has been an option for Interpoaltion type since 2007 (1.8.0.10 SDK). AniMate exposed it to the UI, using the built-in featues from the SDK.

    I think I know what your point was, but I interpret it as DAZ hiding a feature from general users for 16 years.

    Well, GoFigure didn't make the interpolation type available either as far as I know. I would think it was not a matter of hiding - it's in the SDK, anyone with plug-in-development (not sure about scripting) skills could have chosen to offer a UI - but rather a matter of what end-users seemed interseted in (given that no-one had been motivated to expose it)

    Yes, to scripting http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/object_index/property_dz at least since 4.11.0.210

    Post edited by Richard Haseltine on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568

    Okay, I'm not savvy to writing scripts from scratch, but reading this, Hermite is a fourth choice of interpolation types available in the engine.

    I wonder why it's not just included as a choice?

     

    Still, we have availability to it via aniMate 2, which is really useful, and someone could maybe create a script: SetKeyInterpolation Type Hermite

     

    Truly, though... according to what I've been seeing - and I have been victim of this as well - for years: Even if we've owned and used aniMate for years, we still may have not been using but a fraction of its potential toward making great animations in Daz Studio. Or even simply making our experience a Lot easier, faster, and much more enjoyable!

     

    The Power of aniMate 2 does explore these features and capabilities

    Dynamic Character Animation in Daz Studio allows us to take all of that to a whole new level

     

    Next we'll explore Movie Magic using Daz Studio, which will explore may techniques of rendering our still or animations specifically with the idea of layering everything into a larger, cohesive image or video. Many tips and techniques for setting up, saving, organizing, and rendering our work and then bringing it all into DaVinci Resolve (other compositing software will work just as easily, like HitFilm, for example) to not only layer it all together, but also to work with each layer in post to create Depth of Field, exciting Visual Effects, additional motion in the scene and other cinematic post work effects. As well, we'll dive into my workflow on what I do from there - how I treat each individual sequence for a smoother experience in the editing phase later, when I'm assembling a complete video.

    Within all of that, we'll also explore Starry Sky Iray for Daz Studio and take a look at the wonders of working with real stars in our space scenes, including animated space travel and jumping in and out of FTL (Faster Than Light) sci-fi travel.

    Should be Will be a lot of fun!

  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,828
    edited January 15

    Hmmm... I wonder if Oscillate is in there! ;)


    There are many powerful mathmatical Cycling filters in this FREE plugin from Mcasual.
    Adding cyclical auto-animation of any animatable parameter in Daz studio including morphs
    (Character clothing & hair wheels ,helicopter blades , autoblinking  of lights etc)

    Screen Shot 2024-01-15 at 11.39.20 AM.png
    1866 x 979 - 365K
    Post edited by wolf359 on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,842

    Dartanbeck said:

    Okay, I'm not savvy to writing scripts from scratch, but reading this, Hermite is a fourth choice of interpolation types available in the engine.

    I wonder why it's not just included as a choice?

    Because it needs coding and the developer hasn't managed to fit it in yet.

     

    Still, we have availability to it via aniMate 2, which is really useful, and someone could maybe create a script: SetKeyInterpolation Type Hermite

     

    Truly, though... according to what I've been seeing - and I have been victim of this as well - for years: Even if we've owned and used aniMate for years, we still may have not been using but a fraction of its potential toward making great animations in Daz Studio. Or even simply making our experience a Lot easier, faster, and much more enjoyable!

     

    The Power of aniMate 2 does explore these features and capabilities

    Dynamic Character Animation in Daz Studio allows us to take all of that to a whole new level

     

    Next we'll explore Movie Magic using Daz Studio, which will explore may techniques of rendering our still or animations specifically with the idea of layering everything into a larger, cohesive image or video. Many tips and techniques for setting up, saving, organizing, and rendering our work and then bringing it all into DaVinci Resolve (other compositing software will work just as easily, like HitFilm, for example) to not only layer it all together, but also to work with each layer in post to create Depth of Field, exciting Visual Effects, additional motion in the scene and other cinematic post work effects. As well, we'll dive into my workflow on what I do from there - how I treat each individual sequence for a smoother experience in the editing phase later, when I'm assembling a complete video.

    Within all of that, we'll also explore Starry Sky Iray for Daz Studio and take a look at the wonders of working with real stars in our space scenes, including animated space travel and jumping in and out of FTL (Faster Than Light) sci-fi travel.

    Should be Will be a lot of fun!

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568
    edited January 15

    wolf359 said:

    Hmmm... I wonder if Oscillate is in there! ;)


    There are many powerful mathmatical Cycling filters in this FREE plugin from Mcasual.
    Adding cyclical auto-animation of any animatable parameter in Daz studio including morphs
    (Character clothing & hair wheels ,helicopter blades , autoblinking  of lights etc)

    Looks like an oscillating tweener! I'm going to have to check that out - see what else it has besides "Sine".

     

    Carrara has functions like Sine, Sawtooth, Noise, Bounce, Formula and I think Cubic or something like that. It's been a while. 

    Fenric even made a plugin that allows us to stack multiple tweeners, but I haven't run across a situation that compelled my to try it yet. 

    Post edited by Dartanbeck on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568

    @Richard - yeah, I get that. No problems on this end. It sure would be a useful option for the keys of dials that operate the posing of limb - like arms up/down, for example, because it wouldn't overshoot the highest or lowest dial values. TCB and other bezier curve based tweeners can often make a real mess of things.

     

    Again... more a suggestion than a grip. We can do that ourselves now simply be selecting the first of the two keys that we don't want to overshoot and set it to Linear, and we basically have cubic interpolation. Just a more manual approach is all - and I don't even mind doing that.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,208

    I too asked for all these things over the past 14 years but nobody who could write scripts let alone DAZ developers were interested in animating

    MCasual has been my mainstay heart as far as doing any animation in D|S 

    (I mostly just swear and go back to Carrara or iClone etc blush)

    S l o w l y DAZ is finally adding usefull animation features to Studio and for that I am grateful

    but

    please developers look in Carrara for some ideas for more enlightened(if you are not going to develop Carrara further that is)

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,842

    WendyLuvsCatz said:

    I too asked for all these things over the past 14 years but nobody who could write scripts let alone DAZ developers were interested in animating

    at least one of the developers is interested in animation.

    MCasual has been my mainstay heart as far as doing any animation in D|S 

    (I mostly just swear and go back to Carrara or iClone etc blush)

    S l o w l y DAZ is finally adding usefull animation features to Studio and for that I am grateful

    but

    please developers look in Carrara for some ideas for more enlightened(if you are not going to develop Carrara further that is)

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568

    Richard Haseltine said:

    WendyLuvsCatz said:

    I too asked for all these things over the past 14 years but nobody who could write scripts let alone DAZ developers were interested in animating

    at least one of the developers is interested in animation.

    smiley

  • ArtAngelArtAngel Posts: 1,692

    Dartanbeck said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    WendyLuvsCatz said:

    I too asked for all these things over the past 14 years but nobody who could write scripts let alone DAZ developers were interested in animating

    at least one of the developers is interested in animation.

    smiley

    I bought both of your products, partially because you share and share and share and I felt supporting you was a no brainer and partially because you were brave enough to leave carrara for a moment or tons of moments and dive into animation within Daz. Kudos to you for taking the leap and sharing your journey. I will let you know howI feel about your tutorials in the near future, and again congrats and best wishes towards successful sales. You do deserve them.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,568

    Thank You for the Awesome and Kind Words, ArtAngel!!! 

    I think you'll have a Blast! I sure hope you do! 

     

    I also think that you'll agree that my methods Really make animation in Daz Studio a Much better experience! 

  • nelsonsmithnelsonsmith Posts: 1,336

    There used to be people back in the day that would always bash Daz as not being as tool professional animators would use, ( the same people who would condone it's lack of diversity in figures ) but the program has slowly fixed all these problems.  I honestly believe Daz could definitely be used for independent animation,  but it could use some tutorials for those would are ready for that next level.  But honestly when you look at all the tutorials out there in places like Coursera, Domestika and Udemy for software like Bender, or Zbrush, you'd think you would be able to find different levels of courses for Daz; however no such luck, and Daz isn't the only software out there that for some reasons don't have intensive courses capable of taking a novice from Beginner to Intermediate and then from intermediate to Advanced.  Try finding courses on how to program Vocaloid.

  • wolf359wolf359 Posts: 3,828
    edited January 19

    But honestly when you look at all the tutorials out there in places like Coursera, Domestika and Udemy for software like Bender, or Zbrush, you'd think you would be able to find different levels of courses for Daz; however no such luck, 
     

     

    Is there a large & active community of Daz studio animators??cool

     

    I just started learning Autodesk Maya

    The best learning resources for Maya/ motionbuilder are FREE video’s on youtube IMHO.

    So much so that Autodesk Need only have a glorfied Wikki level online presence along with thier official help desk
    But there has to be an active community of users( even hobbyists) who animate characters. creating those YT videos like there is for Blender ,C4D or at the very least the Actual software maker  posting tutorials on their official YT channel the way Reallusion does quite regularly. 

     The courses for Daz animation by @Dartanbeck 
    seems very thorough.
    https://www.daz3d.com/the-power-of-animate-2--animating-with-precision-in-daz-studio

    Also remember that those places like Udemy etc Offer courses on software that will likely get graduates a job in the professional animation/VFX/game dev industry to attract tuition/fee paying students to their schools/courses
    Now you go to professional sites like Artstation and look at the jobs section
    (Go read the job posts on Artstation yourself if you care to)
    https://www.artstation.com/jobs/all

    You will see what software skills the animation/VFX studios are looking for.
    You will not find Daz studio, Poser listed  because the
    the professional Animation/VFX/Game dev industry does not  appear to be seeking users of these programs.
    Just as they are not seeking users of Krita ,Affinity Designer or GIMP or even Blender frankly.
    However there  is a huge library of YT videos on using Krita,GIMP Blender etc. posted by the  active user base, so you cant  blame snobbery by the so called "Pros" for any percieved lack of Daz animation learning resources outside of these Daz forums
    and the $$price$$ of Daz studio is certainly not any deterrent cool.

    There is a facebook group literally called “Daz studio animations”.
    Dozens of members ,yet only three people actually post Daz Studio related animations there.
    Myself & Havanalibere
    https://www.daz3d.com/havanalibere
    promoting our genesis 8-9 animation products that we created in external softwares 
    (Motionbulder,Iclone Endorphin, Mixamo.)

    And one other guy posting sexy dances of the vestigial G2 female rendered in the “Virtuamate” app with realistic
    “jiggle physics”devil
    Everything else posted is just stills.indecision

    It is a simple matter of supply and demand and user base enthusiasm for Character Animation  with the software.

    Post edited by wolf359 on
  • phBaumardphBaumard Posts: 11
    edited March 17

    Formidale ! La compréhension est facile.

    https://www.daz3d.com/animate-2-mastery-complete

    Edited to use store link instead of Product Library link

    Post edited by Richard Haseltine on
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