Using female skins on male models
(I tried to do a forum search but the results kept repeating, perhaps because of the browser add-ons. However, I also have a suggestion that perhaps hasn't been raised to accompany what is, I'm sure, a question that has been asked a number of times.)
I just downloaded the latest version of Daz and didn't care for the look of the male skins. In particular, the skin looks very very dry. It also made the face look Asian, which is fine if that's the look one wants but it's not necessarily always the one that's useful. When I tried to apply a female skin to the male model it mostly applied but I get black seams in places. Other 'feminine' things gave errors, refusing to apply entirely.
Although the pecs look rather breast-like with the female skin applied, the skin looks a lot better — more lifelike, not so dessicated.
If it is intentional to keep the sexes' skins separate my suggestion is to change that design goal going forward. It would also be ideal, I think, to have the ability to have a full intermediate range both for the models and the skin/hair. So, a universal model with masculinity and femininity sliders is what would probably be better. That way people aren't stuck with one person's concept of what a male and a female should look like. I've seen plenty of men with nicer skin, not dessicated. My skin, in fact, was very oily until I was in my late 30s. It helped to keep it looking soft and glowing (although acne was an issue). I also could not grow chest hair (throughout my 20s and 30s) nor most facial hair (only three small patches), so automatically applying body hair in various places makes a model specific to only some males. Only now that I'm in my mid-40s am I starting to get a bit of chest hair and have full facial hair.
Second Life went to a universal model after having separate male and female models for a long time. It wasn't a wholly successful change. There do have to be skeletal changes. One of the most annoying things in historical painting is when painters would use female models for male nudes/semi-nudes. This gives them female buttocks/hips. It's very obvious. This sort of thing is a trap that should be avoided. Only with intersex characters is that appropriate and in the case of those every aspect of the body is a blend of male and female (face, hip width, shoulder width, et cetera).
If anyone can help me either adapt the female skin to the male model successfully or point me to a skin designed for the male model that has glowing healthy-looking skin that isn't hairy I will be appreciative. Thanks!
Comments
You need to get UV swap. Once installed, you'll see under surfaces (windows > panes > surfaces) that when you select your character, you'll have the option to add the Genesis 8/8.1/3 Male UVs on the female and viceversa.
They tried that ten years ago with Genesis 1, and it didn't work.
Male and female meshes need different topology.
Using a morph to determine the sex causes too much texture warping and morph issues with clothing.
Yuzuru 8 and his derivative characters like Jace are generally pretty hairless, and since they're anime-style they don't look particularly Asian either.
You can use UV-Swap, but I find that female skins don't always look great an male characters, especially around the lips, and sometimes eyes and chest.
Some male skins that may fit your description:
https://www.daz3d.com/donnie-for-genesis-3-male-s
https://www.daz3d.com/sebastian-for-genesis-8-male
https://www.daz3d.com/vernon-hd-for-genesis-8-male ETA: nevermind, Vernon has some baked in body hair
https://www.daz3d.com/kota-81
https://www.daz3d.com/hal-for-genesis-8-male
Yuji by sithlordsims (Renderosity)