Leanne 8.1

Grim-Red

outrider42 said:

FSMCDesigns said:

LOL, reading these posts looks like the pricing is in lock step with the pricing of gas, food and rent here in the US.

Looking at the promos, I really like the skin and the HD details, but her face is to masculine for my tastes. I'll probably pick her up at some point because i would love to see what i could do to make her face more feminine and I think she would be a good addition to my gene pool.

And look how people are reacting to that. Driving less, moving to cheaper places, buying cheaper food, they are cutting back what they buy somewhere. That "somewhere" is often on hobby stuff, which is what Daz typically is for most users. Also...those things are real items you can hold in your hands. You cannot hold Leanna 8.1 in your hand. There is no supply shortage of Leanne because the 3D model can be replicated an unlimited number of times. The only limiting factor in who can buy Leanna is the number of Daz users, and their bank accounts. Otherwise they can supply Leanna 8.1 indefinitely to every man, woman, and child on the planet...provided they have Daz accounts.

These things are simply not comparable. Ever. You cannot possibly compare Daz to common essentials, much less any real world physical items that have limited resources. We went over this during the March Madness sale, which BTW just so happened to drop sale prices about halfway through the sale. Gee I wonder what happened there? I have no idea. Digital products have their own economy independent from the real world. There certainly are factors in setting digital prices, obviously they can't just give it away and I don't expect that. Of course it takes time to create these items, which is ultimately what people pay for here. But I also do not see any reason to increase prices, either. Not on digital goods.

If anything, Daz should have seen huge profits last year. Pretty much anything that could be done at home saw big increases last year. Gaming, streaming, whatever you can do at home saw big gains, and well Daz is one of those things. So actually, Daz should be doing wonderfully well right now. I do not know if that is the case, but if it is, that makes the price increases even worse IMO. If business at Daz is not going really well right now, then they are doing something very, very wrong.

That said, I think Leanna is alright. The promos look pretty decent. She doesn't stand out, and maybe that is the point. You can't have super models every time. Leanna looks more grounded in reality than most of the main Daz crew, and especially compared to some of the goofy stuff in the past year or so. She has the character actor in a weekly drama look going.

However, I have zero interest in any of the bundles. Certainly not at these prices. I might get Leanna some time when she goes on a better discount, but I will probably never get the bundles. I used to get bundles here and there, now I almost never get a bundle from Daz. Part of it is learning more about Daz, but another is the pricing and quality of things in Daz bundles. That is whole different issue, the growing complaints about quality of items in bundles. So we are paying more and often seeing less quality. Now there are some comparisons that can be made in that regard, with quality seemingly becoming an optional component of a lot of things we buy today. But that is a whole different argument, because again, those things are physical goods.

 

If you want to know why prices have also changed for digital goods, pick up a 3D program for modelling professionally ( Blender is free, but MD is not, neither ZBrush often used in combo to model in 3D). Start modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering for promos yourself to have an idea.

The amount of working hours will wildly exceed a regular " day job" and those prices cover: modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering, aka promo artists. The list of people that are paid to produce these digital goods is quite long, i don't think you assume they work for free. I understand your point, of course, but there is a lot more than meets the eye

FSMCDesigns

Grim-Red said:

 

If you want to know why prices have also changed for digital goods, pick up a 3D program for modelling professionally ( Blender is free, but MD is not, neither ZBrush often used in combo to model in 3D). Start modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering for promos yourself to have an idea.

The amount of working hours will wildly exceed a regular " day job" and those prices cover: modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering, aka promo artists. The list of people that are paid to produce these digital goods is quite long, i don't think you assume they work for free. I understand your point, of course, but there is a lot more than meets the eye

Agreed, unfortunately many here don't care about the reasons, only what affects them

daveso

are they scars or blemishes? anyway, they give her a different look than all those too perfect skinned ultra models created here. Probably one of the nicest overall looks sold here in a long time. 

Philippi_Child

I like her imperfections she looks like people I see everyday. Imperfections and age in a character is what draws me to them the reason I buy them. It may have something to do with my age group too as we age things happen lol. I just wish I wasn't so staunch in moving to DS 4.20 because I am unsure how it would work on my PC. But if I could I'd grab her. Just the character not the bundle.

mwokee

Grim-Red said:

 

If you want to know why prices have also changed for digital goods, pick up a 3D program for modelling professionally ( Blender is free, but MD is not, neither ZBrush often used in combo to model in 3D). Start modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering for promos yourself to have an idea.

The amount of working hours will wildly exceed a regular " day job" and those prices cover: modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering, aka promo artists. The list of people that are paid to produce these digital goods is quite long, i don't think you assume they work for free. I understand your point, of course, but there is a lot more than meets the eye

The agency where I sell my art does not pay me more when my costs go up. I don't see anyone caring or giving me any breaks now that I earn less for the same amount of labor.

If I had the skills I'd be producing new 3D products that are original and fresh, not duplicates of what's already been done. That's how you make money in a saturated market. Raising prices on products most people don't need is how you strangle your business. Leanne is a great character but who wants more armor and swords and poses offered in the bundles? That's where the PA's lose, the time and effort they put into items that aren't going to sell.

Barubary

Grim-Red said:

If you want to know why prices have also changed for digital goods, pick up a 3D program for modelling professionally ( Blender is free, but MD is not, neither ZBrush often used in combo to model in 3D). Start modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering for promos yourself to have an idea.

The amount of working hours will wildly exceed a regular " day job" and those prices cover: modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering, aka promo artists. The list of people that are paid to produce these digital goods is quite long, i don't think you assume they work for free. I understand your point, of course, but there is a lot more than meets the eye

I'm afraid I don't get it, in what way did modelling get (even) harder, recently? 

LiveInBeauty

The promo images for Leanne has changed, maybe to show more versatily than the time travel assassin (hello Assassin's Creed) theme proposed by marketing  team?

PerttiA

daveso said:

are they scars or blemishes? anyway, they give her a different look than all those too perfect skinned ultra models created here. Probably one of the nicest overall looks sold here in a long time. 

I don't see any scars on her 

Dandene

I was trying to hold off buying anything right now but. . .she just looks so gooood.  I love the amount of detail.  

sid

LiveInBeauty said:

The promo images for Leanne has changed, maybe to show more versatily than the time travel assassin (hello Assassin's Creed) theme proposed by marketing  team?

Haha, didn't see this shaping option until you pointed it out. (No stretch mark textures tho :D)

Gogger

Anyone know if this is a trick of the lights in this scene, or does she actually have a blue line on her neck?  It was in more than one promo image so was curious.

tsarist

FSMCDesigns said:

Grim-Red said:

 

If you want to know why prices have also changed for digital goods, pick up a 3D program for modelling professionally ( Blender is free, but MD is not, neither ZBrush often used in combo to model in 3D). Start modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering for promos yourself to have an idea.

The amount of working hours will wildly exceed a regular " day job" and those prices cover: modelling, rigging, texturing, testing and rendering, aka promo artists. The list of people that are paid to produce these digital goods is quite long, i don't think you assume they work for free. I understand your point, of course, but there is a lot more than meets the eye

Agreed, unfortunately many here don't care about the reasons, only what affects them

Hmmm. No.

There are a lot of professionals here & we understand what it takes to create art. That doesn't change the reality that the money just isn't there anymore.

It costs me FAR more money to GET & then SERVICE a client. Fuel, utilities, rent, food. All going up. No problem, I don't mind paying you more, but the money's NOT there.

The thing a lot of people talking about the rising prices are warning is that it will drive AWAY business. You can charge more but it doesn't help if people spend LESS.

Last month was the FIRST March Madness that I spent almost nothing here at Daz. This was the FIRST March Madness that I actually went & looked in at Rendo regularly. In times past they could have been giving away bundles over there & I wouldn't have known it. If I were a vendor or Daz, this paragraph would scare the crap out of me. Because I'm not an isolated case.

Daz relies more heavily on hobbyists, who are notorious "cord cutters." What do people cut when money gets tight? They start looking for ways to cut spending. Gym membership? Cut. Big Cable TV package? Cut. Hobbies? Yes, you see where this is going.

For better or worse, professionals may have to deal with this, to a certain extent. Yes, we COULD run out & buy modelling software and make our own stuff (which I actually own) but that's a silly thing to even bring up. There just isn't time and the person who suggested that knows full well that fact.

We NEED hobbyists because without them vendors are going to keep jacking up the prices until they eventually put the final nail in the smaller pros (and their own) coffins.

tsarist

ioonrxoon said:

I like almost everything here, aside from the hdri and the metamixer, but at $147 with nothing on the side... fugeddaboutit. No banner either for me, is there one?

Time Jumper HD Outfit is a real stand-out... and this comes from a skimpwear fan. I'll have to decide if I pick some things up or wait for a better deal on the bundle.

Yes. I love the character & the bundle, but the price is just too much. Plus no freebies? Seriously?

RL_Media

Gogger said:

Anyone know if this is a trick of the lights in this scene, or does she actually have a blue line on her neck?  It was in more than one promo image so was curious.

 

Looks like the green seam lines that appear on a lot of skin sets when you turn on spectral rendering. No idea what causes it, and why some get the lines, and others don't.

Dandene

I ran a few test renders with her and if the line is there, it's not as noticeable as in the promos.  I rotated the camera around and didn't seem to notice a line.  I tested with spec on and off.  I also tested under different lighting.

xyer0

I've noticed that the seams are more noticeable with white-based HDRIs.

MelissaGT

Dandene said:

I ran a few test renders with her and if the line is there, it's not as noticeable as in the promos.  I rotated the camera around and didn't seem to notice a line.  I tested with spec on and off.  I also tested under different lighting.

My guess is that whoever did those particular promos is not using DS 4.20. There was a change to spectral rendering with DS 4.20. If you have DS 4.15 still installed, can you try with that one? I'm willing to bet that's what it is.  

sid

sid said:

MelissaGT said:

Just noticed she has a skin seam where the head and neck texture meet in the closeups with the dark background...which means she probably has noticeable seams everywhere. My guess is those promos were done with spectral rendering turned on...and her skin settings (sss) are not compatible with spectral rendering out of the box. 

It's possibly just that make-up set (which I can't see is included with the base figure). Some samples below with one of the included makeups, second with spectral.

 

 

The samples above were done in a previous version of Daz.  I think 4.15. I'm tempted to think it was just that particular makeup causing the seam

Dandene

I'm really loving her so far.  I slapped together a quick render with my favorite HDRI.  This is mostly right out of the box.  I think the only thing I tweaked on her was her mouth (I made it slightly more narrow).  Please excuse the noise.  I didn't have a chance to render it for very long.         

xyer0 said:

I've noticed that the seams are more noticeable with white-based HDRIs.

I ran some more test renders with a custom white-based HDRI and two point lights just to give it a little more light (in case I just wasn't seeing the seam clearly).  It might be as Melissa suggests.  I'm running 4.20 atm.  Unfortunately, I'm unable to run a test in 4.15.  

MelissaGT said:

My guess is that whoever did those particular promos is not using DS 4.20. There was a change to spectral rendering with DS 4.20. If you have DS 4.15 still installed, can you try with that one? I'm willing to bet that's what it is.  

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have a copy of 4.15 still installed (I checked to see if I still had the installer.  Looks like a big nope. ) I checked around to see if I could find any noticeable seams but if there are any, I'm not catching them.  Definitely not the blue line.     

Gogger

Thanks for checking on the blue neck line, everyone.  I figured it would be a material seam, or make-up issue. Easy enough to hide in a render, if needed.