Hair Tutorial for DS4 Users [WIP thread]

Miss B

Gee Scott, where have you been hiding this? I'm just seeing this for the first time, and I'm liking what I see.

One question, in one of your posts on the first page you have 4 renders of the same character and hair with different settings. The third and 4th renders both mention Fantom Occlusion, and I've never heard that phrase before. I'm familiar with Ambient Occlusion, but am wondering what Fantom Occlusion is, or did you mean Phantom?

If you've already explained this in your Rendering section, just point me to it, as I haven't read it all word-for-word . . . yet. ;-)

Scott Livingston

Miss B said:

Gee Scott, where have you been hiding this? I'm just seeing this for the first time, and I'm liking what I see.

One question, in one of your posts on the first page you have 4 renders of the same character and hair with different settings. The third and 4th renders both mention Fantom Occlusion, and I've never heard that phrase before. I'm familiar with Ambient Occlusion, but am wondering what Fantom Occlusion is, or did you mean Phantom?
"Fantom" is what the setting is called in UberSurface (one of the key settings involved in Fantom Occlusion, "Occlusion" of course being another one). Why it's called "fantom" rather than "phantom," I don't know... :)

I learned the technique from wiseavatar in this thread: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/4949/ (where it was referred to as "fantom occluding" or "fantom shielding."

If you've already explained this in your Rendering section, just point me to it, as I haven't read it all word-for-word . . . yet. ;-)

Yeah I know...it's rather long... :P Fantom occlusion is explained in the section on Rendering, 7.3 specifically (the last few paragraphs before the heading "VIII. Special Topics."

bshugs@hotmail.com

Dude, you rock. I mean it. This was one of the better written tutorials I've seen in a long time. I'm fairly new to 3D, and even I was able to follow and understand. Thank you very much this.
Oh, and in case I forgot to say it earlier: You Rock.

Edit: One comment in section 7.3 you wrote

Then, from the Create menu, create a new geometry shell. The shell basically duplicates the hair, which can in effect make it appear more detailed through the process described here. Select the shell and convert it to UberSurface also. Then turn Opacity to 30%, turn Fantom and Occlusion ON and Receive Shadows and Raytracing OFF. Next, select the skullcap or base surface only and turn the opacity for that surface down to 0%. Then turn “Cast Shadows” off on the geometry shell (find this on the Parameters tab). Render it and admire the results!

(emphesis mine)

In my version it's called Accept Shadows. I'm guessing it's the same thing, but i was confused when I couldn't find it after typing "recei' in the search box. :P

Also, you might want include a warning that the Geometry Shell is white. I though I did something wrong when it showed up.

Scott Livingston

The completed tutorial is now posted here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/17656/ Please post any further responses in that thread.

Thanks, Shawn, for the Accept Shadows correction and for your kind words. :)