G8.1 Expressions - Where Do We Stand Now?
zombiewhacker
Posts: 684
in The Commons
Haven't embraced G8.1 just quite yet, but I'm wondering if DAZ has made any progress in bridging the 8.1 figure with expressions designed for 8.0. Apparently users here discussed some workaround where you would alter a subdirectory allowing Studio to apply 8.0 expressions on 8.1 figures. Is that still the only option right now, and does the workaround break expression sets made specifically for 8.1?
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As DAZ has disabled the G8 expressions on G8.1 on purpose (whatever it may be), the situation is not going to change.
Making the G8 base expressions (and any expressions that are using them) work on G8.1 requires removing dummy/placeholder expressions that are installed to G8.1 morph folders - These dummy/placeholder expression files have no other function than to prevent the base G8 expressions from loading.
The dummy/placeholder files are located in;
...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Female 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Base Pose Head\ (255 files, can be more if you have additional DAZ expression packs)
...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Female 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Expressions\ (24 files, can be more if you have additional DAZ expression packs)
...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Male 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Base Pose Head\ (255 files, can be more if you have additional DAZ expression packs)
...\Data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Male 8_1\Morphs\Daz 3D\Expressions\ (24 files, can be more if you have additional DAZ expression packs)
Please make sure you are removing the files from G8.1 morph folders and not G8 morph folders.
Note 1; If you are logging in to DS and letting DAZ Connect (within DS) to install/update your content, you may have these also in an other location that has "\Data\Cloud\" in it's path
Note 2; Do not remove any files from "FACS" or "FACSExpressions" folders
...so much for "backwards compaitbility".
What kills me is that the expression that are specifically FOR Genesis 8.1 don't work. Oh, you may find one or two in the long list that does something. But most of the sliders do absolutely nothing.
Expression for Geneis 8.1 are the absolute pitts!
Does this work around work if you have installed with Daz Connect?
If you have expression sliders that do nothing, those are G8 expressions that need the base G8 expressions to work.
The instructions do work with DAZ Connect installed content as well, but you must find the files in the relevant Connect library and make sure you don'ty have them installed also with the other available means.
The expressions were clearly stated to be an exception.
The full workaround does not interfere with 8.1's expressions, as far as I know, but you need to do a bit more than PerttiA has described to completely avoid conflicts:
...still it seems to be reliant on the 8.1 mesh itself. As I understand unless a product mentions both G8 and G8.1, content and characters specified as compatible for just for 8.1 only work with 8.1.
Aside from the surface groups the meshes are the same. They are, however, separate items - daz has added metadata so that * items will work on 8.1, and possibly tweaked the loading code to cover morphs, but not vice versa - 8 would not be able to handle 8.1 content using the new UVs, for example - so using 8.1 content on 8 may require some - generally minor - workarounds.
Not metadata Richard, in the data folder there are two files, one for 8.1 female and the other for 8.1 male, these two files tell DS to add 8.0's content as addons for 8.1.
Only time I let the CMS run is when I'm saving using any of the options under "File > Save As > Support Asset", as DS hard crashes without it. So 8.1 has no problems using 8.0's content, morphs and UVs without the CMS or metadata.
I've done a fair bit of messing about trying to create files to go from 8.1 to 8.0, so far without any success, which makes me think there is also code in DS that makes this one way only.
There comes a point, when backward compatibility prevents progress. You don't want to run an old car on unleaded gasoline. In this case, expressions aside, G8.1 characters are fully backward compatible with G8 assets, as well as many even earlier assets. There was no promise I can recall that G8 characters would be forward compatible with G8.1 assets.
...which I take would pretty much mean no dice using the G8 to G3 conversion scripts on an 8.1 character or content.
Agreed. seeing as 8.1 comes with DS, you have nothing to lose by trying it our for yourself.
Do the Genesis 8.1 skins work on all the previous generations of Daz characters, or only on 8.1 characters, and only in the lastest version of Daz Studio?
Backward compatible. You can use G3 and G8.0 skins on G8.1 characters.
Forward compatibility also exists as a concept, but doesn't really apply to the DAZ base figures.
Yup, agreed.
Proper G8.1 skins require G8.1 characters. They do not require the latest version (4.20) of DS.