Like switch off body parts? Change textures? Running DS on 800Mhz/256RAM/win 2k Here are a few other problems. I've successfully imported 2 cr2s (of my own products), saved them as a .daz file, etc. Re-opens no problem. The thing is, my figures are doors and windows with multiple parts, so they depend heavily on switching things off. A window figure may have 3 different sets of windows in it and you only use one at a time. So far, I've found no way of switching off body parts I don't want to see. Secondly, each body part of my figures contains a LOT of morphs. No matter what I select, I only get one set of morphs and they always affect the same body part. Thirdly, my first spot render always takes about 5 minutes and turns up black. I'm talking about a 1 x 1 inch area here. The next one takes maybe 30 - 40 seconds. My machine's slow, I know, but 5 minutes for a spot? My initial impressions are good. Maybe these are things that aren't yet implemented, so I'm not passing judgement or complaining, just commenting. Once I hacked the registry and got rid of the daz default scene, things went faster. mac X-posting this at DAZ

on the black render... have you added lights? The lighting you see when you load objects is lika an ambient for the display only... you have to add lights for render...

I have noticed too that an initial takes longer than a subsequent render. It seems DS needs to do an initial Getting It's S**t Together thing and then runs with it. That's been my experience. BTW- More RAM will speed things up TREMENDOUSLY! Recommend AT LEAST 512 MB to be a Happy Camper! One hiddening trick is go into the MAT editor (Surfaces Dialog Tab) and make the part invisible. Select the part first and then go into the dialog.

Yep, dave. I added lights. Being smart (or at least, not completely dumb), I filled in my time waiting for DS by reading what people were doing wrong, so I picked up on that one. Right, veritas. I need way more RAM, not to mention a new machine, but I'm stcuk with this one for a couple of months more. What I have noticed is that the status bar initially shows DS 'optimising' each texture in the scene, but I started timing AFTER it had done that. Oh well... Good tip about hiding, I never thought of that. mac

Black render is because there are actually no lights in your scene. Preview will display your scene but you need to light it. The 5 min spot render might be a section with heavy transmapping. I think even without lights it calculated the trans, bump, etc. try using openGl for drafts. "Visible" check box is at the bottom of the Parameters tab after you have selected the item in the Scene(hierarchy) palette.

Thanks folks, Anton, I did have lights, but I figured out the render thing. I wasn't checking 'Open GL render'. When I did check it, it rendered in seconds. And for some reason, my first spot renders aren't black any more. I opened DS several times and they're all OK now. Weird. Can someone explain the difference between having open GL render checked and unchecked? Does it just take advantage of your video card to speed things up? I didn't notice any difference in the quality. mac

OpenGl is a more basic renderer for me. The other is Raytraced? OpenGL is faster and good for test renders I think. At least for me. But I turn it off for final render

PS Does anyone know how to change the camera focal length? Can it be done in the alpha? I seem to be stuck with a weird wide-angle when I zoom out from large objects. mac

Thanks anton. That's what I need. Something for fast tests. I wish it would keep my defaults though, so I don't have to keep resetting size and options every time I open it. No doubt that will be added later. mac

when I do an opengl render, it pops up the scen in about 2 seconds...unbelievable... propably closer to 5 min or more otherwise... I was watching the render line..it slows to a crawl at eyes... and anywhere there is heavy transparency...

Yep, dave. I've just been playing with it. I think it's around 2 seconds, but it goes so damn fast, I can't be sure. LOL. Now I need to try some bigger ones. mac

I believe the arroe icon in black at the bottom right above the word "Tran" will reset your camera

Attached Link: Rollercoaster screensaver

after messing with this prog more, the camera control is real nice...very fast...its possible to zoom a great distance quickly... Dan Farr had a message at DAZ stating the animation module was in place, but not active(thinks that's how he said it )...maybe that camera parenting will be possible :)

cool

If you watch the focal length when you use the zoom, you will see the zoom controls it. Not much point in adding the camera. That's how I see it. I could be wrong.

yeah..after I added the camera, then used the zoom, I noticed that.... for animation it will probably be good...

I don't like having all palettes open. I like the options to close what I don't want if I can get a bigger workspace. Nice having options on different palettes.

Btw, there aren't really "parts" in DS. Solid mesh with bonevertice weight deformation, like other programs. I suppose the group info could at some point be used in a similar way as material areas for invisibility, but not atm. Morphs right now are kept in lists under parameters by choosing "Morphs"(the main channel is equivilant to BODY in Poser)from the pulldown. You can select Poser "part" equivilant areas there for morphs. "Ungrouped" is the translation controls etc.

Good info. Thanks.

O, and to see morphs per part, you have to have both the bone in Scene Hierarchy AND the morph channel in parameter pane selected. Little workflow issue there. ^^

hmm. Having to click all the way down the hierarchy to get to parented hand, foot, and headprops is a bit..... as well.

"Btw, there aren't really "parts" in DS. Solid mesh with bonevertice weight deformation, like other programs. I suppose the group info could at some point be used in a similar way as material areas for invisibility, but not atm" ...AFAIK Poser functions essentually the same way. I don't know if you meant to imply otherwise (?), but it sounded a little misleading... though I guess Poser would/could be included in "like other programs" ;).

I think what he meant was, Daz STudio doesn't actually require the .obj format to have internal groups names.

Ahh.. interesting. But that would proclude their use in things like hiding body-parts, creating morphs and setting different display styles on them... seems like they're really required for practical purposes (I guess you could create morphs based on the entire mesh, but...).

you can hid hide the bodyparts now. Sounds like DS has a way of recognizing the areas without .obj grouping data. That would mean figure creation outside of Poser. Who knows.

""Visible" check box is at the bottom of the Parameters tab after you have selected the item in the Scene(hierarchy) palette." ...only on props? Can you hide say the 'hip' of a figure? If so, how?

Attached Link: http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=1881

Zoom is focal length. Dolly is Camera move. What you would want to do is zoom until the wall looks flat, then dolly the camera out.

Perfect! Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks a bunch. mac

One thing I'm not getting. How do you use the 3 camera icons at the top right of the preview window? I can't get them to do anything. mac

Click-and-hold-and-drag on them.

(you must not be a Cinema4D user ;).

LOL. How weird. I just tried it now and it works. Thanks keith. I'm a max user, actually. mac

Actually, I just had them NOT work... if you do a 'spot render', you need to use the primary camera tools to move the camera.. that clears the render from the screen and then the little title-bar tools work again.