I've spent many hours trying to get satisfactory results in this room. Of course, I admit I haven't read the damned manual. Still... 1. The task of selecting guide hairs seems completely impossible. When I try to select the guide hairs on the front of the head, it's as if the head object is not there to block the hairs at the back of the head from being selected as well. And some guide hairs that do fit within the selection box I create refuse to be selected. 2. Calculating dynamics seems to undo any of the so-called "styling" you succeed at creating with individual guide hairs. Now I know why people choose to paint the hair instead of trying to create it, and also why there are so few decent hair models for sale or for free--especially for male models. Does Poser 6 or Shade do a better job with hair? (Jeez, hope I don't sound too cranky--Poser actually does rock!)

LOL, Been there: Try this: Make one group at a time, front, top, back, sides. Then you can select the group you want to style. That way there is nothing else to select, since the rest are in different groups. Plutom

Message edited on: 03/07/2005 08:35

Attached Link: http://studioverite.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=5

I think anyone that's ever used P5 on an extended basis has had the same headaches with the hair room as you are experiencing. Think of it as a "rights of passage" thing. heh. There is a rather good tutorial on the hair room that a member by the name of "softriver" created on her site. It's detailed and explains most every step. It may take you a few rounds through the tutorial to get the desired results but you'll definately get practice. The main question is patience. You can't go in the hair room expecting to come out of it in 10 minutes, or even an hour or two, with anything promising. Unless maybe you're making a mohawk. heh. One tip is, use a LOW-POLLY skull cap, which softriver provides at her site for her tutorials. Also, work from the lowest parts up. Example, sideburns first, the low back of the head/neck first, etc. and do it evenly. Left sideburn, back, right sideburn, etc. use Plutom's tips too, with the lighting. And, any guide hairs accidentally selected can be deselected as well. wish you luck 8-) E.D.

added note: personally i prefer the externally modeled hair objects that use layers and transparency settings, in combination with hair texture maps. i think they look better, and in some instances can be more realistic. but the hair room can produce some really nice results too, when its in the right hands. and i agree that hair for male models is hard to come by. i'm hoping to begin work on some male hair objects in the near future. E.D.

The advantage that strand-based (dynamic) hair has over modeled hair is evident in animation. In order to animate modeled hair convincingly, you would need to add a whole lot of morphs and keyframes. I agree, though, that modeled hair can sometimes look nicer, but with the proper materials, dynamic hair can look just as good if not better.

well yeah, i can agree. but i dont do animations, yet, so i'm mainly referring to still images. 8-) Even with a million morphs, modeled hair would doubtfully get the same fluidity that dynamic hair would in animations. E.D.

1. The task of selecting guide hairs seems completely impossible. When I try to select the guide hairs on the front of the head, it's as if the head object is not there to block the hairs at the back of the head from being selected as well.

It's a bit tedious, but not impossible. Use those preview settings balls. Wireframe, hidden line, etc. One will let you select the opposite polygons (convenient for symmetry), while another will only let you select polys on the side facing you.

I also recommend Softriver's tutorial. It's the best I've seen for detailed styling.

2. Calculating dynamics seems to undo any of the so-called "styling" you succeed at creating with individual guide hairs.

You don't have to use dynamics, and you can adjust how much the hair is affected by dynamics.

For dynamics, consider buying Kirwyn's "Genesis Hair" in the Marketplace. It's well worth the $8. In addition to a great tutorial, you get hair and low-res "proxy figures" for most of the major female characters. This lets you calculate the dynamics very quickly. Then you can substitute the higher-res actual figure, and if necessary make the hair higher-res for the final render.

E.D. Thanks for the lead to a tutorial. However, when I go to the link, I just get a posting on a message board that references the tutorial. How do I get the tutorial itself?? (Thanks to the rest of you for empathy and suggestions!)

just click the link to the forum messages. the tutorial is posted in stages as messages in the forum. you might have to be a member of the forum to read the messages (but its free so no biggie). E.D.