My weakness is backgrounds, but DAZ and RDNA offer solutions. So, have you used/tested both? What are your thoughts about these competing products? Do you prefer one over the other, and why? I know next to nothing about these products, so your opinion matters!

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=1078044&Start=1&Artist=logansfury&ByArtist=Yes

IC3.1 is phenomenol with its water plane, the many ground plane morphs, and presets. It is probably the more feature and options heavy of the two.

Both are capable of full scene renders:

IC3 examples:

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=1078044&Start=1&Artist=logansfury&ByArtist=Yes

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=941189&Start=1&Artist=logansfury&ByArtist=Yes

Cyclorama examples:

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=775822&Start=1&Artist=logansfury&ByArtist=Yes

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=790256&Start=1&Artist=logansfury&ByArtist=Yes

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=766267&Start=1&Artist=logansfury&ByArtist=Yes

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=941189&Start=1&Artist=logansfury&ByArtist=Yes

When all is said and done, compare the DAZ addons (Magic Falls, Woodland Playset, etc) to the RDNA addons (Swamped, Mystic Falls, etc) and buy based on which bgs you will use most or which set has more addons for your wishlist :)

Logan Edited to add Nudity and Violence tags, one of the above links shows gallery image with bare breasted centaur female, two links lead to violence tags due to arrows already or about to be shot at fantasy/adventure nasties

Message edited on: 01/10/2006 04:36

There's two main DAZ products and a couple of more specialised items. Cyclorama -- the simplest, basically a curved L-profile ground/backdrop item, with a couple of transmappable panels of similar shape, allowing something a little like a stage set. Good for basic DIY backgrounds Woodland Playsets (2) -- Sculpted ground, a curved backdrop, and fixed trees. The shape of the ground hides the background/foreground divide. Limited flexibility. Millenium Environment -- Sculpted and morphable ground, curved multi-layer background, many movable plant props, both 3D and 2D transmap panels. Well supported by add-on packages. Of the RDNA products, I haven't used the IC3. They have an earlier version as a freebie, which is similar to the Cyclorama. They also have a freebie Skydome. The Microcosm range can do a lot, but you need to build up the detail, it's not a drop-in-and-go system in the way the DAZ products can be. It's usable with P4, but P5/6 give more options. Yes, it's worth checking the add-ons available. RDNA have some freebies for the Microcosm range which are worth grabbing; tileable ground textures can be applied to the DAZ products. There's a fifth scenery package in the DAZ 3D Starter Bundle, which suffers from the background defaulting to be behind the camera, and PoserPros has a pack of extra props intended for the Woodland Playsets. I've probably missed stuff.

I have them all, and I really think that, IMHO, IC3 is by far the best. I like being able to arrange the setting the way I want, and this allows for more variation.

I'm only using MicroCosm, since it's by far the most flexible and original one. You can create your very own landscape with MicroCosm 2 and don't have to rely on what others create for you. As an addition I've got WeirdWeather for fog and backgrounds and some tree/plant packs from ContentParadise. Also I've added Terraformers, that does have some great landscapes too.

http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=1015461
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=1014135
http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=972280
Terraformers: http://www.contentparadise.com/us/user/product.php?productid=9111&cat=1325&page=1 WeirdWeather: http://www.contentparadise.com/us/user/product.php?productid=11822&cat=1325&page=1

Message edited on: 01/10/2006 08:05

I like Cyclorama... very easy to use. I also like the Woodland Play Sets and have done some custom fooling with the textures. I have not used IC3. Microcosm was one of my most regretted purchases. I am sure it is a fine product but I do not have the capacity to understand it or make it work so I have never used it for a render and I deinstalled it long ago :( I use Nerd's Backdrop Prop and I think that might be the easiest to shoot your own images for... it is very simple but it works.

I have all of these and I use mostly IC3, Cyclorama and Woodland Playset. Depends on the kind of scene I'm making and also on the textures I have for each of them. There are many free textures for Cyclorama, much more than for the others. This is a big incentive to use Cyclorama in my case. ;o)

I would have though there would be tonnes of Cyclorama textures but although I have got some nice ones at the store here I have only found maybe a dozen or dozen and a half free ones. Mainly (to be honest only) ones I can't use... space scapes etc. and a set that has a deer in the park. Do you know of any? I would love urban and industrial settings or even interiors as I have purchased enough landscapes... I have always wondered if domestic interiors were possible with such a product. I would love an art studio or something like that.

I don't think I have (free) interiors for cyclo. I know I have lots of free landscape textures for all seasons and countries. But where I found them??? I sure don't remember, I have problems remembering what I did 10 minutes ago. ;o( Have you tried DAZ' Freepository forum? My guess is there should be some in there.

I know what it is like. Or do I? Can't remember ;) Never been to the Freepository... I'll check it out. Re. above... my vote is Cyclorama if you have a few bucks and Nerd if you don't. IC3? Just dunno.

Again I use Cyclorama and IC3 and as someone said above the IC3 is great with the new morhping ground plane but the Cyclorama is eually good with it's uses. You want advice, get both!

I use both. IC3 is more flexible because of the morphing ground plane that is a separate piece. I have added that plane on top of the Cyclo ground for some interesting effects.

I have some Cyclorama textures that use bump/displacement for small effects on the "floor" area... but certainly that is not the same effect of using morphs... I suppose magnets and waves could be used.

I picked up IC3.1, the Water Morph Update (IC 3.2), the Lighting FX pack (which sadly, I haven't quite figured out how to use, yet... since I r teh stoopid) :o)

I love all of the various terrain morphing effects with the product.

I've got Cyclorama, but it tends to look way too 2 dimensional when I work with it (since it hasn't been as easy for me to figure out how to set up as the background plane/ground plain/MAT poses of Infinity Cove 3). Occasionally, I get shadows going from the ground plane up the background which looks really weird when it's supposed to be a horizon off in the distance. :o)

If you can find IC 3 on sale, grab it. I did, and haven't regretted it for a moment. They need to make more freebies for it, though. Just about everything I've gotten for it has been commercial. Give us some freebies for IC3, dang it! :o(

Ajrarn has a simple backdrop prop in the freestuff here, and you can find a few others like it if you look around hard enough.

RDNA has a freebie terrain backdrop which I used a lot (until picking up Infinity Cove 3)

I think Nerd's Background Tool is $10 or so. Poser Pros had it in their freebie list during their Buy One/Get One Free sales, but I've been so busy with IC3 that I haven't really needed to learn any of the others. Maybe the next time they run one of those sales, you can pick it out for your freebie after buying a qualifying purchase. You won't be out any money that way if you don't like it. :o)

Message edited on: 01/10/2006 17:15

I tend to use microcosm and IC3 along with the custom landscape settings from Odd Ditty Foundry, since they can all use the microcosm MAT files and belnd in to the restof it really well. I'll often use the RDNA Skydome, as well, as I don't like the fact that the Cyclorama limits both my vertical and horizontal camera angle options, and always seems flat to me. With thing slike the ODF shrubs or the Modulaz expansions for Microcosm for background plants, and Transpond's incredible plants for upfront, the ability to create a great looking background is pretty much a series of clicks away, even if you don't use the morphs for all those things. And you aren't limited with them like you are the cyclorama and such -- you can use any camera angle, and save them for later use, as well (just add the whole scene to your figures library). IF it was me, I'd say forget the cyclorama - but I do understand the temptation of it, lol: it's quick and looks good. But then, it also looks like everyone elses...

And what about the "Backdrop Tool"? It's simple enough that you can make your own scenes for it with any digital camera. Instructions included. ;-)

Message edited on: 01/10/2006 23:30

As has already been said, I too use the IC3 more these days than cyclorama simply because I can use the background plane on it's own. I can put any image on it and I use it now for doing backgrounds instead of using "import background" which never seems to work that well! I just load the IC3 background plane, attach an image map to it and then scale it what I want! Perfect background every time.

I've got Cyclorama and Microcosm. I almost exclusively use Microcosm - like aeilkema says, almost unlimited flexibility. Another environment I've used quite a lot is WorldZ V2 by Andi3D. The freebie has a very simple ground plane (make it invisible and drop in a Macrocosm for realism), but it's use of parented lights for sun and moon is very easy to use, and the included skydomes and background hills/mountains are great.

There's also the DAZ Millenium Environment, that has the ability for a complete panoramic 360 view and a sky dome as well, I'd say you're spoilt for choice now [rofl]!