I have asked for help privately but the tutorials are so long winded its giving me a head ache

I want to know how to do simple shadows in Daz Studio, primarly pointing to the feet so the model looks centered.  I am sure others will love this tutorial too.

So please a simple tutorial for Dummies as its driving me completly insane.

Angela

You need a floor - either create a large enough plane primitive (Create>New primitive) and rotate it so it lies flat or use a prop of some kind.

Create a new light of the type you want (probably distant or spot) and in the Parameter palette - with light still selected - select either Depth mapped or Ray traced (try the first one - raytracing is slow) for the shadow type (it will be set to None initially). Aim the light so that it should cast shadows from the figure onto the floor (one way to do that is to select the light from the list of cameras, at the left of the viewport title bar, and just aim it as you would a camera).

Try a render. If you don't get a shadow go to Render>render settings and drag the slider at the top all the way to the right (the other positions use your video card to make a faster render, but not all of those give adequate, or indeed any, shadows) then try rendering again.

I actually have a tutorial like this but not the bit about the camera with the light thanks I think this will do the trick, will let you know.

Appreciate help

Angela

Sorry I'm late with a reply, but I only just saw this post.

DS camera and lights tutorial here.

http://digilander.libero.it/maclean/DStutorial.htm

mac

Mac

Thanks so much, this will help enormously :)

Angela

Hey! I don't get into the forums much so am pretty late coming in on this. I am going to cut and paste something from a comment I had made for someone else but you might find it helpfull in some way. 

" I have always loved DAZ's lighting. Have a few tips I don't mind sharing.
An easy way to do your lighting in daz is to "think of yourself as the sun" and set up your lights by positioning your camera where you want your light coming from, then click on your create new distant light or spotlight button and choose Apply Active Viewport Transforms (default Camera). If you need more than one light, repeat process moving camera angle each time, when done return your camera angle to where ever you need it for rendering. Also, in your scene palette, select your lights and in the parameters menu on the right, set their options. I usually use Deep Shadow Map, Raytracing is very detailed but adds to the render time significantly."

Marianne you are a champion, I knew I should of asked you first, lol

Angela

Hope it helps, I know when I discovered that function it helped me.  Also, the person I typed all that for never said boo to me so I was thinking I had typed it all in vain. It looks as though he meant "lightning" and not lighting. I would have had some tips for them on that as well but since I got no response at all even when I aplogized for the mix up I said forget it, ok......... it was another F word that was running through my mind,lol. So if it helps you, my friend, ALL THE BETTER!

Quote - Hey! I don't get into the forums much so am pretty late coming in on this. I am going to cut and paste something from a comment I had made for someone else but you might find it helpfull in some way. 

" I have always loved DAZ's lighting. Have a few tips I don't mind sharing.
An easy way to do your lighting in daz is to "think of yourself as the sun" and set up your lights by positioning your camera where you want your light coming from, then click on your create new distant light or spotlight button and choose Apply Active Viewport Transforms (default Camera). If you need more than one light, repeat process moving camera angle each time, when done return your camera angle to where ever you need it for rendering. Also, in your scene palette, select your lights and in the parameters menu on the right, set their options. I usually use Deep Shadow Map, Raytracing is very detailed but adds to the render time significantly."

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woo-hoo!
thank you SO much for these tips! 
lighting drives me crazy sometimes, this should help a lot.

Your Welcome!  :) 
I wrote that for D|S 1.5 but they work the same for 1.7 just that your parameters menu is now on the same side as the scene and content menu.  I am getting used to all the tabs,lol.

Well let me tell you it would not save my layout so I just left the classic look on, used to it now lol.
I have it split down the middle in a single view but I like it how it is, more room to add stuff in the scene lol.

And after the render I did last night just Lights, background, pose and character its amazing it renders like a dream

Angela

'Well let me tell you it would not save my layout so I just left the classic look on'

Layouts and styles are two different things. The layout is the way the tabs and panes are organised, and style is the interface color/style.

Use Menu> View> Interface Layout> Save Layout As.. to save the layout. Once you save it, it'll appear in the menu with the name you gave it.

Use Menu> View> Interface Style> Save Style As.. for the style (Classic, Carrara, etc). Again, after you've saved it, it'll show in the menu.

mac

LOL

thanks Mac did that after I had a good yell at the program its behaving now and its looks the way I had it before :)

Angela