snabald,

Regarding the jaggies - what are you render settings for Pixel Samples and Min Shading Rate?

Quote - Like this? This is just a quick draft - needs some fine tuning. Also, I didn't bother drawing where the sand goes - I just used a Fractal_Sum.

OMG....    faint

Wow!  You've just been upgraded from a Demi-God to a God of Poser shaders.

faint again

Bagginsbill, That looks awesome!!!  Please tell me how you did this on top of a skin shader. Thanks, -Starkdog

I didn't download the PR2 prop as I don't understand what to do with it. I'm sorry for being stupid, but you did say part of your audience was those who didn't undersand shaders sufficiently to go to the materials room. And I guess if I don't know what to do with the prop, others may not understand either!

Download the pr2 zip. Place the 2 files that are in the zip into the VSSFigureProps folder, and then use the new prop (VSSPR2Test) instead of the original VSSGeneric prop.
bagginsbill updated the prop to work better but uploaded it separately.
Load then prop into your scene.
Then goto File->Run Python Script and navigate to the vss folder in the Runtime->Python folder, and select the vssMainButtons.py
After that, goto Window-> Python Scripts and you get the VSS Python scripts appear. With your figure selected, click Synchronise and the magic happens :)
Then render :)

I've described the process as to me it doesn't look like there is a difference between the top two renders in your picture, and I think there should be some difference.

Thanks Raven

To be fair, all pics were done with the Poser lights; 1 and 2 would be different if I'd used BBs lights, but I wanted to find out what 'point and click and render' would do without going into the Materials room.

Edited cos my spelling sux!

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1714341

Without the VSS prop in the scene, the VSS Synchronise button won't do its job (it probably won't do anything). You can see this in your piccie.. no difference between "out of the box" and "VSS Generic". In fact there is a big difference, as my similar comparison (see link) shows.

To begin with, you don't need to change anything in the prop - just load it in your scene before you click "Synchronise", as explained above by raven. :O)

Izi

Quote - Download the pr2 zip. Place the 2 files that are in the zip into the VSSFigureProps folder, and then use the new prop (VSSPR2Test) instead of the original VSSGeneric prop.
bagginsbill updated the prop to work better but uploaded it separately.
Load then prop into your scene.
Then goto File->Run Python Script and navigate to the vss folder in the Runtime->Python folder, and select the vssMainButtons.py
After that, goto Window-> Python Scripts and you get the VSS Python scripts appear. With your figure selected, click Synchronise and the magic happens :)
Then render :)

I've described the process as to me it doesn't look like there is a difference between the top two renders in your picture, and I think there should be some difference.

I've downloaded the pr2 zip file and placed the 2 files as you describe.
I've applied the prop.

When I go to File/Run Python Script I cannot find a vss folder in the runtime> Python folder... it isnt there!

I have put VSS in its own Runtime, rather than the P7 Runtime - will that make a difference?
Thanks for your help
DD

In that case, navigate to where you have the vss folder installed and try it. I think it may run from an external runtime, I'm not sure.
Ideally I would place the vss folder in the main runtime->Python folder. A lot of scripts need to go in the main runtime.

The script should still work okay, wherever it is located.. just navigate to your vss folder and run it from there. That was one of bb's goals.. and one of his big headaches!
When you run the script you should get a few messages up, and the Python buttons should then be the VSS ones - Synchronise, Render, Designer....

(edit) x-post... sorry, raven!

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2746233

I was real busy with work today, and also trying to get my environment sphere posted.

It is now. Try it out.

Thanks Raven and Izi - I'll try it out; sorry for being slow!

Sorry my Auntie's fanny (the American fanny, not the English one - that would be just too rude).

I went through the same learning curve with VSS and Python and stuff, and I know how frustrating it can be stumbling around in a place with no light... only too glad to help out if I can!

Izi, I'm glad you clarified the nationality of the fanny!

Really love the results I get using VSS with hdri or ibl lights. This is with an hdri light set from Mec4D. I was testing a custom body morph for V4. Click for full size.

Well, now I'm confused...

I had been using VSS on my Christel-B A4 character, Pamela.

This evening I started a new blank scene, loaded two new V4.2 characters, and applied a totally different skin texture (Bijou) to both of them. I then loaded the default VSS prop, deleted the rule node for and added a rule node for Victoria4, to synchronise only one of the two V4 figures. This worked fine, but....

The skin was was so completely different even in preview that I was immediately prompted to check the file list. In the list were Pamela's skin textures, as well as Bijou's. Huh???

I checked in the Material Room and sure enough the figure to which I had applied VSS had taken on Pamela's skin textures in place of Bijou's. I checked the VSS prop image maps - all set to None, as they should be.

bb... or anyone... any ideas why this should happen? Sorry if I'm being stupid, but I can't figure out how it is replacing my figure's textures with those I used previously in a completely different scene.

Thanks for any help.
Izi

Izi,  while waiting for a response on this item, try duplicating the results. 

Start over and repeat exactly what you did the first time, making sure you apply the correct character to the the correct model. 

Do you get the same results?

Thanks for your concern, jd. I tried it over again...

New blank scene, load V4.2 (only one this time), check files (V4 default skin maps in use), apply Bijou skin, check files again (only Bijou's skin maps in use), load default VSS prop, press VSS button, press VSS Synchronise, check files again: only CB Pamela's skin maps in use!

I can't imagine where it is storing the references to Pamela's skin, but it must be, somewhere, somehow....

(edit) I think I found it. There is a material stored in the VSS folder called temp.mc6. This contains references to Pamela's skin maps. I'm going to try deleting that and starting over...

Ummm... at the risk of appearing silly...

A day or two ago I switched my preferences to use compressed files, as an experiment. So this time, VSS saved the temporary textures for my Bijou as temp.mcz. But then it must still have been reading the saved file temp.mc6, which was created several days ago, when I was doing Pamela. 

Umm, should I rephrase that? Nah...

I switched back to not using compressed files, and it all worked correctly. Next thing to do is to see if it works okay using compression and deleting both temp material files.

Bizzy, baksun.

Baggins,

I'm having trouble with the shaders.  I do as indicated per instructions, but when I run Python script "vssMainButtons.py', I get nothing.  I am running Poser7 SP3.  I think I read somewhere that SP3 messes with Python.  Should I revert back to SP1 or 2?  The lights work fine, and the prop loads fine, fwiw. -Starkdog 

Starkdog, I'm not sure bb is around at the moment, so I hope you don't mind me chiming in....

No, I would say don't revert! I'm running VSS on Poser 7 SR3, as well as Poser Pro, and it works fine on both. SR3 fixes an issue with configuring the Python buttons on Mac. It also introduces another syntax change (col --> column), but that did not seem to affect VSS at all.

I can help you find the problem, if you are patient enough to follow things through with me. :O)

First, have you got the latest version from bb's site?

Second, where exactly did you install the VSS folder? It should not actually make any difference, since bb tried to make it location independent, but it's worth knowing for future reference.

Third, how are you running the vssMainButtons.py script? Via the File --> Run Python script menu option? Do you have the Python buttons window open before you run it? Do the buttons change to the VSS buttons (Synchronise, Render, Designer)?

If they do, Ctrl-click on the Synchronise button. Does it open up a script called macro1 in your Python script editor? if so, then it should work okay - but remember to load the VSS prop into your scene first.

Those are your starters for ten... hope this is some help!

Also dont forget you have to have your Python Scripts palette open.  (Window/Python Scripts) 

Ok be gentle this is my first post here and my first render using VSS. I'm relatively new to Poser but have done a few soso images. I wanted to take this opportunity to Thank Bill for such a wonderful script and to get oppinions any of you may have.

LINK to Image:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1723538

Thanks,
Don

Wow that really came out well. The lighting/shader combination is very convincing, IMO.

Seems a teeny bit painterly, or soft focused. Did you postwork blur it? It's a nice effect.

Minor blur on the edges for blending but it's a bit pixilated from being low res render only 72 dpi :( Oh and thank you oh great one :)

Don

kfox - I agree, the difference in skin tone is really impressive. However, in your comparison the clothing really suffers badly - it's come out completely flat and lifeless under bb's lights. I'm not sure why that is.

My light set in PR1 was too hot. Cut all intensities in half.

But my lights are just for people who can't make lights. kfox already had an excellent light set.

kfox - are you using PR2 control prop? Should be. Looks like it.

I should delete PR1 and just let people deal with lights on their own.

I have suspended work on VSS - I have two more freebies to get out. Shadow catcher material, and a beautiful architectural glass.

Please some comments...

regards,

Bopper.

Quote - kfox - I agree, the difference in skin tone is really impressive. However, in your comparison the clothing really suffers badly - it's come out completely flat and lifeless under bb's lights. I'm not sure why that is.

because he didnt use AO on the clothes. 

Hi all,

I don't know if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it.

I am playing around with the scripts in this thread. I had success with the Jessi skin tones, but not with the RattleSnake and SnakeSkin scripts.

I was able to identify and fix an initial error, where the definitions required block indentation. After that, I was able to compile them without error, but no output was created.

Looking at the compiler output from the two, the main difference appears to be that the Jessi skin tones script produced the following messages:

-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 6
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 50
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56

but the compiler output for the other two scripts did not have any such messages. Unless I am mistaken, these appear to be internally generated messages and are not part of the script.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrew

Been playing with these shaders. The result is at
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1730356

yet again it shows how realistic skin looks with these shaders, so thanks Bagginsbill!

Oooops...
Apologies to all.
My earlier entry was matmatic-related, not VSS.
I'm getting bagginsbill's utilities all confused in my head !

Quote - No, this isn't my girlfriend on our last vacation, this is simple Victoria 4.2, she has the latest elite Maya skintexture and off course BB's VSS applied, ...

Bopper,

That image is disturbingly real. Very interesting what you did with the skin. It looks a bit like leather, which I suppose was on purpose. Like a woman who has spent too much lifetime in the sun.

Quote -
Hi all,

I don't know if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find it.

I am playing around with the scripts in this thread. I had success with the Jessi skin tones, but not with the RattleSnake and SnakeSkin scripts.

I was able to identify and fix an initial error, where the definitions required block indentation. After that, I was able to compile them without error, but no output was created.

Looking at the compiler output from the two, the main difference appears to be that the Jessi skin tones script produced the following messages:

-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 6
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 50
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56
-- Materials written: Body, Head
      -> node count 56

but the compiler output for the other two scripts did not have any such messages. Unless I am mistaken, these appear to be internally generated messages and are not part of the script.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrew

Hmm. You were doing cut and paste from the web page? You know that later on that thread (post #7 I think) I actually attached the script, so you could just download it.

I don't know what you did wrong, because you didn't say what you did. In general, my scripts are downloadable, must be saved as .mm1.txt files exactly as I uploaded them, and must be in folders that you have told matmatic about.

And yes, the number of nodes written is generated by matmatic - just to help you keep track of what's going on. Sometimes the node count will clue you in that you got the wrong script, or broke it somehow (if it doesn't write the usual number of nodes.)

hey bopperthijs i missed your image until BB drew my attention.

That is intense.

Hair reflection and hair-cast shadows mean a lot to the effect. Real face -- real person/character -- means a lot. Foreshortened leg pose means a lot.

That is a very natural pose.

lighting on skin matched to enviro.

Hey, here's a case where you want the hand, knee and hand to go below the surface of the ground! You made good use of that.

Excellent

::::: Opera ::::::

Thanks,

I'm working on a picture with her  for the gallery now, I agree what BB said: it's disturbingly real. I've done several tryout's with lighting and shadersettings, but when I saw this one it was really WOW! That's why said it wasn't a picture before someone accused me of the cheating! I'm very enthousiast about this VSS program and curious what the pro version has to offer!
BB: about the skin I used, it was more or less a surprise how it turned out, but very close to what I had in mind:  a women of about 40 years with a suntan.

Bopper.

Hi bagginsbill,

Thanks for replying. As I said a couple of posts later, I realised that I was in the wrong thread seeing as this is a VSS thread, not a Matmatic thread.

Anyway, my problem was with the RattleSnake and SnakeSkin scripts (I had success with the Jessi script). Yes, I lifted them off the page, but there was no attached script for these. After I had fixed the "indented block" issue, I compiled them without error but there was no output - and that was my problem.

thanks and regards,
Andrew

Here's 2 abstract renders, the first without VSS, the second with.

I never cease to be amazed at the difference between the two, and at how long we accepted the first!

I never cease to be amazed at the difference between the two, and at how long we accepted the first!

I found the problem I was having in my last post on this thread -- the bump map. A bad texture bump map does horrible things in VSS,. So for me, it's better to leave bump and displacement off unless I know I have really good bump and displacement map.

Here's my latest render. (VSS makes a HUGE difference!!!)  ^^
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1730900

The Nefertiti morph created in Blacksmith3D.

p.s.
Lately loading the VSS2 prop takes a long time. Maybe my hard drive is getting too full?

Quote - Here's 2 abstract renders, the first without VSS, the second with.

I never cease to be amazed at the difference between the two, and at how long we accepted the first!

Excellent. I assume the figure on the right was VSS in both images, and the one on the left only in the second. The right-hand figure looks the same.

Quote - I found the problem I was having in my last post on this thread -- the bump map. A bad texture bump map does horrible things in VSS,. So for me, it's better to leave bump and displacement off unless I know I have really good bump and displacement map.

Here's my latest render. (VSS makes a HUGE difference!!!)  ^^
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1730900

The Nefertiti morph created in Blacksmith3D.

p.s.
Lately loading the VSS2 prop takes a long time. Maybe my hard drive is getting too full?

Beautiful! Not sure about longer load times. The prop is tiny. Perhaps you're experiencing the "NO_MAP" problem where it is searching for that? I really don't know.

Was Nefertiti caucasian? LOL

Quote - I'm very enthousiast about this VSS program and curious what the pro version has to offer!
Bopper.

Yea me too - I wonder what the pro version will offer - and if I'll ever do it! LOL.

I'm so busy with work it's nuts.

here's the bust of nefertiti that i'm guessing this was based on:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Nefertiti_berlin.jpg

the bust looks more Arabic/Middle Eastern, imho, but i can see where bB is coming from.

*Yea me too - I wonder what the pro version will offer - and if I'll ever do it! LOL.

I'm so busy with work it's nuts.

*I'm glad I'm not the only one! LOL

B.