TRANSGENDER FASHION DESIGN PROJECT

I am just starting a fashion design course in Bangkok.

I need some advice on which version of Poser or Daz3D and which sort of computer is best to make original fashion designs tfor a sponsored fashion show next summer. 

I particularly want accurate cloth flow, and an easy way to know how to cut the cloth the same as the images - does that mean I need Poser rather than Daz?  Then I hear that Daz is easier to use?

I also need good morphing for different shaped and sized people, with clothes still fitting.  I want to morph figures and clothes from one gender to another, to find original styles that may be transgender now, but could become mainstream in the future.

I am planning to buy a suitable computer and software this week and need some practical advice on specifications that will last me a couple of years.  Do I need Poser 7 and a powerful machine, or can I use an older version and a lower spec?  Should I consider Daz instead?

And is there anyone else interested in the essence of this project who might be willing to mentor me as I get going?

I could help you along have you seen my T-Girl images...

tall order. Designing clothes in either one would call for modeling the objects. I'm going to be burnt at the stake for this, but what both Daz and Poser are, are actually a way of collecting various bits (hair, clothes, textures, figures, props, etc) into a composite picture. While it is possible to model clothing in Poser, it's easier to do it in a modeling program, then bring it into either to allow it to be rigged, boned, etc., to fit on the models.

You could start with Wings, Blender, Amapi (all free ) for starters, and then if you like the idea, you can go on to the 'spendy' ones like Silo, Hexagon, etc., and if the bug bites hard, Lightwave, Maya, or Modo.

That being said, I'm not up on transgendered fashion, so you might take an alternate route, and take existing clothes for Poser or Daz, then use morphs and textures to alter them. Probably cheaper, not sure if it's easier, tho.

Interesting...

Maybe you could be more specific? What exactly is Transgender Fashion?

Quote - I particularly want accurate cloth flow, and an easy way to know how to cut the cloth the same as the images

Neither Poser nor DAZ|Studio will give you that - you would really need a proper fashion CAD program for that (and big bucks...). They could help you with the visualisation, but as Pakled says, you'd need to model your design in 3D first. Unfortunately the requirements for making an image are not the same as those for designing clothing when it comes to the cloth cutting etc. 

Thanks for your replies - very helpful indeed.

artposer - those are skilful images (not quite what I had in mind for my own project...), I would value your assistance.  My plan is to basically leave the body much more male than your examples, the whole point is to use clothing we currently think of as female only, and make it comfortable for men and even, if possible, masculine in a different kind of way.

pakled - excellent clear advice, thank you.  I get your point, both poser and daz are layered objects, I was hoping that I can morph existing female clothing to a male or inbetween body - I have a very precise physique in mind, and I heard that there is a female poser figure called Stephanie who is morphed from a male figure Michael.  I also saw some medieval clothing on sale that could be altered to a male tunic.  

The fashion school here is not yet computerised, so I am working alone for now.  I plan a hybrid system using poser or daz for postures and basics but using either pen or photoshop to get final images quickly.  I do not have the luxury of time.

SSAfam1 - yes it is interesting, I could write you an essay on what I am doing... basically if what I want to design existed already, I would not need to design it.  For now let's just say anyone helping me in anyway needs to be clear I am off the normal map, into new territory. 

English Bob - a fellow countryman although I deny it, usually I claim to be from another planet...

Sound advice - and I am thinking there is a chance to get this sponsored but I need some examples first, simply, and cheaply.  Bangkok could become the Paris of Asia, somewhere has to, and there is political will to back new ideas here, and the head of the fashion school is very keen on some aspects of my ideas.  The software manufacturers might also support the college with a suitable software. This is Bangkok and most software is available in Pantip Plaza for $6, as Thailand does seem to respect international copyright laws. 

There are already some fashion stores in the US and in Germany I heard that are scanning customers bodies and making clothes to fit, this is exactly the software I need to work with but that is for the future, for now I need to prove my point and my abilities cheaply and quickly.

Coming back to the Transgender idea, that is a distraction from the technicalities I need to resolve now - laptop or PC, cheap and evolve or powerful from day one and locked into one software and system.

One more thing EnglishBob - I think I started with exactly the same Poser free on a UK magazine, maybe back in 2001 or so, and it did not update, but I did make one really exciting artwork with it.  I was going to post that as my gallery here, if I find the file... Since then I did not use Poser at all, it was clumsy and I hope it is now much improved...

Further advice is welcome if anyone has more specific information that could assist me.

Mahalo
in Bangkok

There's a couple of things you mention where you're looking a little confused still. First, DAZ 3D have a range of figures, male and female, which use the same basic mesh and UVmapping, which means that a skin texture for one of the set can be used on any of them. There's six adult figures in the set, three female and three male, starting with Victoria 3 (or V3) and Michael 3. Clothes for one don't fit the others. There are "male morphs" for the various versions of Victoria, partly because DAZ always seem to have taken a long time to release the purpose-built male figure. Some clothing sets, such as the V3 "MFD" have the morphs: this may be where you've seen the medieval clothing you recall. It can work for figures wearing long robes, such as a monk or wizard. Clothing conversion programs might help get what you want, or they might just giev you a few rough ideas. I use Wardrobe Wizard, but male->female and female->male conversions can come out a bit oddly. Essentially, the bigger the change in shape needed, the more the chance of something coming out poorly. Now, I don't think this effort of mine has come out badly. But, frankly, if you can't do your own drawings--pencil and paper--and come out with a better illustration than this, you may be in the wrong business.

Very useful information - thank you

I have been busy with a sudden project thrown at me - a contest for fairly straight fashion designs, and I have surprised myself by making two collections to submit.  Also internet is a joke here in Bangkok - 5 hours to down load Daz? I just paid to install wifi and then they said 7 days more to wait!

Anyway - here is one of my first designs..  

I am particularly interested in the beauty of Bezier curves, which do need the computer to check them.  Secondly I like assymetry.  For now I have quick results, only needing a male model like this one and if I can only get Michael 4 to install...

I have also heard of a couple software packages that may be what I want - FashionCad, and Runway Designer.    

Quote - There's a couple of things you mention where you're looking a little confused still. First, DAZ 3D have a range of figures, male and female, which use the same basic mesh and UVmapping, which means that a skin texture for one of the set can be used on any of them. There's six adult figures in the set, three female and three male, starting with Victoria 3 (or V3) and Michael 3. Clothes for one don't fit the others. There are "male morphs" for the various versions of Victoria, partly because DAZ always seem to have taken a long time to release the purpose-built male figure. Some clothing sets, such as the V3 "MFD" have the morphs: this may be where you've seen the medieval clothing you recall. It can work for figures wearing long robes, such as a monk or wizard. Clothing conversion programs might help get what you want, or they might just giev you a few rough ideas. I use Wardrobe Wizard, but male->female and female->male conversions can come out a bit oddly. Essentially, the bigger the change in shape needed, the more the chance of something coming out poorly. Now, I don't think this effort of mine has come out badly. But, frankly, if you can't do your own drawings--pencil and paper--and come out with a better illustration than this, you may be in the wrong business.

... and here is another.  For now this is the best male image I can find, a small promo, and I have installed Daz (5 hours download, 2 hours messing to get it working, one hour getting anything other than basic Victoria and a basketball, reloading everything over again and still only Victoria on a sad beach - clearly the install interfaces are yet to be made user friendly?  Or do they simply not work?

Work in Progress, as they say.

If you are wanting to use Poser models there's a professional clothing design program that outputs actual dynamic clothing for Poser models called Virtual Fashion that can be found here:

http://www.virtual-fashion.com/html/en/index.php

But if you're just interested in the designs, you don't even need Poser because you can model the clothing right inside VFPro itself. I've used the Basic version for all of my Freebie clothing and the Pro version offers the ability to export to more Poser figures.

Since you appear to be more interested in the actual fashion design aspects and not so much needing Poser, i highly reccommend it as a stand alone design program. Check out some of the free Poser clothes I've done here:

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/index.php?user_id=454914

Quote - If you are wanting to use Poser models there's a professional clothing design program that outputs actual dynamic clothing for Poser models called Virtual Fashion that can be found here:

http://www.virtual-fashion.com/html/en/index.php

But if you're just interested in the designs, you don't even need Poser because you can model the clothing right inside VFPro itself.

FANTASTIC

WOW!

Thanks Matrixworkz - this is EXACTLY what I need.

downloading as I type...

Ha - Espagnol, eh?  Madrid!  Me gusta.  I like the website info for this, and reasonably priced too.  

Thank you so much for this link.  Nice work too - the basic program seems quite versatile, I need the Pro version, and it may be all I need...

Mahalo

I was sure you'd find it to your liking since your need was more focused on the Design ability and not so much on the Poser or even 3D needs. Virtual Fashion was originally created with just you in mind. I believe that it wasn't til later that they added the Poser support and exports.

Attached Link: The Clothing Designer Suite

So by transgender clothing you mean non-traditional male to feminine clothing for men? Interesting... I'm curious to see what you come up with.

Drawing directly on top of a 3d render works pretty good, imho. If you're not trying to make 3d clothing, this may be the most straightforward and fastest way to go.

Another alternative to the Virtual Fashion program is PhilC's Clothing Designer bundle:
http://www.philc.net/BasicClothing_page1.htm

M4 support was just added, it's a free download.
http://www.philc.net/BasicClothing_page3.htm

PhilC's Clothing Designer works better inside Poser than Virtual Fashion, while Virtual Fashion is great for making images outside of Poser (I think).  PhilC's Clothing Designer can create Dynamic Cloth (like Virtual Fashion) or Conforming Clothing.

The reason I didn't suggest Philc's product was in no means a slight to his product. It was because it was quite apparent that clothing design itself was the ends that the OP was striving for and Phil's product is more geared for clothing creation for Poser. Virtual Fashion, no matter how mad I am at the way they treated Phil a while back, is a decent product in it's own field and that's the field of Fashion Design.

Okay, no worries. I just thought I would give it a mention too. ^^