Attached Link: http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d_art_resource/daz_studio?trid=991444768

What do you think?

Not real happy with the beta, but then again it is a beta. Like most software, wait for a good release and then maybe even a service pack. -Les

I didnt download it  cause it should come with a whole new manual then

I am going to give it some more time before I jump in on it.  I'm pretty satisfied with 2.3 for what I'm doing right now..
I love DS but I'm not too excited over 3.0 yet..   :biggrin:

With all the great goodies they are introducing to DAZ Studio 3.0 I think it will be a winner for sure.  Hope the price is right though for the Pro, paid for, version!!  :scared:

I dont think you'll have to pay for it , but not sure

IIRC, there was talk of 2 versions...the free, and the "Pro" version that would be pay-for.

Attached Link: DAZ Studio 3.0 Public Beta

I've tried it and it does have some pluses, but I doubt that the average user will get much from some of the advanced features unless they make them more visual artist friendly.

I have a theory that the difference between the two versions will simply be pay now, or pay later. The clever marketing structure for D|S so far has been buy what you need. Example - I'm not creating figures therefore I have no need for the expensive rigging plugin. Don't be surprised to see the more "advanced" features available as plugins for the free version.

In answer to the topic question? lol, my thoughts are many but can be summed by an emotion....

Fear

Same as with all previous updates. Support for older plugins? Will all my old presets become worthless? Don't get me wrong, I think change can be good. It's the adjustment period that always sucks ;)

I think that's a bit dramatic don't you??  Fear??  Please. 

It's been stated already that all the major plugin contributors are updating their plugins and shaders.

The paid for or Pro version has new tools and goodies that will not be sold for the free version, from what I know, nor will that ever happen.  The free version is a simplified version of the Pro version with all the core updates and the newest version of 3Delight as well as QT so the rendering time will be much faster and all that.  There is a free version (Lite) of aniMate and a few others for the free version. 

• Figure Mixer
• Shader Baker
• Shader Mixer
• Morph Follower
• Texture Converter

are the features for the Pro version that I know of.  There are lots of updates that are included in both versions though, good ones and bug fixes galore.  I think it's going to be a great release!!

Dramatic? Well, I've been know to be. But do tell what exactly is wrong with being afraid of potential changes in my workflow? Lots of time have been spent building my library of bizarre characters and I don't look forward to the possibility of retooling materials for each of them. Advancement is a good thing but it does come at some cost. Anyone who was around for the major 1.7 update should understand as an artist why some amount of fear would be quite reasonable.

I've been using D|S for quite a while now and will continue to do so. It is highly likely that I will buy the "paid for" version when it is released. I'll adapt to it over time and carry on to the next version. I hope you are right in feeling this will be a good release. I hope all goes as seamless as possible. I also hope you will embrace this as a discussion about our thoughts heading into 3.0 rather than sounding with all the confidence of a salesman.

I've same fear for some plugins i've purchased for DAZ|Studio, and for the time the creator take for update it. Stay tuned.

Lots of good things are coming with DS 3, even for the free version.

As for the plug ins and add ons, everybody is working hard to get them ported to DS 3 and as far as I know a couple of them are nearly finished, so I guess most of the 3rd party stuff will be ready for the release day.

Studio was my first foray into the 3D world; beforehand I was all about the pen and ink.  I have the beta version; there are interesting aspects of it, yes.  The Texture Baker, the Puppeteer, the render engine and the other options that it will provide are tempting.

I also have Hex 2, Bryce 5 and 6, C3DE, C7 E, and C6 Pro.

My computer doesn't have enough resources; so I've whittled them down to Studio 2, the Beta 3, and C6 Pro for now.

For myself, I am not purchasing anything else.  I want Maya, and 3DMax, Inventor and/or ZBrush; someday I want to be able to actually make this my life's work.  I have been approached for two different gaming productions, though without the knowlege and experience in the aforementioned products-no way I could do it. 

Though Studio has been my introduction into this world, and I've both loved and loathed all the programs I've used, I'll always have a fondness for the ol' Studio.
 

Even if there are no plans on purchasing the Pro version.  :)

I have every intention of purchasing the Pro version. [drools] Figure Mixer and Shader Builder!!!

I have to admit that right now I am pretty disappointed with the prospects for 3.0 advanced. I have not seen any recent changes to make the advanced surfaces more friendly for the average user and they look to me to still be aimed at "making it easier for the RSL user". I suspect that it will still be a plug in based system with the negative addition that we will end up buying a bunch of little "bricks" much like the shaders that were brought over from Bryce for Studio earlier this year. Something that can be tweaked minimally but hardly used as a real creative outlet.

The fact that something as necessary and simple as tiling still has not been made a standard surface feature leads me to believe they still see little value in increasing the ability for content creators to have better cross compatability with Poser (as an example) . Unless I am wrong and they do suddenly unveil easier to use advanced surfaces that include many of the more simple to use surface settings that are standard in Poser there will be no more interest by content creators to include settings for studio or create content especially for Studio.

I hope I am wrong about how all of this is going to go. The fact that surfaces created in 3.0 advanced should be usable in the free version is hopeful, but unless its easy enough for the standard user to handle there will be people who pay money for the advanced version and end up disappointed. Not to mention that the poser content creators will not be inclined to more fully support studio users with their products.

I agree with you, Khory.  On all of the stated issues.  There are so many poser products I've wanted, but with no support in Studio-I haven't bought.  Or, that they just don't WORK in Studio.  Period.

Even as tempted as I may be with the advanced version, I'm saving my money.  I want to branch into the professional field of 3D; none of the companies I am interested in support nor tolerate anything from Poser or Studio.  I want to start working on Autodesk apps; time to save my pennies.  :)

Considering my income-it may be a decade before that happens.  lol

Any idea yet when the public version might come out? What type of price are daz going to me asking for the pay version and will it still be possible to jump backwards and forward into bryce ????

There's talk of a June release,  None of us know what the price is going to be and what sort of a savings club members are going to get in savings.  There are rumors of prices but none are confirmed from DAZ yet!

I would not count on a June release (and I hope I am right!) there is still a lot of work to do for the devs and for the writer of the manual.

But with every beta release it is getting better and better.

That is a pretty nice feature list. I've been very critical of DAZ Studio in the past, and it hasn't motivated me to leave Poser, but it has gotten so much more stable and polished over the first versions.

Just reading this list of features though, I believe this will be the first real break with the world of Poser in how you really define what a character is. Given all that they are introducing, I hope they do leave it in beta a very long time to work out the issues.

have  used the betas and will be very happy when  all the extas LDP2, Uber+ etc  are ported over to DS3.
impressed with faster rendering and loading of saved scenes, and the camera, + light pointer bit is very useful.
will probably hang back on getting the 'pro' version, especially if all my shader sets are updated to DS3.

It won't run without OpenGL 1.3, and my computer won't do OpenGL 1.3.... so I'll
probably have to buy a new video card or something.

 i'm a mac user - no dynamics for us as yet, so i won't be getting it
love esther

Dynamics isn't really one of the additions for 3.0.

 I don't understand.  There's lots of nice dynamic things in the DAZ store which are dynamic clothes for daz studio.
but anyway I'll wait and see, because poser 8 might have better features and dynamics and bagginsbill says they are definitely working on a poser 8 and he is a tester.  (It was in one of the renderosity forums).  When it comes out, I'll make a decision whether to get daz studio or poser 8 or possibly both.
Love esther

Dynamics are already out. 3.0 is still in beta and while it does still have the dynamics it also has quite a few new additions. Some will be in both the free and pay for versions and some will be exclusive to the pay for version. 3.0 adds things like figure mixer, baker, morph follower, map transfer, shader mixer and builder. Of those only shader mixer has something comparable in poser. I it would depend on how useful you find being able to swap textures between character models so on if you should stick with Studio or get Poser8 when its available. If they are not deep in production yet they may even choose to adopt similar abilities for Poser as well.

 that all sounds really good.  I think the more 3d tools the better.  However I will be sad if it takes forever for dynamics to come to mac users in dazstudio.
Love esther

Hi Esther,

That decision was OptiTex not DAZ since they are the ones that built the clothing as well as the plugins.  Word is is that they are pleased with how well Dynamics was accepted in the PC platform and so they have begun work on one for the MAC platform. 

Hope that helps with your understanding of the situation involving Dynamics for DAZ Studio.  Really out of DAZ's hands, up to OptiTex!!

Take good care...

 thanks
will wait and watch...

I'm a Lightwave and Modo user. I've only used Daz Studio to bench/compare its abilities.
With the Pro version and new features I'm considering rigging and getting my animations done in Studio. Since character animation is a ways out for Lightwave (Core) and Modo, it looks like it might be the most viable option. Looking forward to seeing the final package. 

Just bought the Bundle...will have to explore it tomorrow... ;)

I'm personally not in too much of a hurry.

Granted, I'm glad DAZ is making leaps and bounds in it's capabilities, but from everything I've seen I might as well stick with Carrara (I got it back when it was $200 for PC members).  I'm also still on my learning curve, so forking out money for the advanced version seems like a waste since I'm trying to get used to C7 as it is.

tl;dr - Too much for mah brain to handle at once.  ;P

"The fact that something as necessary and simple as tiling still has not been made a standard surface feature leads me to believe they still see little value in increasing the ability for content creators to have better cross compatability with Poser (as an example) . Unless I am wrong and they do suddenly unveil easier to use advanced surfaces that include many of the more simple to use surface settings that are standard in Poser there will be no more interest by content creators to include settings for studio or create content especially for Studio"

Khory,

I hope you noticed that tiling is now a standard surface feature in DS 3? And it's fully implemented in the viewport, which is quite cool.

I'd say that anyone who doesn't want to pay for DS is still getting a good deal with the free version. A lot of new things have been implemented, including a 64-bit version, and the difference in render speed alone is pretty spectacular. I'm getting render times which are 30-50% faster.

mac

"I hope you noticed that tiling is now a standard surface feature in DS 3? And it's fully implemented in the viewport, which is quite cool."

I did I did! And I expect to get as much joy from that as some of the advertised add ons!

Honestly, I think if anyone has a computer that will run a version of 3.0 they would be silly not to go ahead and upgrade. The renders are just so much better!