Sorry if this has been aired before (it probably has been)

I counted how many downloads of my free stuff the other day, with what I have deleted it came to over 22,000. Now, each day I look in at what's new in the gallery but have neve seen anything I made used in a render. I don't take that personally but I was wondering how much of the thousands of pages of free stuff is used in gallery renders?

 Heh, I have no idea!

I have 3000 downloads or so all together for two items and I have seen one used in the gallery, because someone sent me a mail showing me what she used. 

Even harder to tell if someone has modified it before rendering.. Like new textures, morphs, used on a different character, etc.

I've seen quite a few of my head prop thingies used since I released them but that's about it

Hehehe...I almost never see any of mine ;o). I think most people are just collectors...lol.

Laurie

Guilty as charged.  I horde just in case someday.....

 Heh, me too. I've even got DVD's stashed away with things I don't want to keep on the harddrive.. 

I've never seen any of my things in a Gallery pic, but I do see them sometimes in
the Daz Forum.  For instance, someone demonstrating a tornado
prop showed it approaching my 1850 Farmhouse.

I'd speculate, without any evidence whatever, that most people who post in the
Gallery are commercial artists (or would-be commercial artists) who tend to
shun free items for licensing reasons.

The person that introduced me to poser and renderosity used to use a ton of freestuff in their gallery images but doesn't post here anymore.

Attached Link: Lilwolff's cafe render

Attached Link: Madrigal's render of "Miri's Treehouse"

I use lots of freebies - and usually say where I got them; but I don't always email the person who made them to say thanks. I shall make an effort to do so more often in future!

I am just like Laurie, don't see to much of my freebies past and new.  Some let me know, so that makes me happy someone is using them. 

There are 546 gallery images here that mention one of my shaders, or my environment sphere, or VSS or matmatic.

Woot!

I see many others that I'm pretty certain are using my shaders, but they don't mention it.

Quote - I see many others that I'm pretty certain are using my shaders, but they don't mention it.

This begs the question whether you, bb, and others who make freebies for us, feel that we ought always to mention it.

Well, not always. But when it's a portrait of a nearly naked Vickie, and the skin looks great because it's my skin shader, and all the comments are about how real the lighting looks (because of GC) and how the skin is so awesome and all, I think it should.

Not because I want credit. But because it's free and other people making ugly renders should be taught that they don't have to make ugly renders.

I do an ego search from time to time - sometimes one of my freebies shows up, sometimes there's nothing. There are a lot of folks who don't credit everything they used. C'est la vie.

 Well it's also because it's so much easier to credit store items here. You get a field for it and everything. And WHEN the freebie supplyer is also a merchant, it is of course possible to use the field for the free stuff as well, I know I've seen quite a few of my freebies that way :)

I occasionally do a vanity search and am pleased when people mention me. But I've found that quite a few more actually do and just misspells my name L so...

I credit people when I can still remember who made what. But the oldest parts of my Runtime is from around 2000 and there's no way I can remember who made a prop 10 years ago - unless it's something very special or the creator actually used their name in some way :)

I wouldn't expect people to make attributions for freebies they use, except in the case of something like BB's shader, because that can show others what can be done with it.

From the above though I'm getting the impression that freebies are really not used that much in renders 

I'm surprised mine aren't used more because I allow commercial renders. But perhaps a use for them just never comes up ;o).

Laurie

Im guessing alot of people are like myself.  I download so many freebies, from so many places that I lose track of who made what.  When I do a render I sometimes credit people, but most of the time I dont, cos I dont know who to credit (stupid memory of mine)

On mine - it's one of the oldest freebies I see the most. The V3 vorg. It's still being downloaded regulary as well.  

One day I might find some time to do a V4 version. Though the day after daz will release V5 :)

I use freebies exclusively. I've only got 3 freebies listed in Freestuff, but I've never seen anyone use them.
Occasionally, people will ask me for something, and I'll send it to them. Maybe about 5 or so items in the last 8 years.

I have 27,000 freebies or so (once you unextract them...;) in P5 now...

I collect freebies, but only if they don't have restrictive licences, not that I do commercial renders, unless contests count, and I have no idea if they do. It is hard enough to keep a runtime organized with out worrying what can be used under what circumstances. 
Listing the freebies comes down to I'm not very good yet and wouldn't want to make someones effort look like crap and then blame or give them credit for something I made look crappy.
That said, since I became aware of VSS skin shaders I almost always use them, be crazy not to. 

So would you want people to credit you even if they(me) are still learning?

Quote - Well, not always. But when it's a portrait of a nearly naked Vickie, and the skin looks great because it's my skin shader, and all the comments are about how real the lighting looks (because of GC) and how the skin is so awesome and all, I think it should.

Not because I want credit. But because it's free and other people making ugly renders should be taught that they don't have to make ugly renders.

Friends don't let friends make ugly renders.
BB of all the threads and "quick guides" on this forum do you have one in patricular that someone can use to get 70% of the VSS understanding into their tinylittle head?

Sparky, I love your Vorg and no one can top it, I used it in my gallery pic, one of them  Sharen

I, Collector.

I - sometimes also, Artist....

Appreciate all freebies, and attempt to give credit whenever I can.

: -)

Quote - Appreciate all freebies, and attempt to give credit whenever I can.

So do I. I keep all the Zips for the downloads I use, so I can - and do - search through them to find that long-lost readme file. It seems as if finding all the credits can take longer than doing the picture, sometimes - but I think it's worth it. Maybe that's why I haven't posted anything since 2007. Yep, still trying to get all the credits together, folks... :D

On the other hand, when I tried to use the merchant credit feature, it lost all the information I'd spent so long entering - so now I don't bother.

Thanks sharen

*..restrictive licences...

Obviously for fan art stuff there has to be restrictions, but generally I agree. It's a PITA to wade through stuff. Thats why mine take the same general terms. Basically do what you like as it's not sold/call it yours. Plus if ever theres any doubt I say contact me, I rarely refuse a request.

Also does a licence really give any protection? I've once found a few of my freebies on a blogging site and the artist was calling it theirs. Wouldn't have minded him releasing it through his site, but he was deep linking to the files as well.

*"So would you want people to credit you even if they(me) are still learning?"

• Regardless of skill a credit is always nice, but it shouldn't be given automatically. Apart from vanity searching :) I think where a credit helps the most is gives other people, to see where something came from. Often I've seen something cool and thought I'd like to buy/download that, but theres no info.

One of my biggest annoyance is when you get a freebie or a product, often you don't know whats in it!  So now I try to include a small picture called sample.jpg

 Yeah I a simple license for my freebies too. Essentially the same as the marketplace license..

"Use in non commercial or commercial renders, don't redistribute anything in the package itself" etc..

It's just there to prevent people from taking your stuff, selling it and claiming it as their own.. That's what it boils down to. :)

I don't even need credit. I just hope someone finds a use for the little bits o junk I make.

Laurie

Quote -

Also does a licence really give any protection? I've once found a few of my freebies on a blogging site and the artist was calling it theirs. Wouldn't have minded him releasing it through his site, but he was deep linking to the files as well. 

Wow. What cheek!

*Quote -

• One of my biggest annoyance is when you get a freebie or a product, often you don't know whats in it!  So now I try to include a small picture called sample.jpg

Yea I've started to include my thumbnail in the zip as well. I have a lot of old stuff where I'm not even sure which zip it came from (zips are not always named anything like the thing within) but at least with a thumbnail inside, it's possible to verify that "this is it" (or isn't...)

And no, I do not rename zips on download. Too lazy L The only ones I rename is when you buy something from a site where it only has a number.

Quote - Friends don't let friends make ugly renders.
BB of all the threads and "quick guides" on this forum do you have one in patricular that someone can use to get 70% of the VSS understanding into their tinylittle head?

Not really. I've explained the basic steps several times. The one key step that makes people stumble is that it uses the Python buttons window, and quite a few people don't even know it exists.

The steps are:

Load a figure
Apply some texture set to it
Load the PR3 control prop.
Run vssMainButtons.py.
Open the Python buttons window.
Hit synchronize.

Then to get into adjusting shader parameters, open the material room. Look in the VSS Control prop materials at the Template Skin. Down the left side are the nodes you should care about. Most important are PM:Bump and PM:Shine. After making a change to a template, hit Synchronize again to apply the changes to the figure.

There is a document on the VSS home page (in Word and PDF format) that was assembled by DigitalDreamer that is a cull of some of the key things discussed in the giant VSS thread. But it's a bit out of date by now.

Quote - I don't even need credit. I just hope someone finds a use for the little bits o junk I make.

Laurie

Not junk at all....I love your stuff..have used your Ear rings, jar, urn
and will get around to using the rest too...lol I am always appreciative
of the Freebies you kind artists donate...keep em coming :))

I have amassed a large collection of freebies over the years, and I do use them quite often. But I haven't posted a render in years.

I have all the same memory issues as everyone else, and I admit to skewing the download stats because I've had to redownload something just because I couldn't remember what the zip was called and can't find it on my harddrive.

Licenses and readme's are crucial to giving credit, but when they're all named generically, license.txt or readme.txt and they're in generic folders they will get overwritten. I see no reason why creators don't give useful and specific names to their files. But ashtray.pp2 with a readme called readme.txt that came in a zip called ce34.zip is asking to be forgotten.

I don't want to sound ungrateful, but there are things even freebie creators could do to make it more likely they'd get credit, if getting credit is important or even just nice to see.

The thumbnail in the zip is a very good idea.

Of course, we see VSS in the poser forums so much that I don't think I'd ever forget what those zips are. I do use it, but it's not a sure bet. About half the time, the shaders look absolutely fantastic on the texture I'm using, and the other half, they are a disaster. With the disasters, I've tried tweaking the shaders, but I have to admit I lack skill in this area. The discussions in these forums have persuaded me quite thoroughly that the complexity is simply way beyond me.

That being said, the 50% of the time it works for me, it really works. And the light meter is a revelation in itself. Brilliant indeed.

The creators in this thread have made some exceptional things. I'm almost inspired to render something and actually post in the gallery here just because of this thread. Though, like others, I kinda worry that my render would suck... and well... in the end that wouldn't be very flattering to the freebie makers. So I'll just say thanks to everyone because the freebies really are what make rendering with poser as a hobby fun. :)

Quote -  Well it's also because it's so much easier to credit store items here. it is of course possible to use the field for the free stuff as well

I've done that on occasions; I think I used it when I uploaded a picture with your excellent "Fluff"; and I've got a tin of Spam that I think might be yours - or was it SAMS3D ...

Quote - On mine - it's one of the oldest freebies I see the most. The V3 vorg.

That's one I use often with M3 - not sure if I've always given you credit for it, though.

I probably use the SAMS3D Dance Studio more than any other background.  I love the hardwood floor, mirrors and windows.  I was glad to see them re-release it.  I know I've used tons of TrekkieGrrls's stuff over the years--she makes all those little detail items like food and trash that make things more realistic.  I'm sure I am one who has butchered your name :)  I have tons of freebies and purchased items.  I do try to do a search through the freebies when I post but I just don't post many pictures here anymore.

I send an email to the creators of freebies that I use and have only recently done the same with purchased items (which isn't easy with DAZ items since the readme does not provide an email address for the creator). With well over 10,000 downloaded freebies over the years and a picture output of a little over a dozen images, I haven't used very much of the content I've downloaded. Just because I haven't gotten around to using somebody's particular freebies doesn't mean that I never will. All the freebies I've found are very much appreciated. Of the people who have posted to this thread, Trekkiegrrl's balloon is the only one I've used and I did send her an email letting her know about it and she did comment on the image.

Right now, I've gotten back into boardgaming, so Poser has been pushed to the side for a while. I do think I'll be designing a boardgame map using Poser and other 3D freebie models and shaders. When I was looking at the map for the freebie miniatures game, Zombie Plague, I quickly thought that I could make a much more realistic and moody map using 3D content. While the map at the end of the below PDF has a certain homemade charm, it's also a bit too cartoonish and amateurish.
http://www.fortressfigures.com/zombieplague/

I periodically come across a Batgirl image which clearly uses my Vicky character, by doing a Google image search for the character.  Every now and then the image is in a gallery at one of the Poser forum sites.  The figure used to pop up at Render***ca periodically, before they changed their gallery search parameters, and at Animotions.

It's always a bit amusing to see my freebies being used by someone else.  Usually others do better work with them than I do.  :lol:

Quote - > Quote - Friends don't let friends make ugly renders.

BB of all the threads and "quick guides" on this forum do you have one in patricular that someone can use to get 70% of the VSS understanding into their tinylittle head?

Not really. I've explained the basic steps several times. The one key step that makes people stumble is that it uses the Python buttons window, and quite a few people don't even know it exists.

The steps are:

Load a figure
Apply some texture set to it
Load the PR3 control prop.
Run vssMainButtons.py.
Open the Python buttons window.
Hit synchronize.

Then to get into adjusting shader parameters, open the material room. Look in the VSS Control prop materials at the Template Skin. Down the left side are the nodes you should care about. Most important are PM:Bump and PM:Shine. After making a change to a template, hit Synchronize again to apply the changes to the figure.

There is a document on the VSS home page (in Word and PDF format) that was assembled by DigitalDreamer that is a cull of some of the key things discussed in the giant VSS thread. But it's a bit out of date by now.

Sometimes if you say the same thing slowly and enough times we understand. Thanks, used this "quick guide" to make beautiful pink and Blue V4s in about a minute. Thanks, I will enjoy this greatly as I get into more of it's power.