So because I've been spending less on 3D content lately I was wondering if it would be worth it to just contract out the items I'd like made directly to vendors. So which vendors here would be willing to do custom products? And what would be a good price range for them? I'm not talking only about say a full outfit (altho that certainly could happen) but custom facial morphs, a belt, a head dress, a hair piece, etc?

Might have better luck if you ask in the Wishing Well or Jobs/Resume's forum :)

Laurie

Well when I used to go there it didn't seem to have much traffic at all, so I thought I'd ask here since they are Poser products. But I'll go over there if a mod thinks that's where the thread belong.

Almost every post in RO these days has a wannabe traffic cop telling you to go file your question in the mortuary forums.  C'mon, Laurie...you're eyes aren't burning out of their sockets, are they?

elfguy - These items you would have made...for you alone, or the creator is free to market them after you have your finished product?

I would like to do this also........I have something I would like made, and would not mind for the artist to then sell it to others.

What is it?

There are people who do custom work such as PhilC, Sixus Media and 3D Universe.'

However, I would expecct to pay hunderds or thousands of dollar to have a custome model made.  

That being said, I do not know what any of them actually charge.  But I assume it would be an hously rate at an estimate number of hours to make and revise an item.

I've charged anywhere from $50 to $250, on up, depending on what it is, and if I would be able to sell it or not.

Sounds like you need a team, as not everyone models clothes, props, and does character morphs.

So shop around, see which vendors are 'your style' or u like their style, and shoot them a site-mail. You might be surprised and find someone within your budget.

Quote - Almost every post in RO these days has a wannabe traffic cop telling you to go file your question in the mortuary forums.  C'mon, Laurie...you're eyes aren't burning out of their sockets, are they?

elfguy - These items you would have made...for you alone, or the creator is free to market them after you have your finished product?

Well, it WAS just a suggestion.

Since what you are asking for is for your own use, the price would be higher since the person is only getting a one time payment. I charged basically what I thought I would have made on the project had I been able to release them to marketplace.

Some examples would include:

• A veins displacement map for V4

• A specific ZBrush morph for V4

• A belt with various sci-fi items

• A head dress

Things like that. I would think someone used to the tools could do most of the stuff inside of a day, no? So I guess it comes down to how much they charge by the hour.

commercial Poser stuff is normally dirt cheap, the vendor relies on volume. Custom work can range from $10 an hour and up.  If the vendor can market it as well then the price may come down a little. 

The wishing well forum gets looked at by some vendors and some hobby modellers who do stuff for free (or cheap) so it is worth a try.  A commercial (or free)  product is going to be much cheaper. 

Quote - I would think someone used to the tools could do most of the stuff inside of a day, no? So I guess it comes down to how much they charge by the hour.

that really depends on the level of quality you are expecting.

as i said in the V4 theoretical physicist thread,  many full commissions can become cost prohibitive.  however, if the vendor can put the item in their store afterwards to recover more development costs, then rather than paying them for all of the work, you can often give them an incentive to make something you like.  in this way rather than hiring someone fulltime for a week, youre paying them a smaller amount just to hijack their creative direction.

for example, commissioning someone to make you a quality, custom flightsuit for Vicky is going to cost you over a thousand dollars.  however, if you are OK with that merchant putting that flightsuit and modified versions in their store afterwards, then perhaps you can get them to make it for $0-150.  the reason i say for nothing, is because if its a really good idea im sure many merchants will waive the fee.

this way, you get what you wanted, you can be involved in the creative process and help shape the product, and you get advance copies and perhaps a few free copies to give your friends.  of course all of this depends on your agreement with the merchant:  i would recommend, for both parties sake, to go over every aspect of the deal in advance so there are no surprises (such as the client thinking they have the right to also put the item in their store, or freely distribute, etc).

Quote - However, I would expecct to pay hunderds or thousands of dollar to have a custome model made.  

That being said, I do not know what any of them actually charge.  But I assume it would be an hously rate at an estimate number of hours to make and revise an item.

I recently asked a vendor about a custom outfit. I also wanted exclusive rights to it.

They provided me with a very detailed quote, and a final price of $1,500.00 which was about 65% more than what I had anticipated it to be.

I'm not a modeler and have really no idea what it takes to make an outfit. However, when I read the amount of hours and work that needed to be done on it, I was really suprised that the quote wasn't higher.  The amount of hours that go into making a single outfit with morphs and textures can be astronimcal.

If you're willing to go dynamic, the work is significantly less. 

Yeah, dynamic clothes are a breeze to make.

Laurie

Quote - > Quote - I would think someone used to the tools could do most of the stuff inside of a day, no? So I guess it comes down to how much they charge by the hour.

that really depends on the level of quality you are expecting.

It also depends on your level of editorial input - certain commission jobs I've tried basically fell apart due to way too many changes requested by the client.  If you're expecting anything to be done in "one day" (heh) then you must be willing to accept WHATEVER you're given, no matter what it is.

Quote - I'm not a modeler and have really no idea what it takes to make an outfit. However, when I read the amount of hours and work that needed to be done on it, I was really suprised that the quote wasn't higher.  The amount of hours that go into making a single outfit with morphs and textures can be astronimcal.

That's true - it's not really that big a deal to model and rig a t-shirt or a pair of bike shorts, but then that's not the kind of thing you'd commission and pay someone to do for you.

The price of a commission can change drastically due to some factors:

1. would it be exclusive to you? If yes, then the vendor would probably need to charge you for round about the money they'd make with the entire sales of one of their products. For me, nowadays, that would mean some hundreds of dollars or even a thousand or two, and I'm only now becoming a known vendor.

2. If non-exclusive, would the product you want be "marketable"? Would the vendor be able to make some good cash selling it to other people?

3. Is the vendor experienced? Is their work better than usual?

4. How long would it take a vendor to make what you want?

5. Are you on a rush? Would said person have to spend a couple of days sleeping too little, or have to let go of some social appointments to make it in time?

6. Is the item you want in any way registered or could it be considered plagiarism? Would the vendor be in any risk if they accepted to make it for you?

Those things are complex. You'd need to explain exactly what you need if you want a base of price.

Ohki's point #6 brings to mind fan art items, such as Star Wars models.  These would only get done if someone is willing to make a freebie, because the modeler can't sell it.  But a lot of fan art does get made, as a labor of love.  Most of my stuff is TinkerBell, Lord of the Rings, or Narnia themed.

But even fanart can be in danger of troubles. Disney is specially effy about such things. And there's always the problem that a vendor receiving payment to make such an item for a person, even if that item won't be for profit otherwise, could be pursued.

In such cases, I guess one can only hope that a content creator will become passionate about the same thing as you, or you learn to create the content yourself ;)

Quote - Ohki's point #6 brings to mind fan art items, such as Star Wars models.  These would only get done if someone is willing to make a freebie, because the modeler can't sell it.  But a lot of fan art does get made, as a labor of love.  Most of my stuff is TinkerBell, Lord of the Rings, or Narnia themed.

Just to clarify, it doesn't matter if a given item is given away free or put out for sale - that has no bearing at all on whether it's trademark/copyright infringement.

Some companies/people are against fan art (shouldn't Mickey be public domain by now) others like Lucas are a little more tolarable of it. 

Quote - That's true - it's not really that big a deal to model and rig a t-shirt or a pair of bike shorts, but then that's not the kind of thing you'd commission and pay someone to do for you.

And yet there is that guy over at daz who charges people 10 bucks for just a t-shirt.  Go figure.

The japanese in general tend to enjoy fanart. When I was into painting and assembling garage kit, people kept talking about how manga creators felt honored when someone turned their characters into a figure you could touch.

Quote - Ohki's point #6 brings to mind fan art items, such as Star Wars models.  These would only get done if someone is willing to make a freebie, because the modeler can't sell it.  But a lot of fan art does get made, as a labor of love.  Most of my stuff is TinkerBell, Lord of the Rings, or Narnia themed.

that really depends on exactly WHAT you want made.  there are some outfits in SW and LOTR that, after some texture adjustments and some morphs, could be sold as totally generic sci-fi/fantasy outfits.

ie: do you just want some Sith robes? or do you want a perfect reproduction of Jabba the Hutt?

Quote - It also depends on your level of editorial input - certain commission jobs I've tried basically fell apart due to way too many changes requested by the client.  If you're expecting anything to be done in "one day" (heh) then you must be willing to accept WHATEVER you're given, no matter what it is.

this is perhaps the most important point in this thread.  whenever doing any commission you MUST have a very clear agreement covering every aspect before you start.  casual 'handshake' commissions are a disaster.  ive had cases where someone requested a custom version of one of my products, and after working on it for weeks revision after revision with the guy never satisfied and even doing a few 180s regarding what he wanted, i finally just walked away.  end result?  i was out a couple weeks work, AND the guy even managed to get free copies of several of my products AND my work in progresses of his commission as well.  he didnt even buy the base products he requested alterations for, and managed to weasel $60 worth of products out of me based on needing them to test the commission.  i got f*cked bigtime (yes i know i was an idiot and it was my fault), and its the major reason i will never do commissions again without:

-A deposit

-A very clear contract as to exactly what needs to be made, how it needs to work/what features it needs to include, what timeframe, how much editorial input they get, etc.

OR

-You can pay me by the hour -- then you can jerk me around all you want.

I could do all of that stuff for you for waaaay less than most... I'm already doing custom stuff for some other people.

Just send a site mail... I can do clothes, hair, props, morphs, textures. And I do have zbrush so I can do the specific morphs and I can also do a veins disp. map for you too...

:) Have a good day!

Quote - > Quote - > Quote - I would think someone used to the tools could do most of the stuff inside of a day, no? So I guess it comes down to how much they charge by the hour.

that really depends on the level of quality you are expecting.

It also depends on your level of editorial input - certain commission jobs I've tried basically fell apart due to way too many changes requested by the client.  If you're expecting anything to be done in "one day" (heh) then you must be willing to accept WHATEVER you're given, no matter what it is.

If what you are looking for is a simple prop, and by that I mean a very simple one, then yes, it could be done in a day by someone who knows what they are doing.

However, if you add grouping detail, morphs etc etc, the work required becomes more, and therefor the time increases.

For the outfit I wanted to commission, I provided a picture of the front with a guestimate of what the back looked like. And because I know this particular Vendor's work, I had no doubt that they would have come up with something for the back that was fitting the front and side design.

I'm still thinking it over! I may approach the Vendor and see if they would be willing to do it at a lesser cost if they can put it in their store. I have no doubt that it would sell like hotcakes!

It's fun to answer questions long after OP has left the thread in ever-increasing minutiae.

I charge an extra 45 cents per hour if the client has an affiliation with SAG, and a 20 dollar surcharge if the moon is waning and/or in Libra.

I'd charge 100 bucks extra if the client is of the cancer sign. Being one myself, I know how we tend to have mindless fits for no reason LOL

Quote - It's fun to answer questions long after OP has left the thread in ever-increasing minutiae.

 

I charge an extra 45 cents per hour if the client has an affiliation with SAG, and a 20 dollar surcharge if the moon is waning and/or in Libra.

 

 

Does it matter?

Laurie

it takes longer to uv map the meshes than it is to model them, i find.

Quote - it takes longer to uv map the meshes than it is to model them, i find.

It does? That's new to me...lol. It can get a little bit frustrating, but it's always, always taken me longer to model...lol. Maybe when I first started leaning it took a long time to do the uvs ;).

Laurie

Quote - It's fun to answer questions long after OP has left the thread in ever-increasing minutiae.

3 days is "left the thread"....? no, thats a break, (you know, work, family, tech problems). comeback in 2 weeks, if no answer then, then it's left the thread... Patience you see. it's a good thing(tm)

Quote - > Quote - it takes longer to uv map the meshes than it is to model them, i find.

It does? That's new to me...lol. It can get a little bit frustrating, but it's always, always taken me longer to model...lol. Maybe when I first started leaning it took a long time to do the uvs ;).

Laurie

  i try to do as Xaa recommends and map as i go along, but once immersed in the modelling it's hard to switch

Quote -   i try to do as Xaa recommends and map as i go along, but once immersed in the modelling it's hard to switch

Oh, for sure ;).

Laurie

I UV map as I go, so I'm not overwhelmed at the end.

Having to map a ton of parts at the end can be a huge demotivator.

then came B.  :lol:  trying to unfold it so texture don't stretch or pinch.

You just have to muddle your way thru them until you get it to look how ya want it.

I know what ya mean about uv mapping letters tho, as I just made a sign with modeled letters, and had to map them.

I'm still waiting on the pies.....

Laurie

urp

Quote - it takes longer to uv map the meshes than it is to model them, i find.

What are you using to do your UV mapping?  If you have a tool that does LCSM or ABF unwrapping, you really should look into that, it saves gobs and gobs of brutally dull and difficult work.

Quote - > Quote - it takes longer to uv map the meshes than it is to model them, i find.

What are you using to do your UV mapping?  If you have a tool that does LCSM or ABF unwrapping, you really should look into that, it saves gobs and gobs of brutally dull and difficult work.

Wings3d mostly.  i would use uvmapperclassic more, but i don't see a way to cut/stitch along edges.

what does LCSM or ABF means ?

Thanks.

I use Roadkill in conjunction with UVMapper Pro. Roadkill has that nice LCSM ;). It does a really good job of laying things out nice and flat if you have a minimum of knowledge on where the cuts should be. The only downside is that it destroys the grouping and material zones. You can get em back with UVM. I do use Wings to do uvs, but I almost always end up sending it through Roadkill..lol.

Laurie

lol, and unwrapping a pair of shorts, seems to always trap part of the mush underneath a layer