So, im trying to figure out the relationship between hair legnth and the root stiffness and fall off... I doesn't make sense to me, coming from a world where 1=1.

So the hair legnth is .2

The root stiffness is .85 and the fall off is .95 (some reason i figure this number has to be bigger, since help says (how far from the head the roots are stiff, before they start to bend)

But from what I can tell, the hair immediately starts to bend, sinks into the head, and just looks... well not good :)

So what kind of ratios am I looking at if I want to lift the hair a minimum of a (scale size) 1/4" off the scalp before it starts to bend/curl?

Ideas?

Oh...

And how in the world do I get a nice even edge?

No matter what I do I get that fade out effect, and it is driving me nuts...

for the edge try 1. making sure the length variance is 0 and 2. have the root width and tip width the same and make sure the hair isn't layered. This should make it close.

As far as the bending goes, the root stiffness is for the simulation not the initial styling. Are you trying to get the hair to hang straight down using the pull down? That only works so far and then you get the hair going into the head. You could try starting with that and then using the hair style tool in your tool bar. (looks like spikey hair) Don't forget to adjust the fall off slider on the styling palette as needed. Keep in mind after you use the style tools you don't want to use the hair growth tools or they will erase all your styling ( is undoable)

For the edge: Grow the hair much longer than you want it to be at first, then adjust the length with the styling tool. At the moment the hair is layered because it is the same length all over the head.

Putting a tiny bit of kink in the hair makes it look more natural, even if the hair is basically straight. Again, bending the hair with the styling tool works better than a straightforward pull-down. I don't know if your hair is grouped. Grouping the hair makes it easier to style with the styling tool.

Nanette, when you say grouped, do you mean seperate areas for various parts? Like Bangs, crown, sideburn, and etcetera?  So far for this style I wanted just a simple cut, trying to do in Dynamic, a couple things I've seen for sale...

Also, when shortening after growing, would you say best to shorten from closer to the root or the tip? Bending I get, that's sort of from "wherever you get teh best results" since the style tool is just oh so accurate in adjustements :)

Any, bangs are more or less what I was looking for, except for the need of the use of regular scissors, and not pinking shears ;)

Root Stiffness is a percentage, so the value range is 0-100.

Set Root stiffness to about 66.

.02 is about what you need for the falloff if you're going to run a simulation.

Check 3Dream's store.  He had Universal Skullcaps for use with dynamic hair. 

Some of HMann's aka Magix101 hairs have skullcaps.

Or you can make your own with grouping tool.  Select the head, go into the group editor.  Select the polys you want in the skullcap group.  Hit spawn prop and name it. 

Exit the group editor.  You should have the figure in the figure list and the skullcap prop in the props list.

Quote - Check 3Dream's store.  He had Universal Skullcaps for use with dynamic hair. 

Some of HMann's aka Magix101 hairs have skullcaps.

Or you can make your own with grouping tool.  Select the head, go into the group editor.  Select the polys you want in the skullcap group.  Hit spawn prop and name it. 

Exit the group editor.  You should have the figure in the figure list and the skullcap prop in the props list.

Green part at the back of her head is the skullcap that I made from Vicki...

Okay so now here is a question - I am essentially trying to figure this out so that I may one day be able to create hairs that are marketable - Since the skull cap is a direct "create prob" from the Vickie geomatry - would I need to look at some way to modify it so that it is "mine". and not just an export?  Or does it count as just a piece and therefore not the whole so doesn't count?

Once you have your hair spawned from the skullcap, you can delete the skullcap and parent the spawned hairs on a primitive cube if you like...they already have their shape.  The only benefit to having the skullcap there is if you texture/transmap it to look like roots.  IMO this was only necessary way back when Dynamic hair was new and you couldn't have the density you can today.

Also, IMHO, Dynamic Hair is not ready for primetime (sales) until some MAJOR improvements are made to the hair room, the simulator, and how they work together. 

You can make some great static hair props but the minute you want to pose or animate your character and use the sim to get some realism with collisions and what-have-you, it quickly becomes sad and useless.