Yesterday I had Daz Studio 4.5 in my available downloads section, today it's gone.  I also followed the link in the Daz3D forum: http://www.daz3d.com/shop/daz-studio-4-x-release-candidate/  to download it.

But then I get "cannot find the page you are looking for".

Did they suddenly remove this release for some reason???

might be a glitch in the setup.i just tried your link 3-4 times. first time said what you posted, last tries said 400 Bad Request so I'd assume still trying to get stuff fine tuned.

It's because of the changover to their new software for the store and forums. At the time of writing it's still not complete. Possibly by the time your read this message they may have fixed it. On the other hand they may not—such things rarely go smoothly.

Okay thanks for the info.....patiently waiting.... (okay, well not so patiently) :laugh:

Teething pains on the new software, I'd definitely give it at least another day or so before I tried anything involving the store!

It'll be ready... SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!

I, for one, will not be downloading any new versions of Studio.  I have DS3 A and DS4 Pro...  And Pro just came out what...not quite a year ago?  I want time to be able to LEARN the damn program before anything else.  If they'd work on what didn't work and stop having their customers purchase yet another round of new applications, plug-ins (which they need to update for Pro on some) and other bells and whistles they'd have a really nice set-up.  As it is, the glitches prohibit me from really sinking back into Studio.

shrug each to their own, I guess. ;)

Quote - I, for one, will not be downloading any new versions of Studio.

4.5 is a usual update to DS4 - you'll never downloade updates?

DS 4.5 is not as much as update to DS4 and a pre-update (pregrade?) to DS 5. The scene format is changed, and a lot of things are added or changed around. It is a release candidate (and there is a warning that it is pretty raw and devs expect some feedback) and it can't co-exist with DS 4 and any DS 4 plugins which was a deal breaker for me.

So it can't exist with Daz Studio 4 Pro OR Advanced?

And apparently no backward compatibilty????????  Down Boy, Down Daz, Bad Boy Daz, Bad Boy!!!! if you can't behave I'll have to get a new pet.

Cheers

GG

Quote - So it can't exist with Daz Studio 4 Pro OR Advanced?

Thats correct. 4.5 is an update that will replace any 4.0 it finds, same as the usual updates do.

Here's the link to the online Change Log:

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/change_log

They've been busy adding changes to RC1 already :biggrin:

I managed to get RC1 while the old site was still active. The first thing you notice is  the RC1 interface is much, much faster.   :biggrin:

Quote - 2. Files saved from this version of DAZ Studio are not backward compatible with older versions, including version 4.0.x.х.

Only new files, it seems, aren't backward compatible, but it is almost always like that with new version.

Quote - > Quote - I, for one, will not be downloading any new versions of Studio.

 

4.5 is a usual update to DS4 - you'll never downloade updates?

Please see the given explanations on whether or not this is an actual "update" for Studio.  

I have several programs that have periodic, actual updates for each that I am notified on.  Even with Mozilla Firefox.  If the updates are not something I need, nor something I have had an issue with- then no. I do not update. 

As for Studio- I have no desire, need or want to "update" (for a beta version of another version of Studio) on a program that I already have two versions of.  DS3A and DS4 Pro are enough for me- not to mention that with each version released they(daz3d.com) requires you to re-purchase the plug-ins that I have for the previous version.

I am not against updating, nor upgrading versions of programs or plug-ins- however the cash behind purchasing yet another version of a program that I haven't had the time to really get into in the first place is illogical to me.  Not every updated version is better than the previous.  Or needed.

I already had a 'canary in the coal mine' boot partition (Mac Lion; mostly I still run Snow Leopard) and so deployed DS 4.5 there. With limited testing, it seems to be stable; haven't crashed it yet. And it does 'feel' faster, but I may not be pushing it hard enough to tell. I'm cautiously optimistic, and hope to find some time to play with it more.

Quote - I already had a 'canary in the coal mine' boot partition (Mac Lion; mostly I still run Snow Leopard) and so deployed DS 4.5 there. With limited testing, it seems to be stable; haven't crashed it yet. And it does 'feel' faster, but I may not be pushing it hard enough to tell. I'm cautiously optimistic, and hope to find some time to play with it more.

Are there any new features that seem "really cool" and worth getting?

Okay it's been more than 24 hours since the link to Daz Studio 4.5 has not worked.  Which is okay, I can understand this is a big transitional period and there's lots of stuff that needs to be done.

But if anyone from DAZ3D is reading this, could you PLEASE change the message/post that's associated with the link and write something like:

A: Temporarily Unavailable

B: No longer available

Something, anything!  PLEASE?!?!

Thank you!~

The message said it's a release candidate, which means it's still a beta version.  I will wait until the official new version comes out.  Any word on whether geometry switching is supported in this update?

Quote - As for Studio- I have no desire, need or want to "update" (for a beta version of another version of Studio) on a program that I already have two versions of.  DS3A and DS4 Pro are enough for me- not to mention that with each version released they(daz3d.com) requires you to re-purchase the plug-ins that I have for the previous version.

Most plugins do not require a repurchase - of the DAZ-owned plugins the only ones that were upgraded rather than updated were the content creation tools. Reality (not DAZ-owned) required the new version to be used in DS4, but that was a general upgrade to a new version that was happening anyway.

Quote - > Quote - I already had a 'canary in the coal mine' boot partition (Mac Lion; mostly I still run Snow Leopard) and so deployed DS 4.5 there. With limited testing, it seems to be stable; haven't crashed it yet. And it does 'feel' faster, but I may not be pushing it hard enough to tell. I'm cautiously optimistic, and hope to find some time to play with it more.

Are there any new features that seem "really cool" and worth getting?

They mentioned curves...which would be really cool(still experimental though).

I can't wait to play but I want a bit more feedback on how stable it is before getting it.

Thanks to the poster who said it seemed stable. Anyone else tried it?

The new 4.5 RC installers were not transferred to the new store, and unfortunately getting them moved has to have a lower priority than other site issues. I'm afraid it may well be a while before they will be available again for those who weren't able to grab it before the changeover. Sorry I don't have better news to pass on.

I grabbed it before the change,

I am scared to install it though and need some encouragement.

What plugins are broken?

Can someone tell me if at least GENX works?

No, GenX won't work - nor will reality, if you have that. Any actual plugins (not scripts or shaders) that weren't part of the base application won't work at the moment (Animate 2 and Decimate count as part of the base, even though they need a separate serial - I can't recall if the Dynamic Control is working or not though the base is)

Richard, you happen to know if shaders like pwSurface2 and the Visual Style ones will still work OK? (edit, just noticed you said shaders do work, duh, but can you confirm it? thx)

One feature that's mentioned a little in the locked forums is that Auto-fit apparently does retain some of the morphs from Gen 4 clothing when fit to Genesis now. If that's true, and if it works well, that's a big new feature.

Can the Content manager and meta data stuff be completly removed from this new DS4.5 including all those new folder catagories, I dont need them or want them, they slow me down.

also,

Has autofit been improved to the point where we can load dresses and shoes from Generation 4 figures onto Genesis?

:) thanks in advance

..wait, S4 is now up to ver. 4.5?

And what is all this talk about it being a prototype for S5?

Already went through that with the last few updates to S3A. These should have been much needed fixes to ongoing issues rather than a testbed for S4 features.  Don't do this to me again, please.

Have S4Pro but still waiting to install until I get everything else up and running on the new rig. If Reality and GenerationX (which I spent hard earned money on) do not work in the latest update then, I will forgo it until they are compatible.

I read that auto fit now keeps the morphs does anyone know if shoes actually transfer from v4 to genesis properly now?

Probably not. The issue is with the differences in the zero pose. You can solve the issue by creating a pose for your gen4 character by setting the foot to approximately the same size and scale as genesis and export an obj of the shoe... then reimporting it as and obj and rigging genesis to that.

If it's a high heel, then i would create a foot pose morph for that in addition and use that as a morph after you rig it.

Quote - Probably not. The issue is with the differences in the zero pose. You can solve the issue by creating a pose for your gen4 character by setting the foot to approximately the same size and scale as genesis and export an obj of the shoe... then reimporting it as and obj and rigging genesis to that.

If it's a high heel, then i would create a foot pose morph for that in addition and use that as a morph after you rig it.

Then im not too concerned with the new Studio I am a Reality user now..

Yes, shaders seem to be working still - as I would expect, there was no mention of 3Delight changing. I haven't tried AutoFit, but I wouldn't expect keeping morphs to be linked to the way weights transfer to shoes and skirt, or to retaining working body handle, so I doubt there is progress there.

Hehe Richard I like the fact you have a kitty avatar here too

...as I understand Gen3 footwear translates a bit better to Genesis as in the zero pose the model's feet were flat instead of pointed down.  Why they changed that with Gen4 is a mystery to me as it only complicated matters.

Can't experiement with the conversion currently as I am only running S4 basic (which doesn't include the autofit tool) on the 32 bit machine.  Putting off installing everything on the new systm until the full .zip files are avilable as I am building a custom runtime structure.

So far over 1700 views on the Daz forum post that supposedly links to the download of Daz Studio 4.5.  That's 1700 times people have read that message, tried to click on the download and have an error page pop up.   And yet we're told that the link can't be immediately fixed, the message can't be changed or deleted (to let people know they are wasting their time clicking on the link), and they are unable or unwilling to actually make Daz Studio 4.5 available again.

I d/l it on the 1st day but not intsalling it since I use Reality. Really there is no rush since 3 can still be used. Ironically enough I went back to 3 to work a commission that I used LDP2 for lighting and realized how much nicer it is to work with. Now I work in 3 then load the scene in 4 if I am using a genesis figure or something 4 related add it then then Reality / LUX render...

bobvan: Yeah I know, I'm just frustrated because I'm having several problems with Daz right now.  I guess it depends on how you use Daz Studio, for example I really don't use Reality that much, and I would be interested to see some of the new features in 4.5, like the ability to include morphs with auto-fit and supposedly a faster, more responsive user interface.

Oh well, maybe by Monday things will get sorted out.

...I still find myself returning to LDP even though I have several IBL/UE light sets including Reality/Lux.

I like the "feel" it gives to certain scenes that I just am unable to achieve with more "realistic" lighting.

As S4/4.5 is still apparently in a state of "flux" I will be installing the 64 bit version of 3.1.2.32 on the new rig first.  Genesis is neat and all, but I need my plugins as well as they are what make Daz Studio work for me. 

I hope DreamLight will be updating LDP for S4.

Quote - ...I still find myself returning to LDP even though I have several IBL/UE light sets including Reality/Lux.

I like the "feel" it gives to certain scenes that I just am unable to achieve with more "realistic" lighting.

As S4/4.5 is still apparently in a state of "flux" I will be installing the 64 bit version of 3.1.2.32 on the new rig first.  Genesis is neat and all, but I need my plugins as well as they are what make Daz Studio work for me. 

I hope DreamLight will be updating LDP for S4.

I just used it because my clients dont want to pay my Reality rates and I was able to knock off 25 renders in 2 days which cannot be accompished in LUX. I have been using LUX for almost 3 months and have found ways to get resonable times but never as quick as LDP.  That comission bought me a second passport 1T external drive and more content...

I really am enjoying Reality lUX you can do some neat things like http://fav.me/d50d4ql and http://fav.me/d4ykaag but I have no issued using 3Dlight if need be

...but sometimes I like a more "painterly" feel which, with a few tweaks,  LDP works so well for. 

Had to post it here as for some reason this is not in my DA gallery.

Quote -  

 

...but sometimes I like a more "painterly" feel which, with a few tweaks,  LDP works so well for. 

Had to post it here as for some reason this is not in my DA gallery.

I like the way the 16 light shadowing can add depth