Well it looks like Daz 4.5 is no longer a RC but a full version.

I've just downloaded and I'm holding of on installation for the moment.

I understand that plugins will need to be updated to work.

Curious what those who have made the jump already have to say about it.

Is the transition fairly smooth or am I going to be smacking my head and pleading for help in the forums.

I understand some DS4 saved files will work and others not so. Anyone have any feedback on what will and won't work in a .daz scene file.

I'm also curious about the performance of the new .duf file if any one has any feedback on it.

So far I've not had issues with the DS4.5 yet.I loaded a scene saved in DS3A in DS4.5 with no issue.I lost all of my previous DS4 .dsa files in a computer crash so I can't say anything bout DS4.Did you read the release thread in the Daz forums yet? There's info there that may be of help also. That's located here http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/5343/  but I'm sure others here will pop in also with comments. I think they said some of the third party shaders may need updated but I'd read the release notes to be sure.

Your DAZ scene files should still load so long as you have the data folder files for it, the only problem might be those that have Genesis in them, as there have been a lot of changes to both the figure's file format and how DS4 deals with the format so you could get error messages.

The .DUF is their universal format that get's used for everything, from scene files to light presets, it's not all that different to the .DSF format they used in 4.0. When you save a DUF scene you no longer get a data folder full of DSO & DSD files, instead you get a data folder full of DSF files for anything in the scene that wasn't already in that format.

Only thing I would suggest is that you make sure the free content that comes with 4.0 is completely uninstalled, as everything in the "14812_GenesisStarterEssentials_1.3_trx" file is in DUF/DSF, even the SubDragon, that way you don't have to worry too much about file conflicts.

What about older scenes saved with DS4 ?

''the only problem might have those that have Genesis in them '' say Guardian Angel

Majority of my version 4 scenes have Genesis  and could not be loaded in new version ??

If yes i stay with version 4 and continue to use more and more Poser pro 2012

Sorry because i begin to like DAZStudio  and bought many stuff for it

Why i cannot use both version 4 and 4,5 ? DAZ say no

Quote - What about older scenes saved with DS4 ?

''the only problem might have those that have Genesis in them '' say Guardian Angel

Majority of my version 4 scenes have Genesis  and could not be loaded in new version ??

If yes i stay with version 4 and continue to use more and more Poser pro 2012

Sorry because i begin to like DAZStudio  and bought many stuff for it

Why i cannot use both version 4 and 4,5 ? DAZ say no

''the only problem might have those that have Genesis in them '' say Guardian Angel"

-was not said by me I don't have any of my DS4 older saved files-mine was lost in a crash. Please when making quotes-be sure to quote correct person:) That line was said by Bejaymac :) I don't want to upset anyone by being credited for other's information.Though Bejaymac is stating information that is also given in the release thread at Daz. Genesis has had updates & the files from DS4.5 are not backwards compatible to DS4 or earlier. I was told by that DS4 & DS4.5 most likely can't be run together on same machine.Sorry if I couldn't help much:(

Sorry for my bad quote My mistake

Backwards compatible :is it mean the scene make in version 4,5 can not be loaded in version 4 ---- excuse me I am a french speaking person and sometime i don't understand correctly what i read------ If yes it is ok for me

but if it means that the scenes saved in version 4 cannot be loaded in version 4,5 i don't really like it

This question bother me because in one update of the DazStudio 4 (i don't really reember which number) i was unable to load all the scenes i have saved before and got errors messages each time i tried  Suggestions from DAZ never resolve this problem So i  have deleted older scenes and rebuilded again some of these ones

DS 4.0 scenes will load in DS4.5, it's just that you can't go back to DS 4.0 from 4.5 (it won't even save a .daz file, though those have never been readable by an older version of DS anyway).

Thanks Richard:) I've been trying to help but I'm terrible at explaining:) It's ok bout the quote mix up:) I get people confused real easy.

Thanks for the reply

Thanks for the responses,

So DS4 scenes with Genesis and Subdragon figures will load in DS 4.5?

I guess this is my main concern the information above seems to conflict a little in this regard.

I wouldn't expect it to work vice versa. Its fairly normal that files saved in a newer versions of a program won't work in older versions.

Yes, there have been a few cases where the saved form 4.5 duf file does strange things - no one has yet figured out why, but I'd suggest loading the .daz file, saving it as a .duf scene from 4.5, and making sure that reloads correctly before doing any work on the scene (the .daz scene would still be available in any event).

Thanks Richard, love your work!

It's an interesting update, IMHO.  I haven't had any major issues with 4.5 so far aside from trying to figure out where the new stuff is and if the installed dynamic cloth function actually works since there's no request for a serial number.  Looks interesting, and for those of us who are lost in the minutae much of the time, it's nice that the lessons for learning the new version are at the bottom of the screen so you can select them.

...

Quote - and if the installed dynamic cloth function actually works since there's no request for a serial number.

  By default (at least in DAZ Studio Pro) it appears you get the basic version of the Dynamic Clothing Control built in.  If you own the full plugin version http://www.daz3d.com/shop/dynamic-clothing-control , I assume you would probably need to reset your downloads and install any updated version and could enter a serial number at that point.   

The product page says it has been updated for DAZ Studio 4.5, although it apparently depends on your OS:  I see conflicting notes, one says "Note: This has been updated to work with DAZ Studio 4 and DAZ Studio 4.5 (32 and 64 bit Mac and Windows.) (There are still known issues with Mac OS 10.7)." and the other, presumably old incorrect note says "Dynamic Clothing is only supported on the PC in the 32-bit version of DAZ Studio 3."

Couple of probs.

Couldnt get genesis to install in 4.5, and apparently reality 2 doent either.

anyone else have poblems like this?

No problem with Genesis and all the morphs i have are ok  and older saved files can be reloaded until now

I have some messages about duplicated files but the files are loaded anyway.

I don't know what to do with these supposed duplicated files .I have installed version 4,5 over version 4 and the installation is supposed to have uninstalled older version but may be some files are still there

Autofit plugin is  working

Bridge 3d to photoshop Cs6 extended is working for rendering file directly to CS6 layer .In 3d, U3D format is exported to Photoshop with texturres,collada file 3d is exported but without texture

CoZ  3d to Zbrush 4R4 isn't working for me (others reported also the problem)

Reality plugin will be updated soon by the developper ,actual version not working

I don't use any plugins except what comes with the program, but I haven't had any problems with 4.5. In fact, it works better. With 4.0, I had bought The Mage for M4, and couldn't get any of the clothes to load at all. I tried again with 4.5 and it worked like a charm. 

So far, with the exception of a couple of plugins I use needing to be updated, I'm finding 4.5 to be fairly issue free.  There's a tad bit of lagging when viewing content; but we're talking a couple of seconds.

I'm loving how autofit now works with gen 4 content w/o nuking all the morphs.  No more going through the nightmare of converting to triax and then going through the transfer utility.  The smoothing modifier works a lot better now.

I don't keep my scenes for much longer than it takes to render them; so, loading old scenes is a non-issue for me.  TBH, I haven't dug as deeply into the new release to see if I could find anything that's broken.  For what I want it to do, it works like a charm and much smoother than 4.0 did, so I haven't had the opportunity to attempt to push it to breaking point.

And Reality 2.5 has been out for a few days now and works just as beautifully as it ever does.  LuxRender is still loving me and vice-versa.

Quote - Couple of probs.

Couldnt get genesis to install in 4.5, and apparently reality 2 doent either.

anyone else have poblems like this?

There is a new Genesis that you should have downloaded with 4.5.  It's the GenesisStarterEssentials file.  Reality 2.5 was released a few days ago.  You can get it here: http://preta3d.com/blog/2012/08/21/reality-2-5-has-been-released/

A couple of questions come to mind for me:

1. How do I update my plugins? I know about how to access them; however, all of my plugins are green. I think all the ones I have installed are working, and there is only one that I don't have a serial # for, Animate 2. I also noticed that there are about four or five time as many plugins for 4.5 as there were for 4.0.

2. I installed the 64 bit version of 4.5 on my PC, but it did not replace 4.0, which was the 32 bit version. I had to manually uninstall 4.0. I opened it before the uninstall and it worked as though the 64 bit 4.5 version was not there. That is to say, there were no new problems with it. When I opened 4.5 it too worked as though the other version was not there. After this testing I uninstalled 4.0, then went to my account on DAZ 3D to get the new serial #. The question is this. If you cannot have two versions of DS4 on the same computer, why did that not become an issue on mine? Could it be the fact that DS4.0 was 32 bit and my new DS4.5 is 64 bit? 

It looks like DazStudio Pro 4.5 is ready for installation at last. I have held off installing until I felt sure it was Ok, robust, stable and fully featured. It will remove previous earlier installations when it installs on your system

To think it is free still is totallyamazing
(There are lots of addins to purchase of course and that is what keeps Daz3D afloat).

Give it a try

Save times have improved drastically for me and I think over all it runs pretty well, much faster than 4.0 in my opinion. Fortunately Reality and Infinito are the only plug-ins that I use these days.

Quote - A couple of questions come to mind for me:

1. How do I update my plugins? I know about how to access them; however, all of my plugins are green. I think all the ones I have installed are working, and there is only one that I don't have a serial # for, Animate 2. I also noticed that there are about four or five time as many plugins for 4.5 as there were for 4.0.

If all your plug-ins are green then you're good to go. Theres a list on the DAZ forums (in the commons) that says which plug ins have been updated and where/how you can download the updated version if required eg. reset DAZ downloads.

Quote - Well it looks like Daz 4.5 is no longer a RC but a full version.

I've just downloaded and I'm holding of on installation for the moment.

I understand that plugins will need to be updated to work.

Curious what those who have made the jump already have to say about it.

Is the transition fairly smooth or am I going to be smacking my head and pleading for help in the forums.

I understand some DS4 saved files will work and others not so. Anyone have any feedback on what will and won't work in a .daz scene file.

I'm also curious about the performance of the new .duf file if any one has any feedback on it.

 

as for my limited use of DS4.5 pro i haven't had an isse with loading my ds4.0 scenes and they work fine sinde the public release.  i have 4.0 32 bit and ds5.4 64 bit installed on my laptop and they work fine that way

" i have 4.0 32 bit and ds5.4 64 bit installed on my laptop and they work fine that way."

*I had both on my PC also, and I can vouch for the fact that they did not conflict with each other. I removed the older version only because I need the hard drive memory space. I can only have one version of any application on my computer, and I have several different ones already. I'm thinking about moving the ones than can be moved to my 1 terrabyte external. I found that some can be run from externals. DAZ programs cannot, however, as far as I know. At least when I tried doing DS4 and Bryce 7 they would not run. Blender, Gimp, Wings3D, UVMapper Classic, and some of the others will though. Of course before I move any of them to my external, I need to decide which ones I should keep on my PC. It will be based on how much each gets used.

I love 4.5! For me, what really stood out and made me love this new version was the fact that when I try and load 4th Generation clothes on Genesis, the morphs are not destroyed. Before, I had to go through hoops just to make sure the morphs stayed intact. Now, it's automatic! I LOVE IT! Now I can make 4th Generation clothes fit Genesis better whereas before I would have to cross my fingers and hope.

Confused by the new .DUF thing and why it's needed, but hey, I'm not a programmer. So long as my DS4.5 Pro works, I'm happy. And so far, I am.

I too am happy with it, the amount of active plugins I now have are nearly three times what was in 4.0 Pro. Of course there is now a Studio Library folder that lives on my desktop which appeared when 4.5 was installed. What it is for is something I have not figured out, and I have opened it several times to see if anything has been placed in it yet. It remains empty even now, and I have had 4.5 for going on a month now. The reason I have not deleted the folder is because I don't know what it might do to the software. Anybody else have this type of thing? Would it be okay to get rid of it? These are things I wish to know.

Your mileage may vary.

I tried 4.5 (Mac) but I have modded obj files for things that would load in DAZ 4 and in 4.5 they just won't appear at all.

Worse still, opening files from DS4Pro that had visibility turned off meant that they could not be made visible again in 4.5.  . . . . so I went back to 4.

MAybe if I find replacements in Genesis form for the V4 files I need most I will switch . . but I'll wait and see.

So far V5 has not been as good as V4 in my renders. The mesh is somehow different, perhaps lower resolution?

I don't have a Mac. My PC is a Toshiba Satellite, and I have no problems to report with 4.5 as far as loading .obj files. I modded a couple in Blender, and then imported them back into 4.5, and they loaded without any difficulty. I think when you import the file you need to pay attention to the scale options. Choosing the origin app's scale works for me.

Prof... i've had the same issue with some obj's importing into 4.5 as invisible.  have you tried going to the material tab for the obj and making sure that it's materials aren't set to 0% opacity?

christian.. the duf file format seems to be a new catch-all format for 4.5... one file format for everything.. props, materials, shaping presets, morph presets, etc

Quote - Couple of probs.

Couldnt get genesis to install in 4.5, and apparently reality 2 doent either.

anyone else have poblems like this?

You have to install the genesis starter essentials that came with your 4.5 download.  Reality 2 and 2.2 are NOT compatible with 4.5.  Paolo has released reality 2.5 that IS compatible and you can get it via the update page at www.preta3d.com.  You just need your order number from you purchases page and the serial number that was supplied to you when you bought it.

OF course.

I know it's because  . . Well, it's like this. The original obj file would stretch and show gaps in the seams when I put mesh smoothing on it, and I had already modified it slightly to remove some areas  - but if you just load it without using the original CR2 it won't move with the character, so I  merged the edges so they would not split and just use it that way and it works. It probably does not load beacuse it's "disobeying the rules" in 4.5.

Thanks all for your feedback, I have finally bitten the bullet and upgraded to Daz 4.5. As I have a major animation project upcoming and I wanted to take advantedge of the autofits capabilities for transfering morphs for clothing in 4.5

And as a whole everything seems to be working perfectly so far.

The only small thing is I now have a Genesis Starter Essentials in my Smart Content Tab as oppose to just a genesis product folder. I'm finding it easier to load Genesis from the normal content tab as the Genesis Starter Essentials has 200+ icons in it. 

I can't seem to create new Metadata for just Genesis as it was before the upgrade.

But this small issue is nothing compared to some of the new capabilities available.

So thanks again for sharing your experiences with 4.5. It really helped to convince me that this was more than just a an Alpha RC version.

When I first opened 4.5 Pro after installing it, I was unable to find certain products that had been installed in my earlier versions. I submitted a help request at the DAZ 3D Help Desk. Upon opening the application a second time to work on a project, I found that the missing products were where they were supposed to be! It seems the problem fixed itself, (perhaps it took some time for the new version to find them on my computer). Other than that, I have not had any problems to date.