Hi there, At heart I am personally really a puzzle-fixated person. I particularlt like geometric puzzles and problems. Like volumetric particles, lights, changing geom, MAT files and such, I am a strong beleiver that you don't need fancy software for cool stuff. Yes I did just get Lightwave, but I am reluctantly retiring RayDream 5.5(that program was ahead of it's time) As some of you may know I like to keep files efficient and easy going on system resources. Last night I had decided to explore a new idea that creates the same effect as volumetric hair. This is my experiment. I am still assembling this so please ignore the patches. :) Hair is posable. This render uses only a material colors and a transmap. No texture used. Renders normally with no slow down. The shadows were a real bonus. All done and rendered in P4. So that means lots of cool new hair coming up. I swear my best motivation is boredom. Time for bed. I'll keep you posted. Anton anton@daz3d.com

Eeek compression didn't do very well. here is a better picture. Again still a draft WIP. Haven't done hairline yet... and this is just material colors.

Oh wow! Let me be the first to say 'Congratulations'! You rule, Anton!! But, then again, you always have! ;) Aaron

hey thanks, that is nice of you. Before I went to bed I wanted to try a simple texture and different lighting. I don't want to tackle the hairline tired.

Dam dam dam. Im so impressed!! Very cool. Glad to see boardom pays off with you anton. When Im board I just sleep or eat. LOL. I have to say this is reminding me of that hair billy T uses in his renders. I love how it looks. Yours is much softer though. And is that the texture you were working on awhile back based on MM? Cause she is really pretty I love the morph as well. Cant beleive this is just Material and transmaps. Ready to see more. :)

OHHH I love the lighter color!!

Cool Idea Anton!! It seems that it works pretty fine! I like the lighter one also :)

looks beautiful!

Oh wow! Can't wait to see what this looks like when it's actually finished, because it looks pretty darn amazing already!

When I saw you name and something you were making. i said to my CRT, Al..don't look, because you'll fall in love and then spen the rest of the time praying it will either magically showing up at your doorstop or the daz store, whichever comes first. and I said my self. "Self" I can look and not get that way... I should have listened to my self. for I'll be waiting cash in hand...

gosh ! wow ! what a fantastic piece of hair ! so many improvments since the beginning of renderosity and the release of poser 4 !!!! Final Fantasy is not so far !!!

Another fantastic item from you Anton! I swear, you RULE!!

An early WIP? The hair beginning starts very high. And in first picture (the right one) the skin pokes through. Will you make a skullcap for the hair too? Overall a good beginning! Mazak

Anton is right...what he describes as "volumetric" is a new way to design hair( been playin' with the same idea myself as you can see from this WIP ;-) ). It keeps the poly's managable and allows modellers to consider entirely new designs(like curly or really wavy hair) that will not choke systems. This is my experiment with the "volumetric" idea. The trans map is not as developed as Anton's yet, but you can easily see that newer, more realistic curly and wavey styles are now just around the corner. (when completed this will be a super long, conforming style)

Looks great! A lot of work getting it this far, though, wasn't it Anton? People who have never made hair just have no idea!

You know, Anton, with just a little more curl on the ends and that would be a dead ringer for my current hairstyle. Incredible work as always. I can't wait! Variesh, color aside, your's looks just like my hair did last year. I love new hair!!

Ultimate possibility. I cannot stop trembling in excitement. It is a historical moment!

I must be a hair junkie, all I can say is-- want them both, want them both, want them both. Looks like the start of something good. Emily

points upwards What Em said ;)

Looking very good as a proof of concept. And for those who have been worrying about long render times of strand-based hair in P5, just imagine what the Antons and VAIRESHes will be able to do integrating techniques like this with dynamics;-)

Between the just material or textured, I like the just material one better, drop the texture. Course could just be because I have a fondness for redheads.