I rather suspect they are enjoying the holiday with their families.  This is the holiday where people spend their day outdoors ... far away from computers ... eating hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, etc., and watching patriotic parades before ending the day with massive fireworks displays.

I get to see about three different displays from my apartment.  Not quite as good as being there in person ... but then, I don't have to deal with the crowds, heat and humidity, and then the traffic trying to get home.  

The best displays I ever saw was the year we watched the riverfront displays from my sister-in-law's downtown law offices in Portland, Oregon ... and we were at eye level for many of the explosions.  Now, that was awesome.

Quote - I surely hope their silence means that the HW team is making lots of progress on Dawn.  :-) 

Yes, indeed he does.  

As this photo points out, figures come in all shapes and sizes.  What is usually presented as the normal figure ... just isn't.  Dawn is more glamorized than what we may see in a YM/WCA (or when I look at the swimming pool below my window), but it isn't at all impossible to find a real person who has that figure ... without surgery.

Unlike Barbie who has always been unrealistic in the extreme.

At least women are no longer required to wear corsets ... much less corsets unhealthily tightened to achieve 18 inch (or smaller) waists.

Quote - > Quote - > Quote - Bet he has a horrible time buying clothing to fit off the rack.

I would hope that accounts for his present state of, um, disarray. But these days? Who knows... :)

 

I think he could clean up well with the right clothes:

 

http://gruuvy.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/despicable-me-gru.jpg

 

Rawn

Bet he has a horrible time buying clothing to fit off the rack.

Quote - In a world of vastly different body shapes...who can really comment on what is "realism".....

 

I mean really!!!

 

Will we also have a definition morph?  I like the muscles to stand out a bit more than this.  I forget, did we also mention a muscles morph pack is a must have?

Quote - here are a few simple body morphs:

Bodybuilder

Why is this confusing?  It's no different than when I finish coding a new module in the Case Management/Medical Electronic Billing application I support.  I finish the code, test it, and then I schedule with my contact person when I will provide them with the changes.  Just because something is done, doesn't mean there aren't steps to do before you actually release something into the wild.

Originally, it was anticipated Hivewire 3D could be live by July 1, while Dawn would not be ready for release on July 1.

There were delays (as often happens with any new commercial site), and the site was not live on July 1.  I believe it is now anticipated to live by mid month. 

Meanwhile, Dawn is progressing as expected, and they are happy with the release version. Now they need to finish up preparations for releasing her.  

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the site/store goes live on the same day Dawn is released.  However, I don't expect to see Dawn or for Hivewire 3D to go live before Monday (at the earliest).  

Then too, we didn't expect to have an early release from prison (I mean work) today either.  But we were "dismissed" at 3pm (and found out at 3:30pm).  So ... we were wrong, and I could be wrong about no Dawn until Monday at the earliest.  Which I hope. 

Dawn and Hivewire 3D are a BIG thing.  iPhone killer big so to speak .  They both have the potential to be a major player (don't you just love those buzz words) in our tiny little world.  I'd expect there to be plenty of fanfare ... just as when that other place announced their "game changing" system that tore our tiny little world to pieces.

Besides ... all kinds of things can happen between now and the end of the week, and it's entirely possible that some little glitch will rear its ugly little head at the last minute.  (For the record Chris and Co, TODAY is my end of the week as I don't work Friday, and tomorrow is the Fourth of July, so gimme Dawn now!)

Quote - While there have been promises of more transparency there are still announcements of announcements and promises of the site going live…Ken said in his newsletter that the site would be live July 1, but that date has come and gone it could be weeks before we actually have a live site. Even if the site does come on line in the next few weeks, they have said that Dawn will not be immediately available when the site is live. And the latest is now that Dawn will be ready by week’s end and “when she is in hand”, they will announce her availability. I am not sure what that even means.  Didn’t they just announce that she will be done by the end of the week, but they are not saying when she will be available… YET. I am so confused.

Still does for me :(  Not as bad as when I was a teen, but still, unless the waist has elastic in it, it's not going to fit.

That Italian heritage is just not always fun.

Quote - Similar problem when I was younger, as I age the waist is catching up.   I remember everyone being able to look great in jeans, but me.  If I had jeans that fit the butt, the waist gapped out quite a lot, if I fit them for the waist, I couldn't get them pass the butt.

OH!  You're THAT Mab!

You absolutely nailed it.  Clothing that covers with the option to reveal.  Not all of us have enough magical skill to keep our skin from being ripped to shreds when we're defending that temple while wearing a teeny tiny strip of adhesive.

Quote - > Quote - haha... more of a Dieselpunk fan myself - The Rocketeer, Sky Captain & World of Tomorrow, Iron Sky, Sucker Punch, Dark City, Brazil, etc. ...Captain America opens it up to super heroes, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen bridges gap between steam & diesel.  Some bleed over into fantasy elements of Indiana Jones, King Kong etc etc

 

Those are all movies I like, so I guess I'm a steam/diesel-punk fan.  Actually, I especially love fantasy which bridges the gaps between scifi-fantasy genres.  It has to sort of make sense, of course.  I'm not a chaos fan, but I do love clever mixes in genres.

 

**I'd love to see lots of creative scifi and fantasy apparel for Dawn, but apparel that covers, or, as Will and I have done in the past, that covers with the option to cover less. **

Oh, I like that female Avator outfit with the four huge buttons on the front.  I've always been sad that the Desolation Earth/Daedalus and Rudi outfits were never recreated for V4.

I wouldn't expect an exact recreation of the steampunk princess Leia.  For one, I'm not exactly crazy about the 'chaps' over the dress.  And ... I'd prefer billowy pants rather than a dress.  After all, a dress is so restrictive when one is out to save the worlds.

Ack!  Look at the time.  I'm going to be late for work.  

More later.

Quote - I love Bjorn Hurri's stuff, especially the steampunk princess Leia. If I didn't feel like a cheater and idea stealer I would totally make that. Maybe we can design something in the same or similar style.
I'm a steampunk fan myself :) 

Besides, the past is the past, and isn't the mantra now ... what if we could do this all over again and do it right.

The awareness that things were not always done in ways best for the entire Poser/DAZ community, and the willingness to try to provide a solution for both (and the willingness to listen and to communicate) is more impressive than the Dawn figure herself ... and she's pretty impressive.

If you've ever seen Mulan in Once Upon a Time, I wouldn't mind an outfit similar to hers.

Then too ... almost anything Regina wears when she's the Evil Queen would be cool if you'd rather do sexy.

Then again ... there are the Legend of the Seeker Mord Sith skin tight leather outfits.

What I really want is steampunk ... not the mostly skin and little cloth steampunk, but more in the lines of what you'd see on serious steampunkers.  Still ... there is a steampunk star wars princess leia illustration by Bjorn Hurri that's rather simple but eye catching.  Though I'd rather put my female in the hans solo or luke skywalker outfits :P  If we're going to be out there saving star worlds, a dress just doesn't make it.  

Bjorn Hurri has some amazing illustrations.  I'm not quite sure which of his steampunk star wars illustrations I like best, but Master Yoda may be it.  Pity Darth Vader isn't there!

Quote - The people making Dawn are guys from the good old days of DAZ, when they were very popular and loved. These peiple have since left or were let go by DAZ (because of differences in where they wanted to see company go) and were replaced by new and improved executives, whom have their eye on something other then the community that made them succesful in the first place.
These guys were the part of the good old DAZ which understood the community.

**Anyway, back to Dawn, what should I make for her, any requests? **
 

Tomorrow is July 1!

Later on will be fine.   Can't have EVERYTHING we want on release, or Dawn would never get released!

And ... I'm really, really, really itching for Dawn to get released.  

Well, I'm actually itching because of a rash on my arm which is the result of an allergic reaction to something.  Either I again had an allergic reaction to antibiotics, or I have a sensitivity to latex, or it's an allergic reaction to something connected to having blood drawn (which again, could be the latex in the bandaid/adhesive).  Or ... it's all three or it's none of the above.

Whatever it is ... I am so tired of itching.

Quote - Q: Could we please have Gecko Toes in addition to Gecko fingers? A: Sorry, Satira… this did not make the final cut for Dawn’s base offering. Perhaps later on? ;)

Thanks for showing us that pose!  Not bad at all.  I'm really impressed with that side view showing the arm and breast.  I love how her elbow bends.  It will be so nice not to have to use the morph brush to fix the front and back of her shoulders.

Quote - We really do like hearing from the community, and while we try to fit many of your suggestions into Figure development as possible, she would never be released to you if we didnt say, "ok for this round we think this is a solid figure." Just know that your feedback is a big help and will continue to guide us on improving Dawn in the future...We are watching!

;)

Exactly, I don't expect Dawn to be MY ideal of a female figure.  That's what all the morphs will be for.  

I prefer narrower shoulders too, so I will use the Morphs++ Morphforms ChestSize to tone down M4/V4's chests and will also reduce the collar scale.  Tiny amounts help to reduce those model shoulders.  (Just wish there was a morph dial I could set to give me broader shoulders.  But nooo, so I have to settle for looking like a pear.)

I also prefer smaller breasts.  I don't think I've ever used a positive number with V4's BreastsSize (or BreastsLarge).  Unfortunately, V4 isn't all that receptive to having smaller breasts.  And the Elite morphs made that even worse.

I have seen nothing that makes me doubt whether Dawn will become my go to figure.  

Well, the genitals thing disappoints me.  Even though I rarely do nudes, I still like working with a female figure that's got its bits (or looks like it's got its bits).  Though I'm not sure I'd buy bits from a third party.  They tend to get a bit extreme.  

In the case of a male, I'd rather there was a bulge morph in the figure so they didn't look so neutered.  That might also help to get male clothing that didn't look like it was made for a female.

Quote - Dawn's starting shape is not my personal ideal for what I want in my female figures, mostly just the shoulder width.  I also like narrower shoulders.  However, as has been pointed out by others, that is what customization is for.  What Dawn IS I find terrific.  She isn't going to be everything to everyone, especially out of the box, but I think she is pretty solid and beautifully set up for customization.  She has some things other figures don't have. I think what she has is going to be the answer to issues many have wished could be addressed, but never dreamed ever would be.  She'll only get better once creative artists get their hands on her.  

*edit to change one word. 

Often problems are found and reported by the testers but aren't deemed important enough to fix before release.  I encountered that so many times when beta testing MMORPGs.  

I also encountered the same resistance when problems were reported while testing a certain application when I was dressed all in black.  Needless to say ... everything reported and not fixed while testing that application resulted in massive customer complaints in the forums along with accusations the testers needed to be replaced.  A lot of stuff does get fixed before release, but the closer to release it gets, the more likely a problem will be shelved until after release.

I like how Hivewire is so receptive to our suggestions.  Makes me wonder how that other place got so far away from valuing customer feedback.  How a company handles customer dissatisfaction ... even if it's deemed to be in the minority because the vast number of customers never frequent forums (or only read and don't post).  Thing is ... while forum's may be frequented by a small segment of the customer population, they ARE a cross section of the customer population, and if a large number of the posters are unhappy, so too are a large number of the customers who are silent.

Quote - That is great to hear Paganeagle, as an ex-Field Trial manager I always wished that the testers would take that approach.  As good as she is Dawn is bound to have a few issues and any not found during testing will soon be found when she gets out into the wider community.  Of course the testers will not find everything but she deserves a good start.  How often have some of us tried to use something and found it had basic problems and we are left asking "how did this get through testing and not have this picked up?" Dawn looks like a stunning figure so I hope the testers make sure she has a stunning launch.

Yeah.  I hate those hard limits.  There are times when 1.000 or -1.000 just doesn't do it, and you need a value more or less.  

I also hate having the scale parameters hidden.  First thing I always have to do is to unhide them.  

I'm becoming more and more a sad puppy Hivewire didn't need any more Dawn testers :(  Stiff upper lip and all that, but ... it sure is trembling with each teaser we get.

What happens when Dawn cups her right shoulder with her left hand.  We all know what happens if V4 tries that.  

Genesis limits prevent her from doing so.  She can touch her right shoulder with the tips of her left fingers in DS.  She can't do any better in Poser, and her elbow joint crumples when attempting to do so.

Can Dawn pledge allegience?

Genesis can, but her shoulder crumples in DS and both shoulder and elbow crumple in Poser.  

Roxie is able to pledge allegience better than either Genesis and V4. My Roxie Donor (V4 scaled and posed to match Roxie, all zones merged to weight map) looks better in the pose than Roxie (Roxie's elbow bulges oddly).

Roxie is also able to stand with her arms straight down at her sides (the palm of her hand rests on the side of her thigh).  Roxie donor and V4 WM can too, V4's shoulder needs corrected, and Genesis's shoulder crumbles dreadfully.  

How about that pose so common in period pieces where a man rests the back of his left hand on the small of his back.  I've tried and tried to replicate that with M4 and the results are really disappointing.

Quote - Okay, I absolutely LOVE what I'm seeing here. And honestly, I can't wait to get ahold of her and start doing some  serious figure support here. (provided there are morphs released for her...)

I like her shape. I love the fact that shes not a six foot, too-skinny, tall-torso'd, runway model or barbie doll. I like the fact that she has a little meat on her bones, and her overall shape is excellent. I LOVE the flexibility on her hands! I can't wait for the release. I want to play with her!!

I only have ONE request...

If it is at ALL possible.. can we AVOID setting hard limits?

I frequently spin dials well above and below 1.000 and -1.000, and something Daz started doing with the Gen4's that infuriates me is making those dials 'locked' at certain values. It makes character creation insanely difficult - especially if they "hard" lock those values such that even  editing the parameter dial value won't allow you to spin them past those points.

In the Poser world, V6 is a dud.  

Considering that DAZ more than likely has many, many more customers than they had on V4's free release, is it really so surprising that V6 may have sold more than V4 "sold" in the first week?  Though, DAZ could be qualifying that "more successful than any other figure on release" in ways that mean absolutely nothing.

Marketing is like that.  "Creative" skewing of facts and outright false claims.

Personally, I don't care whether V6 / Genesis 2 is or is not a dud or a success in the DAZ world.  It doesn't work any better in Poser than V5 / Genesis, therefore, it's worthless.

Now, if Dawn is the success I expect her to be, we may see a native Poser figure come out of DAZ once again.