I feel the same too.  I think it is caused by the technical stuff.  It limits the creativity.  If all I want is a good rendered picture, other software can do it too.  I'm still struggling in making clothing that "works"

I gave up on Victoria 4 as well, I paid for it when it is not free!  All I want is something that my laptop can handle.  I've seen some amazing artworks that done in the past with the computers that are not as fast as the one I have. 

The free contents are the main reason for me to stay with Poser/DAZ Studio.  I do not have as many outfits as Victoria 4 (just counted the free contents) LOL!

Hopefully, I will come back with some new stuff for Antonia when I recovered.

Quote - Granted, I bought the figure quite awhile ago, but I'd imagine it's the same files. The skin on my Angela doesn't look rough.

Laurie

Laurie, good picture of Angela.  Thank you.

Too bad, there are few supporters of the free figures like Antonia, Angela, and Apollo Maximus.  Oh! All names started with a letter A, like mine.

Schecterman, the catsuit is very good.

I like experiment!

Les, which version of Blender are you using?  Recently, I submitted a bug regarding the obj import.  They fixed it very quickly, the fixes are in 2.57b.  I'm still exploring features of the 2.5x.  I still kept 2.49b around.

About the size, I think it is better to scale up the OBJ before you import it into Blender.  Blender is not that accurate in small scale;  0.001 and 0.000975 look the same. 

Hi Paloth,

I'm using Daz Studio too.

I've found my thread about the JCM I tried to make, which is very similar to what you want to achieve.  Please take a look at http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2795918

It is based on odf's idea as below.

Quote - I think this version of the knee bend might actually do for the first round. Encouraged by my success, I shall try the same technique on the hip bend to make it look good at up to 150 degrees or so.

I thought I'd give some more details on how I did it. In the following I'm assuming that you are familiar with how JCMs and, more generally, ERCs work.

The basic idea was to use cascading JCMs for the bend. So instead of one, I used three JCMs for this bend, lets call them A, B and C. So let's just talk about what I wanted to see, and then how I achieved it.

Up 90 degrees, only A is active and B and C stay at 0%. A reaches 100% at 90 degrees and then stays at 100%. Between 90 and 120 degrees, A and B are active. B reaches 100% at 120 degrees and then stays at 100%. You can now imagine what C does. In effect, I get a smooth transition between four shapes, including the normal one at 0 degrees.

In tabular form:

angle	A	B	C
>    0	0.0000	0.0	0.0
>   15	0.1667	0.0	0.0
>   30	0.3333	0.0	0.0
>   45	0.5000	0.0	0.0
>   60	0.6667	0.0	0.0
>   75	0.8333	0.0	0.0
>   90	1.0000	0.0	0.0
>  105	1.0000	0.5	0.0
>  120	1.0000	1.0	0.0
>  135	1.0000	1.0	0.5
>  150	1.0000	1.0	1.0

Get the idea?

So A needs to increase by 1.0 while the angle increases by 90, which means I slave it to the rotation channel with a factor of 1.0 / 90 = 0.011111. Then I just set the limits for A to 0.0 and 1.0, and A is done with. Now B is supposed to grow from 0.0 to 1.0 between 90 and 120 degrees, which means the factor for B must be 1.0 / 30 = 0.033333. So far, so simple.

But supposing that B starts with the value 0.0 at 0 degrees, with that factor it would already be at 3.0 when the angle is 90 degrees. Not good! So I have to make sure it starts with a nominal value of -3.0 at 0 degrees. Then when I set the limits for B to 0.0 and 1.0 as well, it will effectively stay at 0.0 until the angle reaches 90 degrees. But simply setting it to -3.0 as an initial value doesn't seem to work very well. So the trick I'm using at the moment is to add a channel with the name "one" to the BODY actor and set it up so its value is always ... wait for it ... 1.0. Then I slave my morph B to that channel as well with a factor of -3.0. 

Okay, you see now where this is going. For morph C, I need a 100% increase between 120 and 150 degrees, so the factor is again 0.033333. That factor gives me a value of 4.0 at 120 degrees, so I slave my C morph to the "one" channel with a factor of -4.0. Et voila!

The beauty if this scheme is that it works for any number of intermediate shapes, and with the DAZ setup tools, it is in fact fairly easy to rig. I'm happy to go into more detail if anyone has questions.

Hi Paloth,

Are you using DAZ Studio?

From your original goal: "I would like to hold back targetGeom RshldrSwing-30 until targetGeom RshldrSwing-20 has reached 100%."

You will have to do the following:

        targetGeom RshldrSwing-20
        {
            name RshldrSwing-20
            initValue 0
            hidden 0
            forceLimits 1
            min 0
            max 1
            trackingScale 0.01
            keys
            {
                static 0
                k 0  0
            }
            interpStyleLocked 0
            valueOpDeltaAdd
            Figure
            rShldr:1
            yrot
            deltaAddDelta -0.05
            indexes 3
            numbDeltas 1279
            deltas
          
       
        targetGeom RshldrSwing-30
        {
            name RshldrSwing-30
            initValue 0
            hidden 0
            forceLimits 1
            min 0
            max 1
            trackingScale 0.01
            keys
            {
                static 0
                k 0  0
            }
            interpStyleLocked 0

                           valueOpDeltaAdd
                                        Figure
                                        BODY:1
                                        One
                                deltaAddDelta <span style="color:#00ff00;">-0.666667</span>                            

         valueOpDeltaAdd

            Figure
            rShldr:1
            yrot
            deltaAddDelta -0.0333333
            indexes 33
            numbDeltas 1279
            deltas

If -0.666667 is not working, try just -1.

@Les, I'm not sure about the value for "One" in Paloth's case.  I think it is 20/30 = 0.666667 because Paloth wants to have no effect of RshldrSwing-30 until RshldrSwing-20 is 100%, i.e., 20.  In RshldrSwing-30, 1 is 30, therefore 20 is 0.666667 in RshldrSwing-30.  Am I right?

Paloth, for your references, the following is my example with kick forward at 30, 60 and 90 degree.  Note that the actual deltas are omitted and replaced with "..."

                   targetGeom JCM-lThighKickForward1
                        {
                                name JCM-lThighKickForward1
                                initValue 0
                                hidden 1
                                forceLimits 1
                                min 0
                                max 1
                                trackingScale 0.004
                                keys
                                {
                                        static 0
                                        k 0 0
                                }
                                interpStyleLocked 0
                                valueOpDeltaAdd
                                        Figure
                                        lThigh
                                        xrot
                                deltaAddDelta -0.03333333333333333
                                indexes 797
                                numbDeltas 1314
                                deltas
                                {
                                ...
                                }
                                blendType 0
                        }
                        targetGeom JCM-lThighKickForward2
                        {
                                name JCM-lThighKickForward2
                                initValue 0
                                hidden 1
                                forceLimits 1
                                min 0
                                max 1
                                trackingScale 0.004
                                keys
                                {
                                        static 0
                                        k 0 0
                                }
                                interpStyleLocked 0
                                valueOpDeltaAdd
                                        Figure
                                        BODY
                                        One
                                deltaAddDelta -1                                
                                valueOpDeltaAdd
                                        Figure
                                        lThigh
                                        xrot
                                deltaAddDelta -0.03333333333333333
                                indexes 865
                                numbDeltas 1314
                                deltas
                                {
                                ...
                                }
                                blendType 0
                        }
                        targetGeom JCM-lThighKickForward3
                        {
                                name JCM-lThighKickForward3
                                initValue 0
                                hidden 1
                                forceLimits 1
                                min 0
                                max 1
                                trackingScale 0.004
                                keys
                                {
                                        static 0
                                        k 0 0
                                }
                                interpStyleLocked 0
                                valueOpDeltaAdd
                                        Figure
                                        BODY
                                        One
                                deltaAddDelta -2                                
                                valueOpDeltaAdd
                                        Figure
                                        lThigh
                                        xrot
                                deltaAddDelta -0.03333333333333333
                                indexes 699
                                numbDeltas 1314
                                deltas
                                {
                                ...
                                }
                                blendType 0
                        }

Wow! I think I missed many good JCM/ERC discussions.

@Paloth, the technique Les described works very well.  I tried it.

@Les, did you received my e-mail?

I wonder if there is a workflow of making JCM that will work well with 2-axis rotation, for example, xrot and zrot.  The purpose of that is to correct the issues of the existing JCMs. 

Hi Les, I can test it with DAZ Studio 3.1 (Windows).

sazzyazzca, the morphs are great!

Les, I have received your cr2, I'm fixing the morphs now.

Quote -
Why do you want to use a pose file? What benefit do you hope to achieve by doing it with a pose file?

My goal is to reuse common parts.  For example, buttons of the clothing.  It is an experiment to see if I can have some "static" objects attached to clothing.  If it works, I can make some fantasy armor pieces with some complicated decorations.

The pose file will be used to position these "static" objects.  For example, the bikini set cr2 will not really contain any bow.  The bows will be loaded from a separated cr2 and placed by the pose file.  I'm not sure if it is a good idea or not.

Quote -
actor lKnotCenter:1
    {
    storageOffset 0 0.3487 0
    objFileGeom 0 0 :Runtime:Geometries:AmyAimei:Accessories:KnotCenter.obj
    }
actor lKnotBowR:1
    {
    storageOffset 0 0.3487 0
    objFileGeom 0 0 :Runtime:Geometries:props:KnotStringL.obj
    }
Etc.

Thank you for this piece of code.  The older version of the bikini top use the bows in a different way.  Actually, the ideal option for me is having a pose file to attach the bows at the proper locations without modify the cr2 files manually by using a good text editor, of course, not Windows Notepad.

Quote - (click image for larger view)

amy_aimei,

Once I got the JCM working, my first impression of the Bikini bottom is that the JCM works very well, except for one spot on the left buttock where there is pokethrough if the thigh kick goes beyond -23.0°. Even with the kick at -90.0° there was only that one spot of pokethrough on the buttock. Strangely it only seems to be happening on the left side.  With both -90.0° thigh kick, and 25.0° thigh spread there was also a little pokethrough at the back of the crotch, though this disappeared if the kick was reduced to -70.0°. It's asking quite a lot to expect the figure to handle both -90.0° and 25.0° spread, but I think it is well worth fixing the main pokethrough caused by the kick, as it detracts from what is otherwise a very good job. Seen from below in Flat Lined Display Style the problem vertex is quite evident (see image above).

lesbentley,

Thank you for testing it in Poser and giving me valuable feedbacks.  I tried the same in DAZ Studio.   This is the result with the lThigh set to kick at -90° and spread at 30°.

There is a pokethrough, but I can't reproduce the one at the buttock.  In fact, the right side JCM's are mirrored from the left side.  That's strange!

I'm working on the updates based on your findings and I think it will be good to find a way to create a JCM that can handle both kick and spread.  Currently, I can make JCM with rotation of one joint axis only.  It works with both kick and spread is by luck and some fine tunings I did by guessing.

The following image is the result with the lThigh set to kick at -60° and spread at 60°, which is when both JCM-lThighKick and JCM-lThighSpread at 100% (1.0).

There is a major pokethrough at the bottom part of the mesh.  There are some vertices do not have a smooth transformation (see the vertices pointed by the arrows).

Is there any way we can make JCM for rotations of 2 joint axes?

3D paint option, I think you are talking about painting the texture on the model in the 3D window.  It is possible in Blender 2.4x too.  I'm using it to create the textures that come with the Beach Volleyball Set for Antonia, which can be found at http://sharecg.com/v/49179/gallery/Poser/Beach-Volleyball-Set-for-Antonia-1.2.0

Thank you all for testing it.  

Quote - I guess that depends on what you compare her to. Other Poser figures: yes. Actual humans: no. :laugh:

That's funny but it is true.

Quote - I'm still dreaming of a software that would let me to edit and test JCMs in one go, without ever changing programs, but that may not happen anytime soon.

This is my dream too.  I have recreated Antonia's bones into Blender's armature but I can't recreate the same deformation.   In order to simplify the JCM making, I created a cage for the clothing, i.e., a lower polygon count shape closer to the clothing, and used it as a figure.  Then, make it fit to Antonia.  Once it is posed to a desired angle, export the OBJ; import it to Blender, then by using the mesh deform tool to deform the clothing with the imported mesh.

I also experiment on making fine tune in DAZ Studio with the deformer, it is not easy.

In addition, I tried to make morph for the clothing, such as pull up/down, pull forward/backward.  It is easy to make but it is hard to use.

Someone may suggest to go dynamic clothing.  I think it is too slow at my laptop.

Quote - Maybe someone here would want to do some JCMs for antonia, and could help me in the final test. I know she bents almost perfectly but maybe there is one or two poses left to optimize :)

 @colorcurvature, I found the most difficult one is the mixed poses, for example, the poses require both spread and kick of the thigh.  I'm not sure how can I help you.

 BTW, does anyone use Miki 3?  I don't.  SM web site stated that it work with the latest version of Poser (I think it means Poser 8 or Poser Pro 2010) only and it is not working with DAZ Studio.  Maybe, there are some new features in Poser that is hidden to be found?

Hi all,

Finally, after few months of fixing the JCM's at the hip.  The Bikini Set for Antonia 1.2 is done!

There are few experiments I have done in this version.  There are 2 geometries and bones set within the same figure.  It seems to work in DAZ Studio but I'm not sure if it works in Poser.  Please test it and let me know the result.

For JCM's, I'm using another way to make it.  The JCM's are made by using Blender's mesh deform feature http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Manual/Modifiers/Deform/MeshDeform.

Of course, I still have to go through the trial-and-error process.  I wish one day I can find a way to automate this process.

Download links:

http://www.sharecg.com/v/49628/browse/Poser/Bikini-Set-for-Antonia-1.2

or

http://www.bluecho4u3d.com/Antonia/database/sites/clothing_models.htm