@RobynsVeil - I've been wprking in Poser for about 7 or 8 years and can never master the lighting in that application. Recently, I took a Master Modeling course from Dreamlight. I was taught to use DAZ 3 for testing along with Poser. Using them side by side like that made me realize how much easier it is to obtain good images in DAZ. I have stayed away from it because I could never get content to work right in the app. Still having that issue and it can be maddening at times. Using Blender to create models and testing them in DAZ 3 has moved me forward by lightyears. I think the biggest thing I learned from the course is this - texturing is not tweaked and refined in Blender, but finished off in Poser or DAZ. Kind of like putting a plain white shirt on and then having it embellished by moving it into the studio and adding bump, displacement, specular and glossiness or transperency. After all, what appears in Poser and DAZ is what you are trying to promote. And it is not how pretty you make it in Blender.

I appreciate your input and suggestions.

C~

Hi, Everyone~

I appreciate all the informative input. With your suggestions I have succeeded in getting this to work for me.

@Lobo3433 - you fooled me on using the screen shot from the video. It is often hard for me to follow due to failing eyesight. No vision in left eye and right getting dimmer due to cataracts and glaucome. Uncle Sam isn't ready to remove the cataracts yet - guess I am not blind enough! A 40-minute video takes me about 3 weeks to complete due to this, and I really struggle with viewing the screen in the video because of size restrictions. I was certain that I used the NURBs path as the object to conform to as you suggested.

@RobynsVeil - I often find that other forums are not good at replying or giving good advice to newcomers. I have always found the needed info here at the forum on Rendo. In the past, I had the habit of jumping from one app to another - Lightwave, Wings, 3DS Max and even Modo 301. I came to realize that in doing so I was learbning and then unlearning the different aspects of each a[[. Yes, Blender grows on you! Many don't like it, bt I find that being an open source (read free!) software, there is mucho support and improvements on a very regular basis. I like that. To be honest, I am not overly impressed with Poser. It is difficult, like a drama queen, and getting things to work peoperly is a hair-tearing experience. This year, I have been using Daz 4.5 Pro, and the difference is astounding to me. (Dodging the stinkeye from the Poser afficondios!) I guess it is all in what works for you.

@heddheld - it WAS a matter of rotation scaling, etc, but also part of it was doing the actions in either Object or Edit mode. I struggle w/ the cursor, also, and also the point of origin, which for me is all over the place. I'm used to using Ctrl A to reset rotation and scale, having lerned that early on. Your suggestions are on target.

@Touchwood - Not so sure it was a rotation issue, but am more inclined to think it was the placement of the geometry origin. It is a fine detail I am slowly learning. My biggest problem seems to be that I keep at it until I get it to work, and when I do, I am not sure why. I appreciate your feedback. I will pay more attention to the location in world or local as you advise from now on. It may be a part of the issue.

My thanks to you all. I am impressed with the folks here on this forum who are always willing to step up and help someone like me who is not quite as experienced as you all are. It is the best way for me to learn.

Much appreciated, folks!

C~

@RobynsVeil - Spent some time there this afternoon and didn't get much info I could use. Useful site, though...

@Lobo3433 -- Totally agree on Blender being much more user friendly. I tend to download every new release. It is a very powerful app, but as you say has a very high learning curve. I correctly set the NURBs path in the curve modifier.  I am having no luck in resolving this. It is mostly a matter of rotation that I am running into. I see in your screenshot that you have the X axis set as the Deformation Axis. In my example, I am using the Y axis as deformatin axis. I also see you have it working properly. No such luck here. I am still getting the cylinder or plane at the wrong rotation after setting the curve modifier. And in Edit mode, they change to a different rotation than in Object mode. I obviously am doing something wrong here. And yes, Andrew does talk a bit fast. I have the same trouble at CGCookie. These guys are good, but I think they assume that the end user has their knowledge, and therefore leave out bits of information that means success or failure. Andrew is using 2.59 and I am usimg 2.66. Could this be part of the problem?

Thanks to both of you for your input. It's back to the drawing board for me...

C~

What he said...

Thanks, Ockham...

C~

This is great - many thanks!

C~

Find comfort in the knowledge that Simba no longer suffers. She waits for you at the Rainbow Bridge...

Namaste,

C~

@lesbentley - I've led a rather sheltered life - Daleks and Dr. Who, oh my!

C~

Agree on the reflections in the eyes.

C~

Team Bella sends metta to your sweet girl Simba. May she find strength and happiness and always have her bowl filled with treats!

C~

It has been m experience that DAZ Studio does not completely release the memory after shutting down. If you shut down DAZ and then go into the Task Manager, you will see "DAZ.exe" is still running as a process. I tend to use DAZ a lot when modeling because it is much more user friendly than Poser could ever think of being when working with materials and resources, and is much more intuitive than Poser ever thought of being. I've been running Posert for about 8 years now, and have never gotten to the point where I feel really competent with it. The lighting and material room always give me fits and no amount of tinkering or research seems to make much difference. I've really lost faith in Poser this past year since I have been modeling a great deal. I run PP2010.

Regardless of preference, if you go into Task Manager after DAZ is shut down, you can see the process is still running. By highlighting "DAZ.exe" and then right clicking and chosing "end process" you can terminate the program and release the RAM it is using. Same goes for the Content Management System.

HTH

C~

Really nice work. Miki4 seems well suited for a gown such as this one. Like the shoes, also.

C~

Like where you are going with this - she reminds me of the wicked queen from Snow White. Wondering if something similar is your intent?

C~

Excellent work, Chris. Have been following alng with you development of this project, and I am very impressed. Looks like this is gonna be a "must have..."

C~

Hey, Sam!

I am so glad this is working for you. I have been cigarette free since 01/02/13, and it is getting easier for me. I have been a 3 pack a day smoker for over 50 years. I DO enjoy a cigar on the weekend. It is not driving me to smoke cigarettes, and is good theraphy for me. Keep it up, and be free!

C~