I recently asked for votes to decide what figure to work on next. I let the voting run for a bit over a week and it seems that you the forumites would msot like to see improvements to the Millenium dog. https://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/?thread_id=2894540&page_number=2#msg4232187

Well I've had a look at the Mildog LE (free version), the mildog (pay version) and the Classic Canines collection of maps.

I also crosschecked the existing mildog morphs with the AKC's list of top 50 dog breeds.

Issues I see: The mildog needs helps with many bend areas

The mildog needs scaling dials and the existing breed MOR's hooked up with suitable scaling per breed

The classic canine maps need bump and disp maps as well as shaders that take advantage of new render features

The Mildog is made with the head as one piece, it really needs a jawbone added, which can be done without altering the geometry but will need a new cr2

To create some shaggier breeds, two sets of conforming furs in medium and long need to be made

Some breeds will need specialized displacement maps for coats (Airedale, classic cut poodles, scotties)

con - Since the Mildog version with the morphs is pay only, and has no INJ channels , the additional morphs will need to be added via a readscripting method (don't worry, end users don't even know its happening)

con - I'm not about to make a bunch of conformers free. if I make those, I will make them and the longhaired breeds as a commercial product

Possible approach for this project:

part 1 - make the joint fix morphs, scaling morphs and added jawbone on the free mildog LE. Make any added morphs for smooth coated breeds from the top 50. make this part a freebie

part 2 - Go over the Classic Canines map and MOR set and create new shaders for the coats, as well as a new cr2 with altered morphs to incorporate the changes in part 1, adding scaling to the Classic Canines morphs as needed. Again by doing this with readscripting, the end user will not need to decode anything or even know its happening as long as they have pay version of the Mildog installed. Without the morphs installed, the readscript will do nothing exciting and act just like part 1. Free part

Part 3 - Make the new conformers for long haired breeds (golden retrievers, poodles, scotties, saluki, etc). Make the morphs for longhaired breeds. Make two readscripted cr2's , one to work with the mildog LE and one for the Part 2 adjusted cr2. New maps for all breeds. This will be a pay product, and probably in the 10 to 15 range.

Possible issues: stacking readscripts can be fiddly. Adding a new jawbone will be troublesome and may need weightmapping, which would restrict usage of the ImprovedMilDog to newer versions of poser. Making new maps for all the covered breeds, original morphs and any I add.

Anyone have anything to add that they think should be addressed about this figure?

For information: the AKC list of top 50 dog breeds. http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/

I would also be adding Saluki, whippets, greyhounds, Italian greyhounds, irish wolfhounds, dire wolf, hyenae, wolves, foxes, african wild dog and the thylacine.

Lyrra

attached are a pair of test renders - one is the mildog white wolf map as is, and one with shader setting shamelessly nicked from EZSkin2 and fiddled with.