ZBrush GoZ and Morph Loader

marble

Hi,

I'm having a few problems using the GoZ plugin as I have described in the thread "Support Asset Saving".

Can anyone point me to a good tutorial on using GoZ and/or using Morph Loader instead of GoZ? The issue appears to be with saving the morph. I am using ZBrush to morph clothing but on some items - particularly on older garments - the morph is not saved using the Save Asset procedure. By older I mean those not specifically designed for Genesis (although there is inconsistency even in those that are).

Thanks in advance.

Richard Haseltine

If they are older, not TriAx, content have you converted them to TriAx and saved as an asset? I think I asked in the other thread but can't recall the answer.

marble

Sorry Richard, I don't see your post in that thread. Is there a document somewhere that explains how to do that? I did see the option and tried it but failed miserably to achieve anything. I'm sure I need to know more about TriAx and weight mapping, etc. but it also looks as though the asset location in the folder structure might be important?

kitakoredaz

marble, when you use the clothing (you said old clothing which desigend for V4. or M4) for genesis.
I think you used "auto-fit".

But in the topic where you asked me, you apply morph for genesis clothing (triax figure)
Hoodie Jacket , Mall Girl for genesis. which I have same product.
so can you make the morph for the item already?
(If you can not still,, it seems differnt problem)

then if you use auto-fit V4items for genesis,,,, ,, the clothing changed to triax weight figure.
after that if you try to apply (import) original morph ,, and save it as morph,
the morph may not be shown when you next load the V4items.

because,,figure (triax) which changed by auto-fit,,, and original figure are different data.
if you have not saved yet the triax figure (by auto-fit) , it means there are no actual data about tirax figure.
even though you saved as scene,, the morph or triax figure data are recorded in temp folda,, I think.

so when you use auto-fit,,, you need to save the triax clothing as figure or prop first. then apply morph for saved figure,,
and save it as morph. ds save your morph in the Data directory,

tirax figure >morphs> vendor name>product name >the morph name.

marble

Yes, in that thread I was trying to morph the Mall Hoodie Jacket which is not old and, I assumed, is designed for Genesis (TriAx). And no, I still have not got that to work either. However, I have tried with other items and some work, others don't - particularly the old V4 clothing. I get some error saying I need to save as a figure asset (or similar - I don't have it open at the moment). I aslo got a message saying I need to convert to a weight mapped thing ... can't remember the exact message but I did try that too but I had no idea what parameters to select or how to do it.

How do I save a figure which has been converted by auto-fit? Which vendor name do I use? The original author? Some don't have the author information. Or does it matter? Also - when I tried to save as a figure, I can't find it in the content - even if a do a search.

Which brings me back to my original point: where - if anywhere - is all this documented? The DAZ document pages on the web seem to have been partially abandoned. When I buy items and click on the Product Documentation link, I get a page eror. And I have bought a lot of products over the years - is it unreasonable to expect some help in understanding how to use all this stuff (from the company, not from the volunteers in the forum who are, for the most part, very helpful indeed).

Richard Haseltine

The vendor name and product name determine which folders, in the Data folder, are used for the item's files - using the original vendor's name, perhaps adding Con or AF so you know it is a conversion, would work but it has no functional significance. You might also place all your conversions under a vendor like SavedAutoFit, then it will be easier to back them up. When you save the morphs you will again be asked for names, those determine where in the Morphs folder in the figure folder the files get placed.

kitakoredaz

marble, I show with actuall concrete case what Richard said,,

1 Load genesis.duf ,(non character) then select genesis.
load V4 clothing (I choose V4 Basic clothing,Sports Bra)

2 auto-fit window may open. then V4 Basic Bra fit to genesis. (it seems not good fit but OK,, now for test
and tell how to save it ^^; )

3 after use "auto-fit" the old cothings auto rigged as triax figure.
( so you need not change triax figure again,,,, it has changed already. it is not clothing for V4
of course if you hope,, you can change triax figure manually from V4 clothing,, but usually need not .)

4 In scene,, I changed label name "Sport Bra gen" (click on labell name of figure in scene tab)

5 then select it, go to top menu, File>save as>support assets>figure / prop assets

6 the file exprorer window may open..
first I need to decide, where save the "clothing.duf" which is link in content library, or Smart content to call actuall data.

I changed default location ,,and I have made Figure folda which I saved,, so that I made new folda for V4 basic items
under the FIgure folda. but you can save anywhere clothing.duf under your daz contents directory (may better not under "runtime")
check my pic please.

then I save the clothing.duf as SportsBra_gen.duf . I will see this duf file ,in content library. .

7 after that new window open. (Figure/Prop Assets save option)
it must confuse new uesr,, (SO DAZ NEED TO OFFER CLEAR DOCUMENTS How to save about each option!!
:coolgrin: it is shame,,,)

a Assets Direcory means,, where is your DS contents folda,, and which DAZ content folda you want to save.
If you have only one DS default contents folda,, just select the folda. (myribrary,, mycontents etc)

b Vendor Name,,
if you want to modify products and want to install same location,, or want to overwrite etc,
you need to input actuall vendor name of the product (you need to check data folda,, and serch and copy vendor name)
but if you keep it separately ,. just use your name,, or your sign etc.

c Product Name

you know,, many products usually came with many assets. on this case,, original V4 wear sets has many items,
"Sport Bra" is one Figure in one products (V4 Basic wear)
V4 Basic wear is product name,, Sport Bra is figure(assets) name.

so I set new product Name "V4Basicwear_gen", Figure Name "SportsBra_gen ( auto-input)

next,,
there is metadata section,, I do not touch it now,, without meta-data, we can serch and select all item by content library.

Asset Difinition category,, I usually check all. I do not know each detail.

Parenting Data is about prop which need to parented to figure head or hand etc,,
on this case,, need not. so check it off.

File options, if you often edit data file by text editor,, may check off .
but after compress you can easy extract by 7zip etc

8 Now I save item data, and item.duf ,, lets check them.

we can only see duf file ( icon), in daz studio,,, check duf in content library first.

then open exproer (or file viewer ) then check your actuall item data are how installed.

9 when you save one figure,, the figure has one FIgure name directory to keep the figure data (morph uv sets, and geometry data)

"vendorname/ productname/ Figure name

after that you save new morph for the figure,, the morph files are saved
in the "figure directory"

/data/vendor name/ productname/ Figure name/morphs/morph vendor name (or Base) /morph product name/ morph files

it is simple once understand,, but I know it is too confused for new user without clear documents

marble

Many thanks, Kitakoredaz - you have been extra helpful and I appreciate your efforts.

I followed your instructions and now understand how to save a figure/prop. But this highlighted a new problem - autofit no longer works with the saved figure.

I converted a V4 item (Freebie Tied Top from ShareCG) as you did and put it in a custom folder. I could then find it in my Content and load it into a scene from there. But it would not fit anything other than the Genesis Basic Female. If I tried to load it for Teen Julie, for example, the arms appear a few cm higher that the Julie figure's arms.

marble

EDITED ...

Just discovered what I did wrong: I loaded the figure into the scene without having Genesis (Julie) selected. After which I went to the General Parameters and selected Fit To and selected Genesis.

I then tried again by removing the item from the scene and re-loading it with Genesis (Julie) already selected.

kitakoredaz

No No,,, it is perfectly same,, because you save the auto-fit figure.
it never show auot-fit process, but it is same figure. (after auto-fit)

I think,,if the clothing not "fit-to" genesis?
select clothing then go to parameter tab.
General>misc>Fit to ,, Can you check it select genesis?

if you changed the V4 cltohing to triax figure, (auto-fit) and
saved it with (kkep fit to genesis), it must "fit to" genesis.

(need to select genesis, then load the saved figure,,)
and the clothing no need to use "auto-fit" again ^^;

if you change genesis shape, these morphs are auto-followed to the clothings.
then sometimes it can not perfect fit to genesis morph shape.

but if the saved figure can not fit well ,, it is same about "auto-fit" figure.
so that you do same steps with original figure, then use auto-fit,, and compare with your saved figure.

marble

Yes - thanks again - I think that is what I discovered (above).

Now to try a morph :coolsmirk:

kitakoredaz

Yes,, I think so :lol:
I often do same misstake , and often angry ^^;

"Auto fit may broke,, if without meta-data,, or type,,it cause? why why why ,,,
etc,,,"

then think,,, why DAZ do not tell me more clear about everythings!!!!!

marble

Ah well - can't have everything. The ZBrush morph is still not saved as a support asset. It looks as though it is saving it -- writing all sorts of stuff to disk - but if I reload the item, the morph has gone. I am loading the pre-saved figure/prop asset as described above so I'm not making the mistake of loading the original, unsaved product.

kitakoredaz

when I checked your topic (which I replied first), you seems have no mistake to save morph.

usually once you load your morph (by Goz or hexagon bridge,,) on the clothing,
in ds ,,check,, you could change value as you expected,,, after that,

select clothings,, then only need to save it as morph File>save as>suppoted assets>as morph assets.

in your pic,(food jacket) you could set morph for the clothing,,,,, it means GoZ worked correctly..
so your problme is too difficult for me ^^;