Exporting from Daz3d

rksrks100

When exporting a character in .obj format from Daz, is it possible to include the bump maps? I see options for textures etc. but the bump maps seem to get excluded in the automatically created new folder labeled 'Maps'.

Szark

DS4.5.1.56 used with exporting a Bird figure in OBJ format with Bump and a Reflection map and all maps we saved to the Maps folder in the export output folder.

I use this for exporting to Vue and works everytime. Even Trans maps load properly.

Szark

Sorry forgot you can save the export settings as a Preset, when highlighted like in the first image. I had just recently installed DS4.5 so I hadn't set up my Vue preset yet. Have now. :)

rksrks100

Thanks for responding but these settings don't solve my problem. Still only exporting textures and not bump or displacement maps which definitely exist in the same daz folders as textures. Is there any other setting I need to concomitantly use ? I have already made sure all settings for displacement etc. are turned on in the editor window of surface panel .

Szark

What version of Daz Studio are you using?

I have never had an issue like this or come across it sorry. Have you tried other settings? Are the surfaces Uber Surfaces or Daz Default? WHat is it that you are trying to export?

rksrks100

I'm using the latest: 4.5.1.56

The surfaces are Daz default as far as I understand- they are the default surfaces that come with Daz characters. I'm trying to export 'The Slim Man' as an .obj and it works to the extent that the surface textures are exported but not the corresponding bump maps. The same problem exists for other Daz figures such as Victoria 5 or basically any content that has bump maps with it. My work around is to assign the bump maps manually in the recipient application but this is very tedious for characters that can have over 20 body parts (but the same bump map used several times, example 'limbs')

Szark

It does sound like the surfaces are Uber Surfaces. I am fairly sure V5 comes with Uber Surfaces skin surfaces. It should say at the top of the Surface pane what the surfaces are.

rksrks100

Further experimentation seems to shed some light:

V5 comes with V5Bree and no bump maps are exported. If I place skin materials from a different character (London from Renderosity) which is intended for V4 but is working on V5, then the bump maps ARE exported. The Slim Man bump maps are also not exported. It seems to be product specific at least in my case and not some specific setting within Daz Studio. This would suggest that there is something inherently different (as far as bump exports are concerned) between the different products files.

Szark

Yeah like I said Bree is UBer Surface as shown in the image below as it states at the top of the Surafces Pane omUberSurface hence why it will not export with all the maps. It is a thrid party advanced skin shader that got incorparated into Daz Studio a while back.

So what we need to do is to make all the surfaces Daz Studio Default surfaces.

1: Select all the Surfaces
2: Open Content Library Pane (Not Smart Content) go to Daz Studio Formats > My Library (or whever you installed the main content package) > Shader Presets > Daz Defaults.
3: Double click the dzDefault icon (first one). It should retain all the maps by default.
4: Now you should have Daz Studio Default surafces with all maps present
5: Just export with those settings I posted and you should be good to go. I have just tested this on Bree and all maps came through unharmed.

rksrks100

Thanks a million-that worked great for Victoria 5 Bree.
For some reason it (converting to dzDefault) didn't work for The Slim Man that uses omHumanSurface shader. Is there a simple explanation for this too ?
Thanks in advance. I'm learning a lot from you guys.

Szark

rksrks100 said:

For some reason it (converting to dzDefault) didn't work for The Slim Man that uses omHumanSurface shader. Is there a simple explanation for this too ?

Not sure but did you try seeing if any surfaces got converted, as some might have and some could have remained UberSurface. Select one surface at a time and convert and see if that helps.

Edit because it is 3.55am here and i am tired and didn't read your post properly.

Joe Cotter

Why not check 'Remove Unused Vertices?'

Ofc, there shouldn't be any unused verts so under most conditions it wouldn't effect anything I would guess, unless the feature is bugged?

rksrks100

Yes, all surfaces did get converted as selecting each one separately still indicated it was Daz default. But none exported with bump maps. Checking remove unused vertices made no difference.

Get some sleep :) Look forward to a response from you tomorrow !!

Szark

I can advice any more sorry, not without testing myself and as I said earlier I don't have the Slim Man. Have you tried different setting regarding the Surfaces setting in the Export window?

Checking remove unused vertices won't have an effect on the surfaces just the mesh.

rksrks100

OK Thanks anyway. You have been very helpful.

mjc1016

The only maps 'defined' in the material specification for the obj format are diffuse and transparency.

So is the standard export just writing the maps called for in the specification?

rksrks100

I'm not sure of the terminology but here is an attempt at describing the issue:
The Slim Man apparently comes with Texture, Displacement, Specular and Subsurface Scatter Maps. Some products when exported to OBJ will output the texture as well as displacement maps (for example the dragon that comes with Genesis starter materials) but other products only output the texture (eg. Slim Man). Addict's recommendation (see above) to convert all shaders to Daz default enabled me to output displacement maps in addition to texture maps and I believe specular maps (I don't have access right this moment to check the third file) from Victoria 5 (using V4 materials) when the original uber surface was only exported as texture maps. My workaround is to assign displacement maps manually after export but that just slows down my workflow.
The problem only exists because I'm using Daz to set up my characters and then exporting. It wouldn't be an issue if I did all my work in Daz but there are limitations in Daz not necessary to elaborate here that require me to move my characters into another program.

mjc1016

The problem is that the obj specification only defines diffuse (texture maps) and transparency maps. Those two will always be exported. The others...it's more of an accident as to whether or not they get included. It probably has to do with what the internal name used by the shader is or what type of map it is (again, internal to the shader). I'm guessing that maps of the type 'color image map' will get included, while 'float' image maps (often used for bump/displacement) won't be (haven't looked too deeply to be 100% sure on that, but from the couple of quick tests that's what it looks like to me).

The best bet, plan on retexturing/reassigning your maps in whatever you are importing into...there is no import/export format that offers a 'full service'/one stop exchange...something always needs to be 'tweaked'.

Now, on a side note, I've checked with using mcj's Teleblender (http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/2877/)...and it seems to export all the maps, all the time, regardless of what shader is used. It doesn't have to be used as a Blender only exporter...it seems to be a 'more complete' exporter, than the standard DS one.

rksrks100

Thanks all for the great advice and help. There are some things I learnt that could not have been stumbled upon with any level of experimentation so I'm very grateful.

I will check out Teleblender in due course; looks like a great way to achieve what I'm trying to do as well as get the ease of use of Daz coupled to the power of cycles render in Blender. I'm already flying by the seat of my pants with all the software new to me so slowly does it :)