Novica & Forum Members Tips & Product Reviews Pt 12

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  • gitika1gitika1 Posts: 948

    How does one use: https://www.daz3d.com/idg-dforce-ponchos-tabards  is starts on the "floor" unparented to any character that I have tried it with. (Although DS does ask me what character is is created for) Simulations just make it fall/drape through the x axis.  What I am missing?

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,926
    gitika1 said:

    How does one use: https://www.daz3d.com/idg-dforce-ponchos-tabards  is starts on the "floor" unparented to any character that I have tried it with. (Although DS does ask me what character is is created for) Simulations just make it fall/drape through the x axis.  What I am missing?

    Use the transform tools to position at what looks a good starting point, relative to the memorised start pose (if you work that way), Edit>Object>Memorise>Memorise Pose, and Simulate.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited July 2019

    The vendor of Villa Kubu really made it interesting, a lot of nooks and crannies and the layout is fun. But....

    One thing I immediately don't like from the promos,  the pool/outdoor area has heights of many in-ground items which seem improbable. Stone walkways aren't well spaced (but perhaps it's the angle they are shot from, to be fair)  and I'd like to see them slightly more embedded. Pavers do stick up, I went out back and checked mine which are just like these. But the placement on these seems too random, particularly by the lounger. If you go to the promo showing that deck sticking out and shooting toward the lounger, look at the pavers. No paver leading over to the one lounger paver, just a paver plopped over there. Huh?

    Around a pool, safety is key. The porch slab looks tacked on the way it intersects with the pool.  I prefer for pools and decks to  intersect on the same level or it's frankly one big hazard, and not well designed in my opinion. The stone pavers, the pool sticking up, and the way it intersects with the back porch area weren't appealing to me. For a villa which is definitely upper class, there's NO DECK around the pool. Cut that grass and just watch how fast this pool fills with debris. It doesn't make sense and decks are what make the home flow into the pool ON THE SAME LEVEL.  

    I also am not a fan of the short gates that serve no function other than to hang there. Too much gap under them (bye dogs!) and no privacy. They appear to be decor only, and that's fine but not practical for me. They don't even come up to the top of the mounting posts. For a villa that's so upscale, the gate seems lackluster and fails in all security aspects.

    It's interesting the door  for the kitchen leading to the back porch area  is OUTSIDE of the across-the-back doors that pull closed to protect from the weather. That allows for easy access to the back porch and is fun.  I wish there was a door going to the outside bath connecting directly to it from the other wall.  Missed opportunity. It makes sense to be able to go from the other side of the home/bath private pool area, to the kitchen if they share a wall. And there's room for a door (not a huge one, but that could have easily been accommodated.)

    And definitely not a fan of the huge chunk of wall missing from the outdoor bathroom so it's basically very exposed in the bathroom. There's really no door, just a sliver of wall on either side, then a huge sheet of wall that's gone. So basically just a few supporting slivers of wall. There is no wall separating that supposedly "private" area around the side. I think that area should have a divider wall/privacy from the main pool area. 

    Overall, fun concepts that didn't quite succeed in execution for me. There's still a lot to like about this, it's got many areas from which to render, the props are varied, most rooms make sense and you get quite a number of them. The vendor definitely made an effort to provide a more complicated set, and achieves that on many levels with the flow inside the home. If you do some renders, would love to see them to show the positive aspects of the villa.

    I tend to be more picky about tropical products/pools as a Floridian, so keep that in mind (and as a pool owner many times over. LOL- Note the hose leading to my pool on your right- to refill the pool DAILY. This WAS a 2,550 sf enclosed pool before Hurricane Dennis took it all down 2005. We enjoyed it an entire 3 months before it went down, and now it's been FOURTEEN YEARS with no hurricanes. Of course. But notice the pavers, the deck, the pool are all smoothly integrated. The back porch isn't shown but it is of course the same concrete/level as the deck. No tripping or toe stumping!) 

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    Post edited by Novica on
  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,119

    Still working on getting the render time down on the Medieval Fantasy Bedroom and I reckon this is as low as this view will go. I have moved to another camera to see how that renders.

    2019-07-29 11:23:05.152 Total Rendering Time: 14 hours 49 minutes 48.57 seconds

    4.11 Beta

    Click on image for full size.

     

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    @fishtales  That is looking so much better, can see the details a lot clearer. The sunlight streaming through really adds a nice touch to that.

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,119

    @Novica

    Thank you. Getting the render time to about half the original was a lot of hard work tweaking all the surfaces and the lighting :) The other camera view is taking around the same time as this one, but like this one I could probably get away with stopping it around 8 to 10 hours rendering and it would look fine.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    Reminder: GypsyAngel's Because I Said So! Contest ends at Daz midnight tonight, so be sure and get your entries in before then! 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    Here is the link to the SurveyMonkey voting page.  Vote HERE  VOTING ENDS SATURDAY AUGUST 10th, midnight Daz time.

    What are you voting for? That's up to you. You may like the story behind the render and the render, you may like the artistry used, or you may like the humor. It's up to you to decide what is memorable to you and also did GypsyAngel's products justice. 

    The way it works- Please vote for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places. First place earns 6 points, second earns 4 points, third place earns 2 points, and 4th place earns 1 point.

    To be eligible for prizes, participants MUST vote. You will vote first place for yourself.
    If you are a participant with multiple entries, ONLY VOTE FOR ONE OF YOURS (1st place) and then chose 2nd, 3rd, and 4th from other people's entries. I will manually allot only 2 points (instead of 4) to the second place choice of multiple entry voters, as it's not fair for them to have to give someone a 4 point edge over their own second render. 

  • cismiccismic Posts: 629
    edited August 2019

    I’ve not posted here in a while.  @p3design has some great character skins. This is P3D Faith, G3, still works

    Post edited by cismic on
  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,119

    Strange one this, although I think I know the problem, the first 50% or so took around three hours and yet look at the finished render time.

    2019-08-04 07:51:45.210 Total Rendering Time: 1 days 21 hours 43 minutes 16.32 seconds

    Studio 4.11

    Click on image for full size.

     

  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 18,131

    I know most of you already have this set but using this 4 hour one use up to 10 items of proper qualified 50-off-flash couple with the Stonemason Urban Future 5 on sale in the Fast Grab at 70% off brings the price of that product all the way down to $5.99 from a regular price of $39+.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    I am in progress during the sale, but the first thing I did was add a cheap PC+ NEW release, then went to the Ghostblade Sale to the vendor's stores. If you buy ANY new release, those go to 50%. With the added 50% Flash Sale, they go 75% off items in those stores (excluding new releases, as stated in the flash promo)  Now on to the next promo banner.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244
    Novica said:

    I am in progress during the sale, but the first thing I did was add a cheap PC+ NEW release, then went to the Ghostblade Sale to the vendor's stores. If you buy ANY new release, those go to 50%. With the added 50% Flash Sale, they go 75% off items in those stores (excluding new releases, as stated in the flash promo)  Now on to the next promo banner.

    Your shopping tips are always so helpful! Thanks.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

     Shopping Cart

     

    So what are you folks picking up?  I've got so many things already, the big ticket items are a wash for me. I love that I got the T Rex at 75% off though!

  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479
    edited August 2019

    I only bought 8 items:

    Not quite the deals that you got, @Novica, but I'm trying real hard to hoard my store credit for the end-of-the-year sales season.

    Post edited by L'Adair on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244
    edited August 2019

    I got these (sorry no links on cart snapshot).

    50 Sale.JPG
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited August 2019

    @robertfriese   Darn, I don't have the trench or the flood, both were wishlisted but just couldn't fit them in with a limit of ten. I really like those two. I love that you were able to get the Syklus and the heavy guns for it at the same time.  Kiyo also looks interesting.

    @barbult  Yeah, I couldn't pass up the Hell Creek Modules either   :)   I had JUST shopped Fast Grab in the wee hours this morning so not much left to enjoy the stacking there. Pooh.

    Post edited by Novica on
  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479

    The new 4-hour Flash sale, (started "a few" minutes ago,) is limited to 4 vendors, but is 65% off. (And it also works on Stonemason products in Fast Grab.)

  • RGcincyRGcincy Posts: 2,834

    Contemporary Office Building Revitalized      $37.95       $9.49       75%    @rgcincy do you have this one?

    No I don't, and I would have gotten it but saw the post too late. Thanks for thinking of me! 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    L'Adair said:

    I only bought 8 items:

    Not quite the deals that you got, @Novica, but I'm trying real hard to hoard my store credit for the end-of-the-year sales season.

    Yes but you got really nice products. I had just picked up that Knight Cloak and Sprite's Lovely Hair- before this darned sale happened LOL. 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited August 2019

    Okay, not a glitch- with the new GIMME-MY-FIFTY, if you go to the Bohemian Chic Sale  and put any new release in the cart (ANY) the featured stores go 50% off, then buy at least 3 things from those stores to get an additional 20%, then with the code, THINGS GO TO EIGHTY PERCENT OFF. 80% !!!!!!    Remember the limit is 10 things.  I don't remember if that's 10 things in the cart or 10 things discounted- does it include your new release in the cart? 

     

     Shopping Cart

     

    Post edited by Novica on
  • HylasHylas Posts: 4,988
    L'Adair said:

    The new 4-hour Flash sale, (started "a few" minutes ago,) is limited to 4 vendors, but is 65% off. (And it also works on Stonemason products in Fast Grab.)

    I went for The Hexagon... Seems like a good, versatile sci-fi/medical environment. I'm trying hard to not spend, but some deals are just too enticing!

     

  • nonesuch00nonesuch00 Posts: 18,131

    Well I did buy the Urban Future 5 today and also Knickerbockers for G8M as I have long had most of the 20s Art Deco architecture collection and women's 20s flapper and other clothing styles. There are still a few 20s & other good old authentic clothing styles by Oskarsson that i would like to buy in the future.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited August 2019

    Don't forget about your PC+ coupons for August. Most of the new releases today are Daz Originals, so if you buy three or more you get a discount, then if you have used your 20% banner (since that requires a code) you can instead use your PC+ code. The items went to 68% for me, because it was spread over 4 items. It would be 70% or more with three items I think. I used my green code yesterday for Hellboy's raindrop product, Maxx HD, Mediterranean Pool, Mishkina, Massive Metal Skin Textures, and a few other things. DzFire and Hellboy were too good to pass up, and since one was effects and I got a set, those are the things I go for alot. Characters have to be steeply discounted for me as I have so many.

    Post edited by Novica on
  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,119

    Tried to get the render times down but they were all going for a day or more, although they looked good at 10 hours. I added a Dog 8 with LAMH hair to try a new render, all the settings I left the same.

    Beware the Fire Demons

    I was going to stop it at 10 hours but went to bed instead and let it run overnight.

    2019-08-10 09:16:09.236 Total Rendering Time: 20 hours 39.17 seconds


    89% done

    Click on image for full size.

     

  • Robert FreiseRobert Freise Posts: 4,444

    Looks good

  • FishtalesFishtales Posts: 6,119

    Looks good

    Thank you.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887

    Joss HD (G8F)         Apex Hair (G3/G8F)       dForce Pretty Stylish Outfit (G8F) 

    Showing Joss in some of the different Pro-Studio HDRI lights, and with a lot of postwork tweaking so far as saturation, color tone, brightness, etc. All of these had the saturation increased, if you haven't tried that in postwork, it makes an amazing difference. Again, these are all with Mitchell filter instead of the default Gaussian, which is not very sharp at all. 

    If you don't use dForce simulation with the Pretty Stylish Outfit, those patterns can do the dreaded "stretch" and look pulled. I didn't change any settings, it's the default dForce, just click and go.
    I did go into Surfaces and darken the base material (white) to a gray-blue to avoid burnout. 

    I like Apex Hair, it looks natural and there are many small areas you can tweak, such as just the ends of hair. Be sure and look at the options on the product page. 

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,887
    edited August 2019

    Joss HD (G8F)         Apex Hair (G3/G8F)       dForce Pretty Stylish Outfit (G8F) 

    Note the beauty mark on her lip. Very unusual.

    Showing Joss in some of the different Pro-Studio HDRI lights, and with a lot of postwork tweaking so far as saturation, color tone, brightness, etc. All of these had the saturation increased, if you haven't tried that in postwork, it makes an amazing difference. Again, these are all with Mitchell filter instead of the default Gaussian, which is not very sharp at all. 

    TIP: The Apex Hair 04 color goes perfectly with the Joss Blonde Brows. That's what I used.

    Shown in light 1R

    Shown in a different light.  3L

    I think this was 17R.

    If you don't use dForce simulation with the Pretty Stylish Outfit, those patterns can do the dreaded "stretch" and look pulled. I didn't change any settings, it's the default dForce, just click and go.
    I did go into Surfaces and darken the base material (white) of the shirt to a gray-blue to avoid burnout. 

    I like Apex Hair, it looks natural and there are many small areas you can tweak, such as just the ends of hair. Be sure and look at the options on the product page. 

     

    Joss 1R Close.png
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    Joss 1R.png
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    Joss 3L.png
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    Joss.png
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    Joss 1R Full.png
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    Post edited by Novica on
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