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Best process handling bigger project?

BalooBaloo Posts: 71
edited December 1969 in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

Hello,

I am using Daz to render a number of scenes with recurrent characters.

So for instance, I have Part A with Bob, Tom, Mary discussing. In that Part, I have 4 pictures to render where they all have different poses talking to each other, with different cameras.

Then I move to Part B, with part of the same characters and perhaps a new one, in a different setting.

I moved past the first job of saving each separate character as a sub scene with his/her typical clothes and expressions, so I can import them "ready to use" in any setting.

My issue now is how to best save my different shots so I can come back to any of these if need be.

Solution A: save each single "ready to shoot" picture as a full scene. This is what I do now.
- Pros: I just load the scene then can redo any render quickly if a detail was not perfect
- Cons: if I have to change the lights or a static element of the Part, I need to get those changes (through Merge) in all 4 shots/scenes.

Solution B: save each Part as a scene then each character in each shot as a "property".
- Pros: I get only one scene for each Part.
- Cons: I get tons of properties, it's easy to miss a pose/make mistake, it's too time consuming.

How do you guys who do such bigger projects work?

Is there a better alternative to what I am doing?

Comments

  • 3WC3WC Posts: 1,107
    edited December 1969

    Another option is to save each "set" as a scene. In other words, for all pictures that are in the same place with the same characters, simply create a different camera for each shot, save the whole thing as a scene file. Then if you have to change lighting or anything else, it will still be the same for the whole scene.

  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited December 1969

    depending on the size of the project,

    Build folders specifically for the project:
    Create a new folder for the project, create new sub folders for poses, mats, lights, camera, & scene and save every pose, camera, light adjustment as you go. You will be able to go back and reference key continuity elements in your scenes. If you plan to use deforms make a folder for them, etc.

    Save everything:
    save the individual characters, you can delete everything except a single figure and it's supporting files (clothes, props) and save them by themselves. repeat for all figures then save the scene by itself. You may want a set of different characters in that scene by itself later, this will cut load time and resources to being those elements if you use them.

    Duplicate props that interact:
    Say you have a character holding something parented to the hand, in another scene they might drop it or put it down. Make a duplicate of the object and hide the original parented object using the "eye" icon in the scene tab. Now position the clone object. If you want to parent the object back into the figures hand later you just make the copy invisible and show the original that never left the hand. This also works when you want to inject a new scene in between some action and you can reference where everything was. Once you start moving things around in a scene it's hard to go backward.

  • millighostmillighost Posts: 261
    edited December 1969

    FlyingBaloo said:
    Hello,

    I am using Daz to render a number of scenes with recurrent characters.

    So for instance, I have Part A with Bob, Tom, Mary discussing. In that Part, I have 4 pictures to render where they all have different poses talking to each other, with different cameras.

    Then I move to Part B, with part of the same characters and perhaps a new one, in a different setting.

    I moved past the first job of saving each separate character as a sub scene with his/her typical clothes and expressions, so I can import them "ready to use" in any setting.

    My issue now is how to best save my different shots so I can come back to any of these if need be.
    ...
    Is there a better alternative to what I am doing?


    If the presence of different objects (characters etc) does not change much between shots, i simply make different keyframes, i.e. use the timeline to switch between poses.
  • BalooBaloo Posts: 71
    edited February 2015

    Thank you guys!

    wwes save each “set” as a scene

    That's what I do. But the poses are changing for each shot so, lots of scenes.

    StratDragon

    A would be perfect but crazily time-consuming... B is kind of what I do, if necessary through merges. C is part of the tricks I use, yes, for instance I have a guy with a cp or without, with D-Form on his hair so the figure has everything all the time.

    millighost If the presence of different objects (characters etc) does not change much between shots, i simply make different keyframes, i.e. use the timeline to switch between poses.

    That sounds absolutely brilliant. Coupled with the scene having everything (including all cameras) it would make one file containing all shots. I need to check how that works, never did an animation, thanks!

    Post edited by Baloo on
  • StratDragonStratDragon Posts: 3,167
    edited February 2015

    I've hacked together a few (terrible) graphic novel attempts and did some freelance work, and while it's time consuming to being with it's time saving when I'm well into the project, especially when I need to "reshoot" a scene. Poser had a much easier setup for this kind of work but I think Studio has implemented some tools to make it easier but not as robust sometimes (e.g. it takes me forever to save a facial expression with the poser conversion tools and sometimes it doesn't work as expected when I go back to it.)

    Best of luck! Hopefully we get to see what you've got when it's ready

    Post edited by StratDragon on
  • BalooBaloo Posts: 71
    edited December 1969

    I’ve hacked together a few (terrible) graphic novel attempts. Best of luck!

    Thanks!

    I'd be interested to see that, did you post it somewhere already? Hopefully I'll post my stuff at some point.


    The millighost solution is almost perfect except sometimes the characters move by themselves to "complete" the animation (between frame 1 and 3 for instance, 2 will become an in-between move even if it should not move). I'm guessing I just need to make sure to move all characters at each frame before finalizing each pose, but I'll have to check.

    I haven't ruled out the folder strcture solution. Maybe it's the way to go, despite the hundreds of saves and the need to use acronyms to avoid killing what's left of the search function in Daz.

  • millighostmillighost Posts: 261
    edited December 1969

    FlyingBaloo said:

    The millighost solution is almost perfect except sometimes the characters move by themselves to "complete" the animation (between frame 1 and 3 for instance, 2 will become an in-between move even if it should not move). I'm guessing I just need to make sure to move all characters at each frame before finalizing each pose, but I'll have to check.

    There is a script called "Keymate" in the store, which can be used to change the interpolation mode of keyframes. Setting it to "constant" effectively disables the interpolation in between frames.
  • BalooBaloo Posts: 71
    edited December 1969

    millighost said:

    There is a script called "Keymate" in the store, which can be used to change the interpolation mode of keyframes. Setting it to "constant" effectively disables the interpolation in between frames.

    Thanks again, I found out a free way to do that (looking for "interpolation" helped).

    Basically, you select everything and create a new key for each "shot" you add.

    Cheers!

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