November 2024 - Daz 3D New User Challenge - Materials and next level Kitbashing

Elliandra · October 18

New User's Challenge – November, 2024

Are you new to the 3D World? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around a while and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest challenge.

We continue breaking down each month into 2 different challenges. A Beginner Challenge and then also an Intermediate Challenge.

So which "Challenge" should you choose?

Follow the Beginner Challenge if you are:

New to the New User Challenges
New to Daz Studio
Newer to 3D Rendering in General

Follow the Intermediate Challenge if you have:

Participated in the New User Challenge for awhile
Know the basics of Daz Studio and would like to learn more in depth topics
Been using 3D Rendering Applications for awhile and feel comfortable with learning Intermediate Topics

*Please be sure to list in your post which Challenge level you are participating in*

Closing date for both is November 30, 2024

For a list of the current challenge rules, please see this thread: Challenge Rules

They apply for both versions of the challenge.

Elliandra · October 18

Beginner Challenge - Materials!

From shiny polished gems to rough bark, and from silk to leather! This month's focus will be on Materials and Surfaces. One of the most important aspects of a great render is the effective use of materials. Effective surface settings can add realism, style, and visual interest to an image. This month we will be concentrating on how to create and manipulate the surfaces on the objects in your scene.

Also, keep in mind all the various items covered over the past several months. They will affect the way your materials look in your final rendered scene.

Previous Challenges on this topic:

Helpful Links:

When following tutorials, be cognizant of the different applications (Bryce, Daz Studio, Poser, Carrara and Blender, etc.) and different render engines (3Delight, Iray, Reality, etc). Techniques for one may not apply directly to another. If you have some favorite Materials, Surfaces, and Shader tips, please share them in this thread.

Daz Studio Tutorials:

Daz 101: Surfaces by Daz 3D (video)
Iray Surfaces and What They Mean by Sickleyield
The Iray Uber Base Shader by Daz 3D (video)
Daz 3D Tutorial: Make anything a light source by Daz 3D (video)
Daz 3D Tutorial: Using bump and displacement maps by Daz 3D (video)

A more recent recording of a stream by Jay Versluis:

In the Studio with DAZ3d - Shaders and Materials

In case you want to work with filament:

Daz3d Animation Series: animation_filament

Bryce Tutorials:

A compilation of tutorials for Bryce, there is a lot about materials to find there as well by Daz 3D

Other helpful places:

3Delight - Uberenvironment made easy!

This is more in depth and experimental for the 3delight renderer: 3Delight Laboratory Thread: tips, questions, experiments

Elliandra · October 18

Intermediate Challenge - Next Level kitbashing!

Create something new from clothing and/or props you already own, re-texture, and make it look as one again!

So you already know how to change shader presets, and give your character a sweat sheen but you want to combine different outfits and make them look as one? You want this tag on the shirt or a hole in that door or create a whole new building from your Library? Then this challenge is for you.

Some parts of this challenge are easier when using an image manipulation program like (free software) Paint Net, Krita, Gimp or (paid software) Photoshop to prepare the new texture(s).

The tools you might want to use are Geometry Editor and Layered Image Editor (LIE). Understanding UV maps will help you with the more advanced use of materials and surfaces.

Geometry Editor Tutorial

Beginners guide to Daz Studio Layered Image Editor

DAZ : LIE Quick How To

DAZ Studio Tutorial - Layered Image Editor - Make your own Tattoos (nudity)

Tutorial: Adding Surfaces and Striped Texture to a T-Shirt

Daz Studio UV Maps

Fixing UV maps in DAZ Studio (got to say it's not happening in DAZ Studio, it's just used in DAZ Studio)

Painting on Uv Maps for Daz, Different ways to add texture/color to figures

Daz 3D Tutorial: Use "cut and paste" functions for Textures in Iray

Brian&Alicia · November 4

intermediate entry

Winter Chill (Daz Intermediate challenge entry) | Daz 3D

i thought kitbashing was mixing up sat outfits or something like that. but i'm seeing a lot more about textures, opacity maps, L.I.E, etc. so i don't know if what i did in this is good or not. but here are some of the things i did to change things from it's original state. used parts from different outfits to create a new outfit. then used shaders to retexture the outfit also adding a L.I.E layer to the skirt's texture. i used snow shaders on the ground to make it more winter looking. then i used VDB clouds to make snow piles and drifts by changing the density multiplyer to be more solid snowy looking. and added ghost light to the headlights on the truck so they reflect off the dround better.

edit:

i also tried my hand with some photoshopping. tried the best i could with a mouse to add the frosty look to the clothing.

Notifications