Who said Blender was hard?

Joe Cotter

nicstt said:

Hmm Gedd, I wonder if you've noticed this; when creating morphs in Blender, even with all aspects zeroed before exporting from Daz, I'm getting slight movement on the morph everywhere on G3F.

I tested on a figure I didn't alter in Blender; I imported it, then immediately exported. I get the same.

I haven't played with morphs recently and not at all with G3. I'll try and test it later. It's something you aren't noticing with G2 or earlier I take it?

Knittingmommy

Gedd said:

Is this along the lines of what you were thinking? Mesh Mirroring

It took me a bit to figure out where that was in the panel to turn it on, but yes, that is exactly what I was looking for!  Thank you!  I figured there had to be a way to do it.  I just couldn't find it.  That will help a lot on my current project!

Fire Angel

Miss B said:

I always use keyboard shortcuts in pretty much all my apps, because of chronic CTS and the need to use a pen and tablet instead of a mouse. I can't use the Camera Cube in DS because the pen doesn't give me any control, whereas a mouse would, but would cause me a fair amount of pain after a short time of use.

Haven't you got a vertical mouse?  The Evoluent vertical mouse was designed to be used by people with CTS and to prevent it in people who don't have it.  It has various phisiotherapist organisation endorsements, in fact I originally came across it because a friend bought one after a doctor advised her to do so when she started to develop CTS.

nicstt

Gedd said:

Ok, here are some of what I would call 'must know' shortcut keys. Besides the g(rab,) s(cale,) and r(otate) keys, the w (specials menu,) ctl+tab (switches between verts, faces and edges in edit mode,) ctl+v (verts menu,) ctl+e (edge menu,) ctl+f (faces menu.) are all much fundamental and one should get used to what is on each menu. A lot of what we want to do is right there as far as modeling. There are a number of other shortcut keys that are helpful such as snap, proportional editing, etc... but the previous ones give so much bang for the buck that they are pretty much a must.

The snap menu is pretty important but unfortunately I think there needs to be a redesign on how Blender handles origin points, snapping and the 3D cursor as it's too convoluted and often a big issue for people using Blender from what I've seen. I'm not new to Blender but I still have issues at times remembering how to do tasks related to these at times if I've stepped away from the program for a good amount of time. That shouldn't happen for something so central. It means that the process is not intuitive.

My goal is to do my own menu system with a limited and more optimized shortcut key setup that pulls up menus for various functions in a much more intuitive manner. If I had unlimited time, it would be done already.

A note: I do find myself using the spacebar menu much more lately but for new people it's not as helpful as some people think since they don't know what a function is even called often.

indeed; I know what I'm looking for, but have forgotten its name; not found it so far. :)

nicstt

Gedd said:

nicstt said:

Hmm Gedd, I wonder if you've noticed this; when creating morphs in Blender, even with all aspects zeroed before exporting from Daz, I'm getting slight movement on the morph everywhere on G3F.

I tested on a figure I didn't alter in Blender; I imported it, then immediately exported. I get the same.

It's something you aren't noticing with G2 or earlier I take it?

I haven't played with morphs recently and not at all with G3. I'll try and test it later. Hmm, wonder what I did the morphs in my sig with?

Not actually tried it for many months until recently; I'm wondering if I've forgotten something when importing and exporting. The morphs work fine it's just the slight adjustment to all parts of the mesh that doesn't make sense; especially as I tested it by just importing and exporting without changing.

Knittingmommy

Had some fun trying out the Mirror Mesh and that is exactly what I needed to find.  Thanks, Gedd!  This will be so handy.  It's a feature I love about Hexagon and was missing in Blender up to now.  I made some minor modifications to the Blender monkey using the mirror mesh.

 

Joe Cotter

I'm glad you found what you were looking for. ;)

Joe Cotter

Greese Pencil in Blender has come a long way. Check out: “Fude Samurai” Fan art recreation, Made with Grease Pencil V2 by Daniel M Lara. The sculpting tools are also pretty strong now as demonstrated by this speed sculpt: Darkness: by Chris Vian. One of the most challenging things about Blender is that it has the equivalent of a half doezen very strong graphics applications built into a single package, so while confusing at times, most things one would want to do graphically is available within Blender itself, including a full video editing and special effects package.

kyoto kid

...my issue as well (besides the UI) as it's almost an overload for newcomers.  Had they have set it up as a modular programme (kind of like Vue) where if you all you wanted to do is modelling you could DL just the modelling and UV mapping modules without all the other "baggage it might be a bit easier to "digest".

lx_2807502

Question that I've never been able to figure out: Is there a way to make a circle a specific size (other than remaking it from scratch) ?

Normally with square things I use snap to grid to get vertices perfectly aligned, but for obvious reasons when the shape is a circle that doesn't work. e.g. say I have a 3cm radius circle and I now want it to be exactly 5cm radius.

Cris Palomino

 

lx said:

Question that I've never been able to figure out: Is there a way to make a circle a specific size (other than remaking it from scratch) ?

Normally with square things I use snap to grid to get vertices perfectly aligned, but for obvious reasons when the shape is a circle that doesn't work. e.g. say I have a 3cm radius circle and I now want it to be exactly 5cm radius.

lx, http://prntscr.com/c2yfmx  Set up the units as Imperial first.  Add mesh and add circle.  In the operator panel, set the radius to 5cm and it will set it as inches.  Don't forget to set the number of verts you want.

Or are you asking about sizing within a mesh, like a hole in a wall?

Cris Palomino

Cris Palomino said:

 

lx said:

Question that I've never been able to figure out: Is there a way to make a circle a specific size (other than remaking it from scratch) ?

Normally with square things I use snap to grid to get vertices perfectly aligned, but for obvious reasons when the shape is a circle that doesn't work. e.g. say I have a 3cm radius circle and I now want it to be exactly 5cm radius.

lx, http://prntscr.com/c2yfmx  Set up the units as Imperial first.  Add mesh and add circle.  In the operator panel, set the radius to 5cm and it will set it as inches.  Don't forget to set the number of verts you want.

Or are you asking about sizing within a mesh, like a hole in a wall?

Use Loop Tools.  Set up the radius to 0.05 for 5 cm.  I've removed the inner verts on this subdivided plane and select the edge of verts.  When you press the circle command, it will make it 5 cm.  http://prntscr.com/c2yk7g  http://prntscr.com/c2yl0t

lx_2807502

Cris Palomino said:

Cris Palomino said:

 

lx said:

Question that I've never been able to figure out: Is there a way to make a circle a specific size (other than remaking it from scratch) ?

Normally with square things I use snap to grid to get vertices perfectly aligned, but for obvious reasons when the shape is a circle that doesn't work. e.g. say I have a 3cm radius circle and I now want it to be exactly 5cm radius.

lx, http://prntscr.com/c2yfmx  Set up the units as Imperial first.  Add mesh and add circle.  In the operator panel, set the radius to 5cm and it will set it as inches.  Don't forget to set the number of verts you want.

Or are you asking about sizing within a mesh, like a hole in a wall?

Use Loop Tools.  Set up the radius to 0.05 for 5 cm.  I've removed the inner verts on this subdivided plane and select the edge of verts.  When you press the circle command, it will make it 5 cm.  http://prntscr.com/c2yk7g  http://prntscr.com/c2yl0t

Oooh that's a handy extension, thanks! It's kind of surprising to find these really helpful things already installed just turned off by default.

And yeah, I know you can set the size when you first create it, it was more for changing things later in a situation where snap to grid would ruin the shape you're working with. LoopTools should do a lot of it though by the looks of things.

Cris Palomino

Loop Tools is a great set of tools.  It's been in the trunk of Blender for some time now.  Take some time to get to know them.  They are real time savers.

Cris Palomino

nicstt said:

Hmm Gedd, I wonder if you've noticed this; when creating morphs in Blender, even with all aspects zeroed before exporting from Daz, I'm getting slight movement on the morph everywhere on G3F.

I tested on a figure I didn't alter in Blender; I imported it, then immediately exported. I get the same.

nicstt, what is your morph workflow?  I just created a nose morph in Blender 2.77a on Genesis 3 Female and applied the morph in Daz Studio with no trouble.  Here is my workflow:

Exporting your OBJ

1. In Studio, I zero the navel and mouth realism HD morphs and set the resolution of the Genesis 3 figure to base.
2. I export the figure as an OBJ with Daz scale (or whatever scale, but remember which) and with either Write Groups or Surfaces, depending on my needs.

Importing to Blender

1. In Blender, in the Import Wavefront OBJ options, I select Keep Vert Order and checkmark Polygroups.
2. The figure has a rotation of X90, so I use Ctrl A and apply rotation so that I can utilize X symmetry.

Creating a Shape Key

1. With the figure still selected, I open the Object Data properties and under Shape Keys create a Basis Key.
2. I create a second Key by pressing the plus sign next to the Shape Keys panel.  I rename this new Key to describe the morph I am making.  I created a nose morph and thus named it Nose01.  It is important to set the value on this new key to 1.0 before you sculpt.  

Sculpting the Morph

1. I switched to Sculpt mode.
2. Make sure X symmetry is on if needed and sculpt the shape the shape you want.

More on Shape Keys

1. If I want to create another morph, I zero out or hide the eye on the key I was working on.  
2. Always select Basis before going on to creating a new key with the plus sign.  Follow the steps listed in the previous section to work with the new Keys.
3. If you wish to do a mixture of the morphs you have made, you can change the values till you have the shaping you like and then from the down arrow to the right of the Shape Keys panel, choose New Shape from Mix.  Rename this mix key appropriately to describe your morph.
4. There is also a way to create partial morphs from any mixes or morphs you have created where you want to, say, separate out the mouth and nose as their own Shape Keys.  I can describe this technique if anyone is interested.

Export your OBJ for use in Studio

1. Once you want to export the morph(s), zero out, or hide all Shape Keys except the one you want to export as an OBJ.
2. I have gotten into the habit of exporting with "selected only" checkmarked.

Importing with MLP, Testing the Morph and Saving your Asset

1. In Studio, remember to have your Genesis 3 exactly as you exported (morphs zeroed/base resolution) and bring in your OBJ morph through MLP (Morph Loader Pro). 
2. Make sure the same scale you exported at is the same when you import.
3. If you need to, set up the path where the morph should go and accept.
4. Test your morph by spinning up the dial.
5. You can bring in multiple morphs.
6. Set up the parameters.
7. Save as a morph asset.

 

nicstt

@Ix

I use metric, but it doesn't really matter if it's imperial or metric; I just find it easier to type in metric amounts.

When resizing: scaling, grabbing you can type in values.

G for grab, then type: 0.01 for a centimeter; you can constrain to axis by pressing x, y, z; or exclude an axis by pressing shift x, y, z.

If you want to move the opposite direction, hit the minus -

S for scale, and type .5 will reduce its size by half.

You can also set it so any scaling keeps a part on the 'floor' and scales accordingly.

Cris Palomino said:

Loop Tools is a great set of tools.  It's been in the trunk of Blender for some time now.  Take some time to get to know them.  They are real time savers.

And with the scroll wheel you can increase the amount of loops you're adding.

nicstt

Cris Palomino said:

nicstt said:

Hmm Gedd, I wonder if you've noticed this; when creating morphs in Blender, even with all aspects zeroed before exporting from Daz, I'm getting slight movement on the morph everywhere on G3F.

I tested on a figure I didn't alter in Blender; I imported it, then immediately exported. I get the same.

nicstt, what is your morph workflow?  I just created a nose morph in Blender 2.77a on Genesis 3 Female and applied the morph in Daz Studio with no trouble.  Here is my workflow:

Exporting your OBJ

1. In Studio, I zero the navel and mouth realism HD morphs and set the resolution of the Genesis 3 figure to base.
2. I export the figure as an OBJ with Daz scale (or whatever scale, but remember which) and with either Write Groups or Surfaces, depending on my needs.

Importing to Blender

1. In Blender, in the Import Wavefront OBJ options, I select Keep Vert Order and checkmark Polygroups.
2. The figure has a rotation of X90, so I use Ctrl A and apply rotation so that I can utilize X symmetry.

Creating a Shape Key

1. With the figure still selected, I open the Object Data properties and under Shape Keys create a Basis Key.
2. I create a second Key by pressing the plus sign next to the Shape Keys panel.  I rename this new Key to describe the morph I am making.  I created a nose morph and thus named it Nose01.  It is important to set the value on this new key to 1.0 before you sculpt.  

Sculpting the Morph

1. I switched to Sculpt mode.
2. Make sure X symmetry is on if needed and sculpt the shape the shape you want.

More on Shape Keys

1. If I want to create another morph, I zero out or hide the eye on the key I was working on.  
2. Always select Basis before going on to creating a new key with the plus sign.  Follow the steps listed in the previous section to work with the new Keys.
3. If you wish to do a mixture of the morphs you have made, you can change the values till you have the shaping you like and then from the down arrow to the right of the Shape Keys panel, choose New Shape from Mix.  Rename this mix key appropriately to describe your morph.
4. There is also a way to create partial morphs from any mixes or morphs you have created where you want to, say, separate out the mouth and nose as their own Shape Keys.  I can describe this technique if anyone is interested.

Export your OBJ for use in Studio

1. Once you want to export the morph(s), zero out, or hide all Shape Keys except the one you want to export as an OBJ.
2. I have gotten into the habit of exporting with "selected only" checkmarked.

Importing with MLP, Testing the Morph and Saving your Asset

1. In Studio, remember to have your Genesis 3 exactly as you exported (morphs zeroed/base resolution) and bring in your OBJ morph through MLP (Morph Loader Pro). 
2. Make sure the same scale you exported at is the same when you import.
3. If you need to, set up the path where the morph should go and accept.
4. Test your morph by spinning up the dial.
5. You can bring in multiple morphs.
6. Set up the parameters.
7. Save as a morph asset.

 

Thanks Cris; I was forgetting to set resolution to base. I set the sub d to zero, but I presume there is no need when setting the resolution to base.

What's the difference between Write Groups and Surfaces; I normally export with both.

---

 

For anyone exporting and inporting and new to it. You can use the Blender settings, but it is broken.

Select the Blender option in Daz;

change scale to 1%

axis conversion should display x, y, z (not x, z, y).

When reimporting: the same axis, but change the scale to 10000 (ten thousand) percent.

That will load it in Blender at the same size as it is in Daz, and with the correct orientation.

 

 

lx_2807502

I have my Blender scene set to 0.01 (metric) and that way everything is the same size as it is in Studio. Import/Export autocorrects for me (there's a setting in Blender's import that swaps Y and Z by default I believe.)

Cris Palomino

nicstt said:

Cris Palomino said:

nicstt said:

Hmm Gedd, I wonder if you've noticed this; when creating morphs in Blender, even with all aspects zeroed before exporting from Daz, I'm getting slight movement on the morph everywhere on G3F.

I tested on a figure I didn't alter in Blender; I imported it, then immediately exported. I get the same.

nicstt, what is your morph workflow?  I just created a nose morph in Blender 2.77a on Genesis 3 Female and applied the morph in Daz Studio with no trouble.  Here is my workflow:

Exporting your OBJ

1. In Studio, I zero the navel and mouth realism HD morphs and set the resolution of the Genesis 3 figure to base.
2. I export the figure as an OBJ with Daz scale (or whatever scale, but remember which) and with either Write Groups or Surfaces, depending on my needs.

Importing to Blender

1. In Blender, in the Import Wavefront OBJ options, I select Keep Vert Order and checkmark Polygroups.
2. The figure has a rotation of X90, so I use Ctrl A and apply rotation so that I can utilize X symmetry.

Creating a Shape Key

1. With the figure still selected, I open the Object Data properties and under Shape Keys create a Basis Key.
2. I create a second Key by pressing the plus sign next to the Shape Keys panel.  I rename this new Key to describe the morph I am making.  I created a nose morph and thus named it Nose01.  It is important to set the value on this new key to 1.0 before you sculpt.  

Sculpting the Morph

1. I switched to Sculpt mode.
2. Make sure X symmetry is on if needed and sculpt the shape the shape you want.

More on Shape Keys

1. If I want to create another morph, I zero out or hide the eye on the key I was working on.  
2. Always select Basis before going on to creating a new key with the plus sign.  Follow the steps listed in the previous section to work with the new Keys.
3. If you wish to do a mixture of the morphs you have made, you can change the values till you have the shaping you like and then from the down arrow to the right of the Shape Keys panel, choose New Shape from Mix.  Rename this mix key appropriately to describe your morph.
4. There is also a way to create partial morphs from any mixes or morphs you have created where you want to, say, separate out the mouth and nose as their own Shape Keys.  I can describe this technique if anyone is interested.

Export your OBJ for use in Studio

1. Once you want to export the morph(s), zero out, or hide all Shape Keys except the one you want to export as an OBJ.
2. I have gotten into the habit of exporting with "selected only" checkmarked.

Importing with MLP, Testing the Morph and Saving your Asset

1. In Studio, remember to have your Genesis 3 exactly as you exported (morphs zeroed/base resolution) and bring in your OBJ morph through MLP (Morph Loader Pro). 
2. Make sure the same scale you exported at is the same when you import.
3. If you need to, set up the path where the morph should go and accept.
4. Test your morph by spinning up the dial.
5. You can bring in multiple morphs.
6. Set up the parameters.
7. Save as a morph asset.

 

Thanks Cris; I was forgetting to set resolution to base.

What's the difference between Write Groups and Surfaces; I normally export with both.

---

 

For anyone exporting and inporting and new to it. You can use the Blender settings, but it is broken.

Select the Blender option in Daz;

change scale to 1%

axis conversion should display x, y, z (not x, z, y).

When reimporting: the same axis, but change the scale to 10000 (ten thousand) percent.

That will load it in Blender at the same size as it is in Daz, and with the correct orientation.

 

 

Surfaces and groups will give you different selection areas.  I asked Richard to help me clarify.  He said this:  Groups reflect the bones of the figure (more or less), while surfaces can cross bones.  They generally reflect the different maps used and areas that may need different surface properties.

To give you an example.  Groups will give you a group for upper and lower neck; there is no separation on the neck with Surfaces.  On the head, there is no separation of the face and lips with Groups, but you have this separation in Surfaces.  Things like that.

lx, I don't use Blender as scale because I work primarily in ZBrush and need to seamlessly go between that, Blender and Studio, so I stick to Daz scale.  But it's good to have that information.  Thanks.

nicstt

lx said:

I have my Blender scene set to 0.01 (metric) and that way everything is the same size as it is in Studio. Import/Export autocorrects for me (there's a setting in Blender's import that swaps Y and Z by default I believe.)

Yup can change them on the import options. I don't.

lx_2807502

Cris Palomino said:

lx, I don't use Blender as scale because I work primarily in ZBrush and need to seamlessly go between that, Blender and Studio, so I stick to Daz scale.  But it's good to have that information.  Thanks.

I tried it on scale 1 initially but Blender seems to zoom further (so you can work with mm more easily) if it's on Daz's scale, so it's more convenient to me.

Question: I don't use Zbrush but I was sort of thinking about buying it (one day) for retopologizing, but then I saw your link for retopoflow so I'm going for that - what else does Zbrush do that you can't (or is too annoying) in Blender?

Joe Cotter

There are a number of things that ZBrush does that Blender doesn't. Most of my knowledge comes from research on this rather then actual experience since I don't have zBrush so I'll leave the comparison to someone who's used both. However, having said that, there is a lot that Blender's tools do that don't get the proper credit. Blender's sculpt tools continue to evolve and many people who are familair with zBrush unfortunately base their perspective too often on an exeperience they had a while back (totally different tool as time goes on) and/or comfort with the features of zBrush and not so much Blender's sculpt tools. The reason I say this is in the comparisons I'll often see 'Blender doesn't do..." and it does. Maybe zBrush does it better or easier, but if a person doesn't even realize Blender's tools do that, it makes any comparison mute.

I would look for comparisons from people who have used both, but keep this in mind. The other thing I would recommend is to go through some tutorials with Blender's tools to become familiar with them as personal experience is often the best and it's required to tell if someone is actually familiar with the tool when they are giving an opinion. In the end, each person has to make their own decision on what will fit their needs.

On a related note, we have been conditioned to the idea of sculpting then retopoing. While that works for many people, I don't think it is necessarily the best answer for many. Rather, it's just the default assumption of what the workflow should be. I would suggest that doing a proper low poly mesh first, sculpting in detail on a copy of the low poly, then doing the normal maps from that is a much better workflow in many cases. It really comes down to which method a particular person feels the most comfortable for laying down their foundation. Some feel more comfortable/free in a sculpt environment, and if so, retopoing may be worth the extra effort. But, if you feel as comfortable or more so working up the base mesh first then adding detail in sculpt mode, it gets rid of or significantly reduces the need for doing retopo at all. Something to consider.

Cris Palomino

lx said:

Cris Palomino said:

lx, I don't use Blender as scale because I work primarily in ZBrush and need to seamlessly go between that, Blender and Studio, so I stick to Daz scale.  But it's good to have that information.  Thanks.

I tried it on scale 1 initially but Blender seems to zoom further (so you can work with mm more easily) if it's on Daz's scale, so it's more convenient to me.

Question: I don't use Zbrush but I was sort of thinking about buying it (one day) for retopologizing, but then I saw your link for retopoflow so I'm going for that - what else does Zbrush do that you can't (or is too annoying) in Blender?

Blender has made great strides in providing better tools and addons.  I've actually had ZBrush much longer than Blender, but it was not an easy program for me to grasp.  I could do morphs in it, and the sculptural feel, after having done sculpting in real life, was very impressive and welcome.  However, 2 years ago, I made an investment to become certified in ZBrush.  I still have to take the test to get the actual certification (there was no rush on my part), but I felt like I had finally mastered the program and feel very confident in working with it.  

The things that keep me going back are the massive number of brushes and IMM (insert mesh brushes that let you insert pieces of geometry singly or in a row, such as the teeth on a zipper where when you start it creates the zipper end and ends with the zipper pull).  The brush engine is very deep and programmable.  I can sculpt with millions of polygons, using DynaMesh (Blender introduced something that kinda works like it called DynTopo), and then retopologize it or ZRemesh it for a low poly cage.  With ZRemesh, I can create fully quadded lower poly meshes with a target number of polys and use guides to tell ZBrush how to set my topology flow.  Then, using Projection, I can raise the subdivision and project details (including any polypaint) onto the new mesh and have a mesh with full stages of subdivision from lowest to high.  

I can work with layers, which for morphs, are similar to working with Shape Keys in Blender.  I can also use layers to sculpt where I can put certain detailing on different layers and then am able to lower the strength of a layer to subdue the sculpting effect and do similar with painting alone or in conjunction with the sculpting.  Curve brushes have stroke controls that allow me to use what is called lazy mouse.  This means that your brush will lag behind your stroke which gives you time to course correct and create a much smoother curve.  The resulting sculpted stroke has control anchors which allow you to reshape the curve before you finalize it and the strokes can be make to follow the surface of another piece of geometry or lift into space.  This is just a little of what ZBrush affords me.  

Blender has some tools that approach what ZBrush does to a more or lesser degree, but only some.  Still, if I didn't have ZBrush, there is so much more I can do with Blender now than a few years ago.  I'm just very conversant with ZBrush now.  I still like making my base shapes in Blender and then plussing them out in ZBrush.  So a lot of it depends on what you want to make.  Hope that answers your question.  :)

nicstt

Cris Palomino said:

nicstt said:

Cris Palomino said:

nicstt said:

Hmm Gedd, I wonder if you've noticed this; when creating morphs in Blender, even with all aspects zeroed before exporting from Daz, I'm getting slight movement on the morph everywhere on G3F.

I tested on a figure I didn't alter in Blender; I imported it, then immediately exported. I get the same.

nicstt, what is your morph workflow?  I just created a nose morph in Blender 2.77a on Genesis 3 Female and applied the morph in Daz Studio with no trouble.  Here is my workflow:

Exporting your OBJ

1. In Studio, I zero the navel and mouth realism HD morphs and set the resolution of the Genesis 3 figure to base.
2. I export the figure as an OBJ with Daz scale (or whatever scale, but remember which) and with either Write Groups or Surfaces, depending on my needs.

Importing to Blender

1. In Blender, in the Import Wavefront OBJ options, I select Keep Vert Order and checkmark Polygroups.
2. The figure has a rotation of X90, so I use Ctrl A and apply rotation so that I can utilize X symmetry.

Creating a Shape Key

1. With the figure still selected, I open the Object Data properties and under Shape Keys create a Basis Key.
2. I create a second Key by pressing the plus sign next to the Shape Keys panel.  I rename this new Key to describe the morph I am making.  I created a nose morph and thus named it Nose01.  It is important to set the value on this new key to 1.0 before you sculpt.  

Sculpting the Morph

1. I switched to Sculpt mode.
2. Make sure X symmetry is on if needed and sculpt the shape the shape you want.

More on Shape Keys

1. If I want to create another morph, I zero out or hide the eye on the key I was working on.  
2. Always select Basis before going on to creating a new key with the plus sign.  Follow the steps listed in the previous section to work with the new Keys.
3. If you wish to do a mixture of the morphs you have made, you can change the values till you have the shaping you like and then from the down arrow to the right of the Shape Keys panel, choose New Shape from Mix.  Rename this mix key appropriately to describe your morph.
4. There is also a way to create partial morphs from any mixes or morphs you have created where you want to, say, separate out the mouth and nose as their own Shape Keys.  I can describe this technique if anyone is interested.

Export your OBJ for use in Studio

1. Once you want to export the morph(s), zero out, or hide all Shape Keys except the one you want to export as an OBJ.
2. I have gotten into the habit of exporting with "selected only" checkmarked.

Importing with MLP, Testing the Morph and Saving your Asset

1. In Studio, remember to have your Genesis 3 exactly as you exported (morphs zeroed/base resolution) and bring in your OBJ morph through MLP (Morph Loader Pro). 
2. Make sure the same scale you exported at is the same when you import.
3. If you need to, set up the path where the morph should go and accept.
4. Test your morph by spinning up the dial.
5. You can bring in multiple morphs.
6. Set up the parameters.
7. Save as a morph asset.

 

Thanks Cris; I was forgetting to set resolution to base.

What's the difference between Write Groups and Surfaces; I normally export with both.

---

 

For anyone exporting and inporting and new to it. You can use the Blender settings, but it is broken.

Select the Blender option in Daz;

change scale to 1%

axis conversion should display x, y, z (not x, z, y).

When reimporting: the same axis, but change the scale to 10000 (ten thousand) percent.

That will load it in Blender at the same size as it is in Daz, and with the correct orientation.

 

 

Surfaces and groups will give you different selection areas.  I asked Richard to help me clarify.  He said this:  Groups reflect the bones of the figure (more or less), while surfaces can cross bones.  They generally reflect the different maps used and areas that may need different surface properties.

To give you an example.  Groups will give you a group for upper and lower neck; there is no separation on the neck with Surfaces.  On the head, there is no separation of the face and lips with Groups, but you have this separation in Surfaces.  Things like that.

lx, I don't use Blender as scale because I work primarily in ZBrush and need to seamlessly go between that, Blender and Studio, so I stick to Daz scale.  But it's good to have that information.  Thanks.

Thanks again.

Joe Cotter

There are a couple of quick things about Blender sculpt tools that might help anyone just getting started with them. These are things that both tripped me up at first and that I've seen others get tripped up on based on forum discussions.

 One, there are actually two 'subdivide' tools, one called subdivide, and one called multires. The one we want to use for sculpting is actually multires. The subdivide modifier and the multires have subtle differences and the multires was specifically designed for sculpting whereas the subdivide modifier is geared towards subdiv modeling.

Two, I don't recommend dynotopo for people just starting doing sculpting. I would recommend bringing in a model, set it to smooth shading, put on a multires modifier, subdivide it about 4 or 5 times and then sculpting. Only after getting comfortable with that, would I recommend going on to advanced workflows that includes things like dynotopo. Note, this is in Blender, I can't say about zBrush. I think it automatically does the equivalent of dynotopo and handles it a bit more sophisticated then Blender at the moment.

Re: the lazy mouse, in Blender it's called Smooth Stroke and is under the Stroke subpanel of the sculpt panel.

Finally, Blender can use brushes like zBrush, including zBrush brushes. Blender can't use the .psd format so they have to be converted but once converted (to png for instance) they work. How well they work compared to using brushes in zBrush I can't say. From what Chris said and what I've seen in some zBrush tutorials it looks like zBrush does give more control over the brushes, but there are a lot of settings under areas such as stroke, brush mapping, angle, offset, bias, etc... so it would be interesting to see a point-by-point comparison by someone who's familair with the subtlties of both.

Joe Cotter

One thing I did see in zBrush that I haven't seen in Blender is the way one can slice portions of a mesh up/off. Blender does have Booleans and the Knife tool that could theoretically do the same thing but from what I've seen, it's really not. Having said that, once one starts to use that type of tool, the relationship to a previous low poly version is pretty much lost which would suggest that retopoing would be required. As to doing a retopo, zBrush's Remesher is one thing I would consider getting zBrush for probably above most anything else, but I've found so far that using sculp tools to add fine detail over an already developed low poly model (ie just for burning normal maps for the most part) works for me so far. In the end, I would have zBrush if it was $100 or less, but I can't justify it for myself considering everything Blender's tools will do.

For me, sculpting is part of a larger workflow. If I was focused primarily on sculpting I would probably have an entirely different take on this.

Joe Cotter

Oh, the Elephant in the room? Blender can't handle anywhere near the detail of mesh, so large meshes with a lot of detail will slow down and/or crash Blender while zBrush will sail happily along. So the net result is from what I've seen, Blender is fine for smaller sculpts, some detail work, and getting the basic concepts down about what sculpting is all about, but at a certain point one will either have to scale up to zBrush or wait till Blender 'catches up' to the functionality one is hoping for.

An interesting side note, I did see a post by one person in a forum who said they were familar with zBrush, Blender and Mudbox, and that with the changes in Blender's sculpt tools they would choose it after zBrush but before Mudbox. I have no idea how accurate that statement is for others but it was interesting to see. Early on I came to the conclusion that for me it would be zBrush or Blender for sculpting.

Cris Palomino

Gedd said:

There are a couple of quick things about Blender sculpt tools that might help anyone just getting started with them. These are things that both tripped me up at first and that I've seen others get tripped up on based on forum discussions.

 One, there are actually two 'subdivide' tools, one called subdivide, and one called multires. The one we want to use for sculpting is actually multires. The subdivide modifier and the multires have subtle differences and the multires was specifically designed for sculpting whereas the subdivide modifier is geared towards subdiv modeling.

Two, I don't recommend dynotopo for people just starting doing sculpting. I would recommend bringing in a model, set it to smooth shading, put on a multires modifier, subdivide it about 4 or 5 times and then sculpting. Only after getting comfortable with that, would I recommend going on to advanced workflows that includes things like dynotopo. Note, this is in Blender, I can't say about zBrush. I think it automatically does the equivalent of dynotopo and handles it a bit more sophisticated then Blender at the moment.

Re: the lazy mouse, in Blender it's called Smooth Stroke and is under the Stroke subpanel of the sculpt panel.

Finally, Blender can use brushes like zBrush, including zBrush brushes. Blender can't use the .psd format so they have to be converted but once converted (to png for instance) they work. How well they work compared to using brushes in zBrush I can't say. From what Chris said and what I've seen in some zBrush tutorials it looks like zBrush does give more control over the brushes, but there are a lot of settings under areas such as stroke, brush mapping, angle, offset, bias, etc... so it would be interesting to see a point-by-point comparison by someone who's familair with the subtlties of both.

Hi, Gedd.  I didn't know about the Smooth Stroke; I'll have to check that out.  I did know about using the brush alphas.  There are definitely a lot of controls on the Blender side that people need to explore.  Blender has also added better ways of adding highdef details and better ways to mask things.

Multires finally works as it was meant to when they broke away from the 2.49 format.  The only thing to remember is that when you use multires and bake normals, it can only bake to the first multires level.  It cannot bake to the base...unless something substantially changed of which I am unaware.  

 

Gedd said:

One thing I did see in zBrush that I haven't seen in Blender is the way one can slice portions of a mesh up/off. Blender does have Booleans and the Knife tool that could theoretically do the same thing but from what I've seen, it's really not. Having said that, once one starts to use that type of tool, the relationship to a previous low poly version is pretty much lost which would suggest that retopoing would be required. As to doing a retopo, zBrush's Remesher is one thing I would consider getting zBrush for probably above most anything else, but I've found so far that using sculp tools to add fine detail over an already developed low poly model (ie just for burning normal maps for the most part) works for me so far. In the end, I would have zBrush if it was $100 or less, but I can't justify it for myself considering everything Blender's tools will do.

For me, sculpting is part of a larger workflow. If I was focused primarily on sculpting I would probably have an entirely different take on this.

Agreed.  Again, that is why I always stress that it depends on what you need to do.  For some work, I definitely prefer to work straight into highpoly land with my sculpts and ZRemesh, and others I will control with a carefully planned base mesh that I normally start in Blender.  With the ZRemesher, it has just become easier for some artists to hop into highpoly sculpts from the start.

The ability to slice up, as you say, is a very wonderful way to work in ZBrush.  The manner in which you can work in Boolean style is very fast and intuitive (for me, it has been, at least) because you're not worrying about the mesh topology since you can easily deal with that in the ZRemesher stage.  There are a ton more tools like panels and such that just do amazing hard surface work and make it so easy to do.  One add-on very much worth exploring in that stead, for Blender, is HardOps.  This used with BoxCutter and BoolTool shows real promise.

Joe Cotter

Another thing I noticed from Chris's post is the idea of layers for detail of sculpt. I don't know how one could simulate that type of functionality in Blender as once a sculpt is applied, it is permanent other then undoing a certain number of steps. I don't think that type of flexibility is possible in Blender (or probably Mudbox) as I think that might be part of the 2.5D vs 3D aspect of zBrush. Also, the insert mesh aspect is something much more sophisticated then anything Blender could do without many more steps, specifically, stepping out of sculpt mode to do some. I really appreciate Chris's post as I keep going back to it and thinking about some of the things he mentioned and comparing in my own mind if/how I could accomplish that in Blender. :)

Joe Cotter

Thanks for the replies Chris, I didn't notice it at first as I was crossposting ;)