Come learn the art of 3D computer generated art and animation. This blog deals with the lessons learned and the art created by Robert G. Male using DazStudio from Daz3D.
Also covered are the ancillary software, tools, techniques, and processes needed both before and after rendering in the 3D software.
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I started work on a new project in Daz3D. I wanted to see what I could do for a new cover for my short story collection when I move to a print version, likely through one of the print on demand services. I thought, hey why don't I construct a key image from the very first story of the book? Now, immediately this is a poor idea because the scene includes nudity, so that's out, but it's still an image I want to construct and host here and in my own personal gallery. This is all neither here nor there but a) it's good space eating fodder, and b) now people know what I'm talking about, sort of. Actually I thought I might blog about this image and its processes in the New Year so here's a taste of a kind.
As the title gives away this picture involves a baby. Now now, get the nasty images out of your heads given what you might partially know about the kind of book this springs from. Believe me when the time comes the truth is worse. *evil grin * So I loaded my Victoria and got my pose going using the tips I talked about last blog. Then I loaded in the Millennium Baby and immediately went ouch. That baby is huge, like size of a four year old huge or bigger. I pity poor Victoria trying to carry that baby around let alone give birth to it. Other than the comedic value I'm talking about this right now to bring up the idea that the scale of some items and figures are wonky. There have been some surprises. Like finding out the Zubarra was huge, though that was cool because it looks as good as a rampaging monster as it does as one of a pint sized horde.
Next to the New at Daz, Parameters, and the PowerPose tabs on the right hand side of the Daz3D window (where I have them in the classic view--it looks like the older versions of Daz3D I've had) there is a pair of horizontally aligned arrow buttons pointing left and right. Next to that there is a larger rounder button pointing to the right. Clicking that larger button opens a menu listing several things. In the first category I can see the Zero sub-menu being import, to undo poses and return a body part to its original starting position. It appears you need to specify Zero Transforms for that. Otherwise you zero all poses for all parts even when you select only a single part, like a shin.
Now what I'm most interested in are the Limits sub-menu and the Lock sub-menu. I already mentioned in a previous blog that I missed see the ability to turn the limits off and bend joints further than they go otherwise. This is important in some poses because for a real person, muscles can lay flat, especially when weight is put on them, like when someone sits on their feet. Now with this Limits sub-menu, you can turn the limits off and push the figures further, for more natural poses. I also think the Lock sub-menu is going to help me too. I wanted to do a picture with someone kneeling and at the same time adopting a particular pose with their upper body. Now with the ability to lock some joints from moving I can do that by applying two poses, one for the lower body, which is locked, while I apply the second pose to the rest of the figure. I'll leave it up to you all to play around with these things, if they interest you (and if I'm not just stating the obvious).
