Blender Beginner question about how Daz3d and Blender works

[m0lven]

Hi everyone,

I'm relatively new to the world of 3D modeling and I'm interested in creating 3D environments for Renpy games. I've been using Blender for my modeling needs, but I'm curious about the possibility of selling these models on Daz3D. I don't really understand if the environments people post on Daz is made in Daz or Blender or any other software and just need some clarification if I should keep learning Blender or just go straight to Daz. Sorry if this exact question has been answered already, if so just link a thread as reply

I've read through Daz3D's guidelines, but I'm still unsure whether they strictly accept only Daz content or if Blender-created models are also welcome on their platform. Could someone clarify this for me? Additionally, if Blender models are allowed, are there any specific requirements or guidelines I should be aware of before submitting my work?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards, m0lven

 

[drapak12]

Hi.
You had to notice that you cannot create anything in Daz. All models posed and rendered in Daz are created in another software. If you create any mesh in Blender, import it to Daz and save as duf you can sell it as a Daz asset.
Selling Blender models (not imported to daz) in Daz shop is not a good idea.

 

[m0lven]

Hi.
You had to notice that you cannot create anything in Daz. All models posed and rendered in Daz are created in another software. If you create any mesh in Blender, import it to Daz and save as duf you can sell it as a Daz asset.
Selling Blender models (not imported to daz) in Daz shop is not a good idea.

Thanks for your answer!

Okay then I understand, so I can create my asset in Blender and then "convert" it in Daz if I understand you correctly? Is there anything I should keep in mind when I use Blender, like does some features in Blender not convert correctly to Daz? Or am I just free to create anything in Blender and then import it to Daz?

 

[drapak12]

Correct.
Please notice that Blender is very powerfull software, especially with plugins. You can create models, materials, rigged characters, adjust UVmaps and many other. It is one of the most universal software.
Daz is dedicated to pose and render human models. Of course you can render environment, you can edit some textures (efficient but limited), create and edit skeleton of models. but best effects gives rendering people. Anyway it is one of the most user friendly 3d soft.

 

[MissFortune]

Before you get too far, I'll tell you that nearly everything you see on the Daz Store wasn't made in Blender. Blender is a hobbyist software, at best. But there's a big reason it's not used much beyond said hobbyists and small studios that can't afford the major pipelines.

It's often a mix of 3DS (and some light Maya, possibly), ZBrush, and Adobe's Substance suite. Maybe a mix of 3DCoat and other misc. software packages.

 

[TDoddery]

Hi.
You had to notice that you cannot create anything in Daz. ....

Not strictly true. You can slap a few primitives together and create textured objects. I made quite a convincing shiny silver colored vibrator from just a couple of cylinders and a sphere - lol

 

[m0lven]

Before you get too far, I'll tell you that nearly everything you see on the Daz Store wasn't made in Blender. Blender is a hobbyist software, at best. But there's a big reason it's not used much beyond said hobbyists and small studios that can't afford the major pipelines.

It's often a mix of 3DS (and some light Maya, possibly), ZBrush, and Adobe's Substance suite. Maybe a mix of 3DCoat and other misc. software packages.

Thanks for the answer! So are you saying that most of environments that are displayed on Daz website are completely made in Daz3D?

I have been using some Autodesk earlier during my studies but now since I don't have a free license for it anymore I planned to use Blender since it is free.

 

[drapak12]

Thanks for the answer! So are you saying that most of environments that are displayed on Daz website are completely made in Daz3D?

I guess not. They are not made in blender but rather in 3dmax, maya ot sth else. I have plenty of furnitures made in wings3d. They are imported to daz, fixed/improved and later saved as a daz props. (Am I right Missfortune?)

Here you can see hibernation capsule made in wings3d. Exporeted as an obj. Imported to Daz and converted to figure. I added bones to rotate/open glass and computer panel. Created my shaders and saved as figure (duf file).

 

[m0lven]

I guess not. They are not made in blender but rather in 3dmax, maya ot sth else. I have plenty of furnitures made in wings3d. They are imported to daz, fixed/improved and later saved as a daz props. (Am I right Missfortune?)
View attachment 3388838
Here you can see hibernation capsule made in wings3d. Exporeted as an obj. Imported to Daz and converted to figure. I added bones to rotate/open glass and computer panel. Created my shaders and saved as figure (duf file).

Oh I see I heard that it can be a little tricky to import from blender/autodesk to daz (i read that in a thread that was posted 2018), like with scaling, rotation and such, is it true or have you had any problems when doing so?

 

[drapak12]

Scale is only problem, fortunately in daz import menu you choose scale depending of software. If you use only Blender after few misstakes you will remember.
I noticed that wings have problem with normals and objects are not smooth, but more advanced software, as blender export meshes with smooth surface.

 

[anne O'nymous]

Thanks for the answer! So are you saying that most of environments that are displayed on Daz website are completely made in Daz3D?

I'm almost sure that MissFortune said that it was made in "a mix of 3DS (and some light Maya, possibly), ZBrush, and Adobe's Substance suite". What have too many letters to mean "in Daz3D".

But said otherwise, what was said is that it's made with dedicated professional software that cost a lot and need a (relatively) long learning phase before being correctly used.
Blender is good to tweak an existing Daz model, then import it as a morph in Daz Studio. But to sculpt something with the level of details needed (especially with Genesis 9), it would be too limited. Not that Blender isn't capable to do it, but it would be less easy, and way longer, than with purely dedicated software. This especially since the importation constraints (that perhaps changed with the recent version of the plug in) mean that with Blender you'll have to do the rigging and the texturing directly in Daz Studio. Something that it can do, but in "the Daz way" ; so a way you don't want to go unless you've really no other way and are ready to slowly turn insane.

 

[m0lven]

I'm almost sure that MissFortune said that it was made in "a mix of 3DS (and some light Maya, possibly), ZBrush, and Adobe's Substance suite". What have too many letters to mean "in Daz3D".

But said otherwise, what was said is that it's made with dedicated professional software that cost a lot and need a (relatively) long learning phase before being correctly used.
Blender is good to tweak an existing Daz model, then import it as a morph in Daz Studio. But to sculpt something with the level of details needed (especially with Genesis 9), it would be too limited. Not that Blender isn't capable to do it, but it would be less easy, and way longer, than with purely dedicated software. This especially since the importation constraints (that perhaps changed with the recent version of the plug in) mean that with Blender you'll have to do the rigging and the texturing directly in Daz Studio. Something that it can do, but in "the Daz way" ; so a way you don't want to go unless you've really no other way and are ready to slowly turn insane.

The thing is I will probably only start off by creating environments. No models or character customization with Genesis or so on. As I said earlier, I'm more familiar with using softwares like Autodesk/Blender since I know the simple basics and tried Daz but it seemed complicated and I don't have a budget for buying assets and figures which in my opinion is a must to create something that looks decent in Daz.

It's pretty hard to explain, especially since english isn't my first language, as a summary I just need to know if importing environments created in Blender to Daz is hard or if it even is worth to keep learning Blender.

Thanks for your answer though!

 

[drapak12]

With daz you get plenty of free Genesis figures. It is free.
Last 3 days you try to learn sth from this thread, but within 3 hrs you could learn much more installing Daz and trying to import some of your works.

 

[osanaiko]

I'll throw in some nuance to MissFortune and Anne'o 's comments

It's absolutely technically and practically possible to create environment scenery or props in Blender and import to Daz. I know this because I have done it after spending some few months of evenings learning my way around Blender.

Blender has a UI that is very different to "professional" 3d packages, and the advanced capabilities are often not on the same level as those packages. But once you learn it, the Blender software is very capable of creating excellent quality content - it's just a parallel world to the pro stuff.

For some reason there is an ongoing meme-level one sided hatred from "professional" package users toward beginners/open source enthusiasts who use Blender. This is why you often encounter unexpectedly negative opinions online.

Regards the official Daz store, there's no way to tell what software was used to create stuff in there. I'd bet dollars to donuts that there is a non-trivial percentage of content that was created with Blender, purely because it's free (as in freedom and as in beer) software.

Here's one of the props I created in Blender, then imported and rendered in a Daz scene: a recreation of a Paloma 2-burner benchtop gas stove, based on images from the manufacturer's website. The part I have not spend much time on is texturing, so this use some very basic surfaces.

 

[TDoddery]

I'll throw in some nuance to MissFortune and Anne'o 's comments

It's absolutely technically and practically possible to create environment scenery or props in Blender and import to Daz. I know this because I have done it after spending some few months of evenings learning my way around Blender.

Blender has a UI that is very different to "professional" 3d packages, and the advanced capabilities are often not on the same level as those packages. But once you learn it, the Blender software is very capable of creating excellent quality content - it's just a parallel world to the pro stuff.

For some reason there is an ongoing meme-level one sided hatred from "professional" package users toward beginners/open source enthusiasts who use Blender. This is why you often encounter unexpectedly negative opinions online.

Regards the official Daz store, there's no way to tell what software was used to create stuff in there. I'd bet dollars to donuts that there is a non-trivial percentage of content that was created with Blender, purely because it's free (as in freedom and as in beer) software.

Here's one of the props I created in Blender, then imported and rendered in a Daz scene: a recreation of a Paloma 2-burner benchtop gas stove, based on images from the manufacturer's website. The part I have not spend much time on is texturing, so this use some very basic surfaces.
View attachment 3395405

Your stove looks great, although I've never seen one IRL.

 

[osanaiko]

Your stove looks great, although I've never seen one IRL.

It's a Japanese thing (and maybe Korea/China but I've not lived in those places).



I was actually working on making a replica of the apartment I used to live in. I got the 3d modelling of the rooms and furniture about 2/3 completed before I gave it up. The 3d in the image below is 100% hand crafted by me Lol. Textures are poor though.

 

[TDoddery]

I was actually working on making a replica of the apartment I used to live in. I got the 3d modelling of the rooms and furniture about 2/3 completed before I gave it up. The 3d in the image below is 100% hand crafted by me Lol. Textures are poor though.

View attachment 3396496

I wish I had the time to get more into making my own environment models. That's as least as good as some of the stuff you can buy, although I think I've seen your wall tiles before, aren't they from one of those "create a room" assets or something ?

 

[anne O'nymous]

I'll throw in some nuance to MissFortune and Anne'o 's comments

And I'll nuance your nuance

Strictly speaking we didn't said that it's impossible, but that the process is less easy.


In an ideal world, Daz Studio users wouldn't need a third party software, using Hexagon for all the sculpting part, and Daz Studio for the rest. Being both owned by Daz, they interface perfectly and could lead to an interesting pipeline process.
This while, in an utopian world, it's Blender who would be able to natively smoothly import/export in Daz format.

But, alas, in the real world, Hexagon suffer from the same fate than Daz Studio, an unbearable User Interface that turn its use into a pain in the ass. And, despite duf files being pure JSoN, Daz being as incompetent in documentation writing than they are in UI design, they have a wanabee opened file format that no one is fully sure to understand.

 

[osanaiko]

I wish I had the time to get more into making my own environment models. That's as least as good as some of the stuff you can buy, although I think I've seen your wall tiles before, aren't they from one of those "create a room" assets or something ?

The wall tiles... yeah, the texture probably came from something I pirated. the 3d modelling and uv unwraps were all in blender. the base surface textures like the wood grain or the tiles etc I did got from wherever I could find. The decals I hacked together in paint.net from online image search results. So unfortunately it wouldn't be saleable via e.g. daz unless I bought licensed merchant resource textures. In general the surfaces suck because they are just diffuse layer, no normals or bumps.

 

[drapak12]

(...)In general the surfaces suck because they are just diffuse layer, no normals or bumps.

GIMP filters can do it.