Rendering software questions

[AdmiralSanji]

I'm not sure if this is the right part of the forum to ask but here it goes:

My current graphics card is busted and I've been using my processor's GPU to play around in Source Filmmaker. The quality isn't bad, it's actually great in comparison to some 3D Novel/Game demos I've tried. (I can post some screens later if you're interested in looking at them, they are kinda in the amateur department though...)
Now, I've programmed before and I'm interested in making something but the models in SFM are either limited or copyrighted, hence my curiosity regarding other free software like Daz or Blender.
I love the models used in "Kelly's Family", "Anna - Exciting Affection", "Dreams of Desire" and others, so I'd like to know:

-Were the models used in those games part of the free Daz bundle?

-Can I make 3d scenes in Daz with good quality without a Nvidia card?

-If the Daz software is too taxing on my computer, is it possible to port the assets either to Blender or SFM?

-Can you import free stuff from Blender into Daz? (This would help to make less generic rooms and stuff for the game.)

 

[captainJugs]

Not quite, the free models with daz3d is limited. Not a lot of clothing to choose from and they do not have any genitals.

I think, your computer should still be able to render a decent scene but will take a lot longer to process.

Daz can export and import assets but not always correctly. Check out some tutorials if you have troubles.

 

[AdmiralSanji]

Thanks, I've decided to try and render a basic image from the Daz Tutorial using Iray and it took close to an hour to complete <.<
After that I've tried using 3D Delight, the quality seems off as I get better results from blender and SFM.

I guess I better keep googling more tutorials. Thanks for responding!

P.S.
Would you happen to know if the models used in those games can be found in the bought version or somewhere else?

 

[captainJugs]

All the extra models (the ones used in those games) can be purchased separately from the Daz3d store or other online store like renderotica.com

However i'm sure a lot of those games do not purchase all the assets that they use

 

[polywog]

Some people confuse "assets" with "renders" in terms of game models...

A live 3D game includes the 3D model "asset" in the game, and then the player's computer "renders" it to screen.
saves the developer a hell of a lot of rendering time, and the download file size is much smaller
with this method the model "asset" IS being distributed with the game.

A Visual Novel style game... the dev only uses the 3D model to renders 2D pictures for the game.
the dev acts as photographer taking pictures of the model, lots of pictures making the game file size much larger
the dev develops the pictures in a virtual darkroom, and the long process usually involves lubricant to pass the time in one way or another, as it's very time consuming / boring sitting waiting for images to render. This method does NOT distribute the "asset" just a bunch of pictures.

If you're just using the asset to make pictures, and not redistributing it / if you're redistributing the asset, have different terms rules licensing etc.

 

[AdmiralSanji]

-CaptainJugs
I'd rather buy if I can, to show some support for the creators . Unless they set a price that would make it impossible for me to do so :frown:.

-polywog
I see... I see... Well, I guess I learned something knew hahaha. Even so, I've heard some people had trouble when making 2D pictures of popular game characters in SFM, it's the main reason for me to steer away from it. Although it's very forgiving for my computer :biggrin:, I can render a good picture in 20 minutes or less with a good resolution. I can also make bad animations!
Could you confirm that it is alright to make "Pictures" of said assets? I'd rather not get into any trouble :angel:.

 

[polywog]

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[AdmiralSanji]

-polywog
Hmmm... I think I'll still use Daz, just in case. Anyhow, thanks for all the info and help.
Do you have any experience with Daz software?

 

[polywog]

-polywog
Hmmm... I think I'll still use Daz, just in case. Anyhow, thanks for all the info and help.
Do you have any experience with Daz software?

You are comparing apples to oranges.
SFM is movie animation software
Daz makes a picture.

If you want to use models ripped from the latest games, they don't work in Daz
If you want to make animations / movies that doesn't work in Daz
Daz characters work in many other programs, but Daz software is rather useless in most cases.

 

[captainJugs]

-CaptainJugs
I'd rather buy if I can, to show some support for the creators . Unless they set a price that would make it impossible for me to do so :frown:.

I totally agree! My point was, I think a lot of developers don't.

 

[OhWee]

There are a number of freebies on Renderotica.com and ShareCG.com. Also, check poserdazfreebies.miraheze.org/, he maintains links to a number of free items for Daz.

There are a couple of free, really really basic genitals out there, use Google to find them. GhastlyH's gonads aren't bad for a start, deslea's G2F gens are pretty basic (essentially just a slit if I remember right), but can help get you started.

There were a few other free genitals out there as well, but I had issues getting most of them to work. There was one package though that included a few morphs to adjust the female genital area shape, but I don't remember the author.

You can do OK with all of the free stuff at ShareCG/Rendo/Poserdazfreebies, as long as you don't have high expectations. A lot of the good stuff, however, is pay to play/use. Legally anyways...

Also watch the Daz store regularly for freebies. Also, if you can catch a Platinum Club membership sale ($35/1 year on sale happens every so often), this'll get you access to more freebies, and two coupons a month ($6 off each on selected items, second is off of an $18 purchase), and better discounts on a few things, but of course at that point you'd need to be seriously considering buying stuff at the Daz store.

If you do decide to invest some cash in various Daz items, be patient. A lot of the older stuff will go on sale for 80% off or more a couple of times during the year, so wait for that if you can. Any sale that is less than 70% (except for new stuff), well you can often do better during specific sales depending on the item. If you have the Daz Deals browser add on, it'll give you a pricing history for the last 9 months, to give you a better idea of how low it has been discounted during sales events during the previous nine months.

Also, watch for the gift card sales. This can be a nice way to shave an extra 10% or more off of your purchases, if you don't mind 'banking' some cash in advance.

Of course ideally you don't want to spend any money, but if you are enjoying working with Daz, it's not a bad hobby to get invested in. Just don't overdo it, some of them Daz sales can be a real drain on the wallet...


One last thing. You can do Iray renders using CPU only, it's just a lot slower. All of the renders I've done so far have been CPU Iray renders, although I should have a GTX 1080 or two at my disposal by the weekend (finally!)

 

[AdmiralSanji]

-OhWee
WOW! Super helpful! My main interest is to make 2D pictures for a story I have, I mentioned SFM and Blender because making pictures with those two is less demanding for my crappy PC. However the female models in Daz have captured my attention :biggrin: and so did the quality in some aspects.
I've been playing more with it since I started the thread and I can say it's kinda fun. I also found a process to take a model from Daz to SFM but it's a long process .
Do you have any advice on how to shorten the rendering process in Daz?

 

[OhWee]

The best suggestion I can say r.e. reducing render times is to 'google search' the Daz forums and related guides. A 'Daz 3D reducing render times' search should be a good start for performance improvement tips. There are a number of approaches to this, so it's good to research it.

The Daz3d forum search function sucks, so use Google instead. It'll be faster.

One quick note, although this is more quality oriented than speed oriented. Instead of using gaussian for your render settings, try Mitchell. This can help sharpen the edges a bit.

One thing you can check real quick though (if you have an integrated GPU or a non-Nvidia GPU) is if that GPU is handling the 'routine display functions in Daz, or if it's software. Here's a nice guide on these settings here:

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This will make things a little more pleasant as you are working. Won't help with render times, but it may smooth out some 'jerkiness' as you are working/moving things around.

 

[watdapakisdis]

Just don't overdo it, some of them Daz sales can be a real drain on the wallet...

I know that feeling. I just bought the Olympia 8 pro bundle yesterday.

As for shortening the rendering time, I really recommend that you buy an Nvidia card first. CPU rendering is too slow IMO. You'll also gain access to better stuff that lets you work faster. Iray gives you better lights for less effort compared to 3Delight. Iray also allows you to use HDRIs for environment maps. This is extremely useful if you want to do outdoor scenes. A typical scene that takes me more than 10 minutes using TerraDome takes less than a minute to render with a similar HDRI.

Rendering time and image quality is a balancing act. Try tweaking the rendering settings (iterations, time, ratio) and see if you're happy with the results. Personally, I disable the target render time (max time = 0) and just cook until the converged ratio hits 99%.

 

[Tease Me]

I have been doing some work sort of tinkering with DAZ I downloaded some share files that were useless since you really have to know where and how to install them, then I discovered a tool on the daz forum here it is.

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You down load you share zips they have to be zips not rars I changed the rars to zipz.
Make a folder on your desk top. Mine is Daz zips add the zip files.
Open the Daz-Content-installer-from-Zips zip I put the file in a special folder, transfer the exe. to your desktop if you want.

Since my Zips folder is on my desktop locating is easy.
The daz content is find the documents in your public files.
C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library
it goes into the runtime folder and you are done. in 2 seconds.
I am a beginner only have been at this for a few days.

 

[AdmiralSanji]

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips!

 

[dogk22]

Wait, several devs use non-legal models for they games. But is there a real problem in that, since it's technically not commercial use? I'm confused lol

But it's cool to support anyone who creates content for DAZ