Another tip is to check the sliders for bump map or normal maps if topcoat setting don't appear to do anything. Sometimes bump/normals are too high for what you're trying to do. It's rare, but I've seen a few characters that were completely out of whack. Been trying out the PBR skin shader lately. It's a bit shinier if you use dual lobe specular IMO. Turning it down and using topcoat seems to work well.
Thank you, AR! :) Yeah, I've encountered a few that may need a little extra. Will definitely keep that in mind and look into the bump maps! I'm still trying to understand PBR. Is it intended to be lower res and faster?
@@ShannonMaer PBR is physically based render. Go look at realistic renders in unreal engine to see what it's all about. Those are rendered almost instantly. DAZ tried to bring that kind of fast renders to daz studio with the PBR viewport for faster workflow. So yes, it's crazy fast (not lower res). But iray is still better. So there are pbr skin shaders that work in both pbr and iray viewports. It has more settings despite the objective of being simpler. It supports more layers. I like it on some characters. Skin certainly looks different.
tbqh for years and years I've often wondered why they ship figures with the default skin surface settings they have - they rarely render "out-of-the-box" with the same appearance as promo pics. I end up making big changes to almost every figure's surface settings (yes this includes lots of premium ones I've bought over the years). Sometimes I don't mind if I'm doing customizations anyhow (which I almost always do) but it is time consuming and sometimes I'd just like it to look right by default.
I very much agree! I've spent so much time on lighting trying to get nice skin reflections. Actually, I don't think many can imagine how much time :) As you mentioned, I don't know why the figures don't have the same setting options as the promo images :(
Unless I'm changing the maps I find it's best to select all the skin surfaces as a group and change them at the same time for uniformity plus it saves time instead of having to do it six times plus tweeks. I use one of the other viewports tho (City Limits lite with personalized settings) but I''m not sure that makes a difference as far as editing the surface settings. Anyhow I just control-click all six surface settings (since if you click the 'skin' option it also selects the eysocket and I don't mess with that) and scroll to the section I want to fiddle with rather than using the dropdown in each individual surface setting. Just a different approach not saying it's better. I also tend to use the dual lobe specular and/or glossiness and found that by tweeking each some and using maps in some you can get the details to pop, but it depends on the maps you have available. Using good roughness maps or in a pinch specular maps for the various skin surfaces can get it to look less uniformly shiny.
OH! I will have to try that. I certainly didn't realize it would let you select multiple surfaces. That will be great! Thanks so much! I will take a look through the additional settings you mentioned as well! :)
When I go to the "surfaces" tab, I do not get the same drop down list items. "Body" does not appear anywhere for the character. No item that I click on under surfaces gives me a drop down that includes "top coat" or "metallic flakes."
Another tip is to check the sliders for bump map or normal maps if topcoat setting don't appear to do anything. Sometimes bump/normals are too high for what you're trying to do. It's rare, but I've seen a few characters that were completely out of whack.
Been trying out the PBR skin shader lately. It's a bit shinier if you use dual lobe specular IMO. Turning it down and using topcoat seems to work well.
Thank you, AR! :) Yeah, I've encountered a few that may need a little extra. Will definitely keep that in mind and look into the bump maps! I'm still trying to understand PBR. Is it intended to be lower res and faster?
@@ShannonMaer PBR is physically based render. Go look at realistic renders in unreal engine to see what it's all about. Those are rendered almost instantly. DAZ tried to bring that kind of fast renders to daz studio with the PBR viewport for faster workflow. So yes, it's crazy fast (not lower res).
But iray is still better. So there are pbr skin shaders that work in both pbr and iray viewports. It has more settings despite the objective of being simpler. It supports more layers. I like it on some characters. Skin certainly looks different.
tbqh for years and years I've often wondered why they ship figures with the default skin surface settings they have - they rarely render "out-of-the-box" with the same appearance as promo pics.
I end up making big changes to almost every figure's surface settings (yes this includes lots of premium ones I've bought over the years). Sometimes I don't mind if I'm doing customizations anyhow (which I almost always do) but it is time consuming and sometimes I'd just like it to look right by default.
I very much agree! I've spent so much time on lighting trying to get nice skin reflections. Actually, I don't think many can imagine how much time :) As you mentioned, I don't know why the figures don't have the same setting options as the promo images :(
I can imagine 'cause I've done it myself 😹 @@ShannonMaer
Unless I'm changing the maps I find it's best to select all the skin surfaces as a group and change them at the same time for uniformity plus it saves time instead of having to do it six times plus tweeks. I use one of the other viewports tho (City Limits lite with personalized settings) but I''m not sure that makes a difference as far as editing the surface settings.
Anyhow I just control-click all six surface settings (since if you click the 'skin' option it also selects the eysocket and I don't mess with that) and scroll to the section I want to fiddle with rather than using the dropdown in each individual surface setting. Just a different approach not saying it's better.
I also tend to use the dual lobe specular and/or glossiness and found that by tweeking each some and using maps in some you can get the details to pop, but it depends on the maps you have available. Using good roughness maps or in a pinch specular maps for the various skin surfaces can get it to look less uniformly shiny.
OH! I will have to try that. I certainly didn't realize it would let you select multiple surfaces. That will be great! Thanks so much! I will take a look through the additional settings you mentioned as well! :)
You're welcome! sharing tips ^_^@@ShannonMaer
Yes, definitely. It also helps assuring all the skin has the same settings and avoiding rendering "borders" between the surfaces.
When I go to the "surfaces" tab, I do not get the same drop down list items. "Body" does not appear anywhere for the character. No item that I click on under surfaces gives me a drop down that includes "top coat" or "metallic flakes."
hey 1st
YAY! :) Thank you, Eddy! :)