Tuesday 5 May 2015

Not size zero

So, Daz 3D have finally seen the light and changed their EULA to allow 3D printing of their models, but only for non-commercial use. It is a relief to be able to use the software and models legally now, but I still can't share any of the meshes or sell the models that I create.

As you will know, if you have read any of my previous posts, I enjoy the challenge of trying to create beautiful sculptures by posing a 3D model to match either an existing photograph or an image that I have in mind. One of the aspects I have spent less time on is adjusting the shape of the woman's body. I received a comment from a reader asking whether I ever sculpted larger women and I had to admit that I hadn't tried yet, so this time I thought I would deviate from the default, skinny model body shape and try creating a woman who looks more typically average in body size.

I used the Victoria 6 body with the HD mesh add-on, which has more natural curves around the joints. I began with an idea for a pose in a fairly relaxed style and then played around with all the different character shape parameters , giving a modest 20% increase to the 'Heavy' setting and a 70% boost to the 'Weight' parameter. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is but it's quite an interactive process, so I just move the sliders slowly and stop when I see the effect I'm looking for.



Daz haven't just given permission for 3D printing of their models, they've simplified the whole process too. Upgrading to the latest version of the Genesis 2 models brings a new option to the Anatomy section.



This rather gruesome-looking add-on modifies the geometry of the eyes and mouth, turning them into closed meshes. It also replaces the front of the eye with a new, more sculptural representation of the iris and pupil.

I chose an elegant, raised hairstyle that still required my previously-described shrink-wrap technique to make a fully printable model.

The pose would clearly need support material turned on in several areas, as can be seen in the print below.



This is quite a small print, taking five and a half hours to print at 0.1 mm resolution. There are still some small blemishes left after removal of the support material, particularly on the underside of the model. There are also signs of irregularity in the Z-direction which need further investigation.







Overall, a very satisfying project.











4 comments:

  1. Waooow!!! Magnificent blogs, this is what I wanted to search. Thanks buddyLatest industry news

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  2. Thank you for documenting your work here!
    I've been attempting to do this very thing...banging my head against the table about the hair.
    I will try your shrinkwrap approach tonight...tyvm!
    Keep the effort going!

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  3. Also, have you attempted similar tactics with the props?

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  4. Nice post. Too bad that Daz dropped the 3D Print Geo-graft in later generations of Genesis. I've been trying to get some Daz figures to 3D print using Genesis 8 but having issues with programs and settings. Most recent issue was after working on them in Hexagon or Blender and saving as .stl they weren't showing up in Cura or Creality Slicer (which is based off cura)I have finally gotten them visible to the slicer using Meshmixer's make solid tool, but my settings aren't correct and I end up with a holey model (I don't know meshmixer well enough to fix the holes without it messing up and leaving pinched areas on the mesh) I just wish Daz had made things easier for users or something. Anyways excellent work.

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