Draper, Utah - DAZ 3D has released DAZ Studio 4 Advanced and Pro versions of its character creation, art, and animation tool.
DAZ Studio 4 boasts a new 3D figure platform that enables the Genesis series of figures from DAZ 3D. This new 3D figure platform allows artists to create a large variety of custom characters with high detail from one common base model.
The foundation for the Genesis series of figures is comprised of DAZ 3D's patent-pending TriAx weight map system and a new open file format that is lightweight, simple to edit, and easy to transfer. This makes creating, morphing, and customizing characters a joy, as a push of a slider is all it takes to unlock limitless sizes, shapes, and forms. This is possible because every Genesis figure shares both a common base mesh and a single joint system, which means that creative revisions, like changing a tall skinny man into a short fat one, are now going to be measured in seconds, not afternoons.
"I love the new Genesis figure because it saves me time," explains Sam Kennedy, professional illustrator and DAZ Studio 4 Pro beta tester. "The new morphs make the process of creating a variety of characters from a single mesh extremely convenient. On one project, by generating my own 3D reference in DAZ Studio 4 Pro, I saved 8 hours of painting time on an action-heavy illustration that required a lot of figures."
"I have to say, the more I work with Genesis, the more I love this figure. It's so much easier to work with and pose than the previous DAZ figures, and any other figure for that matter," says Erik Coldrake, DAZ Studio 4 Pro beta tester.
Both DAZ Studio 4 Advanced and Pro versions of the software build on the features released earlier this year in the base version of DAZ Studio 4. In addition, high-end rendering and character creation tools such as auto-rigging, joint editing, morph management, progressive rendering, FBX export and 64-bit support allow artists to consistently create professional-quality characters that transfer easily to other software packages such as Photoshop, Maya, Vue, and ZBrush.
Key DAZ Studio 4 Advanced features include:
Auto-Fit provides a quick and easy way to automatically fit clothing originally made specifically for fourth-generation DAZ 3D figures to the new fifth-generation Genesis figures.
Progressive Rendering allows you to see a draft image followed by a series of better images on subsequent passes. This is useful for adjusting lights and surfaces in test renders.
Multi-Layered Image Editor allows you to create image layers that you can then add to underlying surface textures to create things like tattoos and decals on your model.
64-bit support provides users access to the full speed and memory handling of 64-bit operating systems for both Mac and Windows. Support is also included in the OptiTex engine and clothing line.
Key DAZ Studio 4 Pro features include:
Content Creator Tools such Property Editor, Figure Setup, Joint Editor, Morph Loader Pro, give artists the ability to easily construct, edit and manipulate 3D assets on their own custom characters.
GoZ Bridge allows artists to take their model from DAZ Studio 4 to ZBrush and back again, so that they can leverage ZBrush's powerful modeling tools for detailed character creation.
3D Bridge for Photoshop eliminates the need for costly photo shoots and stock imagery by allowing you to work interactively with 3D objects, while enjoying real-time results in Photoshop.
FBX Exporter gives you the confidence to create and transfer your cutting edge content into your other production tools without issue.
Texture Atlas allows you to collect all the textures associated with a selected 3D character, size, and scale those images, and then combine them into a single texture atlas. It is well suited for repurposing high-resolution assets for use in real-time gaming or mobile environments.
DAZ Studio 4 Advanced and Pro are available now in both Macintosh and Windows formats. DAZ Studio Advanced is priced at $229.95 and DAZ Studio 4 Pro is priced at $429.95. Upgrade pricing is also available for existing DAZ Studio customers.