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GLBMy Basic workflow to create characters - G9 in particular
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Several of my followers have asked over time how I put my images together, so I thought this might be a good place to answer some of these questions starting with my basic character creation workflow steps. Hopefully some of this may help.
NOTE: The following is what I usually do, it is by no means the best way to do things, it simply works for me.
Depending on the performance of your rig, some suggestions below might not work well for you.
For reference, I work on a MSI laptop with 64GB of RAM, 16GB VRAM, and I9-13980HX core.
Duration for these steps - AVG: 10-20 minutes depending on complexity, details, and whether I start a character from scratch, face transfer, or purchased character.
1. Load Figure
2. Create Camera
3. Switch view to new camera
4. CTRL+L to turn off Preview Lights
5. Switch to Iray Preview
6. Go to new camera - switch Headlamp from Auto to OFF
7. Go to Render Settings -> Tone Mapping - Crush black - ~0.25 / Burn Highlights - ~0.25
8. Go to Render Settings -> Environment - DAZ default - set Dome Rotation at ~116 (gives a pretty good light for working on character details and skins
9. Basic figure settings for GF9 in Parameters tab: General -> Mesh Resolution -> View SubLevel set to 3 so I can see more accurate details in preview
10. Parameters -> General -> Mesh Resolution -> Render SubLevel set to 3 - I may bump to 4 in some cases later in workflow
11. Parameters -> Actor - >
-- Eye Resting Focal Point: Set this to 100% to ensure the eyes rest naturally with a slight outward alignment, avoiding a cross-eyed appearance. This is ideal for realism in portraits and close-ups.
-- Eye Look Automatic: Keep this at 100% to allow the eyelids to automatically follow eye movements. This enhances realism by ensuring natural coordination between the eyes and eyelids.
-- FACS Details Strength: Adjust this to 75-100% for highly detailed facial expressions, such as furrowed brows or clenched jaws. This is perfect for realistic renders, but you can lower it to around 50% for softer or stylized expressions.
-- Body Pose Detail Strength: Set this to 75-100% to emphasize skin compression and wrinkles in areas like wrists, elbows, and feet during poses. This adds depth and realism to dynamic body movements.
-- Flexion Automatic Strength: Increase this to 80-100% for pronounced muscle bulges and joint deformations during movement. This setting is good for realistic anatomy-focused renders.
-- Base Joint Correctives: Keep this at 100% to ensure proper mesh alignment and prevent distortions during joint movements. This maintains clean and realistic poses, especially for figures with complex or dynamic positions.
12. Scene -> Figure -> Select hips -> Turn off limits (rotations) - more often than not.
13. Customize character (usually start customizing in default pose, then apply a simple natural standing pose to further refine, final touches made after applying final pose) - I also switch preview between Iray and smooth shaded.
Commonly used morph packages:
--Dial Fusion for GF9
--Breast Control for GF9
--Shape Shift for GF9
--Vinme morphs for GF9
--In-Depth Anatomy V2 Face Morphs
--In Depth Anatomy - Face Morphs for G9 V1
--In Depth Anatomy - Body Morphs V1
--Vascularity for HD G9
--SimonWM Muscularity Morphs for G9
--K.H. Image Studio/UNBM for Genesis 9 Feminine 2.0 - (better results than the v1) - (you might need to adjust Flexion Automatic Strength setting when using)
Used at times morph packages
--Aging morphs for GF9
--Shape Rigger Plus (after applying more extreme morphs that may impact the figure when applying poses)
--Aging Face Details HD for GF9
--Gen Shift + Gen Gap for G9
--Sonsy 2023 for Genesis 9
--Sonsy 2023 for Genesis 9 Update
--Sonsy Weight Gain System for Genesis 9 Female
14. Apply some asymmetry as perfectly symmetrical shapes, and face shapes especially, are not what our eyes see normally
15. May dial in one of the DAZ figure HD add-on at ~60%-70% if need for some more details
At this point I have my basic figure shaped and can work on skins / hair or headpiece or both / poses / expressions / clothing / props / accessories/ scene buildup / lighting / cameras, etc.
I'll cover those in more details in future tutorials
NOTE: The following is what I usually do, it is by no means the best way to do things, it simply works for me.
Depending on the performance of your rig, some suggestions below might not work well for you.
For reference, I work on a MSI laptop with 64GB of RAM, 16GB VRAM, and I9-13980HX core.
Duration for these steps - AVG: 10-20 minutes depending on complexity, details, and whether I start a character from scratch, face transfer, or purchased character.
1. Load Figure
2. Create Camera
3. Switch view to new camera
4. CTRL+L to turn off Preview Lights
5. Switch to Iray Preview
6. Go to new camera - switch Headlamp from Auto to OFF
7. Go to Render Settings -> Tone Mapping - Crush black - ~0.25 / Burn Highlights - ~0.25
8. Go to Render Settings -> Environment - DAZ default - set Dome Rotation at ~116 (gives a pretty good light for working on character details and skins
9. Basic figure settings for GF9 in Parameters tab: General -> Mesh Resolution -> View SubLevel set to 3 so I can see more accurate details in preview
10. Parameters -> General -> Mesh Resolution -> Render SubLevel set to 3 - I may bump to 4 in some cases later in workflow
11. Parameters -> Actor - >
-- Eye Resting Focal Point: Set this to 100% to ensure the eyes rest naturally with a slight outward alignment, avoiding a cross-eyed appearance. This is ideal for realism in portraits and close-ups.
-- Eye Look Automatic: Keep this at 100% to allow the eyelids to automatically follow eye movements. This enhances realism by ensuring natural coordination between the eyes and eyelids.
-- FACS Details Strength: Adjust this to 75-100% for highly detailed facial expressions, such as furrowed brows or clenched jaws. This is perfect for realistic renders, but you can lower it to around 50% for softer or stylized expressions.
-- Body Pose Detail Strength: Set this to 75-100% to emphasize skin compression and wrinkles in areas like wrists, elbows, and feet during poses. This adds depth and realism to dynamic body movements.
-- Flexion Automatic Strength: Increase this to 80-100% for pronounced muscle bulges and joint deformations during movement. This setting is good for realistic anatomy-focused renders.
-- Base Joint Correctives: Keep this at 100% to ensure proper mesh alignment and prevent distortions during joint movements. This maintains clean and realistic poses, especially for figures with complex or dynamic positions.
12. Scene -> Figure -> Select hips -> Turn off limits (rotations) - more often than not.
13. Customize character (usually start customizing in default pose, then apply a simple natural standing pose to further refine, final touches made after applying final pose) - I also switch preview between Iray and smooth shaded.
Commonly used morph packages:
--Dial Fusion for GF9
--Breast Control for GF9
--Shape Shift for GF9
--Vinme morphs for GF9
--In-Depth Anatomy V2 Face Morphs
--In Depth Anatomy - Face Morphs for G9 V1
--In Depth Anatomy - Body Morphs V1
--Vascularity for HD G9
--SimonWM Muscularity Morphs for G9
--K.H. Image Studio/UNBM for Genesis 9 Feminine 2.0 - (better results than the v1) - (you might need to adjust Flexion Automatic Strength setting when using)
Used at times morph packages
--Aging morphs for GF9
--Shape Rigger Plus (after applying more extreme morphs that may impact the figure when applying poses)
--Aging Face Details HD for GF9
--Gen Shift + Gen Gap for G9
--Sonsy 2023 for Genesis 9
--Sonsy 2023 for Genesis 9 Update
--Sonsy Weight Gain System for Genesis 9 Female
14. Apply some asymmetry as perfectly symmetrical shapes, and face shapes especially, are not what our eyes see normally
15. May dial in one of the DAZ figure HD add-on at ~60%-70% if need for some more details
At this point I have my basic figure shaped and can work on skins / hair or headpiece or both / poses / expressions / clothing / props / accessories/ scene buildup / lighting / cameras, etc.
I'll cover those in more details in future tutorials
! REPORT
Thank you for sharing. Your render settings caught my eye, there was a thread about lighting a while back. And there are several steps you mention that I have not messed with, for example subLevels. Thank you for the examples (and starting points) for future experiments.
REPLY
! REPORT
Thank you for the great insights 
I have the lighting somewhat under control (I hope
... but the tips from point 9 onwards sound very interesting! Unfortunately, I'm currently up to my ears in several projects at the same time ... but as soon as I have time to experiment again, I'll definitely come back to this great thread
I have the lighting somewhat under control (I hope
... but the tips from point 9 onwards sound very interesting! Unfortunately, I'm currently up to my ears in several projects at the same time ... but as soon as I have time to experiment again, I'll definitely come back to this great thread REPLY
! REPORT
francobel
Karma: 31,944
Tue, Apr 15Hopefully I'll get the lighting and skin process I use documented by the time you get back
For lighting keep it as simple as possible.
One HDRI map and one single light source.
Daz light or mesh light.
Keep mesh light poly count low. Best is, to have only one polygon.
The more polygons, the more time it‘ll take to render.
Since IRAY suffers from inaccuracies in lighting, it will look less realistic, the more light sources you use.
So HDRI and (maybe) one extra light source.
One HDRI map and one single light source.
Daz light or mesh light.
Keep mesh light poly count low. Best is, to have only one polygon.
The more polygons, the more time it‘ll take to render.
Since IRAY suffers from inaccuracies in lighting, it will look less realistic, the more light sources you use.
So HDRI and (maybe) one extra light source.
REPLY
! REPORT
IAmAFox
Karma: 18,194
Tue, Apr 15Agreed
I now just use 3 spotlights to get consistency in lighting my renders, getting better results than using environment and or hdris (hdris are just for pose promos)
Might not be the best and or nicest look result, but lighting has always been a difficult thing for me
I now just use 3 spotlights to get consistency in lighting my renders, getting better results than using environment and or hdris (hdris are just for pose promos)
Might not be the best and or nicest look result, but lighting has always been a difficult thing for me
Pushee-Ri
Karma: 38,847
Tue, Apr 15@IAmAFox:
Hi, for most of my pictures I only use a single HDR - even when they look like indoor. Partly it depends on the HDR itself: I've used (and trashed) some that are sub-par. My favorite hdr is Kloofendal:
https://polyhaven.com/a/kloofendal_48d_partly_cloudy_puresky
Hi, for most of my pictures I only use a single HDR - even when they look like indoor. Partly it depends on the HDR itself: I've used (and trashed) some that are sub-par. My favorite hdr is Kloofendal:
https://polyhaven.com/a/kloofendal_48d_partly_cloudy_puresky
Cheers for this! Trying to improve everyday, but looking at how natural yours are compared to mine, darn.
Settings don't matter sometimes, just the artists skill and vision!
Settings don't matter sometimes, just the artists skill and vision!
REPLY
! REPORT
Thanks for this. As someone returning to DS after many long years with Poser, these settings are very helpful. Still working on getting as comfortable with DS as I was with Poser.
REPLY
! REPORT
francobel
Karma: 31,944
Tue, Apr 15I feel you, was hard enough many,many moons ago, and DAZ isn't known for defining their setting in much depth Best of luck.
Best of luck.
