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GLBStarting with Milena for Genesis 9
1,036Thread Activity
Luxe MuseThu, Mar 27
guy91600Thu, Mar 27
Luxe MuseWed, Mar 05
guy91600Wed, Mar 05
Luxe MuseTue, Mar 04
guy91600Tue, Mar 04
I figure it might be fun to fully show the process I go through over time. Here's the birth of Milena. I'm thinking about going for a bony jaw and slender but strong, well-defined legs. It'll probably take over a month, if not more. After I have the base shape defined, I'll move on to subdividing to create the high-resolution version of her. From there, once I painfully and slowly added all details, Ill start my long battle with Blender to generate displacement maps and normals.
! REPORT
I recognized G9, I just started with a G9 face morph and I noticed something unexpected. I let you do the following test:
1) In an empty scene of DAZ Studio load G9
2) export to OBJ
3) reimport the OBJ file (without opening it preferably and especially make no changes)
4) Daz opens a dialog box to make a morph
5) name the morph and look at the role of the morph
Amazing isn't it?
1) In an empty scene of DAZ Studio load G9
2) export to OBJ
3) reimport the OBJ file (without opening it preferably and especially make no changes)
4) Daz opens a dialog box to make a morph
5) name the morph and look at the role of the morph
Amazing isn't it?
REPLY
! REPORT
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Mon, Mar 03Huh, I tried those exact steps, but all I got was the regular OBJ static object imported. Now, I might be on a different version, probably one that's already patched. I have this bad habit of regularly updating, always hoping DAZ will drop something amazing, like, I don’t know, decent animation tools. I know, I’m nuts.
guy91600
Karma: 13,171
Mon, Mar 03That's right, I was wrong, it's not by exporting it to obj and reimporting it, it's by using Hexagon, so here is the real test
1) In an empty scene of DAZ Studio load G9
2) Send G9 to Hexagon
With Hexagon
3) Send G9 to Daz Studio ( make no changes)
Back To Daz Studio
4) Daz opens a dialog box to make a morph
5) name the morph and look at the role of the morph
Amazing isn't it?
1) In an empty scene of DAZ Studio load G9
2) Send G9 to Hexagon
With Hexagon
3) Send G9 to Daz Studio ( make no changes)
Back To Daz Studio
4) Daz opens a dialog box to make a morph
5) name the morph and look at the role of the morph
Amazing isn't it?
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Mon, Mar 03Alright, I did that, but I'm still unsure about which role I should be looking for. In my next post, I'll upload a gif of the process. By the way, I'm not the RenderHub's brightest 
so please be patient
so please be patient I recognized G9, I just started with a G9 face morph and I noticed something unexpected. I let you do the following test:
It's the chest that you have to look at, move the cursor from -100 to +100 and you'll see it's obvious!
It's the chest that you have to look at, move the cursor from -100 to +100 and you'll see it's obvious!
REPLY
! REPORT
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Mon, Mar 03Well, holy shit, that’s crazy! It doesn’t happen for me though. I went and tried with Dev Load Genesis 9 too, and I’m not sure if it’s a bug, but the morphs just stopped importing altogether.
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Mon, Mar 03I was thinking about this, and one thing could be that a pernicious morph is creeping into your character or something. For example, I noticed that DAZ lowers the Genesis resolution on export to Hexagon just like we have to when exporting to OBJ, but it doesn't remove HD morph dials before exporting. Even though they aren't applied (being HD), those morphs still influence the base mesh. When you import, if you don't select reverse deformations, those morphs end up negative. I noticed it because I left the navel on, and then if I go negative, my Genesis gets a bump in the navel area.
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Mon, Mar 03I must add, I'm not remotely an expert, just brainstorming out loud.
guy91600
Karma: 13,171
Mon, Mar 03Readers of this post are alerted to possible deformations during DAZ transfers to other external software (Hexagon, Blender or other) and a technique to highlight it.
I discovered this deformation while making the morph of my first face "Eveline Head for G9".
It took me several hours to have the idea of making the transfer of a G9 alone to understand why the chest was modified without my knowledge.
Finally I saved the morph and I use it at -100% to cancel the deformation.
I discovered this deformation while making the morph of my first face "Eveline Head for G9".
It took me several hours to have the idea of making the transfer of a G9 alone to understand why the chest was modified without my knowledge.
Finally I saved the morph and I use it at -100% to cancel the deformation.
guy91600
Karma: 13,171
Mon, Mar 03I understood the origin of the problem!
I used Genesis 9 whose Up-Down parameters for left and right pectoral = 6.98 and not Genesis 9 Dev Load
In short, a beginner's mistake
I used Genesis 9 whose Up-Down parameters for left and right pectoral = 6.98 and not Genesis 9 Dev Load
In short, a beginner's mistake
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Mon, Mar 03Oh, that makes sense. It sounds a lot like what I experience with the eyes and that default focus thing Genesis 9 dials in automatically. That’s tripped me up a few times too. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for this issue you mentioned, though I don’t really use the DAZ exporters except for the OBJ one. But that one probably has the same problem you found.
Baking normal maps in Blender from a Multi-Resolution modifier can be tricky, but with the right approach, you can get high-quality results. Here are some key tips to ensure a smooth baking process:
1. Use the Multi-Resolution Modifier Correctly
Ensure your Multi-Resolution modifier is above any other modifiers in the stack.
Sculpt in Subdivision Mode (not Dynamic Topology) to keep levels of detail.
2. Set Up Your Low-Poly Model Properly
Your low-poly model should be the base level of the multi-res modifier.
Apply correct UV mapping to avoid distortions in the bake.
3. Proper Bake Settings
Set Bake Type to "Normal" in the Bake menu.
Change the Bake From setting to "Selected to Active" if baking onto another object.
Choose "Tangent Space" for game-ready normal maps or "Object Space" for static renders.
4. Use the Correct Multi-Res Level
Set the Preview level to the base mesh.
Set the Sculpt/Render level to the highest detail before baking.
5. Adjust Ray Distance (If Needed)
If artifacts appear, adjust Extrusion or Ray Distance in the Bake settings.
A small value (e.g., 0.01) prevents projection errors.
6. Bake to an Image Texture
Create a new 4096x4096 or 2048x2048 image.
Assign it to the Low-Poly model in a material node.
Select the image node before baking to store the baked map.
7. Fix Artifacts in Photoshop or GIMP
If seams or noise appear, clean up the baked normal map in Photoshop, GIMP, or Krita.
8. Test the Normal Map
Apply the baked normal map on a new material.
Set the Color Space to Non-Color in the Shader Editor.
Check for shading issues and re-bake if necessary.
Im not an expert, and honestly, I dont even use Blender because its slow performance drives me crazy. But I did read this somewhere and just copy-pasted itso take it with a grain of salt!
1. Use the Multi-Resolution Modifier Correctly
Ensure your Multi-Resolution modifier is above any other modifiers in the stack.
Sculpt in Subdivision Mode (not Dynamic Topology) to keep levels of detail.
2. Set Up Your Low-Poly Model Properly
Your low-poly model should be the base level of the multi-res modifier.
Apply correct UV mapping to avoid distortions in the bake.
3. Proper Bake Settings
Set Bake Type to "Normal" in the Bake menu.
Change the Bake From setting to "Selected to Active" if baking onto another object.
Choose "Tangent Space" for game-ready normal maps or "Object Space" for static renders.
4. Use the Correct Multi-Res Level
Set the Preview level to the base mesh.
Set the Sculpt/Render level to the highest detail before baking.
5. Adjust Ray Distance (If Needed)
If artifacts appear, adjust Extrusion or Ray Distance in the Bake settings.
A small value (e.g., 0.01) prevents projection errors.
6. Bake to an Image Texture
Create a new 4096x4096 or 2048x2048 image.
Assign it to the Low-Poly model in a material node.
Select the image node before baking to store the baked map.
7. Fix Artifacts in Photoshop or GIMP
If seams or noise appear, clean up the baked normal map in Photoshop, GIMP, or Krita.
8. Test the Normal Map
Apply the baked normal map on a new material.
Set the Color Space to Non-Color in the Shader Editor.
Check for shading issues and re-bake if necessary.
Im not an expert, and honestly, I dont even use Blender because its slow performance drives me crazy. But I did read this somewhere and just copy-pasted itso take it with a grain of salt!
REPLY
! REPORT
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Tue, Mar 04All advice is good advice so thank you so much, and yeah, Blender isn’t the friendliest software, but we’ve got history together. Plus, I’ve invested in a ton of plugins over the years, mostly unrelated to Daz, just stuff for modeling and sculpting.
I think, though, what I should do is pose the base Genesis 9 out of its standard pose before exporting. I could spread out the legs, half-close the eyes and open her mouth/jaw, and work over that. That should keep polygons from overlapping which I think is the culprit. I don’t know, it’s worth a shot. I’ll try it and share the results here.
I think, though, what I should do is pose the base Genesis 9 out of its standard pose before exporting. I could spread out the legs, half-close the eyes and open her mouth/jaw, and work over that. That should keep polygons from overlapping which I think is the culprit. I don’t know, it’s worth a shot. I’ll try it and share the results here.
guy91600
Karma: 13,171
Tue, Mar 04think, though, what I should do is pose the base Genesis 9 out of its standard pose before exporting. I could spread out the legs, half-close the eyes and open her mouth/jaw, and work over that.
guy91600
Karma: 13,171
Tue, Mar 04"think, though, what I should do is pose the base Genesis 9 out of its standard pose before exporting. I could spread out the legs, half-close the eyes and open her mouth/jaw, and work over that."
I'm not sure if this is a good idea, because when you return to daz the result of the morph may be catastrophic. I advise you to do a test without making any changes.
If it's only for the textures, I don't know because I'm totally incompetent in this area
I'm not sure if this is a good idea, because when you return to daz the result of the morph may be catastrophic. I advise you to do a test without making any changes.
If it's only for the textures, I don't know because I'm totally incompetent in this area
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Tue, Mar 04I hear you, and you're right, this could be a catastrophe. Besides, I've already sculpted her and linked her shape, so I wouldn't do it for Milena. I'd rather just manually fix her normal map and keep going. But for future figures, if I to do it that way, I'd have to save the original pose so I can revert the deformation and get the new shape back.
What I'm thinking is to just do a test with and sculpt a few things over G9 that way, see if the normal baking doesn't produce those artifacts around the buttocks and mouth.
What I'm thinking is to just do a test with and sculpt a few things over G9 that way, see if the normal baking doesn't produce those artifacts around the buttocks and mouth.
guy91600
Karma: 13,171
Wed, Mar 05To make the normal, specular, displacements and OA maps from the texture file I use the free version of ShaderMap 4 https://shadermap.com/downloads/
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Wed, Mar 05Wow, nice! I'll give it a try. Thanks! I regrettably spent 300 dollars (I know to some that might sound like peanuts, but to me it's a lot) on Substance Painter, only to find out that the process I go through in Blender, with the nodes I've made over the years, was just as good. 
Sounds like an awesome journey! Milena is already shaping up to be something special. The balance between a bony jaw and strong, defined legs sounds like a striking design choice! I can definitely relate to the 'painfully and slowly' part of adding detailsthose tiny refinements take forever but are so worth it in the end.
Im also planning to convert my G8 models to G9 after seeing a cool RenderHub creator share some insights on the process. Should be an interesting challenge! Looking forward to seeing how Milena evolves!
Im also planning to convert my G8 models to G9 after seeing a cool RenderHub creator share some insights on the process. Should be an interesting challenge! Looking forward to seeing how Milena evolves!
REPLY
! REPORT
I tried the body morph, you have to redo the nodes with Joint Editor so that the limbs work without deformation, I find that it is too time-consuming and on the other hand it is a job that does not interest me
REPLY
! REPORT
Luxe Muse
Karma: 5,231
Thu, Mar 27Yeah, I haven't done a G8 since I quit DAZ over five years ago, probably more. I came back about two years ago and have been playing mostly with G9. I've definitely lost my touch, that's for sure.
