Questions and answers on the DAZ acquisition - Page 9 - Polyloop

dlk30341 · 26th April 2006, 23:03

Some idol thoughts and another prespective as to why it's taking so long to develop Bryce

1. It has die hards fans & very vocal(sound familiar). The don't want the interface changed...they don't want other things changed and they are very vocal about it.

2. Yet at the same they are demanding V5I & higher end app functionality. You can't addon modern day technologies to ancient code.

IMHO you can't have your cake & eat it too.

I think Daz is stuck between calming the Bryce masses & moving forward. They already upset the masses by putting the D|S button in Bryce, since now this allows with more EASE the importing of Poser figures & more NVIATWAS.

I don't use Bryce, so have I no stake in whether it succeeds or fails.

Oh & Please Please Please in Carrara don't change the shader editor to a NODE editor or a Bryce type DTE....I might have to jump off a cliff at that pointO_O

Tryll · 26th April 2006, 23:43

@mykyl1966,

Sounds like what you are saying is that what DAZ will do is completely unknown, and entirely unpredictable. On that I would agree. Anything else would be trying to forcast the future, right?

mykyl1966 · 27th April 2006, 00:00

Pretty much. Lets just sit back and see where the ride takes us.

Cheers

Mike R

Sardtok · 27th April 2006, 02:01

I'm not so worried about in which direction development will head.
It's the same team developing Carrara at least, there will probably be some feature requests(read orders) from DAZ, but most of the stuff will work the same way,
it's basically just a different owner/publisher...
The thing I don't like is the DAZ website, and the loss of the European team.
The loss of the European team will probably result in a loss in speed, due to a smaller development team across the two Eovia products or due to new developers taking over the Hexagon development, which will require familiarizing themselves with the code and such.
(I'd really like to have some of my questions in my former post regarding this exact topic answered, but I guess a lot of them is hard to give specific answers to, or to answer at this time)...

Except for Hexagon it's still the same people making the software, and basically the same company, just controlled by a different company.
I've already said I personally don't like DAZ, mainly due to their Renderosity-like website.
I don't really like Poser(mainly due to what most Poser art looks like (which is mainly due to the excessive use of certain DAZ models, namely V3 and M3, but most DAZ models have the "Poser-look")), I bought Poser 5 after it went wholesale(or whatever it's called) long after the Poser 6 release, mainly due to wanting to test out the dynamic hair and cloth using some of the free DAZ content (mostly the Aiko3 model, as with the native importer in Carrara I couldn't properly import some of the hair features).
I've yet to actually use Poser much though, as I still don't really like the software, and most free content requires some non-free content to work, and for that matter I don't feel like using Poser for rigging and animating or posing the content I make myself.

I don't mind premade content so much (there's actually quite a nice collection of it that comes with Hexagon (I don't really like the collection that comes with Carrara much) (you have to go into the install directory to find the collection in Hex)), but I mainly like to use it either for modification, reference or learning, not for doing my personal stuff with directly.
I'm just a hobbyist, but I'm also a do-it-yourself kind of person, so I prefer to model and rig and animate myself.

I hope that this acquisition might change the way DAZ operates more so than Eovia, and I think it will.
I don't think DAZ just bought Eovia to earn extra cash (for that matter there's been a lot of support between DAZ and Eovia in the past), although I figure they hope to do so as well, but to gain a better foothold in the content creation not just the content usage market.

Bov · 27th April 2006, 10:19

I was about to order Carrara 5 Pro when I heard about the big announcement. I have to say I was disappointed when I heard DAZ bought the company. I’ve been using Poser for years – I’m trying to get good at animation. I finally got fed up with Poser due to not being able to create my own characters in it – I was always stuck with something that always looked like a Poser model. I could never get the shoulders to do what shoulders should do and could never get the lips to do a nice ‘ooooo’ shape. I’ve always wanted to animate a nice articulated stylised character (my own preferably). When I bought the first edition of Carrara many moons ago I was new to 3D and it didn’t have bones, so I lost interest. More recently I bought XSI hoping to create my own Characters, but this program was just too complex – so it’s back in the drawer. When I tried out Carrara 5 Pro, although not perfect, I started to see potential there. Realising how much Carrara has improved, and how quickly new versions come out, my dreams of making quality short animations became a reality again. Please keep Carrara heading along its professional path and give us the tools to create things from our own imagination.

Bov

Jolran · 27th April 2006, 11:14

Bov I am in exactly the same situation as you. Ive got XSI 4.2 and is hesitating to upgrade to 5.1.
(XSI is complex but maybe you should give it a try, I recommend 3Dquakers tutorials.)

Now with the DAZ - Evoia situation things have changed. Carrara 5 pro
did not have all the features I needed, but I felt they where on the way.
Especially when moderator started asking thread what we users would like in future
versions. I dont know if Daz is looking into that.

What would make me happy is to know in specific what DAZ has for plans in
the future for Carrara. Like "dynamics on bones, shape animation, renderpasses", stuff
like that. That would calm me down, and probably show that DAZ means to challenge
the big companies. So far the question has not been answered what I have seen.
Bob said that there where plans for new features but what then?
Is it a company secret?

I think it would be a good idea for DAZ to give candy for the
kids in terms of what the future holds NOW, before people jump to other packages.
Cause its not only Company takeovers that moves swift, costumers do to.
I dont care about what the name of the brand is, if its good.

Altered_Ego · 29th April 2006, 20:04

I've been a loyal DAZ customer and Poser user from the beginning (5 years or more).

I actually prefer to use DAZ|Studio over Poser because it does all I want, and makes things easy.

I'm impressed by DAZ, the company. They really care about their customers and products. They always do their best and it shows.

The Bryce situation was hard for DAZ because they inherited a product that needed a total rewrite. They're doing that rewrite for Bryce 6.

When I heard DAZ had bought Eovia, I just knew we'd hear some more great news. Wow, now Platinum Club members can get Hexagon for $1.99. What a great deal.

I can get into modelling because I can finally afford the software.

I know those who pre-ordered are complaining. It really seems pre-ordering is a bad idea. I've seen problems for people who pre-ordered Poser.

But it's a fact of life that prices are known to go down. Companies offer sales to their customers. Some companies have a Price Guarantee policy. DAZ has offered compensation for people who pre-ordered Hexagon.

To summarize, I am mystified that this news requires so much discussion.

I'd prefer to pay my $1.99, download Hexagon, and ask a bunch of newbie questions!

-ash- · 29th April 2006, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altered_Ego

I've been a loyal DAZ customer and Poser user from the beginning (5 years or more).

I actually prefer to use DAZ|Studio over Poser because it does all I want, and makes things easy.

I'm impressed by DAZ, the company. They really care about their customers and products. They always do their best and it shows.

The Bryce situation was hard for DAZ because they inherited a product that needed a total rewrite. They're doing that rewrite for Bryce 6.

When I heard DAZ had bought Eovia, I just knew we'd hear some more great news. Wow, now Platinum Club members can get Hexagon for $1.99. What a great deal.

I can get into modelling because I can finally afford the software.

I know those who pre-ordered are complaining. It really seems pre-ordering is a bad idea. I've seen problems for people who pre-ordered Poser.

But it's a fact of life that prices are known to go down. Companies offer sales to their customers. Some companies have a Price Guarantee policy. DAZ has offered compensation for people who pre-ordered Hexagon.

To summarize, I am mystified that this news requires so much discussion.

I'd prefer to pay my $1.99, download Hexagon, and ask a bunch of newbie questions!

I pre-ordered and I don't feel bad about how DAZ has treated me. I think they tried hard to make us feel that we hadn't lost out when it seems it was really Eovia that took the money and then sold up.

Plus I got the bonus pack and $130 worth of DAZ stuff. Plus the opportunity to get a second license for $1.99.

Can't be bad really

, as you say, pre-ordering is a always a bit of a gamble anyway.

Now if theyd just sort out the tablet mapping I'd be a happy man

.

Altered_Ego · 29th April 2006, 22:31

Yes, I do believe some folks, such as yourself, feel good about how DAZ handled things.

I'll be following the Graphics Tablet issue. I have a SummaSketch III, which is way too large for my computer desk.

I've thought of buying a smaller, more "current" tablet when I get the money. But there seem to be issues with DAZ|Studio, Hexagon, and maybe Poser.

Those will be the programs I use the most.

tyrell · 29th April 2006, 22:49

I never quite got the hang of using a tablet on a 3d program. I just don't see any alternative to the added ease of having the middle button of a 3-button mouse. Press-dragging it, for example, pans the view. And turning the wheel zooms it in or out.

Sardtok · 30th April 2006, 00:31

Well,
guess there's a good thing about not getting a Wacom until I move to Japan this fall then if there're issues using tablets...
Looking forward to testing it with the 3d painting though...

-ash- · 30th April 2006, 00:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyrell

I never quite got the hang of using a tablet on a 3d program. I just don't see any alternative to the added ease of having the middle button of a 3-button mouse. Press-dragging it, for example, pans the view. And turning the wheel zooms it in or out.

A lot of people feel the same, and I can see the attraction. But, when your wrist hurts after 40 minutes or so of intensive mouse use, you have to find an alternative.

I've used a tablet now since the late eighties (when the pens had wires hanging off them). I have one at work and one at home. I use them just like a mouse and it allows me to work all day long with only minor aches after particularly intensive sessions.

I always look for software that doesn't interfere with the tablet settings. Hex 1 was fine so I never expected problems in Hex 2. After all the application doesn't mess with your mouse speed etc.

It usually gets fixed if enough people point it out but it is a shame it is not considered from the start.

-ash- · 30th April 2006, 00:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altered_Ego

Yes, I do believe some folks, such as yourself, feel good about how DAZ handled things.

I'll be following the Graphics Tablet issue. I have a SummaSketch III, which is way too large for my computer desk.

I've thought of buying a smaller, more "current" tablet when I get the money. But there seem to be issues with DAZ|Studio, Hexagon, and maybe Poser.

Those will be the programs I use the most.

I used Poser 4 and now 6. Not very intensively I admit but I've never had problems with using my tablet instead of the mouse.

Never used DAZ|Studio so I can't comment on that.

Hexagon 1 was fine, Hex 2 seems to have a bit of a problem but I'm sure they will fix it eventually.

Patrick210 · 30th April 2006, 02:50

I don't have any problems with my tablet, make sure your tablet drivers are up to date. I know it has been reported that some people are having problems with them though.

Altered_Ego · 30th April 2006, 05:14

I'm using a Microsoft Optical Trackball. It's really great for accuracy, and my hand or wrist don't hurt after hours of usage. I use my thumb to move the ball & cursor.

I really couldn't go back to using a mouse.

-ash- · 30th April 2006, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick210

I don't have any problems with my tablet, make sure your tablet drivers are up to date. I know it has been reported that some people are having problems with them though.

Hi Patrick, a few questions about your setup.

What tablet are you using?
What driver version do you have?
Are you Mac or PC?

Also:

Are you using dual monitors?
Do you work in pen or mouse mode?
Can you change the Wacom settings and have them reflected in Hex? Things like mapping, pen or mouse mode, etc.

I installed driver version 493-3 which appears to be the latest for Win2K/XP. I had to install them to get H2 to work with the tablet at all. With my old driver the cursor would freeze on startup.

My system:
P4 2.0 Ghz, 1Gb RAM, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, Windows 2000 Pro (SP4), Dual 17” LCD panels, Intuos (1) A5 USB

Any help on getting this working would be much appreciated. Thanks.

27th April 2006, 00:00	#163 (permalink)
mykyl1966 Box modeling Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 277 My Photos: (0)	Pretty much. Lets just sit back and see where the ride takes us. Cheers Mike R __________________ I dont believe everything I think.

27th April 2006, 02:01	#164 (permalink)
Sardtok Box modeling Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 217 My Photos: (0)	I'm not so worried about in which direction development will head. It's the same team developing Carrara at least, there will probably be some feature requests(read orders) from DAZ, but most of the stuff will work the same way, it's basically just a different owner/publisher... The thing I don't like is the DAZ website, and the loss of the European team. The loss of the European team will probably result in a loss in speed, due to a smaller development team across the two Eovia products or due to new developers taking over the Hexagon development, which will require familiarizing themselves with the code and such. (I'd really like to have some of my questions in my former post regarding this exact topic answered, but I guess a lot of them is hard to give specific answers to, or to answer at this time)... Except for Hexagon it's still the same people making the software, and basically the same company, just controlled by a different company. I've already said I personally don't like DAZ, mainly due to their Renderosity-like website. I don't really like Poser(mainly due to what most Poser art looks like (which is mainly due to the excessive use of certain DAZ models, namely V3 and M3, but most DAZ models have the "Poser-look")), I bought Poser 5 after it went wholesale(or whatever it's called) long after the Poser 6 release, mainly due to wanting to test out the dynamic hair and cloth using some of the free DAZ content (mostly the Aiko3 model, as with the native importer in Carrara I couldn't properly import some of the hair features). I've yet to actually use Poser much though, as I still don't really like the software, and most free content requires some non-free content to work, and for that matter I don't feel like using Poser for rigging and animating or posing the content I make myself. I don't mind premade content so much (there's actually quite a nice collection of it that comes with Hexagon (I don't really like the collection that comes with Carrara much) (you have to go into the install directory to find the collection in Hex)), but I mainly like to use it either for modification, reference or learning, not for doing my personal stuff with directly. I'm just a hobbyist, but I'm also a do-it-yourself kind of person, so I prefer to model and rig and animate myself. I hope that this acquisition might change the way DAZ operates more so than Eovia, and I think it will. I don't think DAZ just bought Eovia to earn extra cash (for that matter there's been a lot of support between DAZ and Eovia in the past), although I figure they hope to do so as well, but to gain a better foothold in the content creation not just the content usage market. __________________ --- The Zigg (Take me off for great justice?)

30th April 2006, 00:31	#171 (permalink)
Sardtok Box modeling Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 217 My Photos: (0)	Well, guess there's a good thing about not getting a Wacom until I move to Japan this fall then if there're issues using tablets... Looking forward to testing it with the 3d painting though... __________________ --- The Zigg (Take me off for great justice?)

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26th April 2006, 23:03	#161 (permalink)
dlk30341 Cube Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 73 My Photos: (0)	Some idol thoughts and another prespective as to why it's taking so long to develop Bryce 1. It has die hards fans & very vocal(sound familiar). The don't want the interface changed...they don't want other things changed and they are very vocal about it. 2. Yet at the same they are demanding V5I & higher end app functionality. You can't addon modern day technologies to ancient code. IMHO you can't have your cake & eat it too. I think Daz is stuck between calming the Bryce masses & moving forward. They already upset the masses by putting the D\|S button in Bryce, since now this allows with more EASE the importing of Poser figures & more NVIATWAS. I don't use Bryce, so have I no stake in whether it succeeds or fails. Oh & Please Please Please in Carrara don't change the shader editor to a NODE editor or a Bryce type DTE....I might have to jump off a cliff at that pointO_O

26th April 2006, 23:43	#162 (permalink)
Tryll Vertex Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 10 My Photos: (0)	@mykyl1966, Sounds like what you are saying is that what DAZ will do is completely unknown, and entirely unpredictable. On that I would agree. Anything else would be trying to forcast the future, right?

27th April 2006, 10:19	#165 (permalink)
Bov Vertex Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 15 My Photos: (0)	I was about to order Carrara 5 Pro when I heard about the big announcement. I have to say I was disappointed when I heard DAZ bought the company. I’ve been using Poser for years – I’m trying to get good at animation. I finally got fed up with Poser due to not being able to create my own characters in it – I was always stuck with something that always looked like a Poser model. I could never get the shoulders to do what shoulders should do and could never get the lips to do a nice ‘ooooo’ shape. I’ve always wanted to animate a nice articulated stylised character (my own preferably). When I bought the first edition of Carrara many moons ago I was new to 3D and it didn’t have bones, so I lost interest. More recently I bought XSI hoping to create my own Characters, but this program was just too complex – so it’s back in the drawer. When I tried out Carrara 5 Pro, although not perfect, I started to see potential there. Realising how much Carrara has improved, and how quickly new versions come out, my dreams of making quality short animations became a reality again. Please keep Carrara heading along its professional path and give us the tools to create things from our own imagination. Bov

27th April 2006, 11:14	#166 (permalink)
Jolran NURBS Booleans are your friend Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 118 My Photos: (0)	Bov I am in exactly the same situation as you. Ive got XSI 4.2 and is hesitating to upgrade to 5.1. (XSI is complex but maybe you should give it a try, I recommend 3Dquakers tutorials.) Now with the DAZ - Evoia situation things have changed. Carrara 5 pro did not have all the features I needed, but I felt they where on the way. Especially when moderator started asking thread what we users would like in future versions. I dont know if Daz is looking into that. What would make me happy is to know in specific what DAZ has for plans in the future for Carrara. Like "dynamics on bones, shape animation, renderpasses", stuff like that. That would calm me down, and probably show that DAZ means to challenge the big companies. So far the question has not been answered what I have seen. Bob said that there where plans for new features but what then? Is it a company secret? I think it would be a good idea for DAZ to give candy for the kids in terms of what the future holds NOW, before people jump to other packages. Cause its not only Company takeovers that moves swift, costumers do to. I dont care about what the name of the brand is, if its good.

29th April 2006, 20:04	#167 (permalink)
Altered_Ego NURBS Booleans are your friend Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 135 My Photos: (0)	I've been a loyal DAZ customer and Poser user from the beginning (5 years or more). I actually prefer to use DAZ\|Studio over Poser because it does all I want, and makes things easy. I'm impressed by DAZ, the company. They really care about their customers and products. They always do their best and it shows. The Bryce situation was hard for DAZ because they inherited a product that needed a total rewrite. They're doing that rewrite for Bryce 6. When I heard DAZ had bought Eovia, I just knew we'd hear some more great news. Wow, now Platinum Club members can get Hexagon for $1.99. What a great deal. I can get into modelling because I can finally afford the software. I know those who pre-ordered are complaining. It really seems pre-ordering is a bad idea. I've seen problems for people who pre-ordered Poser. But it's a fact of life that prices are known to go down. Companies offer sales to their customers. Some companies have a Price Guarantee policy. DAZ has offered compensation for people who pre-ordered Hexagon. To summarize, I am mystified that this news requires so much discussion. I'd prefer to pay my $1.99, download Hexagon, and ask a bunch of newbie questions!

29th April 2006, 22:31	#169 (permalink)
Altered_Ego NURBS Booleans are your friend Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 135 My Photos: (0)	Yes, I do believe some folks, such as yourself, feel good about how DAZ handled things. I'll be following the Graphics Tablet issue. I have a SummaSketch III, which is way too large for my computer desk. I've thought of buying a smaller, more "current" tablet when I get the money. But there seem to be issues with DAZ\|Studio, Hexagon, and maybe Poser. Those will be the programs I use the most.

29th April 2006, 22:49	#170 (permalink)
tyrell Spline Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 52 My Photos: (0)	I never quite got the hang of using a tablet on a 3d program. I just don't see any alternative to the added ease of having the middle button of a 3-button mouse. Press-dragging it, for example, pans the view. And turning the wheel zooms it in or out.

30th April 2006, 02:50	#174 (permalink)
Patrick210 Pixar want to hire me! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 548 My Photos: (0) Images: 16	I don't have any problems with my tablet, make sure your tablet drivers are up to date. I know it has been reported that some people are having problems with them though.

30th April 2006, 05:14	#175 (permalink)
Altered_Ego NURBS Booleans are your friend Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 135 My Photos: (0)	I'm using a Microsoft Optical Trackball. It's really great for accuracy, and my hand or wrist don't hurt after hours of usage. I use my thumb to move the ball & cursor. I really couldn't go back to using a mouse.