Revision History

Introduction

Welcome

What is DAZ Studio?

Create

Express

Key Features

What's New

Included Documentation

Artist Guide

Conventions

Ordered Procedures

Keyboard Entries

Commands and Prompts

Tips, Cautions, and Notes

ReadMe

System Requirements

Windows

Minimum Requirements

Recommended Requirements

Macintosh

Minimum Requirements

Recommended Requirements

Support

Contacting Technical Support

Other DAZ Resources

Memory Issues

Installation

Running DAZ Studio

Getting Updates

Getting Started

QuickStart Tutorials

The Basics

Starting Your Project

Step One: Add a Figure

Step Two: Add Clothing

Step Three: Add Wings

Step Four: Add Hair

Attaching Clothing

Step One: Fit the Dress

Step Two: Fit the Wings

Step Three: Assign a Parent for the Hair

Step Four: Pose the Figure

Step Five: Using Morphs to Change Body Shape

In Conclusion

Rendering

Step One: Render Settings

Step Two: Render the Image

Step Three: Save the Render

Step Four: Save the Scene

Lights! Camera!

About Lights

Using Cameras

Step One: Change the Background Color

Step Two: Build and Adjust a Spotlight

Create the Spotlight

Select the faceLight Camera

Adjust the Spotlight

Frame the Default Camera

Step Three - Add a Distant Light

Adjust the Perspective View

Create the Distant Light

Adjust the Light Properties

Step Four - Add a Point Light

Step Five - Add and Scale a Second Figure

Step Six - Tests, Tweaks, and Workflow

Adjusting the Lights

In Conclusion

Menus & Commands

Using and Customizing the Interface

Overview of Interface Items

Customizing DAZ Studio

Customize DAZ Studio Dialog

Creating a Custom Action

Customizing Shortcuts and Icons

Customizing Activity tabs

Customizing Menus

Customizing Toolbars

Customizing the Layout

Using Multiple Monitors

Customizing Panes

Pane Auto-Hide

Customizing Tabs

Customizing Interface Colors

Saving & Loading Custom Interface Layouts

Saving Custom Interface Layouts

Loading Custom Interface Layouts

Setting Preferences

Setting General Preferences

Setting Directory Preferences

The Content Directory Manager

Managing Content Sets

Managing Directories

Setting Interface Preferences

Setting Scene Preferences

Setting Content Manager Preferences

Setting Startup Preferences

Command and Toolbar Reference

File Menu Commands

The Load Toolbar

New

Open

Merge

Save

Save As

Save Last Render

Import

Export

Import Settings

Send to Hexagon

Exit

File > Save As

Save as Scene

Save as D-Form Preset

Save as Puppeteer Preset

Save as Pose Preset

Save as Shader Preset

Save as Materials Preset

Save as Character Preset

Save as Light(s) Preset

Save as Camera(s) Preset

Save as UV Preset

File > Import

Import BVH Files

Import DAZ Collada Files

Import Poser Files

Import OBJ Files

File > Export

Export BVH Files

Export Collada Files

General Tab

Morphs Tab

LOD Levels Tab

UV Sets Tab

Export DAZ Collada Files

Export OBJ Files

Presets Tab

Saving a Custom Preset

Removing a Preset

LOD Levels Tab

Export U3D Files

Edit Menu Commands

Undo

Redo

Delete

Delete All Lights

Delete All Cameras

Copy Settings

Paste Settings

Backdrop

Audio

Preferences

Customize

Device Settings

Convert to SubD

Add Level of Detail

Figure Mixer

Figure Mixer Freeze

Map Transfer

View Menu Commands

Interface Layout

Interface Style

Viewport Layout

Tabs

Preview Lights

Always on Top

Render Menu Commands

Create Menu Commands

New Camera

New Point Light

New Distant Light

New Spotlight

New Null

New D-Former

New Primitive

Tools Menu Commands

Node Selection

Rotate

Translate

Scale

Surface Selection

Joint Editor Tool

Spot Render

PowerPose

Help Menu Commands

DAZ Studio Help

Online Resources

What's This Help

About DAZ Studio

Register DAZ Studio

About Your Video Card

About Installed Plug-ins

Report a Bug

View Log File

Progress Dialogs

Tab Reference

Surfaces Tab

Terminology

Options Menu

The Surface List

Selecting a Single Object

Selecting Multiple Objects

Copy/Paste Buttons

The Basic and Advanced Sub-tabs

Basic Usage

Basic Tab

Advanced

Configuring Materials

Diffuse (Color) Channel

Basic Tab

Advanced Tab

Specular (Highlight) Channel

Basic Tab

Advanced Tab

Ambient (Shadow) Channel

Basic

Advanced

Opacity Channel

Basic Tab

Advanced Tab

Bump Channel

Displacement Channel

Normal Mapping

Reflection Channel

Refraction Channel

Lighting Model

UV Maps Channel

Smoothing Channel

Saving Materials

Shader Baker

Surface Tutorials

Preparing for the Tutorials

Diffuse Tutorial

Specular Tutorial

Opacity Tutorial

Bump Tutorial

Displacement Tutorial

Reflection Tutorial

Refraction Tutorial

Content Tab

Adding Content for DAZ Studio

Installing DAZ Content

Installing Third-Party Content

Content Viewing and Navigation

Content Tab Options

Navigating Content Folders

Using List View

Using Tree View

Maintaining Content

Content Menu Options

Moving Content via Drag-and-Drop

Maintaining Folders

Adding Content to Your Scene

Content Sub-Tabs

Info Tab

Author Tab

Adding or Editing Authorship Information

Save As Button

Viewports and Cameras

Basic 3D Terminology

Axes: Working with 3D on a 2D Screen

Orthogonal and Perspective Views or Cameras

Orthogonal Cameras

Perspective Cameras

Customizing Your Viewport Layout

Selecting the Active Viewport

Changing Cameras

DrawStyles

Other Viewport Options

Adjusting Cameras

Using the Camera Controls

The Camera Cube

Using the Camera Parameter Dials

Using the Camera Parameter Dials

The Transforms Section

The Misc Section

The Camera Section

The Display Section

The Display Section

Scene View Options

Camera View Options

Creating Your Own Cameras

Scene Tab

Scene Hierarchy and Tab Controls

Using the Scene Tab and Scene List

Showing and Hiding Items in the Scene List

Expanding and Collapsing the Entire Tree

Expanding and Collapsing Portions of the Tree

Selecting and Navigating Through Objects

Creating Parent/Child Relationships

Renaming Objects

Scene Tab Options

Scene Tab Options

Showing and Hiding Items in the Scene Tab

Selecting All of a Specific Content Type

Sorting Content in the Scene tab

Expanding and Collapsing from Selection

Parameters Tab

Tab Options Menu

Mouse-Over Sliders

Local and Figure Favorites

Setting Parameters

Menus and Buttons

Common Parameter Settings

Translations

Rotations

Scale

Visible and Selectable

Cast Shadows

Bend

Fit To

Point At

Morphs

Hip Type

The Numeric Parameter Settings Dialog

The Toggle Parameter Settings Dialog

Parameters vs. Morphs

Timeline Tab

Animation Basics

Breaking it Down

Anatomy of the Timeline Tab

Basic Timeline

Advanced Timeline

Clearing an Animation

Render Tab

Help Tab

New at DAZ Tab

Other Tabs

The Tool Tab

Building and Rendering Scenes

Adding Content to the Scene

Content Drag-and-Drop

Conforming, Parenting, and Applying

Drop-At Target Placement

Adding Content from a Directory

Adding or Replacing Content

Select a Replacement Option

Using the Replace Options

Cancel Adding Content

Posing and Moving Figures

Selecting Which Joints to Move

Manipulation Movement Modes

Moving Figures & Body Parts

Direct Manipulation

Active Pose Tool

Rotation Tool

Translate Tool

Scale Tool

Parameter Dials

IK Widget

Applying Pose Presets

Applying Morphs

Applying Clothing Figures

Automatic Mode

Manual Mode

Content Drag-and-Drop

Auto Magnetizing Clothing

Clothing Tips and Tricks

Figure Parameters

Root Node Parameters

Bones

Hip Type

Multiple Bones

Symmetry

Symmetry Options

Symmetry Preferences

Working with Props

Working with Objects

Global vs. Local Coordinates

Defining an Object's Location (Translation)

Rotating Objects

Defining an Object's Shape and Size

Manipulating/Moving Props

Using the Manipulator

Selecting Which Prop to Move

Applying Morphs

Multiple Props

Prop Parameters

More About Lights

Point Lights

Point Light Parameters

Distant Lights

Distant Light Parameters

Spotlights

Spotlight Parameters

Manipulating/Moving Lights

Selecting Which Light to Move

Using the Manipulator

Multiple Lights

Rendering

About the DAZ Studio Renderer

The Render Process

Speeding Up Your Renders

The Render Settings Window

General Tab

Advanced Tab

Spot Renders

Rendering with Depth of Field

Tools: Plug-ins and Scripts

A Word About How DAZ Studio is Built

Why Such a Modular Approach?

What Kind of Tools Are There?

Where to Get Tools

What Tools are Included?

Using Tools

Included or Available Plug-ins

Align Ace

Aligning Objects

How to Align Objects to Each Other

How to Align Objects to the Grid

Distributing Objects

How to Distribute Objects

Stacking Objects

Alignment Options

X-axis Alignment Options

Y-axis Alignment Options

Z-axis Alignment Options

Content Manager

Accessing QuickStart Category View

Using QuickStart Category View

Showing & Hiding QuickStart Categories

Active Category

Accessing Category List View

Managing Categories & Content

Creating a New Category

QuickStart Categories

List Categories

New Sub-Category

Renaming a Category

Deleting a Category

Searching for New Content

Create Category From Folder (Manual Category Creation)

Re-categorizing Content

Re-categorizing Content - Drag-and-Drop

Folder Drag-and-Drop

Item Drag-and-Drop

Re-categorizing Content - Manual

Removing Content from a Category

Missing Content

Locating Missing/Moved Content

Removing Deleted Content from the Database

Cleaning Up the Database

Backing Up the Content Database

Mapping Content

Searching for Content to Add to Scene

D-Form

How D-Form Works

Anatomy of a D-Former

The D-Former Base

The D-Former Handle

The D-Former Field

D-Form Tab Options

The D-Form Spline Editor

What is a Spline?

Out from the Center

Give it some 'oomph'!

Working Within the Editor

Tutorial: Creating a Head Morph

Tutorial: A Coronation of One

Dynamic Clothing Basic

The Cloth Panel Overview

Using the Dynamic Clothing Plug-in

Draping Over an Animation Range

Applying Dynamic Presets

Applying a Garment Preset

Applying a Fabric Preset

Figure Mixer

Hexagon Bridge

Creating a Single Morph Target or Prop

Adding a Second Morph Target

Creating a New Prop from Scratch

Bridge Guidelines

Level of Detail

Adding LOD Levels

Dynamic LOD Settings

Using Dynamic Settings

Creating LOD Meshes

Using the Add Levels of Detail Script

Lip Sync

Morph Follower

Map Transfer

Using Map Transfer

Multiple UVs

Adding Multiple UVs

Viewing UV Maps

PowerLoader

Import Mode

Overriding to Not Show Dialog on Import

Modify Mode

PowerPose

The PowerPose Tab

Posing Body Parts

Using Limits

Posing Hand Parts

Posing Head Parts

The PowerPose Tool Tab

Pinning Options

Dragging Options

Drawing Options

Selected Bone Properties

Puppeteer

The Puppeteer Options Menu

Using the Edit Mode

Using the Preview Mode

Using the Record Mode

Using Layers

Layer : Turning the Eyes

Layer 2: Moving the Brows

One More Layer: Head Movement

Render Album

Installation - Macintosh & Windows

The Render Album Tab

Using the Render Album

The Render Editor Panel

Adding the Render Editor to the Toolbar

Using the Render Editor

Accessing the Render Editor

Image Source

Selecting Image Sources

Image Blending Options

Blending Alignment Options

Adjustment Options

Types of Adjustments Available

Results View

Comparison View

Render Album Listing

Shader Baker

Options Menu

Configuring Baked Textures

Shader Mixer

The Brickyard

Shader Workspace

Shader Types

Working With Bricks

Nodes

Connecting Nodes

Disconnecting Nodes

Root Bricks

Volume

Surface

Lights

Indirect Light (Camera)

Imager

Displacement

Caustic Light (Camera)

Baker

Function Bricks

Using the Shader Mixer

Opening a Saved Shader Mixer File

Loading a Shader from the Scene

Creating a New Shader

Mixing Shaders

Testing the Shader

Shape Tool

Sub-Division Surfaces

Appendices

Appendix A: The Components of D Objects

Types of 3D Objects

Points (Vertices)

Segments (Edges)

Lines (Splines)

Polygons (Faces/Facets)

Objects (Meshes)

Material Groups

Surfaces

Appendix B: Bones and Hierarchies

Bones

The Hierarchical Chain

Hierarchies

Parent/Child Relationships Between Objects

Appendix C: Other DAZ Products

Appendix D: DAZ EULA

Index