Using Daz's Michael 3 for Unit Creation

[zulu9812]

As I'm sure most budding unit creators quickly become aware, the Michael 3 figure from Daz3D isn't really suitable in its original state for unit making. Primarily, this is because it is the wrong shape, size and proportions.

Kinboat has kindly made a custom figure for use in unit creation, but it has one fundamental drawback: the amount of clothes available to the Paperdoll Male is limited at best. On the other hand, the library of clothing available to Michael 3 is enormous.

I'm sure you see where I'm going with this - using michael 3 clothing on Kinboat's Paperdoll!

Well, actually, no. But I've got the next best thing:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/11460/m3_paperdoll_scale_pose_zulu9812_15-05-07.zip

What we have here is a pose for Michael 3. Actually, it's not strictly a pose since it doesn't articulate his limbs - but it goes in the pose section of your runtime. It is in fact a scale pose, which will resize and reproportion Michael 3 to look more like the Paperdoll.

Before using the scale pose:

After using the scale pose:

Works for m3 clothing too!

How to use:

1. Load M3 into your scene
2. Apply the pose to the figure.
3. Select m3's Body, go to the Joint Editor and zero the figure
4. Load an item of clothing BUT DO NOT CONFORM!
5. Apply the same pose to the clothing item.
6. Conform the clothing to M3.

This will allow Civ3 modders access to the vast library of clothes that can fit Michael 3, whilst still keeping the units in the same proportion as other civ3 units.

Some observations on this method...

First of all, not all clothing works well when it's been scaled down. I don't why this is, but headgear seems particularly affected. So if your headgear is conforming clothing, use it as a prop instead.

You'll find Michael 3's default colour to be way too bright if you're using utahjazz7's scene file. I recommend the following colour for M3's skin:

Red: 235
Green: 139
Blue: 111

Additionally, you'll find that the eye detail won't come across well at that scale and will be distracting. So I recommend copying the skin colour to all of the material groups using the 'apply to all' command, like so:

Finally, any textures that come with M3 clothing will almost certainly be too detailed for this scale. So don't use them.

 

[Stormrage]

You are absolutely my favorite person in the whole wide world for the next five minutes! Thank you!

 

[Plotinus]

That's a very good idea, zulu. Can it also be applied to Victoria 3 to make her look like the female Paperdoll?

 

[Stormrage]

Aww man!

He posted this like.. 2 hours ago! I expected a few units by now

 

[zulu9812]

That's a very good idea, zulu. Can it also be applied to Victoria 3 to make her look like the female Paperdoll?

No, that particular scale pose probably wouldn't be suitable for any figure other than M3. It would work for Vicki, but it would look different, since the pose scales the body parts to varying percentages of the original.

N.B. I've updated the first post with some extra info about using M3 as a base figure in unit creation.

 

[Bjornlo]

what a simple yet very useful idea.

 

[odintheking]

Alright! I can use this, if I can actually find some good free M3 props! Great job, man.

Bjorn! Haven't seen you for a while.

 

[Keroro]

This may actually tempt me into the scary world of unit making. Thanks Zulu.

Bjorn - welcome back.

So many people seem to be coming back to the CFC civ 3 boards after time away - Zulu, RedAlert, Supa, Bjorn. Stormrage.

 

[Stormrage]

This, and that other thingy you posted in the Indian units thread, and Odin`s library, and Kinboats and Utahs and Bjorns props stuff.. all that should be compiled into one library, I think. Now if we only found someone with the will (and understanding) to do that..

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Thanks for sorting this out, Zulu, it'll be immensely helpful to me!

 

[Stormrage]

C`mon guys, where are those units?

 

[WildWeazel]

Wow, this is cool. I don't even make units but it's still exciting!

 

[polyphemus]

added to my library

 

[CamJH]

Thanks zulu.
When I get around to installing Poser on my new comp., I will be sure to add this to my library.

 

[Olorin0222]

Thanks Zulu!

However, could you also come up with pose for Victoria 3?

 

[NavyDawg]

First off, thanks Zulu. This is a great way to get M3 to fit better into civ scaling. Before, he was just too tall and lanky (evidenced in my own M3 units).

I went ahead and scaled V3 to fit with the Female Paperdoll. However, whenever I add the pose to the library (I have figure 1, body selected) it does not keep any of the new scales. I changed scales in the body, neck, head, arm parts, and leg parts. Can someone tell me how to make a pose (in Poser 5) that will keep scales? Thanks.

 

[zulu9812]

adding the pose to the library in the normal way will only save the manner in which the body parts are articulated - not their size. I edited the pz2 file in a text editor to do my thing.

 

[Plotinus]

The alternative way is simply to save it as a Poser file. Then, when you want to make a unit using that rescaled figure, load up that Poser file and edit it.

 

[Vuldacon]

Very Helpful offering for people Zulu
Yes, that is the fastest way to save and re-use re-scaled figures Plotinus. Saves a lot of time.

 

[zulu9812]

I don't think that that would work. My method works because it can also scale clothing before you conform it. If all you had was a pz3 with a base figure, and then tried to conform normal-sized clothing to that figure, it would look all bunched up and distorted,