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= Songbird ReMix General Topics = == What do I need to upgrade or get to use Songbird Remix or the add-on packages? == With my move to Hivewire3D.com in July 2013, the requirements have changed in the Songbird Remix series.<br> '''All sets are stand-along now.''' The "Songbird Remix Upgrade" set has been discontinued, use [http://hivewire3d.com/songbird-remix.html Songbird ReMix Standalone] instead. == The Songbird ReMix Series Upgrades == I'll try to say this as plainly (too) as I can... '''Songbird Remix 3 is the latest version of the model(s)'''. Unlike many other products (such as Victoria 1, 2, 3, 4) you do not have to toss and repurchase everything. I upgrade everything for '''FREE'''. I do update my CR2s from time to time. The latest CR2(s) can be found the [http://www.empken.com/downloads/downloads2.html Songbird ReMix Downloads]. '''To get the latest version of Songbird Remix Volumes:''' The answers to this is two-fold; one of my DAZ3D customers and one for my Hivewire3D Customers... * '''DAZ3D Customers:''' The last series-wide update of Songbird Remix at DAZ3D was on '''April 26, 2013'''. Reset your DAZ3D download(s) to get these '''FIRST''' (While I have given permission for DAZ3D to keep me product files as a service to my customers, there is no guarantee they will keep them online indefinately). All current and future updates for DAZ3D Customers can be found in my [http://www.empken.com/downloads/downloads2.html Songbird ReMix Downloads]. Current and future updates will no longer be available through DAZ3D directly as they are no longer my publisher. * '''Hivewire3D Customers:''' The last series-wide update of Songbird Remix was on '''July 1, 2013'''. Reset your Hivewire3D download(s) to get these '''FIRST'''. All current and future updates for Hivewire3D Customers can be found in my [http://www.empken.com/downloads/downloads2.html Songbird ReMix Downloads]. These updates will periodically be given to Hivewire3D and the date shown here (July 1, 2013) will change. == I'm having troubles with the Conforming Crests == Well, if you're like me, you don't read those readmes and other documentation when the DAZ installer asks if you want to read them. They then get buried some where in the Poser Runtime and are soon forgotten. There's a PDF file you'll find incredibly useful; the Manual and Field Guide. Now I know I roll my eyes at manuals but you'll find the Field Guide part of the manual pretty cool-- there's all sorts of information about the birds featured in the package like habitat, status, nesting habits and cool facts. If you can't find the PDF, go to [http://www.empken.com/downloads/downloads2.html Songbird ReMix Downloads] ; copies of all the manuals are there. == The texture and transparency maps don't seem to line up right == One of the most common problem emails I received is that the texture maps don't seem to work. 99% of the time this is because the user is trying to use the Songbird model with the Songbird ReMix maps. These are NOT compatible. You need to use the Songbird ReMix model with the Songbird ReMix maps. Why...? See below. == Will the Original Songbird Maps work with Songbird ReMix? == No. while close to the SBRM maps they need to be adjusted to match the SBRM Templates. There are no plans to revise the Songbird maps to Songbird ReMix format and visa versa. == Will Songbird ReMix work with Mimic? == There's a Mimic configuration (DMC) file for SBRM in [http://www.empken.com/downloads/downloads2.html Songbird ReMix Downloads] . How good does Mimic work with a bird? Click [http://www.empken.com/movies/Toucantalk.html here] for a demo movie (Flash8 format) == Ken's take on Songbird ReMix Vs. other artist's bird models == Many people have asked me what I think of other artists creating birds or textures for my Songbird ReMix series. That's easy question... the more birds out there, the better for the users (more choices), and the more visibility and respect birds will get. It's probably clear to most that I do the birds I want to do. I don't really look at market trends-- if I did, I'd be creating skimpy clothes for the Victoria and Stephanie models. In some cases at my chosen vender, DAZ3D, I have overlapped some bird species found in other artist's product list (Blue Tit, Raven, Pigeon, etc) and, in some cases, they have overlapped my library. If I create an overlap, it's just simply I wanted them in Songbird ReMix format. == Expansion Plans == I've had numerous requests for all sort of birds around the world. While I try to try each request seriously, there's only so much I can do. Many times a number of requests end up in a Regional and theme volume. I eventually plan to cover select species of the entire bird world with Songbird ReMix or SBRM hybrid models. == Morph Questions == * What does the "MirrorStretch" morph do in the conforming crest models? MirrorStretch: Mirrors the “Stretch” Action morph found in the model Head's section. = DAZ|Studio Use = == How to use SBRM in DAZ|Studio == * Unfortunately, DAZ Studio does not have the best track record with compatibility in supporting prior versions of its own file formats. The Songbird ReMix has had to be rewritten several times to achieve compatibility as DAZ Studio matures. On a positive note, Version 4.5.1.6 introduced the DSON.duf file format which bridges any issues between Studio and Poser. This format should help bolster stability with DAZ Studio. *DAZ Studio 4.5+ finally added in Propagating scale for my feet creating a new problem since all the older versions were written to compensate for the missing propagating scale commands. The latest updates for DAZ Studio were completed in February 2013 and are available in the DAZ3D and Hivewire3D versions. The Updates include a DAZ Studio 4.5+ version and a legacy version (for DS 2.3, 3 and 4). Another major change to the DAZ Studio was the moving of all Studio files to co-exist with the Poser files. As of 2013, all files will be found under "Poser Formats" in DAZ Studio. Studio scripts have been created in the Poser Runtime to accurately apply the Studio settings. == Using the Latest CR2 in DAZ Studio == * Simply get the latest .Cr2s from the Downloads Section and install them into the Poser "Runtime" portion of your "My Library" folder. == The bird feet look messed-up/out of scale in DAZ Studio == * Version 4.5 of DAZ Studio changed the way DAZ Studio handles scaling. Versions 4.5+ handle scaling radically different from Version 2.3, 3 and 4. '''Make sure you are using the correct version.''' The latest updates in Songbird Remix Downloads have two different versions of DAZ Studio support. Folders marked with the additional description "... for DS3" support DAZ Studio versions 2.3, 3 and 4. Folders marked with simply the title of the product (eg. "01 Songbird Remix" or "03 Woodpeckers")support DAZ Studio versions 4.5+ = POSER Use = == Square Shadows == Small birds may render with a SQUARE shadow. This is a bug in Poser. Poser can’t figure out how to render a shadow for something really small, so it creates a square shadow. The solution is to put a larger item that casts a normal Poser shadow in the scene (even if it is off camera) and the square shadows will be fixed. = Vue, Bryce & Other 3D App Use = == When importing Poser 6 content, the morphs are not coming in correctly. == * In Poser, switch off External Binary Morph Target support on the Misc tab of the General Preferences dialog (CTRL/CMD+K) before saving your PZ3/PZZ for import into Vue. == There are weird artifacts/triangles showing up near the bird in my renders. == * Those are probably the invisible wing and beak controller guides labeled as RForeArm, RHand, RFeather, LForearm, LHand, LFeather and Beak. In Vue's Material Editor either make them invisible again by turning transparency to 100% or delete them. == Textures on the Wings or fluff feathers in Vue aren't rendering correctly == * Vue often creates dark squares on Songbird ReMix wings. I'm not really sure why this happens and there's no easy solution. One thing that will minimize the issue is to use "Poly Mesh Options" and split the model shoulders (wings) by materials. Select the "wingfeathers" material in each shoulder to change the smoothing to 60% or less. Do this, or or in combination with the sub-divide for the easiest way. * There are two solutions: ** The best solution is to load your bird into DAZ Studio and use the Collada export... but before doing that, go into the Scene tab and select the entire model. Then select the properties icon ("Display Options for Active Pane") and on that properties menu select EDIT -> GEOMETRY -> CONVERT to SUB D. Now go to Parameters Tab, select Mesh Resolution and turn the Subdivision level to 2 (or higher). Now, export to Collada. You will need to adjust the material settings for everything once in Vue. ** You can also save your bird as an .obj, then go into a 3D modeller and sub-divide the the "wingfeathers" material once and save the .obj. If you do this you may have to re-enter the transparent material maps. Another way, or in combination with the sub-divide method, is to try turning the "wingfeathers" material smoothing down to 60% or less (either on the Poser CR2 or in the VUE mesh editor. This correct 95% of the issues. * Sub-dividing the "Fluff" materials helps to cut down on the rings and graying that occur in Vue on Fluff areas. == The eye texture is missing or white == * The eyes are probably too reflective and are using a reflection map. Reflective properties differ between programs. The “Eye” material uses a Poser reflection map; since Vue has a built-in environment, it’s better to use the Vue one and cut down the reflection to 20-50% depending on light in the scene. ** Select the imported bird model from the Layer it’s loaded in – usually it’s called “BODY” ** The Material editor Section should say “BODY” and have a “ 1 of 15” materials with a down arrow and two left/right page arrows, Select the DOWN arrow and the EYES material. ** Double the material icon to open the EYES material. ** Click the “Reflections” tab. Uncheck the “Use reflection map” box—this turns off the Poser reflection Map. ** Turn “Global reflectivity” down to 25% == The Bird is too shiny == * Vue reads Poser highlight settings differently than Poser reads them. You'll find often Vue reads the opposite of what Poser would do what highlights, thus materials such as plummage, bodyfeathers, wings, legs read in the 80-90 range when they should be in the 30-40 range. I also turned down the Highlights on Plumage, PlumageNH, Beak and WingFeathers and TailFeathers to Highland Global intensity 45% and Highlight Global size 30%. = Carrara Use = ==Using Songbird ReMix within Carrara== * It is '''strongly recommended''' that you use DAZ Studio as the vehicle to get Songbird ReMix to work properly in Carrara. Importing from a Poser Runtime may cause issues and deform the model. ** Load the DS version of Songbird ReMix bird you want and Export the bird using Collada with DAZ Extensions. ** Importing that Collada file into Carrara should clear up any issues often found importing from the Poser Runtime. ** You can then adjust the shaders and drag and drop the bird to the Carrara Browser, thus having a Carrara native version of your bird. == Weird Hip bumps and messed up feet == * This is caused by importing from the Poser Runtime. Carrara (and DAZ Studio) do not support internal Poser Propagating Scale commands within the Songbird ReMix series extensively. It also fails to read the SmoothZones in the hip region when Thigh yScaling/zScaling is used and radically distort the hip/rump region. The best solution is to use the DAZ Studio Collada export option described above. If you do not want to use that method, there is a work-around: ** If you are experiencing deformed feet, look at the Scale values for one of the feet and apply those values to the rest of the digits on each foot. ** If you are experiencing a deformed rump, turn both yScale and or zScale values in the Thighs to 100% ** If you are experiencing deformed wings, check both wing parts and make sure WingFold=0. Allow the BODY section morph to control the Wing Fold ** If you are experiencing "Graying" around the Fluff morphs, you'll need to either Hide off/Hide those Fluff areas or adjust the material settings to improve the "look"
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