Customer Reviews

Figures, Characters and Avatars: The Official Guide to Using DAZ Studio to Create Beautiful Art

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been creating digital art with Daz Studio for just over three years now, and there was always something missing from my renders. Although there are many tutorials online, none of them ever seemed to cover the basics of the program, instead jumping to the advanced parts while assuming you actually know what you're doing. Then I saw this book on here, and decided to buy it. That was possibly the best investment I ever made. Not only does the book help new and experienced Daz users create better art, but it also includes full versions of other commercial Daz programs, as well as model and content packs for the Victoria 4 model. I can't recommend this book enough, and I can't wait for the new Carrara guide book.

The biggest problem with this book is the title. When you see " The Official Guide to Using DAZ Studio" you may expect an in depth guide to using the software... But that is not what this book is. This book gives a basic overview of the software and a basic overview of art principles relating to 3d art. Neither subject is dealt with in much depth and the content is limited.
The book is nicely formated, the instructions are clear and the images are full color glossy images.
The only other problem with this book is that it is very obviously written as a promotion for the software. There are to many adjectives throughout the book telling how wonderful the software is.
The most amazing thing is the content provided on the CD. If a person was to pay full price for all this software it would easily reach thousands of dollars. Of course as anyone familiar to Daz can tell you they have constant specials for their content so if you waited long enough you may pick up most of this for free or at a low price but as a bundle it is an extremely good deal. Be aware that the publisher neglected to include the serial numbers for the software so you will have to contact Daz with your invoice. And installing all the content can be mind numbingly dull.
So if a person has a desire to start creating 3d "poser" style art this is a very good place to start. An intermediate user would find some value and pickup some content not already in the library. Any one experienced in 3d art would not have much use for this book.
A very good book... if it fits your needs.

I just got this book the other day, installed the updated version (2009) of DAZ Studio, and what a great surprise when it transformed my internet-downloaded, gray, impossible program into exactly what the author, Les Pardew describes in his book! I chose the Quickstart, and with it, I was able to manipulate the pose, scenery and props. Since I just started the book, I'll have to write a sequel to this review when I finish it, but it sure is a great start! The book seems very user-friendly, and a good manual for someone pretty new to 3D, such as I am.

This book is an easy to use guide. It walks the user thru the common tasks that so many 3D artists want to learn quickly. The written instructions along with clear images help individuals learn at a nice pace.

Best yet just the software on the CD ROM is more than worth what the book costs.

Highly recommended!

As of July, 2011, the software included as part of this guide is indeed valid.
Activation requires a phone call to DAZ3D support, and the Product Key is posted
to the user's DAZ3D account, just as any other Keys purchesd through DAZ3D.
This means you must already have an account with DAZ3D to use the software.
It doesn't cost anything to create a DAZ3D account.
These are full versions of the software, not trial.

Carrara 6 Pro (included) is an affordable alternative to such high-end 3D creation and animation programs as Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya. The current version of Carrara is Carrara 8 Pro, which retails for $549. The upgrade from 6 Pro to 8 Pro is $149, so the savings there is almost $300. The learning curve is moderate-advanced.

Hexagon 2.5 (included) is a simpler 3D creation program, often used to create custom
3D objects for use in SecondLife, an internet-based virtual world and social tool.
Hexagon 2.5 allows for creation of more complex 3D constructs than do the tools
offered by SecondLife, and according to SecondLife, uploading 3D mesh will soon be
supported, meaning Hexagon 2.5 will then be able to be used to create custom
characters for upload to SecondLife. Currently, Hexagon 2.5 retails for $149.
It is the current version of this software. The learning curve is average-moderate.

Figures, Characters and Avatars is a good, detailed guide, not a manual. About ½" thick. Worth every penny, except maybe to Autodesk salesmen.

While most people in these reviews will harp on Daz Studio, this book is worth it alone for Carrara. Even at Version 6 (Carrara is currently Version 8 with version 9 in works), Version 6 is still an upgradeable version to current and Pro version for a lower cost.

Carrara is 100x more powerful then Daz Studio, even at Version 6. Carrara also has the unique ability to use Poser content or be used stand alone with is modeler as a all in one modeler and Animator. Carrara has a powerful render engine capible of high quality photorealistic renders and shaders.

The only other way to geting into Carrara cheap would be to find a free version 6 on a 3D World mag disk (a current copy usually runs about $15+Shipping usd, and $15+Shipping usd and up for a back order). Also, you can get Carrara Cheaper by joining Daz's club. But, you also get loads of other content (Hexagon is a great, although buggy modeler) with this that you won't get in other ways. The book is also great on learning how to use pre made content and scene setups (posing and lighting) for beginners.

I brought this book thru DAZ when it first came out. I later learned to my chagrin, that it was nothing more than a gross over of the DAZ Studio version 2. There was no in-depth explanation of the controls or any helpful tutorials or tips in the book. This is not a guide... Just window dressing to say, look what you can do if you really use the software... NOT! There is no useful guide in this book. If you really want to learn 3D, skip the book and enroll in a brick and mortar school of art. They will teach you the basics that are supposedly in the book.

I'm going to be frank. I bought this for the included software. More specifically, I bought this for Carrara 6 Pro. So if you want to know if the book that accompanies the software will teach you all there is to know about title's subject matter, then I'm afraid this review won't be too useful. However, if you're more interested in the software and the value of this product then read on, friends!

It's a heck of a deal. For under twenty-five bucks you get some really good software packaged in a book. I'd love to call Carrara excellent but it has so many user interface glitches and other hair-pulling nuances that I'll have to settle on "really good". And that's still saying something. With all of its features it's no surprise that there are a few kinks. Nothing deal-breaking or earth shattering, just the kind of kinks you'd think would be gone by version 6. And who knows, since they are currently on version 8 of the software (not included with the book, of course), maybe they've got some of these issues ironed out. For my needs, however, version 6 will do the job.

And do the job it does. If you want some powerful 3D modeling, texturing, and animation tools then do not hesitate to jump on this. And save your receipt! The software cannot be activated unless you scan your receipt and email it to the fine folks at DAZ. Once you're in, there's a wealth of 3D modeling goodness to be had. If you're new to 3D, it covers the gamut from model creation to animation. Each process is split into different "rooms" (modeling, texturing, rendering, etc.) so you're not overwhelmed with every possible tool cluttering the interface at once. It's deep, it's feature-rich, and while it may have a few interface annoyances, it's really good.

You read allot of reviews on this book and they all rave with the exceptional hater here and there. Here's whats real. This book is a real good walk through for how to use Daz to make a character from pre-existing content provide on the cd or sold through the internet. If you already have tried the program out it's not too hard in the first place if you've used any type of graphics software. The content provide on the cd didn't even extract the files for the mac, it deals with the older version of the software and the base content provided is for V3 (if there were V4 content it wasn't on the mac side).

I read this book in an hour... granted I was skimming it as I knew almost everything and allot more from reading the forum info provide on the website... I found the lighting and texture sections informative... informative enough for me to turnaround and buy Poser... which this book doesn't cover.

This book is a good getting started guide for people using Daz. It's got allot of great free content. It's got some not so great free content. Daz is limited by the content you purchase, so it's nothing like Maya or 3D Max. It's like Poser, which seems to have a better render engine then Daz. Allot of content works for both Daz and Poser.

It's [...] bucks, you'll easily figure out how to use the software and have some models and props, it's probably worth the money right there. Plus you get a guide which is better then reading the online documentation or dealing with Daz Tech Support... worst case you spend $[...] bucks to sell you on Poser which you probably should have bought in the first place...

Really, it's not a bad book, it's just a little out of date.

This manual is well organized and helps isolate the DAZ commands and files which can be challenging at first. My use of the program is for illustration so I've not explored the video aspects of the book. From my perspective the book and plug-ins helped extensively. Well worth the value investment in time and money!
RD