I was wondering how much does it usually cost to make the kind of images on this site. It seems to me that you have to spend a lot of money to make the good pictures.

mugen24 wrote:I was wondering how much does it usually cost to make the kind of images on this site. It seems to me that you have to spend a lot of money to make the good pictures.

It can be expensive. I don't know about others, but here's what I do.
Whenever and wherever possible, avoid paying full retail. Establish a budget (as in: I'm not going to spend more that $X a month on stuff).
On a daily basis, I check the sites that offer freebies (sharecg, renderosity, and the DAZ freebie forum) to look at the new freebies to see if there is anything I can use for current or future projects. Note that during the Advent season, artists make a LOT of stuff available for free.
Likewise, I check the DAZ site and renderosity sites for sales and promotions (the DAZ fast grab sales are typically 70% off regular price). DAZ bundles are also usually a good buy.
If I'm working on a project and I need something, I will search to see if I can find a legal freebie or something on sale.

One of the best bargains I found was the 2009 edition of "Figures, Characters, and Avatars" by Les Pardew. Get the version that includes a CD. The CD has Victoria 4, Michael 4, animals, Victoria 3, Michael 3, Hiro 4, and Aiko 4.

Thanks for the advice. That's one way to keep cost down.

mugen24 wrote:Thanks for the advice. That's one way to keep cost down.

The DAZ Freepozitory forum also has a topic entitled General freebie requests, so if you can't find a freebie that meets your needs, you can post a request there.

Cost will also very greatly depending on what you are trying to do. Really good pictures, like the ones around here, can be made completely for free. That isn't to say that buying can't make your life easier or give you more options. Of course practice, experience, and some artistic skills can play a big part (a lot can be accomplished in an image editor after daz has done its part).

Think of it this way... I wonder what's for free? Victoria 4, yeah, what else. Oh, here's a tennis net. Okay, what can I do with this. Well, if I raise it into the air and create two poles; then I tile the ground using some generic sand image; I have underwear, but no swimsuits, but if I change the graphic used on those it will look just like a bikini. Hey, cool... pretty good sand volleyball scene.

Or an alternative... I want a pool scene. Can I find a free pool? Doesn't seem so. Okay, I need to either build one myself or buy one. None on sale. Pay full retail.

So cost is going to depend partly on whether you decide the picture you want to make, then try to make it; or try to make what pictures you can from whatever you find. The other part is, how good are you at making supporting objects and how much time are you willing to spend doing so. I would say items for the models are the biggest issue (clothes, skins, hair). They pretty much need to be made specifically for the model at hand (very difficult to do using only free tools). And you are likely to want a variety to keep all your images from feeling the same. The other objects are easier to create or find for free (especially if you expand your search outside of daz and convert the objects into daz usable ones). Plus there's always the trick of using flat images within the 3D world for things that you just don't have objects for.

The Generation 4 figures (Michael 4 and Victoria 4) are no longer free.
What you get when you get Daz Studio is Genesis (asexual, with morphs to convert to male or female as needed), plus Genesis 2 Female and Genesis 2 Male. Each comes with basic textures and clothes and hair.
The Genesis figure can, without further products, use skin textures for V4 and M4, many of which can be found as freebies in various places on the net.

There are a wealth of freebies for all three figures, more so possibly for Genesis as not only can Genesis accept Gen 4 textures natively it can also make use of Gen 4 clothes and hair (long hair, heeled boots and some long skirts/dresses can have issues, but they can be worked round with a little effort).

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The software has always been free -- it's the "extras", like scenery, developed models and characters, clothing, and other useful bits and bobs that so often aren't!

Yeah you can spend a lot of money.

Thanfully Renderosity offers prime membership it does cost about $59 - $79 a year but all the products that are under the prime banner only cost $3.50 each that has helped me a lot to keep cost down.
Most of the prime stuff is really good quality if you buy them without prime they go from between $10 - $20 each so there is a huge saving.
Also you get a lot more discount coupons when you are a prime member that can be used on non prime gear.

Cheers

Sy

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Have you checked out the "freebies" at Daz. They are limited, but there is enough there to give one a feel of the environment.

PinkVendetta wrote:

sylakone2 wrote:Yeah you can spend a lot of money.

Thanfully Renderosity offers prime membership it does cost about $59 - $79 a year but all the products that are under the prime banner only cost $3.50 each that has helped me a lot to keep cost down.
Most of the prime stuff is really good quality if you buy them without prime they go from between $10 - $20 each so there is a huge saving.
Also you get a lot more discount coupons when you are a prime member that can be used on non prime gear.

Cheers

Sy

So which of the 2 is best suited to being user friendly to say a novice like me?

In My Opinion (IMO) Fleet may provide the most help with that question. He can probably direct you to a post where he already has. He's probably the most vocal/helpful resident with that exact question.
Thanks Fleet.
Lou

See thiese posts on getting freebies for DAZ studio.
http://the-new-lagoon.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3210#p74446
http://the-new-lagoon.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2916#p62549
http://the-new-lagoon.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2916&start=30#p67609

DAZ Studio version 4.6 comes with the Genesis 2 figure, which can be used as adult male or female.
Here are links to several free DAZ 4.6 tutorials that include clothes and hair
http://www.daz3d.com/tutorials-old/sci-fi-warrior-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/tutorials-old/inside-the-asylum-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/tutorials-old/day-at-the-beach-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/tutorials-old/slaying-the-dragon-bundle

Note that to download these freebiew you have to create a free account at the DAZ site.
That's not a big deal, you have to create free accounts to download from sharecg and renderosity, too.

I don't belong to either the DAZ Platinum Club or Renderosity's Prime membership, as I am on a fixed income, and don't like paying recurring monthly fees for anything, unless I'm sure to use it more than once a month.

Oh, redle asked about a swimming pool. Here's a link to the free above ground pool at renderosity.
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/?item_id=74470