Import Outfits

In this guide you can learn how to import any Genesis 8 or Genesis 8.1 Daz outfit from to any Generation 3 model.

The versatility of the Daz-based models is a major advantage because you can virtually import to Blender any Daz outfit you like with very low efforts (although sometime small manual adjustements are needed). For some examples on how big the Daz outfit collection is:

Note: This guide might work with any model imported with Diffeomorphic 1.6.1 or above. However, the model creator should provided the support .obj file to correctly load the character shape in Daz. Moreover, he/she should tell you which kind of rig is using (Rigify or MHX). If the rig is Rigify, you can follow this guide and convert the rig to Rigify instead of MHX.

Note: This guide might also work with Generation 2 models (models imported with 1.5.1 in general). Just follow the same steps of this guide using Diffeomorphic 1.5.1c instead of 1.6.1. However, consider that due to some bugs in Blender 3.0 and above, it is not possible to use Diffeomorphic 1.5.1c to import the models in Blender 3.0 or above, and you’ll need to use Blender 2.93. After importing, you can safely switch back to Blender 3.2.

Note: Although as mentioned above this guide should be compatible with all Diffeomorphic models, support for this guide is provided only for Mustard models.

Note: Don’t be scared by the length of this guide! I know it might seems a long guide at first, but that’s just me making a lot of images and intermediate steps. It’s actually a less than 5 minutes process (plus eventually manual tweaks to mesh and weights) once you get used to it. 🙂

Requirements

Preliminary Steps

  • Download and install a Daz outfit. Some free outfits can be found in the official Freebies section of Daz forum. To “install” the oufit, add all the files to the folder My Library (or sometime called My Daz 3D Library). The location of this folder depends on your installation sections, but usually can be found in your main HD/SSD Document folder, under the DAZ 3D/Studio folder.
  • In order to use Diffeomorphic to import models, only installing it is not enough. It is important to follow all steps of the Diffeomorphic configuration guide.
    Note: If you already configured Diffeomorphic, and thus successfully imported a model from Daz to Blender with this add-on, you can skip this first part.
  • Set the Diffeomorphic Blender settings for shader import. I prefer to import the most compatible shader without using custom Diffeomorphic groups, as they might be cumbersome to modify if you want to tweak the shaders after import.

Part 1 – Daz Studio

The first part needs to be done in Daz Studio.

  • Firstly, be sure to use a clean new scene. You can create a new scene with the first button on the upper left menu.
  • Import a Genesis 8.1 clean model in the scene, as in the image. Double click the Genesis 8.2 Basic Female item and a model should appear on the right. If you don’t see the Content Library on the right of the panel, try to scroll down until it appears. If it doesn’t, click on Window on top, and enable Content Library in Panes (Tabs).
  • We can now add the main character morph to the imported Genesis 8.1 model, using the .obj file in the Daz Support Pack of the model you can download in the Patreon archive. In order to do this, open the Morph Loader Pro.
  • In the Morph Loader Pro panel, choose the .obj file that comes with the Daz Support Pack. Then expand the settings, and change the settings in the blue rectangle in the image (right click on the settings, and select the correct ones).
  • If everything went fine, a message as in the image should appear. If you see other messages, there might be an issue in the mesh provided in the Daz Support Pack (please contact me).
  • To apply the Morph, select the Genesis 8.1 model (you should see the name in the items list on the right with yellow background as in the image), and open the Parameters tab on the lower left. Increase the value of the morph to 1, and you should see the shape of the character appear on the model we added to the scene. If the shape is not correct, or the morph is not available, please check that you correctly imported the model.
  • Similarly to how we added the Genesis 8.1 model in the scene, we can now apply some outfits to the model. Be sure to select the Genesis 8.1 model (you should see the name in the items list on the right with yellow background as in the image), and then double click on the outfit to add it (depending on your data structure, outfits might be in different folders).
    Note: if the outfit is not available, try to save the scene and reload Daz (or right click on the My Library or My Daz 3D Library in the Content Library and Refresh). If the outfit is still not available, check that the folder where you “installed” the outfit corresponds to the one you are opening in Daz Studio. Put the mouse over folders in the Content Library to check the exact path of that folder on your PC.
  • Repeat the operation above for all the outfits you want to add. Be careful to select the model and not other items when adding them, otherwise the shape of the outfits will be applied uncorrectly!
  • If you included outfits that changes the position of the bones (e.g. heels), remember to clean the pose before exporting. Select the Genesis 8.1 Female on the right, then use Edit -> Figure -> Zero -> Zero Figure Pose.
  • Save the Daz scene (File -> Save…).
  • We can now prepare the file to export it to Blender through Diffeomorphic. Click on File, and Export to Blender. Before going to the next step, wait until the process of exporting is finished. A completion message will appear.
    Note: The Export to Blender button is available only if you correctly followed the Diffeomorphic configuration guide.

Part 2 – Import to Blender

The second part can be performed in a new scene of Blender.
I advise not to use the model .blend, but a new scene, to avoid duplication of data in the model .blend file, and ensure the cleanest import possible.

  • Open a new Blender scene.
  • Open the DAZ Importer panel, and click on top on the Easy Import DAZ button. Select any of the two files created in the steps above.
    In the options on the right (press on the cogwheel on the upper right if they are not available by default), uncheck Create Duplicate Bones, enable Make All Bones Posable and change the Rig Type to MHX. The start importing.
    Note: If the model is imported correctly (as in the blue rectangle in the figure), and all the textures are correctly imported (you can check this in the Shader preview mode), ignore the other Warnings that are generated on import.
    Note: If you don’t see all the options in the image, check the Troubleshooting section at the end of this guide.
  • Remove the Armature and the other non-outfit Mesh and Empties. Moreover, you can also safely delete the Hidden collection and its content (right click and Delete Hierarchy).
  • (Optional) Clean the .blend file from useless stuffs, using the Recursive Unused Data-Blocks. This ensures the blend file now includes only the outfit we want to import and does not carry data we do not need.
  • Save the blend file.

Part 3 – Import to the Model

This part is needed to finally import the outfit on the model.

  • Append the outfit collection from the blend file of the previous step.
  • Assign the outfit parts to the Armature. Select the outfits parts, and then the Armature (the order is important). Press Ctrl+P and then choose Armature Deform.
  • Set the correct modifiers order. For all outfits parts, move the new Armature modifier (that should be at the bottom by default) on top. Also, remove all the “red” Armature modifiers without any Object.
  • Disable Morphs in MustardUI, if available.
  • Transfer the shape keys from the Body to the outfit parts. Select all the outfit parts, then on the Body mesh (the order is important). In the DAZ Importer panel, click on Transfer Shape Keys. A new panel will appear with a long list of available shape keys.
    You don’t need to select all necessary shape keys manually. Firstly deselect all shape keys clicking on the None button above. Then start searching for pJCM, click on All above to select all the listed shape keys. Repeat this with the strings: FBM, PBM, Glut, Breast, SCR, SG (remember to click All each time you search for a new string to select the shape keys with that name). Then clean the search field, scroll down the list until you find the OK button, and click on it.
    Note: While transfering shape keys, Blender might hang from seconds to minutes depending on the complexity and the number of outfits.
  • Re-enable Morphs in MustardUI, if available.
  • Adjust the result. Depending on the target model and the complexity of the imported outfit, the latter might require some additional adjustements. Create a new shape key and set its value to 1. Open the Sculpt mode, and use the Draw brush to quickly fix the clipping.
  • Admire the new outfit. 🙂

If everything went fine, now moving the outfit with the armature it should bend correctly also with the corrective shape keys.

(Optional) Part 4 – Add Outfit to MustardUI

In this optional part, you can learn how to add the outfit to MustardUI and set some custom properties that can be called from the UI.

  • Rename the outfit to comply with MustardUI naming convention (collection: model name + outfit name, outfit parts: model name + outfit name + ” – ” + part name), and put the outfit collection inside the model collection.
  • Open the MustardUI panel, go to the Settings panel and enable Maintenance Mode. Click on the Configuration button to enter the configuration mode of the UI.
  • Right click on the outfit collection, and click on Add Outfit. The outfit should appear in the outfits list in the MustardUI.
  • If you want to add custom properties to the outfit (that can be called from the cogwheel near the outfit parts in the UI), be sure to be in Configuration mode, right click on any Blender property (for instance a color field, as in the image) and then use the Add to MustardUI (outfits) buttons to either add it as a global property or as a property of the single outfit part (this only affects where the property will appear in the UI, not its behaviour). After clicking the button, the property will be automatically added to the UI.
  • You can tweak the settings (or remove) any of the new custom properties in the Outfit panel of MustardUI in Configuration Mode.
  • When finished, click on End the configuration button at the end of the panel, and the UI should now be available with the new outfit and custom properties.
    Note: You can switch between Configuration mode and normal mode as many time as you want.

More information on how to customize MustardUI can be found in the Developer MustardUI guide.

Troubleshooting

Vertex groups/weights are not imported.
Not all options of Easy Import Daz available as in the Figure in Part 2.

Clipping Issues.

Outfits with bones not in pose position.

Some parts of the Outfit do not follow the rig

The Outfit does not follow the rig
The Outfit can not be converted to MHX
The Outfit does not have the correct weights

Credits

  • kudarizaka for the huge support in defining the steps of this guide.
  • LeeToNight for the Easy Import DAZ suggestion on import, and other small adjustements for improving clarity of the guide.
  • GS3D for remainding me about zero-ing poses before exporting.
  • Laik for the help with some issues related to MHX.