Making Tubes from DAZ

I wrote this tutorial on my own.  Any similarity to another tutorial is purely coincidental.  I claim the copyright to my tutorial. You are free to do whatever you please with what you make, but please do not take my tutorial.  Do not send the tutorial through email.  Only share my link.

This tutorial is intended for beginners to learn how to make a tube from a DAZ figure.  If you have any questions, please feel free to Email  me.

To do this tutorial you will also need DAZ Studio, and Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.

This tutorial requires some postwork done outside of DAZ.  Instructions are provided for both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro.

1.  In DAZ  create your figure/character.  Dress it and pose it.

2.  It is a good idea to make your tube large.  I like to make my figure take up the whole DAZ screen before rendering.  So I use the two cameras that are circled below.  The one on the  left moves the figure up and down the screen, while the one circled on the right, moves it closer to the screen.

3.   Make your figure take up the whole screen, like the pic below.

4.  Render > Render Settings.

5.  If this is your first time rendering for a tube, you want your render to be crisp and clear.  These are my settings below: 

The speed slider is set at the 3/4 mark.  Try not to go less than that.  And notice the pixel dimensions.  Under the advanced tab, I used the defaults.

Click Accept

6.  Render > Render

7.  You'll get this warning.  Click OK.

8.  This is what the image looks like when it is finished rendering. 

9.  File > Save Last Render.

10.  Here is the save box that pops up.  In the Save In window, choose the folder to save in.  I usually save on my desktop, and then move my finished tube (after postwork) into the folder that I like to save my tubes in.

Type in the file name.

Then change the Save Type to PNG file.  Both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro will read PNG files as transparent background images.  Click Save.

11.  Now  close the render  (X in the top right corner -- see pic for Step 8 above)

Now it's time to do postwork.  Photoshop instructions will follow the PSP ones.

Postwork Instructions for Paint Shop Pro:

1.  Open Paint Shop Pro.

2.  File > Preferences > File Format Associations

3.  In the File Format Associations box, place a CHECK in the PNG box (if it's not already there).  Now, this will make all PNGs open in your paint shop pro.

4.  File > Preferences > File Format Preferences.

5.  Click on the PNG tab, and select "Load and save transparency to/from layer transparency".  Click OK.

6.  Open the DAZ tube file you made in Paint Shop Pro.

7.  Choose the Rectangle Selection tool

8.  Click on the Layer Opaque icon under "Create selection from"

9.  This will put a tight selection box around your tube.

10.  Image > Crop to Selection

Now your tube looks like this.

11.  Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast > Clarify.  Strength = 4.  This will clear up the shadows that make your tube look dark.

12.  Add a new layer and put your watermark on the blank layer.

13.  File > Save AS.   BE SURE to set the file save as type to PSP image.  Then click on the Options button.

14.  In the Options box, SELECT LZ77 compression and set the version Save as to psp 7 compatible.  Click OK.

15.  Don't forget to make a preview of your tube so you can share!  (save preview as a jpeg)

Postwork Instructions for Photoshop (CS 2):

1.  Open up your DAZ tube file in Photoshop.  Photoshop opens PNGs as transparent images.

2.  Image > Trim

3.  In the trim box, Select Transparent Pixels

4.  Your tube should look like this-- all the extra transparent spaces removed.

5.  Image > Adjustments > Shadow/Highlight

6.  Apply these settings:  Amount = 10, Tonal width = 50, Radius = 15, amount = 0, tonal width = 50, radius = 30, color correction = +20, midtone contrast = 0, black clip = 0.01, White clip = 0.01.  Click on SAVE.  (Then you won't have to re-enter these numbers for your next tube).  Then click OK.

7.  Add a new layer and type your watermark.

8.  File > Save As.  Choose the folder to save your tube in.  Then give your tube a name.  BE SURE to set the format to Photoshop (PSD).  Make sure that Layers is CHECKED.

9.  Don't forget to make a preview for your tube!  Save this as a JPEG.

 Please do not remove this tutorial from my site.  Share my url.