More on Daz Studio 2.0

I spent almost a whole day to mess with Daz Studio 2.1.1.13. Although I won't say now I am an expert, at least I can curse around the application and get some work done. Here's some of my finding.

• Most of the old Aiko 3 clothing doesn't work with Aiko 4 anymore.
  
  
• To import another Daz3D library, you need to add an entry in [Peferences][Directories], and remember to select "Poser Content Directories". I found out that if I use "DAZ Studio Content Directories", it won't work.
  
  
• But even after putting the right path, I still experienced problem as I could find the contents I newly installed. Turns out I have to click on the side way triangle located at the upper right corner of the Content panel, then select "Search For Content ...". Now you got a chance to refresh the content database. Once refreshed, you should be able to find your content.
  
  
• The search feature and organization feature provided by DAZ Studio 2.1 is simply awesome. Now finding content to use is so much easier, and I don't to remember where to find what in the application. I just go to the catagory I defined and boom there they are. Major break thru I would say.
  
  
• You definitely need to save frequently. The application tends to crazy once in a while for no good reason. The app is not unusable, but definitely can't be called stable. So save frequently.
  
  
• I didn't realized until late yesterday that (at least on my machine) only the software rendering will be able to render all the fancy effects and such properly. Maybe I just don't have a capable graphic card to do fast hardware rendering? Cause software rendering is, while not dog slow, takes about 30 seconds to a minute to render a scene.
  

• When you add hair (works like a wig to me) to your character, sometimes you need put it under the head node in the Scene hierarchy tree. This is particularly tree to those pre-Aiko 4 days hair. Merely doing Fit-to doesn't do the job (well at least that was what happened to some of the hair I tried.
  
  
• I successfully imported an object I created from SketchUp 6 into Daz Studio with all the texture mapping. This makes is much easier for me to create my own content.
  

On the other hand, there are some mysteries and things I need to learn:

• Somehow the glove I created using PVC-Gear didn't look as shiny as the sample rendering looks like. I wonder what I missed.
  
  
• I need to learn how to use light to create better effect.
  
  
• I need to learn how to use camera and animation to do some nice short animation short.
  
  
• I need to know where the compiled database of Daz Studio is being stored so that I can back it up and won't waste all the time I spent on organizing the content because of a harddisk crash.
  
  
• I need to figure out how to create my own dress.
  
  
• And finally, I need to create the XinJiang hat that I promised myself to create for days.