Hello, I have a few Questions regarding Victoria 4 Figures. Is there anyone here who is well-versed in them? Is there a kind of "AutoFit" Feature for Victoria 4 Figures, similar to the one for Genesis Figures? Also, is anyone familiar with Genesis 2, specifically the Product that allows me to transfer Victoria 4 Content onto Genesis 2? I need to gain some Basic understanding of how these two Figures are structured, and what advantages and disadvantages they Possess.

Right-click on the figure>Transfer Active Morphs will do the same as AutoFollow for the weight-mapped figures (not AutoFit, that is for converting a fitted item to a different base figure)

Which product are you looking at? There are AutoFit clones for converting clothes, there are UV sets or image converters for using textures, I can't recall if there are morph transfer tools. I don't think there is a single product that will do everything needed to convert characters, fitted items, and parented props.

My jaw just dropped. I never expected to find a DAZ Administrator here on Renderosity. But now I have a Question for clarification, Are DAZ and the Operators of Renderosity the same Company, or are they two separate entities? I actually wanted to steer clear of them, since they weren't exactly thrilled with me after I flagged several Topics in the DAZ Forum for deletion. Now they even know the Username I had wanted to keep using. Now they can find me on all the other Platforms where I'm active, too. I could just puke. Now I have to delete the Account.

Separate companies. RHaseltine is quite helpful on this site. No need to delete the account.

I apologize, I overreacted a bit there. I actually meant to write that I want to delete my Account. Since Things are settled here now, I can also ask Richard Haseltine a few Questions. 

I noticed that you have been active here since 2000. I had a brief exchange with one of your Moderators on the DAZ Forum, he mentioned that you are his Supervisor. So, are you the Head of DAZ? Have you been the head of DAZ since its Inception? Were you also the Head of the company that preceded DAZ (Zygone)? Did you help build up DAZ / Zygone?

A Question that also interests me greatly is this, are all the People who work at DAZ Mormons? Do the People at DAZ keep strictly to themselves, or do they also have contact with non-Mormons? 

Here is something else I’ve been curious about, why do the Base Genesis Figures actually lack Genitalia? My understanding so far is that Zygote / DAZ was capable of creating anatomically correct 3D Human Models. As far as I know, all Humans possess Genitalia, so why aren't they included in the Models? 

I wouldn't have expected a DAZ Administrator to be active on a Platform that deals primarily with Poser. You can probably gather from this that I am not their biggest Fan. Nor has there been any specific event to date that triggered this. I have already heard some rather unpleasant things about DAZ, and the People who work there, from a few long-time Creators and Users. Furthermore, I find the People in the DAZ Forum a bit, well, suspect. 

However, since I am looking for someone who is knowledgeable about DAZ Studio and the Genesis and Victoria 4 Figures, I thought I would give it a try here. Now, though, I have to go back to Searching for a different Platform. I don't mean this in a negative way, but I think it would be better for both of us if we simply stayed out of each other's way.

For me, it’s just frustrating that I can no longer use this Platform. I had already met some very nice People here. Now I have to be even more careful not to run into them again.

I would be delighted if you could answer my Questions, dear Mr. Richard Haseltine.

I'm honestly a little puzzled.

You came here looking for answers to questions about DAZ. Then someone with extensive DAZ knowledge replied and tried to help, and suddenly the discussion turned into a debate about DAZ, religion, company politics, and whether you should leave the platform.

Personally, I don't really care whether someone is affiliated with DAZ, Renderosity, or neither. If someone has the knowledge to answer a question and is willing to help, that's what matters to me.

I always thought the purpose of a community was to connect with like minded people, exchange ideas, share knowledge, and help each other out. Isn't that exactly what a forum is meant for, regardless of who replies?

Dan Farr and a couple of others "broke away" from Zygote and founded DAZ.

Check the DAZ forums anyone with DAZ in their user name is a staff member.

Richard is the head moderator over there, the other mods are "junior" to him, but outside of the DAZ site he's just a very knowledgeable user.

DAZ built and sold Poser figures and content long before Studio was even a thing, most of us old hands started out with Poser.

DAZ have always tried to be a "family friendly" site, so just like Barbie and Actionman (UK) there's nothing between their legs.

Ignore the haters, they just got butt hurt because things didn't go the way they wanted, and before anyone says anything, Richard how many of my posts have you deleted in the past 13 years, are we at 5k yet or is it closer to 10k, then there's the pre-moderated club, most get a temp membership while I'm a lifetime member, doesn't bother me as I still post, just have to wait on a mod approving it before it shows.

As for knowledge, your best bet is over at DAZ with this place as a secondary site.

>>>> I wouldn't have expected a DAZ Administrator to be active on a Platform that deals primarily with Poser. 

For those of us who have been here since 2000, we recognize that Poser was then owned by Fractal Design software. Later, it was owned by Curious Labs, then Smith Micro Sottware. Renderosity did not own Poser Software until Poser 11 release 11.2, I believe.

DAZ was forned in 2000, after breaking away from Zygote.  It was a content-only site until 2012, when DAZ Studio was released. 

So at the start, both Renderosity AND DAZ supported CONTENT ONLY for Poser figures, since DAZ Studio did not then even exist. 

>>>> I have to go back to Searching for a different Platform. I don't mean this in a negative way, but I think it would be better for both of us if we simply stayed out of each other's way.

Why?

I don't mean to be blunt, but it has to be said. Conspiracy theories and religios questions have no place in art-related forum threads. Your questions to Richard were over the top. You embarrassed YOURSELF, I suspect the same type of thing is why you were blocked at DAZ. 

As it is, the availability of platforms is rapidly declining, so good luck with finding one that will entertain your queries. Daz is probably the best direct source for information; however, they are very picky about what is posted in their forums. I find Renderosity is much more liberal in asking and answering questions. No need to close your account in a state of paranoia. 

I just want to briefly mention how I arrived at the Questions mentioned above. I have already exchanged views with a few long-time Creators and Users, and I’ve learned quite a bit in the process. However, there are certain things I would like to have confirmed, specifically, whether they really are the case. First off, a quick note regarding the development of this Platform, as well as another one, that features adult Products. Here is an excerpt from our conversation.

"...at the same time PFO was gaining popularity with the general 3d community.  More and more people were joining PFO and of course the more 'perverted' were also there.  There began to be some arguments and they got really heated, they were called the 'flame wars' as people were burning each other through comments.  The owner of the PFO was a woman who called herself 'Willow', and she was very much censoring the content of the site, not allowing 'hard porn', but artistic nudity was okay. This really set off a lot of arguments and a couple of guys from the community decided that they were going to make their own website..."

"...Those two were Jack and Ed Kammerer.  They got together with a hosting company named Bondware and they all created what is now renderosity.com.  Jack and Ed moderated the site.  I was in constant contact with them and told them besides having forums and galleries, they should open up a store so people could sell 3d models there.  They thought that a good idea, and with help and encouragement from Diane Thurgrift, they eventually opened a store."

"...At the same time, renderosity was starting to feel a little heat about the adult content and galleries. Bondware, the ISP, was warning them that since it is a public site, the hard core porn will become an issue.  The decision was made to break off the adult into it's own website and Jack and Ed started renderotica.com."

"...Jack and Ed went on a trip to Utah to visit zygote..." 

"...While they were on their trip, the owners of renderosity must have got cold feet about daz and since they officially held the keys to renderosity, they locked the doors to Jack and Ed and shuttered them out of the business.  Jack and Ed retained renderotica and made it the focus of their business and daz3d didn't want to collaborate because they were mostly mormons and wanted to steer away from adult content."

The Members who have been active here from the very Beginning probably know which Person I am in contact with. I would be interested to know whether these individuals are still active or indeed, if they are even still alive? 

I am also familiar with the History of Poser, from its inception in 1994 by a Person named "Larry Weinberg" right up to the present day. I am also aware that DAZ was originally called "Zygone" and created Figures and General Products for Poser. To the Best of my knowledge, DAZ Studio must have been released in 2005 or 2006, specifically because Poser was once again up for sale, and at that time, it was unclear whether the Software would continue to be developed. However, I don't want to give a History Lesson right now. This represents a portion of the knowledge I have gained through conversations with long-time Users and Creators, as well as through extensive research. Of course, anyone who experienced this firsthand would naturally be even more knowledgeable. 

This has nothing to do with Religious beliefs. I simply wanted to find out if this is actually the case. You are right, Topics like this have no Place in a 3D Forum. However, since I happened to be in contact with someone from this Company here, I simply took the opportunity. 

I wouldn't characterize the People I interact with as Haters or conspiracy Theorists. However, I do think they aren't entirely wrong. My Impression of the DAZ Forum so far Points in a similar direction, the People there are, in a way, just a little bit different.

Just a quick note again regarding the DAZ Forum and Forums in general, so far, I haven't really gained any significant added value from them. While you can find plenty of guides on the DAZ Forum, some of them are explained in a very convoluted manner. Up until now, I’ve generally found a solution by searching for relevant Videos or by asking the handful of People I’m in contact with.

I take your word for it that this Person (RHaseltine) is surely a good and pleasant individual. However, I harbor a general mistrust toward People who work for Companies like this, as they are always obliged to speak on behalf of their Employer. Consequently, I will have to look around for someone else. 

I hadn't really expected to find what I was looking for anyway. I simply wanted to gain a basic understanding, specifically regarding the Genesis Figures and the Victoria 4 Figure, so that I could then look for a Creator who could assist me with my specific Project. Although I had consistently stated that I understood how a Forum works, I now realize that this simply isn't what I need to resolve my Issues. I am actually looking for People who can provide practical assistance, that is, someone who can create something new or modify something that already exists. 

I’m sure I’ll get another reprimand now for mentioning the name of a competing site again. However,

I would still really like to get some answers to the Questions I posed above. Ideally from the Person I mentioned (RHaseltine), it would simply be interesting to know whether this individual is closely affiliated with DAZ and whether he holds a significant Position within the Company. Is he perhaps even part of DAZ’s Senior Management?

If anyone has direct contact with him, perhaps they could draw his attention to this Topic.

I think I’ve caused enough damage. I really need to stop now, otherwise, I’ll just get myself into even more Trouble. I think it would be better for everyone if I simply stopped posting in the Forum. I’d like to leave it at that.

>>> I am also familiar with the History of Poser, from its inception in 1994 by a Person named "Larry Weinberg" right up to the present day. I am also aware that DAZ was originally called "Zygone" and created Figures and General Products for Poser. To the Best of my knowledge, DAZ Studio must have been released in 2005 or 2006, specifically because Poser was once again up for sale, and at that time, it was unclear whether the Software would continue to be developed. 

Yes I stand corrected on the release date I posted .... 2005 is correct.

>>> I would still really like to get some answers to the Questions I posed above. Ideally from the Person I mentioned (RHaseltine), it would simply be interesting to know whether this individual is closely affiliated with DAZ and whether he holds a significant Position within the Company. Is he perhaps even part of DAZ’s Senior Management?

I believe he's "official" at DAZ but not sure whether or not he's an actual employee. He's been answering and service as customer service rep for ages. 

You can get a lot of information on both DAZ and Poser on Wikipedia. Search for DAZ Studio, or for Poser. There is a whole boatload of history there.

RHaseltine has already responded to this thread, and you have his direct contact. All you need to do is reach out to him. The worst that can happen is not getting the information you desire. Formulating an unfounded preconceived notion will hold you back, and burning your bridges by abandoning and closing accounts won't help you establish the contacts you desperately need to accomplish your goals.

As to whether RHaseltine is a senior staff member at DAZ, does it matter? I get this feeling that you are afraid of getting ostracized for your goals and ambitions. Members here are going out of their way to answer your questions, which is not an imposition on them. They genuinely care and are helpful. I honestly don't see the damage you claim to be inflicting.