technology

How to use the 3D Bridge Camera in DAZ Studio and Photoshop

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There is an easy way to transfer image maps to Photoshop so that you can add your own textures or patterns to an item of clothing by using the 3D Bridge Camera available within DAZ Studio.

Open DAZ Studio and click on the Wardrobe tab. Select the item of clothing and add to the scene. Click on File → Initialize 3D Photoshop Bridge. This should add the Bridge to your scene panel.

Open Photoshop, and if you haven’t already done so, create a new workspace. Then select File → Automate → Daz Studio 3D Bridge.

Open the 3D Bridge in Photoshop so that you can import and export image maps from DAZStudio
Open the 3D Bridge in Photoshop so that you can import and export image maps from DAZStudio

This will then open the following dialog box

The 3D Bridge in Photoshop allows you to import and export image maps as well as scenes.
The 3D Bridge in Photoshop allows you to import and export image maps as well as scenes.

Double check that you have an item of clothing open in a scene in DAZ Studio and then click Import Image Maps in Photoshop. A dialog box will pop up showing the available image maps that you are able to import from DAZ Studio.

Select image maps to import
Select image maps to import

If you are happy to import all the image maps shown then leave the Select All box ticked. This will then import your image maps into your new Photoshop document. If you untick the box you can select which files you wish to import manually. After you click the Import button you should see something similar to this in Photoshop:-

Depending on how many image maps you selected will depend on how many files are imported into Photoshop. It is important to do this step with only the item of clothing in DAZ Studio or the 3D Bridge will import everything in the scene and it will be harder to select what you need from the import menu.

Now you can add your own pattern or texture to the item of clothing. You can find out how to do that in my article Making Textures for 3D Models

Once you are happy with your textures click on export image maps and your new pattern will appear on the clothing back in DAZ Studio.

Now you can continue building your scene in DAZ Studio, add a figure and see what your new creation looks like.

Now you know how to use the 3D Bridge Camera in DAZ Studio and Photoshop – what are you going to make?

WordPress Fun and Foibles

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I have tried many times to create a website and have used WordPressQuestion-Mark-Dice-Blue-1500x1500 consistently…at least the choice was consistent…the actual content production, not so much. The reason, I have discovered, has been a number of factors.

WordPress itself – it has always been reputed as being easy to use, easy to set up and you’ll be up and running in no time. Yes that is true, for the most part, and I like a lot of their features, but sometimes it can be rather frustrating and you can’t always find the solution to what seems a simple question!

Let’s try adding a video to a post for example. There’s a lovely button that says Add Media and this is where you will find a much streamlined and fast way to upload your images and videos. It works like a dream for photos and with the new drag and drop feature it’s very smooth and extremely quick.

Add Media

So armed with the new Twenty Fifteen theme from WordPress I gaily attempted to add a video to a post I had written about the World Cup 2014. Just as images are really easy to add to your post I thought it would be the same with videos. Can you guess what happened next? Not a lot of content uploading or writing but lots of frustration, a stiff neck and a headache…so I gave up.

Not to be defeated, I returned the next day having consulted various videos and information on the wonderful web of wisdom and no-one seemed to be having any trouble with embedding a video as long as you were using YouTube, Vimeo and any other social media third-party that allows you to copy their link or use their pre-made embed code. But WordPress make it possible to upload my video without having to get an account anywhere else. I don’t have a YouTube account, I have a WordPress website and that’s where I would like my content to sit so I don’t have to login anywhere else.

Video Embed & Thumbnail Generator
Video Embed & Thumbnail Generator

So the proof is in the pudding and now that I have found a wonderful plugin (which, even though good, I really should not have to use) it now works. So thank you Kyle Gilman for your Video Embed & Thumbnail Generator which can be found on WordPress.Org Plugins

The now fully embedded World Cup 2014 video can finally be viewed here

Ambient Weather Solarbag Adventurer2 Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio

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Charges by 6 different ways: Solar, Hand Crank, AAA Batteries, AC, DC or car charger.
Charges by 6 different ways: Solar, Hand Crank, AAA Batteries, AC, DC or car charger.

 

For a while now, we’ve had our eye on a radio and this is the one we’ve finally bought. It arrived from Amazon in a large package with quite a few other treats but let’s not worry about those when this was the star of the show!

First of all here’s his full title:

AMBIENT WEATHER WR-335-SOLARBAG ADVENTURER2 EMERGENCY SOLAR HAND CRANK AM/FM/SW/WB WEATHER ALERT RADIO, FLASHLIGHT, SIREN, SMART PHONE CHARGER AND SOLAR BAG KIT

We get all of that for the great value price of $99.99 plus free two day shipping – don’t you just love Amazon Prime. The other great thing is that it shipped via USPS so we didn’t have to stick 20 messages on the front gate especially for our friends at UPS (not to be confused with USPS). The great thing when they deliver using the United States Postal Service is, just like Santa, they use their special super powers to open all the doors not matter whether your a small condo complex or the Portifino – how do they do that? But that’s for another article.

Let’s have a look at what features are packed into this small compact radio.

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Bond Tracker for iOS

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Everyone has their favorite Bond growing up and with every passing generation there’s a new Bond actor, movie and book. This app helps you track everything Bond.

James Bond, Licenced to Thrill

Splash Screen
Bond Tracker Splash Screen

Everyone has a favorite Bond and a James Bond they remember growing up with. There have been so many books, movies and even video games spanning a total of 60 years since it’s first conception in 1953 by author, journalist and naval intelligence officer Ian Lancaster Fleming that we thought we needed a handy device to log all this great entertainment.

This app was a lot of fun to create. As well as being huge fans of Bond, we love putting together useful apps to help make life a little more fun and a little easier to handle especially when there is so much information out there.

Have you looked at the web lately, phew, you can get lost out there.

We started to find that we just couldn’t remember what we had watched – call it loss of brain matter or the advancing years creeping up on us I guess! Was there a new movie, book or game out that we’d be interested in and if there was wouldn’t it be great to have something handy to help us find the info as well as help us remember too.

We’ve done the hard work for you. Let me be your Q and explain how this app works…and Bond, please do try not to break it…

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Talk! Speech Synthesizer for iOS

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The Talk! Speech Synthesizer App for iOS is a lot of fun. Add some fun phrases or words that you like to say a lot and let your device speak for you.

How it works?

Enter Any Phrase You Like!
Enter Any Phrase You Like!

Open the app on either your iPhone or iPad and tap the + sign to add a new phrase. Once it’s been stored just tap the phrase and your iOS will begin to speak your phrase back to you. Keep adding as many phrases as you like.

You can also change the language and hear your phrase in your particular dialect or try some out just for fun. Select from British, American, Australian, German, South African, Irish to name but a few and choose whether you would like a male or female voice.

Add lots of phrases and speak to your friends via the Talk! Synthesizer.
Add lots of phrases and speak to your friends via the Talk! Synthesizer.

There’s also an option to change pitch and speed rate so you can play around with a high or low voice and make the voice speak really fast or ultra slow.

The app is currently available for iPhone but you can supersize it to fit the iPad screen for now. There are plans to release an iPad interface as well as iCloud integration to make it easier to share your phrases across multiple devices.

You can download Talk! Speech Synthesizer on the App Store. Check it out today and enjoy!

Download On The App Store
Download On The App Store

The Knitting Detective Guide

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Miss Jane Marple comes to iOS so you can keep track of your favorite knitting detective on your iOS device. Easily track all your favorite Books, Movies and TV shows.

 

Miss Marple, the nosy but friendly busy-body, now on iOS

Miss Marple's Famous Hat
Miss Marple’s Famous Hat and Knitting Needles. Image: Travelling Banana

If you love all things Agatha Christie, but especially everyone’s favorite spinster amateur detective Miss Jane Marple, then you are in for a treat with our new app – Miss Marple for iOS.

The thing about Miss Marple, is that you can’t really ignore her, even though you may not see her at first. She moves around like some frail old lady often muttering something of great importance under her breath and the only sound you may hear is the faint clicking away of needles in the distance, expertly putting a new knitting project together.

Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen any of her finished results? A jumper for her nephew perhaps or a scarf for one of her many ladies that lunch or take tea and cake in her wonderful garden. I’m not sure I have, but then it’s all part of the devious mask behind the clever brain that’s working on so many things at once.

Settle in and I’ll explain how the app that we have made will help you keep track of all your favorite movies, books and tv shows.

Now where did I put my knitting needles.

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Sherlock Holmes for iOS

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Can you remember which Sherlock Holmes books, TV shows or Movies you’ve watched or read? Let this app help you keep track of everything Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective.

Sherlock Holmes for iOS

Sherlock Holmes App Icon
Sherlock Holmes App Icon

Can you remember which Sherlock Holmes books you’ve read or which TV episodes and Movies you’ve watched?

Let this app help you keep track of everything Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective. We’ve compiled a list of books and short stories, TV shows and movies. You can keep track of what you’ve seen/read and discover hidden gems you may have missed.

It’s Elementary, my dear Watson!

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The Belgian Detective Guide

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Poirot for iOS

Keep track of all things Hercule Poirot, n’est pas?

Poirot Flashscreen
Poirot Flashscreen

Remember which Poirot books you’ve read, which TV episodes and movies you’ve watched?

Let this app help you keep track of everything Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective. We’ve compiled a list of books and short stories, TV shows and Movies. You can keep track of what you’ve seen/read and discover hidden gems you may have missed.

We had a lot of fun putting this app together. We found that we were losing track of which books we had read, I know that sounds impossible but it’s true, maybe it’s the advancing years of age shrinking our little grey cells but we needed some help. Even if you don’t forget which books, movies or shows you have read or watched, it is also useful as an aide to ensure you don’t miss anything.

So hence the app was conceived and born.

I’ve put together this article to delve into the app and help you understand how it works.

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