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If you're looking to add more realism to your DAZ Studio renders, you may have thought that an expensive external render engine or tediously long render times were the only way to get the results you want… Think Again! Macro Skin is a texture and shader combination for Genesis and Genesis 2 Female created with a single resolute purpose in mind - bring more realism to DAZ Studio, making it easier and faster to achieve than ever before (oh, and still make her pretty. I guess that's two things). In the spirit of innovation, Macro Skin puts high-end, industry leading proven techniques for improving realism in your hands with the click of a Material(s) preset, and unlocks the hidden power of DAZ Studio's 3Delight renderer.

Like no other product currently available for DAZ Studio, Macro Skin takes a thoroughly comprehensive and unique approach to eliminating the “giveaways” that exist in typical renders of the human form. As a result, Macro Skin looks great in any scene, but is particularly impressive when you zoom in for a portrait or even closer. Take a look at close up images for this product and you'll notice something very different - they're really close! Don't be shy, Go Full Screen. Zoom in. That's the power of Macro Skin!

Surprisingly; these skin shaders actually render faster than DAZ Studio default skin shaders - typically 40% faster in common lighting situations and up to ten times as fast before lights are added (see Speed Test popup image for an example). In addition, the techniques used in this product promote the need for less “tricks” and “tweaks”, and better performance under varying light conditions. So it can save you even more time. Moreover, Macro Skin provides several custom surface specific features in each shader, some never before seen in DAZ Studio, which eliminate the sharp edges and other problems that make a 3d model look unreal.Note: All Promotional Images for this product are unretouched DAZ Studio 3Delight renders.

For those of you curious about how Macro Skin works, here are a few more details: To start with, Macro Skin texture maps were assembled using high resolution, full-body photo-reference from multiple angles just like Elite textures, with extra care given to capturing in scale detail for just about everywhere, including the scalp. Macro Skin adds to this by incorporating a super detailed set of photo/hand crafted/software modulated normal and bump maps with micro bumps(8K for torso and limbs, adding even smaller bumps on top of the ones you are used to seeing - just like real skin). Macro Skin uses these height maps to drive specular bump detail instead of “specular screening”(pore level detail specular contrast maps). This means that bump details vary more, based on lights and viewing angle, rather than contrast being “burned in”.

But that's just the start. Each custom shader is build on the foundation of properly implemented linear workflow - shader based gamma correction, which enhances shadow, light and color interpretation to match what our eyes see in the real world. Note that if you have experienced a washed out look with gamma correction, it was incorrectly implemented! Learn more about gamma correction here: Approaching Realism and Gamma Correction Demystified. Additionally, these shaders automatically shut Gamma Correction off in shader if it is on in Render Settings, so you don't get GC happening twice. Having Gamma Correction control built into the shader means you can apply GC selectively, where as Gamma Correction in Render Settings applies to the whole scene. And with MacroSkin, all the heavy lifting (figuring out what parts of the shader get anti-gamma settings) is done for you.

To achieve it's dramatic render speed increases, Macro Skin accounts for Subsurface Scattering with Shadow Mix - A seamless blend of 3 diffuse channels which feeds the most significant contribution of the SSS effect into the shadowy part of diffuse just like scatter does, but without the overhead of complex ray and thickness calculations. Thickness and the overall strength of the effect are controlled with an SSS Strength Map. Both a mild and a strong SSS Backscatter Strength Map preset for the ears are provided. This effect also responds to lighting intensity and direction but is unaffected by scale. For those that prefer ray traced SSS, a Macro Skin SSS version of the shader is provided which lacks the speed improvement but similarly preserves diffuse detail and avoids the “waxy” look of other SSS based skin presets.

Below is a list of the installation package types provided by this product. The name of each package contains a Package Qualifier, which is used as a key to indicate something about the contents of that package.

• 1 Core ¹⁾

Not all installation packages provide files that are displayed to the user within the interface of an application. The packages listed below, do. The application(s), and the location(s) within each application, are shown below.

• You can find new icons for loading this product in the following DAZ Studio Folders:
  • “People:Genesis 2 Female:Materials:Parris:MacroSkin”

• You can find new icons for this product in the following DAZ Studio Categories:
  • “Materials:Eyes”
  • “Materials:Feminine:Macro Skin for Genesis and Genesis 2 Female(s):Eyes”
  • “Materials:Feminine:Macro Skin for Genesis and Genesis 2 Female(s):Lips”
  • “Materials:Feminine:Macro Skin for Genesis and Genesis 2 Female(s):Makeup”
  • “Materials:Feminine:Macro Skin for Genesis and Genesis 2 Female(s):Nails”
  • “Materials:Feminine:Macro Skin for Genesis and Genesis 2 Female(s):Skin”
  • “Materials:Nails”

• MacroSkin skin shaders come in pale and tan versions, but also default SSS & ray-traced SSS versions. The default uses a non-raytraced method to account for Subsurface Scattering, so it renders faster without sacrificing image quality. It also preserves the most diffuse detail and has an easy preset for backscatter ears (for ears that are back lit). If you want more of the effect that ray-traced SSS provides, both pale and tan ray-traced SSS skin versions are labeled “SSS”.Please note: The Backscatter ear presets, only work with the default skin shaders in this set. Just as with typical SSS Shaders, scene lighting determines the amount of backscatter for the SSS skin shaders.
• MacroSkin shaders have several surface parameters you may be unfamiliar with so here is a brief description of each:</p>
• MacroSkin:
  • Shadow Mix Color & Shadow Mix Strength: This is provides the SSS effect.
  • Color takes a typical SSS diffuse map (typically redder than a normal diffuse map).
  • Strength takes a thickness or transmission map (grey scale map where lighter means thinner, like ears, tip of nose, etc.)
• Light Mix Color & Light Mix Strength: This provides a smooth transition between Diffuse and Shadow Mix.
  • You can adjust these but usually the defaults (R255, G166, B166, and 30%) should work fine for both pale and tan versions.
• Shader GC Strength: This slider controls Gamma Correction strength.
  • 2.2 is optimal and standard for all modern displays but you can reduce to preference.
  • 1 means Gamma Correction is off. This value is ignored if Gamma Correction is switched on in Render Settings
• Base Normal Map: Serves as the baseline of flat (no normal adjustments)
  • This just needs a flat normal map so that Normal Strength will work correctly (gets around a standard network glitch)
  • The actual height Normal Map goes in the “Normal Map” parameter
• Center Reflection Strength, Edge Reflection Strength, & Fresnel Attenuation: For realistic reflections
  • For realistic reflections Edge Reflection Strength should be set higher than Center Reflection Strength.
  • Fresnel Attenuation controls the blend. Higher values mean Edge Reflection Strength is more dominant.
• Glossy Color, Glossy Sharpness, Glossy Size, Glossy Strength: adds an extra highlight to the center of your specular.
  • Normally you can leave this off unless you want an extra boost of specularity for wet or high gloss surfaces.
• Spec / Alt Mix Strength: Controls the strength of the blend between Specular and Alternate Specular.
  • This shader incorporates a Dual Specular, meaning Specular and Alternate Specular are mixed, not added together.
  • Specular light from both channels is also subtracted from diffuse to preserve Conservation of Energy (prevent specular blowout)
  • A value of 100% means Alt Spec is visible and Specular is not.
  • You can load a mask into this parameter (where black is 100% Specular and white is 100% Alt Specular)
  • A mask is present on the Lips surface to make glossy lips without sharp edges.*
  • Other uses would be decals on the skin, or mud, etc.
• Trace Off - On: Controls whether ray-traced reflections are off or on
  • Reflections in MacroSkin are a hybrid of environment mapping and ray-traced.
  • When there is nothing in the scene to reflect then the environment map is displayed
• MacroEyes:
  • Render GC Trans Volume: Provides transparency control for trans maps when Render Settings Gamma Correction is switched on.
  • When Gamma Correction is applied to everything in a scene (like when switched on in the Render Settings tab) trans maps shift so that more is transparent than intended.
  • If Render Settings GC is ON, the default value of 1.6 should be good; otherwise the parameter is not used. Adjust up or down to preference.
• MacroLashes:
  • Shadow Strength: Control shadow strength separately from transparency!
  • Takes the same map as Opacity, or you can experiment: for non reality, have the lashes cast a shadow that is totally different.
• Shadow Blur Amount: Blur the shadows cast by the lashes for that beautiful and photo realistic effect!
  • A value between 6 and 10 is usually best.
• MacroEyeReflect:
  • Reflect/Spec Fresnel Str: Controls the center reflection strength for the Fresnel light reflection effect
  • Turn this down if you want stronger reflections in the middle of the eye.
• Fresnel Attenuation: Same as Index of Refraction, This affects the blend of edge and center reflections.
  • Default value for the EyeReflection surface is 1:33, same as water.
    • Higher values will make edge reflection more dominant in the blend (more reflections creeping toward the center)
• Spec/Glossy/Reflect Trans On-Off: Controls whether or not you can see light reflections if surface is transparent.
  • Like “Multiply Reflection Through Transparency”. Default state for the EyeReflect shader is on ( lights are reflected even though the material is transparent
  • Note: Light reflections may be weak or invisible in the center of the eye because Reflect/Spec Fresnel Str is set to 100% by default.
• MacroNailPolish
  • Diffuse Color, Diffuse Outer Color, & Diffuse Blend Attenuation: Nail Polish with the Chameleon Paint Effect ( uses an EdgeBlend to changes color at different angles)
  • Diffuse Color controls the inside color and Diffuse Outer Color effects the edges facing away from the camera
  • Diffuse Blend Attenuation controls the blend. Higher values make the outside color more dominant.

• File List

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