Has Daz abandoned DazToUnreal?

Kaliadder

I'm aware that DazToUnreal plugin has been forked to another Git repository, and it can be downloaded from there.  However, I just really don't want to deal with that.  I like being able to export directing from Daz without having to make an extra effort to find XYZ and such and install it myself.

It looks like the most recent version was October 2023, and it only goes up to Unreal 5.3.  At time of typing this, Unreal just released 5.5.  

Has Daz abandoned this functionality?  

Thanks in advance.

frankiev888_28b3c399af

As far as I know the bridge project is still active but as an application plugin it takes Daz Studio some time to update the plugin as official. Through the current Unreal development cycle it's a lot to ask plugin developers to update their products overtime Epic bumps the build ID. Things to consider .

1) The DazToUnreal plugin is an open source project under the Daz3d banner. By extension Daz3d does not have the responsibility of updating the plugin along with each version bump but since it is open source some have been nice enough to update on their own. For example    https://github.com/David-Vodhanel/DazToUnreal/releases/ includes the latest 5.5 build.

It's one of thous things that is hard but becomes easier.

2)  The developers of the plugin have been granted a Epic developer grant which makes the Genesis character an official resource and an alternative to the Metehuman character solution.

One thing I've noticed is the export continues to improve.

Senor_Monkey

Seems like there's an updated version on FAB today, compatible with UE5.4

https://trello.com/b/jflWglcp/daz-to-unreal

milliethegreat

Senor_Monkey said:

Seems like there's an updated version on FAB today, compatible with UE5.4

https://trello.com/b/jflWglcp/daz-to-unreal

wait.... so DTU isn't free anymore? It isn't being upgraded on GitHub for free anymore and instead is a paid plugin on FAB from now onwards?

Richard Haseltine

I just had a free update in DIM - I am not seeing it in the Epic Store in any form.

Jay Versluis

Just to clarify: Daz to Unreal is indeed free from GitHub. The same developer (David Vodhanel) also sells it on the FAB Marketplace.

The reason for this is historic: David started developing the plugin in his own time, then Daz forked it and released it through DIM. The Daz devs collaborate with David, so they merge each others features, but since development is done essentially by two teams, the features are out of sync. David's versions usually see more frequent patches.

While you can buy the FAB version to support David, it is the same code that's available for free on GitHub.

The Daz version is in active development, with a new update coming soon. Daz have a common codebase for exporting assets, which recently received a major update. The new version utilises Blender under the hood for things like texture baking, UV consolidation, decimation, material conversions and a whole lot of other stuff. The Roblox bridge is already using these features, and the other bridges will be updated to utilise them in due course, but it takes time to re-jig things to the new common exporter. Hence the delay. It'll be worth the wait from what I've seen.