Evolution

Status Feb 2019: Live and selling. Any future development or versions will be done in secrecy, because reasons. I'm currently busy with comics. I don't want to break open a dialog about PE now, it will distract me enormously. More info below.

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(last updated Feb 2019)

Project Evolution DEMO (free)

Project Evolution ONE @ CGbytes ($29.99)

Project Evolution ONE @ Renderosity ($29.99)

Project Evolution ONE X Addon @ Renderotica ($12.00)

Project Evolution ONE X ONE Bundle @ Renderotica ($37.99 - save 10%)

Project Evolution Development Kit (BETA!!) ($5.00)

What is Project Evolution (PE, Project E)?

Project Evolution is a highly detailed Poser figure for artists that require a more professional/realistic figure / foundation for their work. Because of her rather complex rig and morph dependencies, support for her is currently limited to dynamic clothing until tools can be developed to assist in transferring her Weight-Mapping and morphs to traditional conforming clothing.

Initially, she was intended to be a replacement for V4 in my comics. She then evolved into a figure that could also work for the Poser community. For you she could be a figure that can be used for more demanding 3D renders that desire detail and realism, mostly in her bending, ease of use, and anatomical detail.



Is PE compatible with V4 content?

No. Although it was the plan that it would be, everyone warned me of possible legal issues with DAZ, so I decided against it.




What level of expertise would I need to use PE.

PE was made to be very easy to use in comic production environments, with all her complex bends and shapes automatically loading themselves as you pose the figure. Your desire to create unique characters depends on your own willingness to experiment with the hundreds of customization dials PE has to offer for her face and body. 

Regarding clothing, currently its best if you know a thing or two about dynamic clothing, instructions of which are included in the package. Because she uses a rigging style that is not adequately supported yet, you as an artist might have to make your own conforming clothing. Its not impossible, but you do need to understand how JCMs work, and you'll need to refine many of the morphs since Poser's morph transfer system only works best from high-resolution to low-resolution.


Why was she called Project E first?

Because I wasn't sure if I were to succeed, and I didn't know how long I would take, so I didn't want people to get bored of the name while they waited.

Is Project Evolution a porno figure?

Project Evolution is like a real woman. She has what all women have: curves, breasts, folds, legs, bulges, and yes, genitals. If you want her to be a porno figure, yes, she can be that. But there's more to a woman that just a vagina. Just because she has gens, doesn't mean they need penetrating, right? Don't be scared of her vagina, and don't judge her for having one.

I also consider it an ode to women. All my girls in all my comics have a vagina, even if you don't see it rendered under their clothes, just like all real women in real life. But you won't always see them having sex with it, just like real women in real life. If you don't want to use her genitals, then leave them alone. I just thought it would be fair towards women to finally also provide a 3D female figure with detailed gens like all the male 3D figures seem to enjoy out of the box. Ultimately its up to you, the artist, whether you want to make use of her genitals. I have provided a genital-less version if the gens make you feel uncomfortable. This one is available at Renderosity, as Renderosity does not permit pornographic content.



Why would I (you) want Project Evolution?

Because she bends like a real girl, and all her body morphs are compatible with her bends (minimal intersection). She was designed for bending, dancing, yoga, sexy poses. She also has facial handles that actually work in a logical way (and don't totally screw her face up). She comes with many starter characters, and an absolute crapload of morphs to make your own custom characters. The morphs support various ethnicities too, so its not just your standard white girl. She has detailed female genitalia.

Evolution's bending and expressions are directly inspired from working in the field with her sister figure, the Erogirl. I am an erotica artist, which means things get very detailed and fleshy very quick. So trust me, this girl is pretty bendy and flexible for a Poser figure.

Again, supporting content for is primarily focused on dynamic clothing since development of conforming clothing is still a bit of an issue. I am working on that though. For now, you can keep track of content for her here.

More info, pls check here: FAQ

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I released an Early Edition in January 2018, which helped me rethink a few things in how I wanted to make her available. 

The Free Demo gives you the opportunity to see the rig from up close in Poser, for free, and also gives you an introduction to the figure (available at CGbytes and Renderosity).  If you like what you see you can get the official EVOLUTION ONE, available at both CGbytes and Renderosity. The ONE X addon is exclusively available at CGBytes/Renderotica.

The official EVOLUTION ONE (or Final Edition) is a family-friendly Poser figure, and if you want naughty bits, get the ONE X addon from CGbytes/Renderotica. Anyone that has bought the Early Edition from CGbytes will get automatically upgraded to ONE (you don't need to buy it again). ONE X you would have to buy, even though it has the Early Edition mesh, all the naughty morphs are entirely new.

Future:

I will try release the updated mannequins asap. There might also be some futagirls getting released soon. I might (reluctantly) downgrade PE to a WM-only figure, just to get her going. I might one day work on a male.

Since the project cut deeply into my chosen profession of comic artist over the last four years, I will be taking a break from Poser content development for some time until I feel its needed to resume any more development, with exception of some minor things perhaps (like the mannequins). Also, I will be less vocal about my progress this time round since the eagerness of the Poser community (bless their hearts) is sometimes a little... 

...much.

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The thing about Poser figures (rant)

I've thought about this a million times in the last few months, but considering the hopeful souls that will be reading this, there's no sugar-coating the reality surrounding Poser figures. 

Poser figures cannot exist on their own. They need Poser vendors to make clothing for them. And they need tools to transfer the rigging data properly. This is the result of years of development since Poser 1. This is how the market has developed, this is what the artists and customers grew used to. DAZ snuck their way onto the Poser platform with their Victoria series, grabbed the idea, and expounded it into a massively profitable business, which has captured the imaginations of many of my friends and colleagues. And now we are here. SM doesn't seem to feel the same way about their figures as DAZ does. In fact, I have literally no clue what Smith Micro want for Poser.

I made Project Evolution, with a strong vision of showing people what Poser is capable of. I succeeded, I think. But that's about it. Poser can do amazing things, but only if YOU are capable of it. That's easy if you have the skills, but what if you don't? Then you're shit out of luck. But wait. I thought that was the whole point of Poser? To bring CGI to the folks at home?

Over the last few months, as I've strapped on bits and pieces of the exosuit of creativity and storytelling again, it has become clear to me why I actually started with PE, and why I designed her the way I did. I work on a daily basis with a figure I developed for myself (Erogirl), and I am truly enjoying life again. But the thought of having to do with any other Poser figure sends shivers down my spine. I nit-pick my own figure for issues with the elbows, with all other Poser figures, I'd have an epileptic seizure about where to even begin. They're horrible. And I'd have to run several different wardrobes to support them all. I'm struggling keeping up with one!! So yeah, I wanted to put an end to the endless armies of meaningless Poser figures, and put one out there that was so spectacular that we could just focus on art for the next five years, perhaps even inspire SM to refine Poser to help make content for PE, and in turn inspire me to make a male version? Two years later and we have another rag-doll. Nothing relevant has been refined in Poser since PE's release. Ooookay then...

Ok so, Poser simplifies so many things. We can make epic comics on parr with Pixar's Toy Story with Poser (or so I believe), all within the confines of our home, all with just a few PCs. But Poser can also host super realistic figures, as long as you have the tech know-how. Without it you're confined to Poser rag-dolls (a pretty rag-doll is still a rag-doll). Now tell me? Who has this know-how? And would they bother with Poser? Hardly anyone. Vendors struggle to deal with JCMs, it IS complex. Its a miracle I even got as far as I did. But I had to. There is no fucking way that any other Poser figure could work in my workflow, they're too goofy, badly rigged, and just extremely unrefined. Evolution could use some improvements too, but at least I tried to make it look like a human. Its no wonder so many people switched to DAZ Studio. Sure its 'not perfect' either, but that's just feigned modesty like a scientist calling evolution a 'theory'. Genesis looks fucking good with very little effort.

But a LOT of people switched to DS, I am slowly becoming one of them, but I can hold out because I am lucky. I am one of the few that can make their own figures, and when you can make your own figures, Poser is not as much of a problem anymore. And that is the whole clue. As I said many times all over the internet, Poser is good, but without a good and realistic figure, supported from within the application, Poser begins to loose its meaning, especially if you want something to look realistic. Poser started off with this trend, but lost it somewhere. What is it now?

I swear to you, its all about the figures. Erotica artists would know. Anatomical detail is more than just a vagina, its curves that can be detected even through pencil drawings of a woman. And I can guarantee you that if you took any Poser figure and you made a direct pencil sketch of it, that they wouldn't even pass basic requirement in art faculties across the world. 

Now when it comes to criticizing Poser figures, things become... weird. You might as well try grab a bar of wet soap. Some will defend the 3D equivalent of a human pinata as realistic. Often its because I am an erotica artist that my 'picky nature' is disregarded, in the meanwhile all that the erotica side of it ensures is that the girls look good, and the whole genital thing is a side show to fetishist levels that the Poser community doesn't really have to worry about. But its the 'looking good' part that is even a stumbling block somehow, even if it means that some of them will have to make due with Poser's rigging limitations. They say they don't need that quality? Since when have the ambassadors of mediocrity ever achieved great things? Since when has perfection ever been achieved if one doesn't strive for the highest quality, and settles for mediocrity? Eh, that's not how you push boundaries. That's not how we managed to land on the moon guys. Yeah I just compared the moon-landing to erotica comics, the human experience isn't limited to the popularity of an event, its the magnitude of the experience that counts. I've experienced as much awesomeness admiring a woman's body, as studying 3.2Ga granites in South Africa. Think small, stay small. Its up to you.

Oh its all DAZ's fault is it? To disregard all my colleagues' decisions to switch to DAZ Studio as merely under the influence of DAZ's media machine, is an insult to those rather professional artists, that invested long and hard in Poser and V4, often to the bitter end. Many switched reluctantly, they hated DS, but did it because they need to get on with their careers. Poser failed them. IF SM wants to grow, they shouldn't consult Poser users; they should consult the people that left Poser. Then you'll get the hard truth.

I am done with being critical of Poser and SM. It doesn't get me or anyone anywhere it seems. I need to stop, as it just makes me look bad. I really have no clue what SM want, and to be honest, I sometimes also don't know what some of the remaining Poser fanatics want. Metaballs perhaps? I'm carrying on with what I do know and understand, and what I know actually works for me in my comics. I might do a little more for PE when I can, but I'm afraid PE is just a little too complicated for Poser at the moment (despite the fact that she was made in Poser, ahem). There are things that can be done to remedy these complications, they are theoretically possible, but it would mean even more time and energy than I've already put into this project, when in fact it should be SM doing this.