I've seen several people lament over the past week that they aren't good at gpose lighting, so between that and recent discussions of a certain prominent pro-AI gposer, I thought I'd throw something together about how I do my lighting in gpose. Hopefully this'll be helpful to some of you!
My go to setup for lighting is two rim lights sandwiching my subject. This is a bit of an extreme example, but you can clearly see where I dropped the red and the blue lights versus how they frame her in the actual shot that I wanted.
For something a little less extreme I still try to get a good profile light on the side of her face/body that's the furthest away from the camera, usually the side that's going to be in the most shadow. Just enough light to brush up and reflect off of her to make the line between her and the background a little clearer.
And this is especially necessary when hair colour matches the background colour, like when I want to take pictures of Vaisha with their pitch black hair at night.
This one is a bit more on the extreme side, but I was also making a themed shot to go with an ask. The important part is highlighting the part of their face that's deeper in shadow so the colour can reflect off of it and define it against the dark background.
Even with brightly lit subjects and brightly lit areas, you're still going to get some weird shadows, so having a couple rim lights to fill in the gaps makes a shot look more rounded. Here's a recent glamtober shot taken in broad daylight, before and after I dropped a yellow and pink light on either side of her.
While the shot on the left is fine on it's own, the shadow of the chair behind her, the shadow of the skirt, and the shadow cast on the right side of her hair pull away from the rest of the daylight. The bright yellow of the chair cushion is a little jarring against the duller purple of the dress. By adding the pink light off to her right, and a golden light behind her to the left, the rest of the picture warms back up and is tinted a little more to the pink side and makes everything look a little more unified.
I also will use lighting to either amplify preexisting light sources or mimic natural light sources.
For example, this alpine lamp is not actually very bright. So what I did was swing the camera around until the lamp filled my field of view and then put a gold light right on top of it to cast a soft backlight over the two of them on the couch.
Or mimicking and enhancing the light of the setting sun here. I dropped a red-gold light off some distance opposite of the camera, where the sun would be coming in, to better reflect off of Kitali's face.
Another example is putting down a very light pink light on the sand to mimic the reflected sunlight. You can just barely see it on the outline of their pants, but it was enough to light the underside of Estinien's face for the final shot.
A more subtle example is placing a pale blue glow to her right to match the glow of the Fae spear, and a soft orange light to her left to match the glowing tree mushrooms. This one even comes with free complementary colours!
A couple more examples of enhancing natural and object light.
A bright blue light dropped at the tip of the spear to enhance it's glow.
Red reflecting off of Nidhogg's Eye.
A strong orange to her right to mimic the setting sun.
A cool blue from above and to her left to strengthen the moonlight.
And sometimes I just start throwing in colours for fun, or to play with colour theory for some extra pop.
And if you want to get funky you can throw down a pride flag!
TL;DR is: wrapping your subjects with light rather than aiming a single point directly at them will help round out the shot, strengthening the natural lighting can help enhance a shot without making it look overproduced, and adding points of complementary colour adds interest and breaks up monochromatic colour palettes.
Most importantly, have fun with it!
(And if you found this helpful I'd appreciate it if you could reblog!)
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how would a complete complete beginner get into gpose? like how to make npcs appear and pose my oc with them?
love your blorbos and the triad and your gposes and writing btw. thank you and pls keep creating <333
Hi, anon! Thank you so much, that's so sweet π
So, I may have gotten a little carried away, but I wanted to be thorough responding and I thank you for your patience. This is going under a readmore out of courtesy to the dashboard.
To start out you'll need to download some stuff.
Programs
Anamnesis:
Install: download
This is an entirely self-contained program, and you could technically stop here and do all your posing from Anamnesis, I know several people who prefer it. Itβs perfect for posing with humanoid models, minions, and mob creatures.
The biggest downside is that if you donβt have a second monitor (or have a really small screen like I do), itβs going to get in the way of a lot of your posing. It gets pretty fiddly having to readjust the camera around the doll and move the screen aside so you can see what youβre doing. So if thatβs going to be an issue for you, I would also recommend usingβ¦.
Ktisis:
Install: download
You will also need to install the FFXIVQuicklauncher, which is linked in the Ktisis instructions. Itβs a bit more work to set up, but if you think youβll want to try out using mods, Penumbra works on the same framework and this will save you a bit of hassle later on.
Ktisis operates within gpose from a little dropdown bar on the side of your screen, and the biggest difference is that it puts the skeleton directly over the models in 3D instead of a flat view. It does still have a flat view option, but I am much more 3D oriented so having the skeleton visible right under my cursor works better for me. Itβs also helpful for showing all the special bones on monsters and bosses that Anam doesnβt!
I am also currently using the testing build version of Ktisis as it offers the ability to select multiple bones at a time, which I donβt believe the current public release has. This can be turned on by right clicking on the plugin and selecting βreceive plugin testing versionsβ.
There is a third posing program called Brio, and it requires the same level of install as Ktisis, but I personally donβt like using it. I find the posing interface unwieldy and at a beginner level, it really cannot offer you anything that Anamnesis and Ktisis already donβt. The only thing it would be absolutely necessary for is to spawn in actors through Anamnesis.
So now that weβve got the programs installed, time to get some actors in here.
Importing Characters
You can get characters into gpose one of two ways. You can rock it old school and load a character file onto a pre-existing model, or you can spawn a new one digitally within gpose.
Old School Method:
Use an overworld model! Iβm just going to borrow this Temple Knight real quick-
-and now I have successfully freed Aymeric from his office. Time for a lunch date!
If you donβt have any overworld models to use, like in instanced areas such as dungeons, you can use a carbuncle instead.
Using the powers of arcanima-
-I have now brought Estinien into the realm of the Fuath. And he thought the moogles were bad...
New School Method:
In the Ktisis testing workspace, thereβs a little plus icon at the bottom left hand corner.
βCreate new actorβ will make a clone of your model with all the same gear and physical appearances. You can then load a character file onto that of your choice, or you can customise it from there. βImport actor from fileβ will skip right ahead to loading in a premade character file youβve saved as it spawns a new model.
Importing/Exporting Character Files
Character files are how your appearance, gear, and weapons are all stored to be loaded in onto an actor. These will appear in your program save files as a .chara file. Anamnesis and Ktisis should create their own save files and will automatically save character and pose information to those locations. You can also check to see that they saved correctly by opening up your files directory and tracing the file paths.
In the βCharacterβ tab in Anamnesis, select the actor of your choice, hit βImportβ, and select your file. The dropdown menu gives you some options for what specific parts of a character file you want to import. Thereβs also the option to import game NPCs.
In Ktisis, right click the actor and select βImportβ¦β then βCharacterβ.
This will bring up the import screen, where you have the same choice between files saved to your computer or NPCs from the game.
Changing Gear
Changing gear can be done through Anamnesis simply by clicking on the item slot in the appearance tab, and youβll get a list of everything that can be equipped into that slot. Ktisis will require you to right click on an actor and select βEdit appearanceβ before giving you a similar menu.
This is one of Anamnesisβ biggest selling points because it has the most robust gear filtering and search system of the three posing programs. You can filter by class, job, race/genderlocked gear, items that are Mogstation purchases, and save favourites to the top of each list.
Ktisis and Brio do not have this feature, so I really recommend doing all of your gear searching through Anamnesis unless you know exactly what the gear piece is called.
If you change your mind mid-pose that you want a different piece of gear, changing the equipment in Ktisis will not break the pose, but trying through Anamnesis will.
Posing
Now that youβve got your dolls in place, itβs time to actually start posing! Like I said above, Anamnesis is mostly a flat view of the skeleton, and Ktisis has the skeleton visible in 3D on the model, so choose which format works with your brain easiest. (And they both can swap formats as well.)
The red/blue/green gizmo is the same across all three posing programs, and comes in three modes; rotate, position, and scale. Body bones will all be manipulated through rotation. Scaling can be done if you want to change how a body part looks and is especially helpful for fixing elbows. Facial bones, however, will need to be moved in position mode due to the new graphical update. And this is really why I recommend you use Ktisis testing build as this gives you the ability to select multiple bones at once to move in tandem.
The easiest way to start learning to pose is by modifying the existing emotes and actions. Cycle through the various emotes and job actions to find something that gets you close to what you want, and then make minor tweaks from there. Itβs not impossible to pose from a base standing idle, but it is a pain and takes a lot longer.
Before you can start repositioning bones, youβll need to toggle βPosing Modeβ on. In Anamnesis, this is in the βPoseβ tab, and in Ktisis itβs the red/green toggle at the top. Youβll also need to pause character movement in gpose (freeze character).
If you plan on moving models around in the XYZ coordinates instead of leaving them where they are in gpose (especially since the digital actors will spawn directly on top of you), you will need to freeze positions as well. This is found in the top right corner of the βActionβ tab in Anamnesis.
In Ktisis, the "Freeze Positions" button is under the character editor. Right click on your character, choose "Edit appearance", then under the animation tab (third from the left), check "Freeze Positions".
Importing/Exporting Poses
Another place where Ananmesis shines is having all of the vanilla pose variations for all of the races and genders available as pose files to be uploaded. This is in the second file button, underneath the list of your original files.
Note: All default expressions currently in Anamnesis are out of date. Take the time to go through the expressions in gpose and save each face individually to be loaded on separately as expressions.
This is the same process as importing/exporting characters. Poses will be saved as a .pose file to the program of your choice. If youβve downloaded pre-made poses from someone else, make sure theyβre in the program files and not your downloads folder just to keep everything in one place.
Note: Pose files from before Dawntrail will break expressions. These should only be imported on body bones.
Loading Select Bones
You can piece together new poses using bits of old ones, too! In Ananmesis, click and drag to highlight the parts you want to transfer (it can be a little finnicky around the hands/hips.)
And in Ktisis, right click select down the list of bones you want to use.
Expressions will always need to be loaded onto a model as selected bones. Anamnesis has the βExpressionβ option, which will automatically select all the bones on the head parent.
Ktisis will need to have the βFaceβ option ticked on the βImport Poseβ if youβre importing from the actorβs name. If youβve clicked the parent you want to apply it to, it will automatically tick βApply selected bonesβ.
The ideal order of operations is Load Actors > Load Gear > Posing Mode.
Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks
-Ktisis lets you import reference images now! In the same place as importing a new character, you can import a reference image to be on the screen with you instead of tabbing between the game and browser.
-If you like the pose you get while riding a particular mount and think βwow I wish I could have that as a normal sit poseβ you can just fire up your program of choice, freeze motion, and save the bones! My personal fave is the sit from the hippo cart mount.
-Donβt rotate your model from the root bone (the one thatβs named after the actor), rotate from the abdomen. This will still move your whole actor without compromising the XYZ alignment. Think of the root bone as the little plastic support stand for an action figure youβd put on a shelf. You can pose the action figure however you want, but the plastic stand still has to stay touching the table.
~
Thatβs it for what I would consider getting started with. A lot of this is stuff Iβve had to learn myself or piecemeal together from various people, so I hope itβs not too overwhelming, but if I can save someone else the hassle I went through then I will!
My final piece of advice is to remember that this is supposed to be fun. If itβs starting to become not fun, take a break and do something else that isnβt gposing for a bit and come back to it.
Wishing you the best of luck in your gposing journey!
Let's continue exploring composition with a few more guidelines used in real-life photography, together with some FFXIV examples!
Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds involves dividing the viewport into a 3x3 grid by drawing two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, resulting in nine equally sized rectangles.
According to the rule, placing key elements of interest along these gridlines or at their intersections create harmonious compositions and draws the viewer's eye in a visually pleasing and balanced way:
Rule of Odds
The Rule of Odds suggests that using an odd number of elements, such as three or five, tends to be more visually interesting and engaging compared to an even number. The Rule of Odds can be used to create a sense of asymmetry, tension, and visual flow:
Rule of Space
The Rule of Space emphasizes leaving empty space or room within the frame, specifically in the direction that the subject or elements are moving or looking towards. It adds a sense of direction or movement and allows the viewer to engage with the image more effectively:
Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio, also known as the Divine Proportion or Phi (Ξ¦), is a mathematical concept and compositional guideline used in various art forms. It is a ratio of approximately 1.618:1 and is considered aesthetically pleasing to the human eye.
In photography, dividing the frame into sections based on the Golden Ratio and positioning important subjects or focal points along these divisions creates a visually appealing and balanced composition. That way, compositions that feel harmonious and naturally pleasing:
So there you have it! while not comprehensive, these guidelines may help create shots that are engaging and pleasing to the eye.
You can now find this and all the previous guides and reference materials in our Discord server, Sights of Eorzea. Come check it out!
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So you went and took that perfect screenshot! Now it's time to share it around, but you noticed a certain graininess, a certain fuzziness when posting it on Twitter or Eorzea Collection.
So what's going on? Well, let's understand some concepts related to digital images: namely formats, how they influence images in simple operations like crop and resize, and how to prevent loss of quality.
Resolution
This is the easiest concept to explain; the higher the number of pixels, the more detail the image will have. For example, a screenshot taken at standard 2K resolution (2048 x 1090) will have 2,211,840 pixels, while a 4K (4096 x 2160) will pack more details at 8,847,360 pixels.
That also affects file sizes, if you ever hear me crying about the size of my screenshots folder.
There's a myriad of resolutions and formats out there; for more information, check out this Wikipedia entry about display resolutions.
Digital Image Formats
There are many different digital image formats, but the 2 most common for XIV photography are JPEG and PNG - each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
PNG is a lossless format, meaning no data is lost when the image is saved. This results in higher-quality images, but also files that are larger.
JPEG is a lossy format, meaning some data is lost when the image is saved. This data loss can result in artifacts, such as blockiness and color banding. However, JPEG files are smaller than other formats.
The issue with JPEG is that its data loss is cumulative: Each time that you edit and save the file, a little bit of information is lost. Also, depending on the chosen compression level, the loss is quite noticeable. The image below shows how much noise (wrong data) is actually introduced by each compression level:
Crop and Resize
When you crop an image, you are removing pixels from the edges, often to give focus to a specific subject. In this scenario, the loss of information is irrelevant.
But when resizing- often to decrease the size of the image to better adapt it to a target site- you're losing detail, and the chosen interpolation algorithm may influence how much of the original image is used to help determine the result. Here's an example with a 20% resize, using raw pixel mapping on the left and linear sampling on the right. Notice the antialiased result that creates a much better effect:
Keep in mind that different programs may present the interpolation options in different ways. For example, this is how GIMP displays its options when resizing:
So with all that said, how should we proceed to preserve as much as possible of the original data?
How to Prevent Loss of Quality
Use a high-resolution image. The higher the resolution, the more detail the image will have, and the less likely you are to lose considerable quality when cropping or resizing. Nya Nya has an excellent guide about resolution upscale (a method that allows you to take a 4K screenshot on a 2K native resolution, for example) here. I highly recommend a read!
Use a lossless image format. Lossless formats, such as PNG, do not lose any data when the image is saved. This will help to prevent loss of quality when cropping or resizing.
Keep resizing to a minimum. The more you resize an image, the more likely you are to introduce artifacts or jitter. If you need a close-up, for example, take a close-up screenshot and resize it a little bit instead of cropping around a small area in a larger full-body image.
When scaling down, use interpolation methods that take more data from the original image into consideration, like Linear or Cubic, instead of raw interpolation.
Resize and save images in the expected resolution of a target site. For example, Eorzea Collection uses 339x570 for its vertical shot; cropping and resizing your image to this resolution will prevent artifacts from being introduced by the site's own resizing algorithm.
TL;DR: Keep the resolution high, the changes to a minimum, and save as PNG.
Another vanilla pose. This time with one of my favorite Astrologian poses.
Pose: Exaltation + Smile
I like to work on my lighting settings first because it requires moving around a lot.
Lighting Setting:
Without Lighting
With Only Character Lighting:
Where I place Light 1:
where I place Light 2:
Where I place light 3:
Camera Settings:
I'm adjusting my brightness manually because the area I am in is fairly dark. I want to lighten it up but not too much because it's still a dark area.
I like using bright 1 for a color filter because I find it removes just a bit of the gray that is natural in the game.
Also fun fact about the Enable depth of field setting. It is affected by the game setting "Enable Depth of Field" under Cinematic Cutscenes in the graphic settings. If that isn't enabled then Depth of Field in Gpose will not work.
Let's put our Warriors of Light front and center by borrowing some IRL photograph techniques, and adapting them to gpose!
From Wikipedia: "Portrait photography, or portraiture, is a type of photography aimed toward capturing the personality of a person or group of people by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses."
Given the nature of this theme, we'll be relying heavily on facial expressions. If you want to learn more about how to use the gpose tools for that, check out this guide on Facial Expressions.
Subject Focus
While backgrounds can help tell the tale, we want minimal distractions.
We can do this by choosing neutral backgrounds or negating a rich background by diffusing it.
We can also draw attention to the subject by creating strong contrast zones that detach the focus from the background. In this example, the soft blue and the medium yellow sources contribute to the contrast with rim light zones:
Being the focus of portrait shots, the subject's expression is front and center. And no element brings more attention than the eyes:
Three-Point Lighting
We'll touch on the concept to explain one of the most commonly used composition setups. We'll use the three Point Lights available under Lighting Settings.
Key Light: gives shape to and emphasizes features;
Fill Light: placed opposite the key light, creates a counterpart to it;
Back Light: helps delineate hair and headpieces.
Keep in mind that the Three-Point Lighting setup is not a mandatory rule. Feel free to play around with placement and intensity; I often use the 3 Point Lights to enhance environmental light sources, for example:
Butterfly Lighting
Another option I often use is the Butterfly setup. With two light sources (a key light placed top-front, and a fill light placed bottom-front) it creates a very clear delineation with sharp features.
Slight variations in camera angle can bring completely different shadow areas and focus; give it a try, and you may land in unexpectedly nice shots:
With these hints in mind, let's pick some compositions apart!
This one, for example - Strong DoF negates details, and environmental light gives emphasis to the character's face:
DoF again, with two layers of diffusion (the bookshelf and the background), with environmental light providing contrast zones:
Did I mention DoF? Yes, let's use some strong DoF to detach the character, and enhanced natural light to pop the features.
By now you may have noticed that I use these tips a lot: for example, most of my 'poster' and Eorzea Collection shots rely heavily on these tips.
