The What??

What on Earth is a ThingaMaJigMachine?

As you may have guessed from its name, the ThingaMaJigMachine is software that automagically produces ThingaMaJigs.

Wat are ThingaMaJigs?

ThingaMaJigs could be absolutely anything, and you could use them for almost any purpose. Most of them are multi-functional, too. This may sound like a vague answer, but the more you play with them, the more you'll realize how accurate this description is.

More specifically, they are 3D props. Mystery props, to be exact - you never know what the next one will look like until you render it.

Some examples of ThingaMaJigs that are included with version 1: flowery decorations, a monster, chameleon, dragonfly, star, swirlies, bubbles, magic trees, beads, optical illusions, magical symbols, impossible structures, abstract objects, decorative trinkets, etc.

What other software do I need to use the ThingaMaJigMachine?

How does the ThingaMaJigMachine work?

It combines random textures with random shapes to generate surprises for you in Poser's .pp2 format or DAZ's .ds scripts, depending on which version you chose.

The machine creates batches of 30 mystery props at a time - after experimenting with various batch sizes, this seemed the most comfortable quantity to maintain the balance between creativity and production.

Of what quality are such random props?

How do I operate the ThingaMaJigMachine?

Operating the ThingaMaJigMachine is as simple as clicking the "Make Props"-button, and then render them from your Props library in Poser or the Materials library in DAZ.

Once you've tested all 30 props, repeat the process and you'll have a fresh batch of ThingaMaJigs to play with. Switch back and forth between the ThingaMaJigMachine and Poser/DAZ whenever you want new surprises. Detailed tutorials are here.

Just remember to SAVE the props you like in your library under a different name, or as a scene. Every time you use it, the ThingaMaJigMachine overwrites the previous batch, and due to the massive number of random possibilities, it might take a very long time to find that specific combination again, if ever.

Where and how can I use ThingaMaJigs?

• Because these are light-weight props (under 100kb each on average), they render relatively quickly, and you can include many of them in your scenes without worrying about placing a significant load on system resources - a very important factor, as you'll know if you're into game design/animation.
• Combine multiple copies to construct new unique props easily.
• Because they are multi-functional, the same item could be earrings or a wall or a box or whatever their shape dictates. Simply adjust the size to fit the function.
• The next version will have some very interesting morphs as well (with an upgrade option for registered users).
• Once you've gathered your favorite props, play with them in the MAT Room (Poser) or Surface tab (DAZ) too - experiment with extreme settings on all shader nodes - this is endless fun!

• Use the rendered PNGs as the main feature, or to decorate any other picture.
• Combine them to form new patterns and shapes; you'll be amazed at the results when you start playing with mirroring and rotating.
• Play around with different color variations
• Run them through every plugin filter you have - some will look awful but the nice ones are often stunning. But if you regularly play with filters, you'll know that it's worth the effort.
• Like any digital image, the resulting pictures can be used for absolutely any purpose from making movies to web design to hobbies and handcrafts. See the ArtStarters FAQ for a longer list of possible applications.
• The Cherry on Top: You can make skins for the ThingaMaJigMachine! See tutorials.

• Add renders onto ANY 3D object's texture maps.
• Decorate your characters' clothing, accessories etc.
• Add some bling to dull objects.
• Add finishing touches to any object

• Use renders or texture maps as a blueprint to make full-scale critters and objects.
• Adapt the texture maps to fit your UV-mapping, or vice versa.
• Most ArtStarters images are symmetrical, so they're very easy to fit onto your geometries. As a matter of fact, the whole ArtStarters concept was born while I was trying to figure out how UV-mapping works!
• If your geometries, UV-maps and texture maps are all symmetrical, you eliminate the nightmare of matching up seams.
• If you're making high resolution models, you may have to resample the maps for close-ups, but test first. In most cases the low-res maps give surprisingly good quality. If you do need image enlargement software, ReShade is the best, in my opinion, and I've tested all I could find.

As with all ArtStarters projects, the main purpose of the ThingaMaJigMachine is to stimulate creativity, which can of course be applied to any of life's activities - it's not limited to the field of art.

Even if you don't actually use all your props, you'll find it quite therapeutic to watch while Poser/DAZ is rendering them.

The element of mystery sparks interest, which naturally tends to replenish or increase energy. The more energy you have, the lighter the spirit becomes. Lightheartedness attracts the Muse, and when she's in the vicinity, your imagination could easily run straight into the realm of fantasy with you. Which is exactly what we want in order to generate that lovely creative glow all around you.

Here are some exercises to get the creative juices flowing freely:

• Try to guess what your next surprise will be before the render is finished.
• Imagine how and where it could be applied.
• Visualize it in a different color scheme.
• Turn it upside-down in your mind's eye.
• Is it really what it seems to be? Stretch your imagination beyond its limits.
• See if you can find any hidden pictures in it.
• Examine the "negative space" too, and prepare to discover a few treasures! I've included several optical illusions and impossible structures (some adapted from public domain works and some of my own designs). Observe how some textures enhance or strengthen the illusion while others detract from it.

What is included in this package?

...and then we haven't even started tweaking and playing in the MAT Room/Surface tab yet... Multiply the total number of possible props with the total number of shader nodes and image nodes, and then multiply the result with the total number of possible settings per node, and we're fast approaching Infinite FUN...

So where can I get the ThingaMaJigMachine?

The Poser version is available at OnDisk and will soon be at Renderosity too.
The DAZ version is at Digital Designs Unlimited.

I have more questions /comments

Please post them in the ArtStarters Forum or the comments on my blog. You may also want to browse through my tutorials.