Daz 2021 Year in Review

In 2021, Daz was hard at work developing better products and a better user experience for you! This includes introducing diverse characters to the metaverse, cultivating partnerships, and giving to worthwhile causes. 

Check out our 2021 highlights to catch up on what we’ve been up to in the last year!

Daz Studio and 3D Assets

Of the thousands of new products that entered the Daz Shop in 2021, perhaps the most exciting were the launch of Genesis 8.1 and release of Victoria 8.1 and Michael 8.1. Not only did this bring improved skin textures and facial features to the Daz Shop, but it also introduced characters who use hearing aids and wheelchairs. 

This was just the beginning of a long line of inclusive characters and assets created in the last year (with more coming in the future!). Some examples include Bonnie 8.1, Catty 8.1, and August 8.1, along with other characters that display different features and lifestyles. We also added even more skin tones for the Genesis 8.1 base figures. 

Then, we brought the MetaMixer Toolkit to Daz Studio, so you can streamline and perfect your customized character by blending head features. We also issued several Daz Studio updates throughout the year to fix bugs and create a better user experience, including updating Daz Studio 4 compatibility with macOS Big Sur and Apple M1 chips. 

Partnerships

Check out the talented artists and organizations Daz had the privilege of partnering with to create stunning content and push the limits of 3D creation in 2021. 

• FlippedNormals: offers detailed tutorials in the Daz Shop to level up your 3D skills
• 3D.sk: has an exclusive discount code for artist resources, and we created guides to help you make the most of them
• Texturing XYZ: brought detailed textures to our characters, helping make our Genesis 8.1 characters even more lifelike
• Institute of Digital Fashion: helped us create Catty 8.1 and their respective bundles
• Nick Hiatt: curated two Jurassic-themed bundles that include an exclusive tutorial
• Wind Sun Sky Entertainment: became the first to utilize our Enterprise Licenses to share assets across team members and work more efficiently
• The Diigitals: joined us in creating NFTs for Shudu and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month
• RTFKT: used Daz’s PFP Utility Kit to create their CloneX NFT collection

NFTs

Besides working with The Diigitals and RTFKT on NFT collections, we were also creating our own. Late in 2021, we announced Non-Fungible People (NFP), a collection of 8,888 expressive and powerful female and non-binary 3D characters, people underrepresented in the NFT and tech space. Not only is each NFT a unique, algorithmically-generated character, but it also comes with a full-body 3D model for frictionless use in Daz Studio.

A portion of the proceeds from the initial NFP sales will be donated to causes with a focus on female representation in tech fields, and Daz will continue to support those causes through community engagement.

Charitable Donations

Daz always seeks to highlight charitable organizations and regularly promotes them with render contests and bundle sales. Here are just a handful of the organizations we supported in 2021 and how those who participated contributed:

• Catalyst: International Women’s Day render contest
• Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) International: International Dog Day Bundle
• Make-a-Wish Foundation: A Christmas Carol Mega Bundle
• Black Girls CODE: Shudu NFT sales
• Stop AAPI Hate: AAPI month NFT sales with The Diigitals

Collectively, Daz donated over $15,000 to charitable organizations in 2021 and will continue to donate in the years to come.

Thanks to you, 2021 was a phenomenal year. Thank you for supporting 3D artists around the world, and keep innovating and reimagining what 3D art can do and where it can go.