Yes, it's us again, this time with a different problem. Since this may be Mac specific, it's probably best answered by Mac users. Poser Pro Pack (4.03/SR3) is importing our .obj files (from Cinema 4D R8 and R7), but not always with the same results. With the simpler models, e.i. the chairs, which only had one texture, they're coming through no problem and we're able to re-texture them. The clock, however, isn't allowing us to add any texture to it once it's in Poser. When we say this I mean that in the material menu it's name is pale gray and won't allow us to highlight it. This, of course, is a much more complex model. Another question, is why are they coming through as one complete object, and how to I find, or get its parts. Remember, we're stupid! When trying to bring in 3DS files, one of the following happens: 1. It comes through, but incomplete. 2. The program freezes when the import menu reaches 100 per cent. 3. It looks like it's imported then crashes with a Type2 or Type3 error code. Is this because 3ds is for Windows? Sorry about all this, and please believe us when we say we've tried searching for the answers on our own before coming here! Thanks, VH (PS we're posting this in the following forums: Medelling, Poser, Cinema 4D, Macintosh.)

Attached Link: http://www.uvmapper.com/

On the first one, try running it through UVMapper and see if the all the Material Groups show up in the Select-Materials Menu. If they do, exporting this from UVM may fix the problem. If not I'd have to see they file to tell what's up. To get the parts of an import, select the Object, hit the group button and select New Group. Give it a name and then hit the Spawn Props button. Now, in the pop-up under the main window (the right down arrow) under Props you should have all the groups plus the original "mono" group. Select the mono group and delete it. .3DS works well on both platforms and Poser's importer is pretty good on the Mac. I have had it crash when a .3ds file has camera, lights, etc info which Poser can't read.Can you export with just the vertex, groups and UV data? HTH- Dan

By chance, do any of your greyed-out materials have a left parenthesis ( in the material name?

I was importing LightWave objects into Poser a few months ago; they had parentheses in some of the material names, and those materials were invariably greyed-out, as you describe.

Just another little quirk in our favourite 3D application ....

Firstly, thanks to Dan. Funny enough I'd just found the UVMapper prog at DAZ, so I'll be trying that, and thanks for your advice and link. I had the same thought about lights and camera and removed them, but still with the same result in Poser. Secondly, 'Little Dragon', it's not the materials that are greyed-out, it's the actual object. Did you have that problem? VH

Ahh. My mistake.

No, it was just the material itself. And by removing the parentheses from the material names, I was able to fix that problem.

On the other hand, I've just conducted a quick test by creating an .obj file named sphere(geo).obj and importing it into Poser. And sure enough, the object is greyed-out in the Materials panel (see above).

Poser doesn't care for parentheses, it seems. There might be other time-bombs lurking in your keyboard, so be mindful of those naming conventions, everyone.

Afraid the parentheses problem is a PC bug - just tried it and on the Mac the parentheses are converted to an underscore and it's selectable. Although I imagine there are naming conventions that could be a problem. As a matter of course I just use numbers and small case letters, no spaces.

And here's an object with paretheses.

Chalk it up to another oddity of the PC version, I suppose. When I tried spaces in material names, Poser dropped everything following the space, truncating the name.

Attached Link: Link for anyone wanting to see more of our work.

Here's a quickly textures model of our Bronze gilt clock to show that the above advice worked! (Created in c4d, endered in Poser Pro Pack). Thanks guys, VH

Lovely work. Exquisite detail.