I am trying to add bones to a figure prop. I added some bones (they work) then saved it as a pz3 file. Later i loaded my working pz3 file and now i cant add any more bones????? It labels the new bones (bone-1) so i can't add new bones to finish the figure????? What did i so wrong??

I don't understand : do you mean that you try to add a bone and that you cannot add another one because Poser gives it a standard default name which is the same for all the bones ? If so, you can always rename the bone (in the properties palette).

Thanks for the come back Compiler. When I started "it" named the bones bone-1 bone-2 etc. and i named them hip leg etc. When i went back in to add more bones (later) it started over with bone-1. I re-named that bone something like rt-finger but when i click on it the hip bone is high lighted, its like it renames the hip to rt-finger??????? Again thanks for the replay Compiler I need all the help i can get heheheheh

1- are you sure you selected the rt finger and not the hip before renaming the bone ? 2- are you changing both the internal and external name ? 3- after you have changed the name of the bone, are you sure that you hit the "enter" key ? This might be helpful. Tell me if it works. Compiler

Since i havent quite braved into makin actually figures (this bones stuff worried me ) can that be done in say "Amapi" its what i have aside from P4. If so where would i start at ? Thanks.

You have to make the base obj in your modelling program. Then import the obj into Poser. Group the various part as you wish set up the bones adjust the joint parameters presets This procedure works best for simple cr2's, with few bones. To creat conforming cr2's : An easiest way is to set the groups to be quite close to groups existing in another figure (say Vickie for instance), then using Vickie's original cr2 to copy JPS and bones (but that may be considered ripping by some puritans here). There are tutorials and explanations in the forum and in the tutorial section. The easiest tutorial is Phil C's, but it is not free... Hope this helps. Compiler

heyas; experts agree, the poser 3 phi file method works best ;) yes, you can use that method in any version of poser. the p3 phi method made it into the p4 manual... it probably got cut from the p5 manual, though. it was never in the p3 manual. if you don't have p4, you can get it from curious labs, poke around for the advtechniques.pdf file. if you have a pc (or an emulator), you can use roy riggs' phi builder, which makes the hardest part of the whole thing (writing out the phi hierarchy) painlessly easy. i think phi builder is in free stuff.

Whoaaa........thanks for allll the help heheheh (i need it)
compiler..... you said one thing that got me....."are you changing both the internal and external name ?" Nooo I only know how to change the external name. The other one stays as bone-1 etc..

How do i change both names??

again many thanks for the help

Also thanks to Bloodsong.....I'm going to see if I can find the phi builder thingy.....thanks

You can change the internal name of the bone/body-part inside the Setup Room, by selecting that element and calling up the Properties panel (CTRL-I). Outside the Setup Room, you can only change the external (label) name.

Take note that if you already have your mesh grouped, changing a bone's internal name will disassociate it from that group. So it's best to set up and name the bones before you start grouping.

Thanks Little Dragon I've got the name thing under control now.
I'm still lost on getting the polys attached to the bones....i keep getting odd polys attached to them. Should the bones be added to the original group (of the whole prop)? or should all the bones be put into a new group?
heheheh see i told you i was lost

Thanks for all the help

heyas; your obj should have group names, and you need to name the bones (internally at least) the same as the groups. i think.

Thanks Bloodsong.....Well with all the input i have Im going to start over....... Thanks for all the help