;This is my first attempt at modifying mesh object and convert it into poseable character in Poser 5 (using Head from DAZ-P4Vicky & P4 body from Arduino's P4WWGv2). After sucessfully getting my new created "P4Vicky" into poseable character (using the bone structure of Arduino's P4WWGv2), I enter the material room and in the Material Group drop down list, I saw exact names of body parts (see pictures attached)"rforearm etc..." Is this correct? Or did I make a mistake in my mesh object file? I went into the cR2 file and delete all the material group near the end of it thinking I can get rid of the long list and assign groups of my own but when I return, the names of Body parts in the Material Group dropdown list is still there. How to get rid of the material list? Second problem is while I try to group body parts into Material class, I was totally confuse by Poser5's Group Editor Palette's Add Material & Assign Material. Which should I use first? I started with "Assign Material". I choose a bodypart - chest, then select Assign Material and enter Skin_Body. Then I press Add Material and in the dropdown list I select neck but when I check it out in the Material Room again, the neck was not added in the Skin_Body Material Group. Can someone please help me out or point me to a good tutorial that teach beginner on how to assign materials in P5 for custom created models. Thank you in advance. Regards Wis Sim

Although this doesn't answer your question directly, I do all my material and group assigning in UVMapper. I've found it to be much easier than using the grouping tool/pallet in Poser.

I didn't know anyone had altered the head in any P4 Fem. Why not try the P4NF head as a morph for P4WWG? I think the head is the same for all of them. P3:P4:Eve:Casual all have the same head, if I remember it correctly. If it is remapping - layering the head over the body - you want to use UVM - as Phil says - and only move and resize - not map - You can't unfold - so you can't get at the facets any better than what is there. There are tricks with a modeler, but short of high end programs for mapping, you cannot do a really satisfactory job of unfolding. As far as getting the head to be a different material form the body, if you do not wish to use UVMapper, well, the head group is discretely defined in the "f" section of the OBJ file. Just add "usemtl SkinHead" on the line just below "g head" and add "usemtl SkinBody" at the start of the next body group. If SkinBody is not the material name all the way through, make it the actual body material, or edit all the other entires for the body to SkinBody. As for the CR2, if you want only the valid materials in there, delete all of the material blocks and when in opens the cr2, Poser will write blocks for just the ones in the OBJ file. It is easy to add non functioning material blocks to a cr2 - a MATpose will do it. You must remove obsolete materials from a cr2, Poser will not do it for you.

Thanks to both PhilC & Jagger for all the explanation. I will try the recommendations and feedback again if I have any problem. Alternatively, if you allow me, I may send you the encoded pcf file for you to check. But let's me try to work on your recommendation first. Thanks alot.

Tried the UVMapper suggested by PhilC to assign materials groups for my modified P4VickyWG (with gential). I load the model and found that under edit/select file menu "By Group" and "By Material" both has the list of same body parts (no material group in the "By Material" selection) - See pictures. Therefore for smaller material groups such as eyelashes; lips; fingernails I am not able to get the detail to assign them into the respective Material Groups. For larger parts like SkinHead, Body, I have no problem by selecting from the body parts and then choose "Assign" and create the Material Group. OK so I figure out I must select the smaller detail and assign them into various Material Groups (eyelashes, fingernails, toenails) myself but I am not able to pick out the smaller faceted. Tried following SteveCox tutorial of creating texture maps for Poser3 Woman but the Material groups described are already there and it does not really explain how to assign material groups for smaller parts. Can someone please please help explain how to do it or point me to a UVMapper tutorial that shows how to assign material groups. Thanks

Somewhere along the line you have assigned the material abdomen to the group abdomen. Can't tell you where or why but UVMapper is just showing what's there. As for selecting facets have you tried dragging a selection and then use the sizing nodes to enlarge?

I don't remember assigning any material group in UVMapper yet since I am only loading the mesh and studying the various function of UVmapper without actually pressing any button. Could there is a mistake in my object mesh? I use Raydream studio(RDS) to attached the mesh and also used Lightwave modeler to create the neck as a single object then bring the neck back to RDS and attach everything there. Check carefully in RDS and I am sure the parts are exactly same name as standard body parts in Poser. Can I offer to send you the mesh file in pcf for checking if I have done the intial modification of mesh correctly? That is if it don't take up too much of your time.

Yes sure.
pcooke@philc.net

I would very much like to know if you succeded in deleting materials from the materials list. This matter has been dicussed before and as far as I know the inability to do this is considered a bug in poser. When merging two figures you are bount to end up with double materials, or am I wrong? The materials you find in the group editor's pop-up under -add-materials - are the real ones. These materials are the bridge to the texture maps when connected in the material room.The rest can not be deleted but they do no harm.

For the P4VickyGM mesh (head from DAZV2 & Body from Arduino's p4WWGv2. After importing into Poser 5 and converting into Cr2(using P4WWGv2's bone structure) it shows under Material with those groups from P4WWGv2 & groups identical to the body parts in the object mesh file. You are right only those body parts in the object mesh file show up in the Add Material pop-up in the Grouper Palette. Those from P4WWGv2 don't. Following Jaager's instruction, I am able to remove those "ghost" material groups from P4WWv2 by deleting the Material blocks in the CR2. Scroll all the way down almost to the end of the Cr2 and begin deleting from below the end of the IK Chain block - those that show Weld..." Now in the material room only those groups identical to the body parts in the mesh file shows up. You can delete "ghost" materials inherited from merging of different object files. Well I am still trying out to see how to assign materials in UV Mapper while waiting to see if PhilC has any other recommendation.

Thanks. Because you were so very sure about this I tried again, this time with an other editor and there it worked. Must have been using the wrong editor all the time. In my experience after merging figures (also using RDS for the neck) you dont have to make new material groups, they are all there with exeption of the neck. Interesting combination you are making by the way !

Two question to nzm. When you import object files from Poser to RDS for initial modification/merging do you check "One per group" or "One per group and material"? Will that make a difference in Poser? What setting you have use for exporting the obj. file in RDS. Regards

Forgot to mention. When I use "One per group" import to RDS to do the merging and export to Poser using full path option. I was able to use the original morph target from source both source figures (head & hip). However, I have dificulty in assign materials (as material group do not appear). If I use One per group and material, after grouping into Poser standard part name and assign necessary materials in Poser, the morph from original figures got distorted when I dial the parameter. Does it make any difference? So please tell me how you do it. I am trying out again tonight and will also try using UVMapper to group and assign materials.