OK, I've just successfully created my first MAT files (waits for applause to die down)... Now what I want to know is this: how do I substitute the image that appears in the menu for one of my own? What I mean is, y'know when you buy a commercial MAT file, it usually has writing on it, or a logo or something. If I wanted to substitute an alternative image rather than use the Poser default, what do I do?

Each pose will have a .png file with the same name. OPen the .png file in a program such as Paintshop Pro or the like and edit away. As long as you save it with the same name as your pose you will be fine. The dimensions of these .png files are 91 x 91 pixels. If you encouter any problems try repeating this but do not alter the very first pixel (Top left corner). Have fun. Hope to see these mat files when you're done.

I've just searched: I've got cr2 and pz2 files, but no png files anywhere on my system. I'm on a Mac; does that make a difference?

Attached Link: http://www.soft-rabbit.com/

What version of Poser is it? On Windows, Poser 4 uses RSR files, whereas Pro Pack and Poser 5 use PNGs. There are utilities available for making RSRs from a regular image file that you can edit to suit yourself; but the Mac situation is different I believe. I've added to your post subject to attract the right sort of person in here to give a better answer. :-) I suspect MartinC's Maconverter may do it for you, but not being a Mac user I don't know.

I'm using Poser 4.03, on a Mac. I've got MacConverter, and MATconverter. Perhaps the reason I don't seem to have a png file from the MAT I created is because I don't have Poser 5? If this is the case, then does anyone know what the image in my menu actually is (if it's not a png), and where I can find it on my system so that I may alter it?

Poser 4.03 uses rsr files for thumbnails. Poser 5 uses png files for thumbnails. At least it's that way for a PC.

Look, I really really appreciate people taking the time to offer me advice, but the fact is I only want advice that is going to help me. It's a complete waste of my time to keep coming back to this forum only to read "advice" that is of no use to me. I've said twice I'm on a Mac: if you're not on a Mac as well, and don't actually know the answer to my question, then please don't reply! It's really no help to me whatsoever to know what works or doesn't work on a PC, is it? Macs don't use rsr files as they don't need them; so how do I edit the thumbnail on a Mac?

I believe MAC uses pict files. The easiest way to tell what your Poser is using is to go into the Pose library and look at what files are there. You will see .pz2 files and another type of file. The other type of file is your thumbnail. What a lot of people do is create .png files using a graphics program like PS or PSP then use the MacConverter to turn the thumbnails into MAC-happy files. Hope this helps, Cres

The only files in my Pose library are .pz2 files. No other files whatsoever.

Actually Crescent, we don't have other files in the pose folder. Not if using Poser 4 on a Mac. We don't have .rsrs or .pngs or .picts etc. It's all contained in the same file. What I do is render the item using the material. I save it out as a .jpg. I open it in Photoshop and edit it. Add a sig, etc. Open up Poser, import the edited .jpg as the background, swing out the camera so that you can't see the item, then save to library. The thumbnail image is created, but you can't 'see' it anywhere. You then have to hand-edit those files to get rid of any miscellaneous information. If anyone knows of a quicker way on the Mac I'd be thrilled.

Whoohoo! Thanks Caly, I'll give it a try! (Sigh... at last... *gets up from beating head against floor and returns to computer).

It can also be done with Resedit and Photoshop. I'm a bit rusty on the procedure as I'm using Poser 5 nowadays. Make your thumbnail pic in anyway you please and resize to 91 x 91 pixels. With the pic open in Photoshop do "select all, copy" so you have the pic on the clipboard. Open the pz2-file with Resedit. You'll get a little window with a square that has the word PICT under it. Choose Edit:Clear to erase the pict. Now choose Edit:Paste and your own picture should be in the file. Save it and try it out. The method can be used on png-files also to make a thumbnail. Just open them in Photoshop and copy to the clipboard.

Put the file in a folder with the 91X91 jpeg of your choice. Drag the folder onto Thumbnailer. If the Windows guys sometimes tell you stuff that won't work, don't worry. They want to help, and I like that about this forum - people who want to teach others what they know.

Caly's suggestion worked perfectly: I'm a happy man:-) And I agree with Mateo about the forum, that's why I came here. I love it that so many people want to help others. Don't get me wrong, I'm not selfishly whining about it, but it is true that advice on how to do things in Windows is only useful for those using Windows, and of no use to people not using Windows. I certainly wouldn't waste your time by telling you how to do things on a Mac if it made no sense to you because you didn't have a Mac, so why should anyone else waste mine? It just takes a moment's thought, that's all...

Glad it worked. :)

RCT , You're not the only poor suffering person who has no idea how to create Mat poses on a Poser 4 on a Mac OS 9.2 . Until you asked, I thought it was impossible, and something only Windows users could create. Thanks for asking questions. =) p.s. I was hoping maybe Daz's Injection Poser buidler would be a interesting workaround to the Mac's mat Poser 4 creation problem. Has anyone tried it? Does it work? bB

Easy way. Requires Thumbnailer (available in the Freestuff (only works in System 9 (not in classic environment))). Make image. Scale down to 91x91 pixels. Save as jpg with same name as MAT pose file (i.e. MATpose1.pz2 and MATpose1.jpg). Make sure MATpose file is valid MacPoser file (i.e. run it through MacConverter first) Put both files in the same folder. Drag folder onto Thumbnailer icon. And volila - old thumbnail is replaced with new one! Delete jpg. If you want to share with PC users - run through MacConverter using "Convert to PC" option this automatically creates the appropriate rsr file. No muss, no fuss.

But for those that can't boot into System 9 (Like me! G5, OSX or Classic only) it would be nice to have an update to Thumbnailer... and I'll have to stick to using Photoshop and saving to the library... :)