Please could someone help with suggestions on how to make this prop: It's an old navigation tool called a cross-staff, consisting of a pole and a cross piece which is moved up and down the pole at right angles to the ground. (see attached image). I'm not sure how to make a prop of two parts where one part moves along the other (constrained to one axis). If anyone can help (and understands what I have written here!! :)) I would appreciate it very much. I intend to use it for a demonstration for a video display in an exhibit on Portuguese navigation at the museum I work in.

I would simply parent the cross piece to the pole, and then you can translate it at the Y-axis to move it up and down. (you can rename the Y-axis to something like UP-DOWN for your own convenience and hide the other dials by some PP2-editing in notepad, but it's not NECESSARY) Some will probably come along and tell you how to make it into a character, which imo is overkill here :o)

Linear movement in a single axis is ideal for a morphing prop. If you make the two parts separately in your modeller, export them together with the cross piece at its lowest position. Then export again with the cross piece at its highest position, and apply that as a morph target to the first one. Name the resulting dial 'up-down' or something and there you are. :) Things to be aware of if you try this: - Make sure your scaling is right before you import into Poser. You should be able to import the basic prop without any of the boxes ticked. - Don't add to, or remove from the mesh when you move the cross piece. Your vertex count should remain constant.