I'm attempting to create Victoria morphs using LightWave 5.6. Two problems: 1) While it is possible to EXPORT her with each body part separate, it is quite another thing to IMPORT her in that way. And there's no deleting all but the desired body part because it's all one big wireframe. So the only way to make a morph target is to import an existing target (already detached from the body, and downloaded from someone else's website) and edit this existing target. The only success I've had with importing separate body parts is with Bryce 4, and Bryce (as far as I know) doesn't export into any non-Bryce format. 2) I can't edit even existing morph targets because the darn things import as POINTS without POLYGONS! And chances of reconstructing all the polygons correctly are between slim and none. Obviously, I'm in way over my head. Any help at all would be appreciated. If it matters, I'm using a PowerMac with G4 dual processors.

Run, don't walk, over to Traveler's Morph World (see side bar for link) and get his tutorial on full body morphing with Compose 1.1 (available in the utilities section of Free Stuff) and ALSO get Michael Barnes' Mac Compose Kit (link at Travelers site in the tutorial section). There is also a tutorial on using Compose 1.1 that I wrote over at Poser World in the tips section -- get it, too. Follow all directions to the letter in Michael Barns' install guide and you'll be on your way. You can set up the mesh with as many (or few) body parts as you like in Compose and when you're done, Compose will "put everything back in order" for you so you won't get any surprises when you import the obj morph files back into Poser. I use Amorphium for morphs (available at Mac Mall for $49.00), but there's no reason you can't use LightWave either. I do all of this on a G3 Mac, so I know it's possible. Send me an email if you run into any snags with Compose and I'll try to help you out. You're on your own with LightWave, but Steve Shanks, over at Poser World knows quite a bit about using it, so you can drop him a line if you need help there (he's a really nice guy and I'm sure he'll do all he can to help you out). Jim jnmoore@usaor.net

Well, now...THAT'S an answer! I will follow your instructions to the letter, O Wise One. As it happens, I already have Amorphium and have had more success with importing Poser obj files into that program than into LightWave, which OUGHT to be able to read them without errors. I open them in Amorphium, then export them into the LW format. As always, though, the problem is importing only the necessary part of the larger model. Again, many thanks for such a detailed and (I'm certain) informed response.

Whistler: What kind of trouble are you having when you "import" back into Poser? With morph targets, you don't actually "import", you open the figure, select the body part you want to apply the morph target to, press Command +I, then click on import morph target. There's a section in the Poser manual about it, but if you need help, drop me an email and I'll be happy to walk you through the process. Jim