What 3D progs. allow you to create a morph target from an exported poser .obj file. Alter the mesh & then save the file as .obj & import it into Poser as a morph target. Without altering the number of vertices. If this happens you cannot use it as a morph target. Ive tried Amapi 6 & its ok. Tried Amapi Designer 7 & it alters the number of vertices on export. Carra 4 Pro does likewise. What`s your experiences?

Lightwave works.

Excellent question, Kingfisher. Does Shade work for this purpose? I briefly looked into Raydream 3d, but got confused by the scale differences.

I have successfully created morphs with Truespace and Max.

ZBrush. Unbeatable for morphs.

I second ZBrush. Quick and easy morphs.

yeah..Z-brush! ...perfect for morphing :)

On the free side, Anim8or works for me, and I believe Wings does too. A recent question in the technical forum suggests that Blender re-orders the vertices.

ZBrush!!!

Is ZBrush also advisable for creating or altering whole Characters?

You can, if you do the workflow correctly.

You can export multiple body parts, import them into ZBrush, and export them out again for morphing. When you bring the OBJ file back into Poser, you use the grouping tool to break the objects back into their individual body parts, and then export the individual parts out again to use as morph targets.

That is yet another tutorial that I have to write. (Adds it to the outline). Hang on a sec, and I'll do a quick runthrough to make sure I get it right. 8-)

Message edited on: 03/11/2005 09:14

WINGS3D

QUICK TUTORIAL: Morphing Multiple Body Parts with ZBrush

IN POSER

(1) Load a figure. Turn off inverse kinematics. Zero the pose and body/hip trans settings.
(2) File > Export > OBJ. Select the parts you want to morph. If you want to do a full body morph, go for it! 8-)
(3) When the dialog pops up, select only two options: INCLUDE EXISTING GROUPS IN POLYGON GROUPS and AS MORPH TARGET, NO WORLD TRANSFORMATIONS.
(4) Save the OBJ file in a place you remember! LOL

IN ZBRUSH 2.0

(1) From the Tool panel, choose Import. Locate the object you exported from Poser.
(2) Draw the object on the screen. It will initially come in upside down and backwards. You can rotate the model by keeping the mouse pressed down and moving the mouse until you position it the right way.
(3) In the Transform panel, turn on the Edit and Move icons. Also, turn XSymmetry on, so that the morphs automatically mirror to the other side (NICE, NICE, NICE!)
(4) In the Draw panel, set the draw size (the overall area affected), and the focus size (the area where the morph is strongest, it falls off to the outer setting).
(5) Morph away ... its great fun! You can change the brush size in the Draw panel as you complete your morph. You can also use the Edit panel to undo multiple steps if needed (it holds 64 levels).
(6) After youre done, go back to the Tool panel, and choose Export. Save the morphed file under a new name.

BACK IN POSER

(1) Choose File > Import > OBJ. Locate the morphed OBJ file. Uncheck ALL import options.
(2) Open the Group editor. Click the Spawn Props button. Now you should have the original multi-part object (which you can delete), and all individual body parts.
(3) File > Export > OBJ. Select one body part, and export it As Morph Target No World Transformations. Do this until all affected body parts are exported.

Now ... load in your original character. Select a body part that you made a morph for, and choose Object > Load Morph Target. Choose your custom morph target, give it a name, and then test it by dialing it in. Voila, you made a morph.

After you load ALL of the morphs in and have them set to 1, create your full body morph. Then turn all of the dials back to zero. When you dial the full body morph back to 1, you should see your full body morph, just as you created it in ZBrush!

Message edited on: 03/11/2005 09:56

bookmarking and I second the notion of trueSpace. ::::: Opera :::::

MilkShape's .obj import/export works surprisingly well, as long as the mesh isn't too high-resolution. I typically do the bulk of my morphing with Poser's magnets and grouping tool, then load the results into MilkShape to tweak individual vertices. Ultimate Unwrap3D maintains the vertex count/order, also.

Attached Link: http://www.wings3d.com

Attached Link: http://nevercenter.com/index.php/Home/491

Simple answer, Kingfisher.. anything that will allow you to pretty much import a obj format file, modify it, and then save it again. There are a HUGE number of programs (as others have listed) that can do this.) Some are better for some things, some are better for others. Mojo is a new modeler recently released with some outstanding modeling features.

Attached Link: http://www.blacksmith3d.com

Sorry,Gareee I have to disagree.Cinema 4 D can Im/Export Obj-Files but importing back to Poser(without using external Plug-ins)You only get exploding Morphs.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=10139&Form.ShowMessage=2151948

As I said, pretty much.. I didn't say every single thing out there. There are exceptions to every rule, and if programs mess with point order, then of course they won't work.

Well, maybe that is a good part of this reply as well. What programs mess with point order and what programs don't? For the record, Deep UV does, which is why I use UV Mapper Pro as a go-between.

Blacksmith3D-Morph does not alter the point order, scale, or anything like that. It was originally designed for morphing Poser charcters. You can morph the original CR2 or OBJ file, morph any part of the body and export the CR2 file again. The morphs for the individual bodyparts are automatically separated and setup. Easy :o) Konan (Creator of Blacksmith3D) Blacksmith3D - Morph - Paint - Suite Reshape Objects Easily. Paint textures in true 3D. Import/Export Poser CR2 or OBJ files. New version available (December 3, 2004) http://www.blacksmith3d.com

There are so many out there, the lit would take us forever to compile. I know lightwave is safe, but DeepUV is a uv editing program, used by many poser content artists. All it does is change uv mapping, if memory serves, and that means it does not mess with point order, but also, it cannot create morphs either. UVmapper pro is another UV editor, and again is NOT used for creating morphs. (although it can be used to fix some export issues) Plus another consideration, is price. Not many people are going to invest $1500-$4000 for a 3d modeling application just to create some morphs. Rather then a blanket "what all programs can" question, would be "what program do you use", or I'm considering x,y,z.. which would work? questions. It's kinda like asking which is the best grpahic editor for making textures... there are SO many to choose from.

Thanks for the response. Ill have to check a few out. Demo first of course. You cant keep on sending out on different applications. Im just wondering though. Which version works o.k. & is the .obj a plug in or standard. As my experiences with Amapi shows it makes a difference. I havent found it very successful in going in & out of other progs like UV Mapper in sorting out the vertices numbers changing. Dont understand why they should change.

Deecey, my advice would be to use the figure's obj initially instead, and use the grouping tool to break it into props and delete the original .obj from the Poser scene. That way you're sure to get a completely zero'd, unmorphed or modified base to work with. Cinema 4D can do morphs too without reordering vertices if you use Spanki's free Riptide import/export plugin. Often you can use UVMapper Pro to fix re-ordered vertices.

Good point, Netherworks!

What about Shade? Has anyone used it successfully for morphs? After all it is sold by CL & is being shipped with Poser 6.

1.)set the figure to a zero pose with the Joint Editor 2.)export the body part from Poser in .3ds format 3.)open the .3ds file in Cinema4D and make your changes 4.)Save that new file as .obj format 5.)load that .obj file as a morph target in Poser No exploding. Pretty simple stuff. -ScottA

Im using the Poser Magnets and Wings3D:

stahlratte

Carrara DOES work, but most of the fun tools are out. Pretty much the only thing you can do is pull verts around by hand. (A fact I found to my dismay also applies to making morph targets for Carrara within Carrara). I've also used Amorphium, which is amusing, but you need to use a couple extra steps to keep it from changing the size of the morph-mesh.

Are you sure Carrara will not do the trick? I haven't really used it since version 1, but I thought it would do Poser morphs. Have you asked on the Carrara Yahoo Group? If you just want to do morphs, like make longer noses, wider hips, stuff that does not require a great deal of intricate mesh moving, I would suggest Poser magnets. They work great for body morphs, as you can save your magnets and use them on the clothing too.

I see nomuse confirmed that Cararra works before I hit the post button. ;)

TrueSpace is awsome for morph targets cause you can work on the whole of the figure cause it keeps the hieracrchy and then you can break them into individual comonents to bring into poser for morphs

Most modelers will do morphs, but sometimes you need to know the exact procedure to get it to work.

POSER MORPHS FROM CINEMA 4D
http://www.designertoday.com/tabindex-17/tabId-72/itemid-1716/DesktopDefault.aspx

CREATING MORPH TARGETS IN CARRARA FOR USE IN POSER
http://www.geocities.com/porsche_carrara/index3

Message edited on: 03/11/2005 14:14

I'd like to learn more about Blacksmith but there isn't much info on the forum here :( I downloaded the demo, but where are there any tutorials?

xantor, you mentioned LightWave. On some occasions, when I have imported figures, they split apart during morphing where the groups join. If I remember correctly, this happened with Judy. Have you ever encountered that, and if so, what is the workaround without changing vertex order?

Message edited on: 03/11/2005 14:25

Attached Link: http://www.blacksmith3d.com/blacksmith3d_help.htm

Deecey I have only made single morphs using lightwave.

Ah ... ok, that explains that. 8-) The only way I could think of was to try to use UV mapper to weld the vertices, but of course, that gets rid of some of them and definitely DOES change the vertex order. ZBrush, on the other hand, sees the body as all one entity. Go figure.

BTW, you can make morphs right in Poser using magnets, you know. They're actually quite useful once you get the hang of them.:)

There is a new product out from Greenbriar available at that bastion of effective equipment called DAZ that allows you to do exactly this. The ToolBox set -- and the Poser version is effective enough -- allows you to essentially rig & morph a figure (make one, even, apparently) completely, then export it as a Poser file directly (no importing into Poser), including joint parameters and other fashionable joys. It even includes a set up that create inj and rem settings automatically, including the file formats, that are either set up for their own channels or that use one of the preexisting ones. Basically, it is exactly what has long been asked for in regards to morphing.

Gotta second X2's comment. Poser magnets are a great way to make morphs for Poser. You just have to be patient and learn how to use them (like you would a modelling program to make morphs in it!) I make all my morphs with magnets. Find it less of a hassle than using a modelling program as I don't have to go back and forth between programs. Plus you have the added bonus of being able to save your magnet sets to the prop library so you can use them over and over again. I have FBM mag sets for all major characters saved this way.

There are certain times when the Poser magnets won't do the job. I recently took on the daunting task of creating eyelid morphs for one of my figures. And even though I'm pretty good with Poser magnets. It's not doable with them. They don't handle small, detailed, overlapping geometry well at all. The only way to morph those types is to export the geometry into a 3D program that can select the surrounding vertices and faces and hide them so you can get at, and move, the proper vertices one by one.

Yup, eyelid morphs are something even ZBrush couldn't handle that well.

Thanks Konan

Carrara 4 Pro is ok with import/export & keeping the same number of vertices. I had the tick in the wrong box. It needed the tick to import as a single mesh.

Also solved the problem with Amapi Designer 7. When poser exports the .obj it also exports the materials. When Amapi imports it creates meshes for each material. So I found that by removing the materials Amapi imports the .obj as one mesh with the same number of verices. Its just that Amapi has some excellent tools for selecting points & malipulating the mesh. And having got the hang of a fair proportion of the program Im reluctant to go elsewhere.

Kingfisher "So I found that by removing the materials Amapi imports the .obj as one mesh with the same number of verices. " How do you remove the materials in Amapi 7 or Poser? I have it but I am struggling to figure it out..

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/tut.ez?Form.ViewPages=865

Message edited on: 03/12/2005 23:39