Now, that we are at Poser 6 for many months now, I am finding more difficult to import new files into P6. For examples: Lightwave 6, 7, and 8. 3DS Max 5, cad formats (Had to get someone to convert into an Obj format from a CAD program) and a new format I have never seen.."Ko"

These formats have been out way before Poser6. So, I thought well..maybe I can use Shade LE that came with Poser 6 to import, then I will export into Obj format to use in Poser(6)..nope..

I have some interesting files that I had stored away for over many years now, that I like to put to use as a project in P6. This is when I started poser, and never new about 3D. Now, that I know the concepts of 3D. I sure will dislike to delete them and put them to use.

Advantage with poser today, that I have never seen anything better than poser when it comes to characters (V3, M3...textures, hair..etc), but their are great limits, before Poser 6 starts to slow down, or reboot your computer, or memory errors. Poser(6) will have it full potential if the company that made Poser would focus on it more. I sure like to see a landscape (Mountains, grass, trees, hills, streets..etc) instead of using backgrounds to compensate, or tiny scene props so poser wouldn't crash.

Message edited on: 10/21/2005 02:34

Poser doesn't support too many formats on import. OBJ and 3DS for geometry, BVH for motion/animation. Not much else as you may have noticed. DXF and LW5 are rather basic and archaic formats these days. Shade, having spent most of its life as a native of Japan, probably isn't as conversant in the variety of formats available. It could be that LE is not equipped with these. You'll have to check the supported import/export formats for Std and Pro to see. Shade Std supports: Import: OBJ, DXF, EPSF (whatever that is) Export: OBJ, DXF, VRML2.0, POV-Ray, Shockwave, RIB So, it is possible that Pro supports even more (?). It'd be great if some of the Poser Python gurus would get down to writing import/export scripts (hint), though I have no complaints whatsoever with the work of PhilC and Kamilche... ;0) In lieu of these, the only options are applications that do conversions to the few available Poser import formats. Right Hemisphere's Deep Exploration is pretty darn good at this and I use it whenever such a need arises.

Most 3d programs can`t import max files, probably because you need max installed to import them and it might cost to make the importer (a license fee). If you can save the object as wavefront from your 3d program then it should work in poser.

If you want to model landscapes, use a landscape modeller like Bryce or Vue and import your Poser figures. It's not a good idea to try and have one program do EVERYTHING. You might as well try to build in a cut-down Photoshop to do image postwork without leaving Poser. It would never be as good as using Photoshop, and would just make the program even more cumbersome.

"Advantage with poser today, that I have never seen anything better than poser when it comes to characters (V3, M3...textures, hair..etc)"...I'm sure the Maya guys would argue with that ;) Considering Poser is solely character creation and animation, it has a fair way to go just in those areas, when you start to consider what technology is already available in other 3D packages.

Cheers

when you start to consider what technology is already available in other 3D packages

When Poser costs as much as Maya et al, then we can make a comparison between the features which the various 3D packages offer.

Maya is a bit out of the price range of most Poser hobbyists. So is Max.

Bang for the buck - you can't beat Poser.

Hmmm..true to a certain extent, but you can get XSI with Pro level CA features (considered by many to be the best in the business)for less than $500. My point was, Poser is a charcter package, but it can be strongly argued that for a package that solely concentrates on one aspect, the character animation is pretty lacking. As for price, I wonder if it does work out any cheaper for many people when you consider "extra" content purchases. Cheers P.S. I'm not a Poser basher, I have it and use it myself (and it is good value)...but I think (apart from dynamics) character animation in it is too basic.

As for price, I wonder if it does work out any cheaper for many people when you consider "extra" content purchases.

It's certainly true that an a lot of money can be spent on Poser content -- and I speak from experience ;). However, just as Poser itself costs a lot less than Max, so also Poser content costs a lot less than models made exclusively for Max. For example: V3 is free + a little more for her morphs. Whereas most for-sale human models for Max cost approx. $300 and on well beyond that.........

Animation is a whole different ball game. I doubt that we'll ever see a major-release movie animated in Poser. But at Poser's price, I wouldn't expect to see that happen.

I think that we basically agree here. We're just veiwing the matter from different angles.

Attached Link: TRY DAZ FIRST!!!!

"Well beyond". Perhaps I should qualify it a bit by saying "well, WELL beyond".

;)

It is not feasible to write a .max importer, since a .max file only contains transformation data. So to "import" a .max file, you'd have to write a complete 3D Studio Max (without a GUI) to be able to apply all those transforms to the basic primitives.... So it has nothing to do with nasty licensing policies or refusals from discreet.

3d exploration and deep exploration can import max files and save them as other formats so it can be done without "writing a complete 3d studio max".

Deep Exploration requires that you own and have installed 3D Studio Max to do import/export though. Don't know about 3d Exploration. This could be a licensing thing or it could be that Deep Exploration is co-opting 3DSMax in the processing (?).

If you're a non-artist, Poser is The Bomb! It's the Copy-N-Paste of creating Artwork! Poser has made it possible for anybody to now make great works of art with little or no skill, and in a relatively short amount of time, too. How many people really have the time to learn Maya? Or the brain-power to master 3ds Max's +12k commands? (And the majority of population has a 6th grade education at best!) How many have college degrees or work in a high-paying union job that can afford the high $ of Lightwave? Take it for what it is (excluding animation)...Affordable, Art-creation for The Masses! :) :D

I have a 2005 mustang GT in LWO format. For 6 and above. Everytime I try to import in poser(6), I keep getting an error message. So, I have it put away, so when I do get something to convert..then I will use. Poser is all I have at the moment, and saving for a product at DAZ (Mimic) in Jan.

There is the problem. Here is a partial list of things that will never import/export in 'other' 3D applications without some sort of 'assistance' usually requiring paying more money or owning the originating application: 1. LWS or LWO 6+ 2. MAX 3. C4D 6+ 4. DWG Add to that any other proprietary/binary format. For LightWave and Cinema 4D, the numbers represent the version at which a basically non-proprietary or open-text format was changed to the other. Yes, some companies pay heavy licensing fees to support certain formats (such as DWG or Poser files in Vue). It really depends on the company which owns the format, the company that might license the format, the cost, and cost-to-benefit ratio. If the company doesn't see spending $25000/yr to support DWG (and that, my friends, is the Open format's cost for that type of licensing - I don't even want to know what AutoDesk asks) as a benefit then you will not see support.

Deep Exploration requires 3DS Max installed in order to open max files, and it actually uses 3DS Max to do the opening, then transfers the in-memory data out of Max and into DE in a Right Hemisphere format. From there it can save in other formats. Basically, it does this by acting as a Max plugin.

Quite a few object converters can import the newer lightwave format.