ok I have to ask, was watching one of my fav cheesy movies and wondered ....hey...wonder if the starship trooper bugs are around for poser... soooo are they?

Attached Link: http://scifi3d.theforce.net/details.asp?intGenreID=11&intCatID=28&key=372

There used to be one from Billy-home but the link is dead I think. However there is one at Sci-Fi3d, in several format, it shouldn't be that hard to rig for Poser.

However there is one at Sci-Fi3d, in several format, it shouldn't be that hard to rig for Poser. I like the optimism! Many files offered at that site are completely unusable in Poser. Too many models are built in a format that Poser can't import (new 3ds, Lightwave 7+, etc). Also, too many of the models have way too many polygons: some objects (which were meant for Lightwave) have 400,000 to 500,000 polygons or more. Poser won't even come close to rendering these models... assuming Poser can even import the models! Once you have imported the model, then you face the issue of rigging it within the Setup Room. --John

hmm..I tried making one of the Shadows (from B5) once, but that's as close as I got. I think I still have an old copy of that first-mentioned one around..somewhere..21,000 items, it's getting out of hand..;)

Jhoagland the lightwave 7 objects can usually be converted using a converter program (most of the newer ones can do the newer lightwave format) but the newer 3ds format is crap and I have never managed to get the accursed 3dsmax models converted either. Some of the meshes at sci fi 3d are a bit too huge for most uses (another thing that annoys me is figures that are made posed, they can`t easily be converted in poser).

Message edited on: 12/09/2005 19:52

Attached Link: http://mysite.verizon.net/sfg0000/

PoseRay will import the Lightwave version easily and save it as an .obj for use in Poser. Nothing is going to load the .max models other than Max itself but most of the ones I see there seem to have both .3ds and .max included or perhaps a .lwo version available. Personally, I paid more attention to Charlie Sheen's ex than the bugs.

The biggest Lightwave file I've converted was this 204,000+ poly (.obj format) P-38. Poser 4 handled it OK so I'm not sure at what point it chokes.

Can poseray convert the newer 3ds format files?

"Can poseray convert the newer 3ds format files?"

I'm not sure what you mean by newer 3ds format. The only .3ds format I know of is the one originally used by 3D Studio for DOS. AFAIK, when Kinetix (now AutoDesk) moved to Windows (Win95 I've read), the product became 3D Studio Max and adopted the new .max format. As far as I can find in looking around the web, the .3ds format hasn't changed in some years. Confusion may arise because sometimes, the .max format may be referred to as "3ds format" because the program is called 3ds (3D Studio) Max. I know I've downloaded files which said "3ds format," only to find a .max file in the .zip.

So, too long story short, if the file has a .3ds extention, PoseRay should read it fine (barring the occasional anomalies that occur with all formats). It is probably better at this than Poser's .3ds import which sometimes seems to get funky. So, if you have a .3ds file that Poser won't read, PoseRay may handle it.

If the file has a .max extention, then you absolutely need the appropriate version of 3D Studio Max installed to read it. I've heard it suggested you can use the demo. There are converters that say they will handle .max but in the fine print, you see that you still need 3DS Max installed.

The files at Scifi3d seem to be well labled from what I saw, e.g. "Max and 3ds" or "Max 5." I saw a couple that only had .max or the new Alias .fbx format available. I haven't tried it, but Alias has a free .fbx converter (link attached) that may be able to get the latter into .obj format if you want one of those models.

The three main 'can't get there from here without the program' formats seem to be .max, .obp (Bryce), and .vob (Vue). Most everything else can generally be converted.

Message edited on: 12/10/2005 18:35

Attached Link: http://www.alias.com/glb/eng/products-services/product_details.jsp?productId=1900004

Alias *.fbx* converter link got trashed on edit :-)

3ds max has a newer version of the 3ds file format that wont work in a lot of programs, the older version does work in most programs.

"3ds max has a newer version of the 3ds file format..." News to me. Can you give me a link to such a file. I've got a few different converters, I'll try them.

Sorry I don`t have a link to one, but they load into programs with all the parts seperated or all mixed together.

Can you give me a link to such a file. There are a few 3ds Star Destroyer models at the Sci-Fi3d site. When I imported the model into Lightwave, it exploded... making it terrible as a background model, but perfect for an "exploding ship" in my "B-Wings Attack" image. :) Of course, the broken 3ds Star Destroyer inspired me to make my own Poser-prop version (with obj file). --John