I was just recently taught this trick so, in case you never knew it and have a modeling app,,,You basically hack the original cr2 to accept your new .obj. This should work on any app but, I cannot say with confidence. It became quickly apparent that I could correct any object I wanted and still have it pose and accept morphs. Custom fits, creases on clothing, poke through fixes..It is almost limitless. For now, custom bodies on V3 using Zbrush and to import ZB2 mods into poser in place of V3 with full animation and morphability. Use original blMilWom_V3.obj(or original whatever .obj) for all work (do not use any Poser export). In ZB2, document>double. Import blMilWom_V3.obj..Hit "T"...Then Transform>"X" on upper right. Make your mods. Just return to lowest subdivide before export. 1. Export your ZBrushed modified blMilWom_V3.obj as a new name...MODv3.obj (not important but do not exceed 11 characters) Best to have a dedicated file where you can find it. Open UVmapper and Load MODv3.obj. Import original UVs (DAZ geometries). Save over (save as MODv3.obj). Make sure .obj is lower case. 2. Make a copy( use Windows Explorer) of the Runtime>libraries>Daz People> Victoria 3 SAE.cr2 and remame it MODv3.cr2 or something similar 3. The simplest thing is to keep the path the same, in which case you have to copy your MODV3.obj to the Daz geometries folder that has the V3 obj's ( use Windows Explorer). 4. Open MODv3.cr2 in wordpad and edit (2 locations! Sometimes more for other .obj's) the file so that it points to MODv3.obj (or whatever you named it. This is where you do not exceed 11 characters). 4a. use Edit>find...(type, obj) to change name under 2nd line actor, also<<<<. Should read like this; figureResFile :Runtime:Geometries:DAZPeople:MODv3.obj actor BODY:1 >>>>At top of file figureResFile :Runtime:Geometries:DAZPeople:MODv3.obj actor BODY:1 >>>>(after EDIT.find> obj) 5. In Poser, go to Figures/DazPeople and click on MODv3 (shrugging guy). Your new character will load with all the V3 bones and settings. You need to do steps 1 and 2 once. Then you can copy a new obj (based on V3) over to replace MODV3.obj as many times as you want and reuse the add character button in step 3. Or, make new ones. 6. Use any INJ pose (texture or pose) for V3 and it should work fine. 7. Save over cr2 in character library to get rid of shrugging guy or to a new location. 8. Once posed, this can be exported for further mods in ZB2 as an object for asymmetry or gravity poses...at least you have a head start each time. Just run it through UVmapper 1st. Export its uvs... This works on clothing, props, whatever...Some quirks to work out with Miki and I suspect P5, P6 figures. Thanks Parthius!

excellent mini-tutorial IMVHO. you're aware, of course, that the modified geometry means that old morphs don't work anymore.

Miss N, Yes. But there are a lot of inbetweens( 0.0-1.0 ). A lot that I've tested so far have had some good results. It's all a tradeoff. I'm sure there is a hack to recognize modified geometry...but, not tonight. Only 250,000 lines of code... In the end, once you start making morphs, you use stock morphs less. For things like clothing,,,it is priceless. For developing a character,,,awesome. No way to know until you can pose/animate it.

Cool. Thanks for this info. I have only one question about step one.

"...Import original UVs (DAZ geometries). Save over (save as MODv3.obj). Make sure .obj is lower case."

Where are the original UVs gotten from or how? Does that mean you used UVmapper to Export original UVs in some way before step 1 first? Sorry for my confusion. :)

"Does that mean you used UVmapper to Export original UVs in some way before step 1 first?"

Yes, that's exactly what you do.

Thank you nruddock! Wooot.

Only other mystery school knowlege I need to find is how to rip out each group part into separate morph targets now. :D

You can also use the modified .obj for morph targets. This is how it goes: - import the modified V3 .obj file in Poser, make sure you UNchecked everything; - enter the Grouping Tool, and choose "Spawn Props" - export the spawned props (they're called hip, abdomen etc. etc) one by one as .OBJ, leave all checkboxes UNchecked; - load a V3 from the library; - on each body part, choose Object -> Load Morph target and load the appropriate .obj you just exported; - set the new morph target to 1; - when you have loaded all of the morph targets, choose Figure -> Create Full body morph; - set the morph targets on the separate body parts back to 0; - set the FBM you just created to 1; - and save the figure back to the library under a new name. Since V3 has quite a lot of body parts, a couple of Python scripts that take care of the export of the .OBJs and the loading of the morph targets can be useful. When I find some time, I'll write such a script.

~bookmark~

I don't quite understand the basic end result...what exactly does this accomplish? Things work without pokethrough? That part sounds great lol

svdl, I would love if you made/shared that script. It is something I have been wanting, in fact just tonight I was searching to see if anyone had made the script. I wanted it so I could do a character with INJmorphs then create new morphs from this on the .cr2 and then REM all the DAZ INJmorphs since I seem not to be able to make anything without a whole mess of morphs injected. But do you think that it shoild do the hands and feet?

bookmark.

BkMrk

Yea that script would be great......Bookmark.

Here it is. Right-click the link and save as MorphFromOBJ.py Usage instructions: - load your character from the library; - disable IK and set it to zero pose (Window->Joint Editor->Zero Figure) - set all morphs to zero (use the ZeroMorphs script provided in the next post) - import the .OBJ file that represents the morphed figure (your ZBrush work, for example). Make sure ALL import options are UNchecked; - select this object, fire up the Grouping Tool, and choose Spawn Props; - you can delete the imported .OBJ file (you can also leave it in place and delete it later) - select the figure; - run the MorphFromOBJ.py script All body parts of the figure will now have a morph called "MyMorph" (if you want another name, you can change it in the script) set at value 1. The props you spawned a couple of minutes ago will have been deleted from the scene, since they're no longer needed. Now is a good moment to create a full body morph. It's a shame it can't be done with Python, you'll have to do it by hand. After making the full body morph, run the ZeroMorphs script to set the new morphs back to zero, set the FBM to 1, and save your figure to the library. All done! Hope you find the script useful.

Save as ZeroMorphs.py Extremely simple script, but pretty useful. Sets ALL morph values of the currently selected figure to zero.

bm

Thank you :) This should be great for making slim Millenium 3 characters from INJ characters!

"I don't quite understand the basic end result...what exactly does this accomplish?" The main thing it accomplishes is a 'simple' way to make a new morph that crosses body part seams. For example, if I want to rework the upper arm and collar, I can export both parts as objs and work on the morph. The issue is the seam between the two parts opening up, which happens with most any smoothing operation. Much easier to work on the full (seamless) mesh. Unfortunately, Poser won't export a single mesh with the same vertex count and order (if there is a way, somebody please tell me how!!!) The obvious alternative is to work on the original obj. The biggest drawback of this approach is that you can't use an existing Daz morph as a starting point. "you're aware, of course, that the modified geometry means that old morphs don't work anymore." Since the vertex count and order are unchanged, the old morphs will work just fine! (They will be additive to what was done to the mesh in ZB of course, but they are additive anyway).

Great script svdl...Thank you very much!! One question... The script works perfectly in Poser5 but does nothing in ProPack, so is there something that I can edit in the script to make it usable in PP? SWAMP

Hm. I don't have ProPack, so I don't know what parts of the code are failing. It might be the SpawnTargetFromGeometry method. Trouble is, writing a workaround for PP would turn this little 20 line script into a 1000 line monster...

Thanks Steve! MUCH easier.

The biggest drawback of this approach is that you can't use an existing Daz morph as a starting point. I dunno... way back when I was doing morphs in Amorphium I would morph and even scale in Poser then export the mesh to use in Amorphium per Traveler. Then I had to go through tedious operations to break up that new .obj from Amorphium into body morphs. That is how I did the pre-V2 fat V1 figure I was once selling --would have been free but I was TOSed from a couple IP hosts. svdl, out of curiosity, what is the difference between PPP python and P6 python?

The biggest drawback of this approach is that you can't use an existing Daz morph as a starting point. I dunno... way back when I was doing morphs in Amorphium I would morph and even scale in Poser then export the mesh to use in Amorphium per Traveler. Then I had to go through tedious operations to break up that new .obj from Amorphium into body morphs. That is how I did the pre-V2 fat V1 figure I was once selling --would have been free but I was TOSed from a couple IP hosts. svdl, out of curiosity, what is the difference between PPP python and P6 python?

P5 python has additional methods. PPP also has a PoserPython manual, probably there is no Actor method called SpawnTargetFromGeometry. I don't have PPP, so I can't look it up. P6 python has even more additional methods - now the Material room and the Cloth room can be scripted too. Can't be done with P5. The script I wrote does not use P6 specific methods, and I expected it would work in PPP too.

Okay, you seem to be able to quite a bit here and I have a conundrum SPECIFIC to ZBrush and Poser.

I WANT to do texture and displacement mapping in ZBrush on my Poser figures (Apollo Max to be specific) Can you give me a step by step tutorial that tells me how to import into ZBrush, do my work, and then reimport the texture maps and displacement maps BACK into Poser? I need something that allows me to retain the original UV's so I can give my textures and displacement maps to others without necessitating giving them a new .obj file.
Is this possible, oh great ones?
Thanks.

Message edited on: 01/18/2006 20:09

Did you read the poser tutorial in the practical guide to zbrush in their forums yet? They load a figure, apply a displacement map, and save it out, and even walk you into loading it into poser as well. You've already had a few days to go through that tutorial by now...

Yes, and where it falls down is right out of the bloacks. It leaves out what boxes to uncheck or check when exporting the figure. Tried and could not get past this, Garee. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked.

You export the entire figure. And the best place to ask a question about the practical guide would be over in the zbrush forums.. those guys are on top of everything, and you'd have had an answer in a hour or so. The BEST place to ask zbrush related questions is the zbrush forums, hands down. Some poser artists are beginning to get a handle on it, but the real zbrush gurus are over there.

Asked at ZBrushCentral....asking here....will go ask in the ZBrush Forums here too.

And I know you export the entire figure, but what about:

-include body part names in polygon groups?
-Use exact Internal names except spaces?
-Include figure names in polygon groups?
-Include existing groups in polygon groups?
-Weld Body Part Seams?
-As Morph Target (no world transformations?

Thank you again for helping me to learn. smile

He seems to know a bit about the subject, so I thought I would ask him.

But thanks for the tip, gareee.

Message edited on: 01/18/2006 23:51

RKane, Cannot give to the latter part but in exporting out of Poser or, a "Posed" figure; Take the 1st and 5th( Include bodyparts and Weld). If the checkbox will not let you check "include", hit CTRL/ALT/DEL to open taskmanager. This scares the shit out of poser ;)) so you can now get "bodyparts" to check.

chuckle Coolnesses. Thanks! P.S. I ran through the basic tutorial last night and for some reason the displacement map would not apply. I am going to try again tonight but can anyone think of why I could not do the map tutorial with an Apollo Max figure?

very cool svdl - This is part of a couple of things I'm looking for. GUI on the way.