I've been working on a new model for a fish. Instead of one complete mesh for all parts, fins and body, I added fins to the object in vertex room, exported as .obj and imported again, .obj as one mesh. In the vertex room, it treats it as one object, although I have shader domains for each fin. But when I add bones, and get the little guy swimmin', the fins leave the body. I've played around with assigning different weights to the mesh/bones and that helps, but beyond that, I don't know what to do to keep it one mesh. Also a quick shader question. I don't like the stretched and faded spots on the body. It stretches out at the top. Would stretching the top back longer and painting with a larger brush/pencil/ tool in PS solve that problem? Asking before I try it, as I just spent three hours on it and i need a break. I hope Hex 2 with its new uv tools will solve this problem, but will Carrara bring the uv over and allow me to edit, add to it, etc.? Thanks R

Ok, First, GREAT fish! You should be able to do the bone thing because I've boned complex objects (compilations of vertex and spline). You need to include them when attaching the bones. Not sure what you're missing but it can be done. Not sure about the shader issues. -Kix

If you have it as a single obj you can edit the UV's in Carrara by hand...pull them out along the top and bottom where they are piling up. It's a pain, but... Can also wait for Hexagon 2 to ship, as it has both seam tools and a "relax" function that should make fixing a UV map much easier. I dunno about the whole assemblage thing. I just tend to work on a vertex object and weld parts in. Is more wrangling of vertices, tho (probably why I get so little finished).

Relax is a needed uv tool. You might also try blenders new UV tool, don't know if it has relax.I have only played abit w/ it, but it has alot there. I am definitely hoping the UV in hex is more usable because it would really help to do it in there.Of course, I can say that because I don't model in Carrara :)UV is so essential and kinda annoying so good tools are important.

I have had some with modeling insects. This hungry trout is getting his fill with boatman.

love it... awesome models.... great render and pov Christina

Thank you. I am trying to create prints for an art show. Never thought I be an artist, but I feel more and more like one when I print my work and frame it. : ) Robert