I'm trying to get the effect of forward motion of an object in poser, but forward (Z+) for the object, not the world. In otherwords, if I were making a motorcycle go up a ramp in poser, how do I make the motorcycle move on it's z axis instead of the world? Or is this a limitation of poser? By the way, I'm not actually doing the motorcycle thing, it's just a lot easier than explaining what I want to do, but follows the same principals of motion that I'm having trouble dealing with. Thanks.

Select the motorcycle and change its Z translation. Now, if you want the orientation of the OBJ file to change, then you have to export it as a new OBJ. Remember to preserve groups.

What do you mean change it's Z translation? When I raise or lower the z trans, it still moves on world space. I even exported the object on an angle and reimported and rotated it, but it still moves in world space. In actuallity I am making a sort of lever that I want to be pushed forward, but depending on the lever's angle of rotation "forward" becomes realative. I want the lever to always move towards it's front, not foward on the world Z axis.

heyas; if it were a figure.... when you move the body, it moves in world space, but when you move the base of the body (ie: the hip), it moves in relation to the obj (specifically, its hip.) so now i'm guessing the motorcycle is a prop? so there's only one piece to grab... and if you, say, x-rotate it so the front points up at an angle... the ztrans dial still only moves it forward? hmmmmm.... yes, now i recall, that is the way props behave. you could try to make it a one-piece figure cr2.... then you could select it or its 'body' to switch between object space and world space. or, heck, you might even want to make the front wheel/handlebars a body part so you can pose that. the poser techs might be interested in this problem. :)

I'm not sure I understand your question (not that, that will keep me from offering an answer). What if you made the motorcycle point at an invisible prop, and then moved the prop?

OK, then how do I get the prop to move diagonally on it's Z axis, and not the world's? Bongo, world space is when everything moves realitive to the world, and not based on the objects axes. Eve if an object is turned, when you do a Z translation, it will still move in the same direction as it would when not turned (although now it will be moving sideways by it's own orientation), because it is moving on the worlds Z axis. Object space is when an object moves on it's own axis, so that when it is turned, and moved on the z axis, it is always forwards/backwards realitive to the object, and the object won't be moving sideways. Bryce has the ability to do Object space, World space, and camera space. What I want to know is if poser can do this. Thanks.

May not apply to your actual project, but for the motorcycle example, the bike could be parented to a prop. When the parent is reoriented, the bike's translation axis remain oriented as the parent's are oriented. i.e. with the bike flat on the ground, aligned front-to-back on along the Z-axis, parent it to a square prop located some distance directly in front of the bike. Then place the prop at the top of the ramp and X-rotate it (and its child will follow) to match the angle of the ramp. Now if you Z-trans the bike, it would move toward its parent's center, and drive up the ramp at the proper angle. But that sounds too easy ...hmmm... have I missed the point of the question maybe? ::re-reads question:: No, if I understood the lever problem, it sounds like it would work if the lever (like a joy-stick?) were parented to a prop at its base and the parent was used to rotate the lever prior to translating it away from the parent. (btw - This same principle does wonders for simplifying lighting control. Parent spotlights to a prop. Parent prop to figure. Now moving light to figure's left becomes a one dial linear translation regardless of the figure's orientation.)

What you want to do is stop making it a prop and make it a figure/character. Then you will be able to assign body parts and joints. All "poseable props" are actually figures.

Makes sense. Is there a tutorial on this?