I've modeled a character in 3d studiomax. All the body parts are named correctly, it's positioned correctly, and I've exported it as an obj. I've uvmapped it and created the texture for it. So I now have a perfect character but no cr2. How do I get this thing into poser as a character?

Depends on whether you have PPP or not. With PPP it's easy, you just follow the manual for Setup. Without PPP, you - copy a CR2 file from a figure with the same body parts - open it in a text editor - find the two figureres lines and change the ref to your new figure OBJ - save the CR2 with the name you want the figure to have ...and the next time you start up Poser, the figure should be in the figure library with the same name as the folder you saved the CR2 in. The Poser figure libs folders are located in Poser/runtime/libraries/character Have fun

thanks for the reply, I had had some doubts that any of the cr2's I had were close enough to do the trick but it turns out the problems I was having trying to do it at first were due to something else. I was hoping there was a reasonable way to create a character from an obj inate in poser but after reading about creating an heir file and joint paramaters I found a cr2 that worked. I really need to get power pack soon :)

Congrats on getting your figure in working order. PPP is definitely worth the price - I don't have Max or LW, so I only use PPP for figure setup, and I still think it's worth every penny. Cheers

Attached Link: http://www.bushi3d.com

If you have already grouped the model into body parts, PPP won't help you at this point. The setup room in PPP is a shortcut to cut your model into body part groups and assign a hierarchy. Your next step is is to create a hierarchy using a PHI file. Check out the Poser 3 Advanced Techniques user's guide at curiouslabs.com for more information on PHI files and Bushi has a utility called PHI Factory which you can download at bushi3d.com which will make the process easy. Once you have a PHI file, in Poser, go under the File menu and select 'Convert PHI file.' This will then create a cr2 for the character which it will save to your New Figures library. Next step is to set up your joint parameters.

Hope this helps.

The easiest way I have found to make a new PHI file is to use Bushi's PHI Factory to convert a Cr2 for a character that is similar to yours, then edit as needed. Check Bushi's tutorials while you are at his site.

Beg to differ, JKeller. If your figure is non-standard (meaning you can't use an existing figure's CR2), PPP will only help you group the mesh. If you figure IS standard - as is most clothing items, new human and monster figures etc. - PPP can import a "skeleton" from an existing CR2 at the click of a mouse, and auto-group the mesh accordingly. This automates both the grouping and the CR2 setup! You may have to fine-tune the grouping, but with a good mesh the fine-tuning is minimal. Personally, I've found that the difference between figure setup before and after acquiring PPP is going from hours of work to minutes. And no, I'm not working for Curious. I just think everybody should start using PPP - then we'd have so many more figures, clothing items, etc, ;-) Cheers,

As I said before, if the model is already grouped into the different body parts, the setup room won't help you.

If the model is not grouped, and you need to define those body parts, the setup room is a great tool.

JK - if you've already grouped a figure into standard-named body parts, PPP will add an existing figure's CR2 at a click of the mouse. As an example : if you have a conforming P4 male shirt that you've already grouped, you just pull the mesh into PPP's setup room - one mouse click - and add the CR2 from either the standard P4 shirt or jacket simply by loading that item from the libraries - one more mouse click. After that you simply leave the setup room again - click number three. No extra grouping, no CR2 hacking, no anything. Three clicks to set up a figure - that seems like helpful to me, or am I missing something?

mmmmmmmmm, three clicks :)

Well that's the same thing that PHI Factory does. Import a cr2, reference your new object, then convert the PHI into a CR2 in Poser. The benifit to having Pro Pack is that it takes a solid mesh and uses the bones to cut your character into body parts. I own Pro Pack and I definately think it's worth buying, but not just for an option that a free program provides.

... well, in all fairness, I must add that JK is perfectly right if we're talking nonstandard figures. Then you have to use either PHI file or build a skeleton from scratch in PPPs setup room.