Okay, I finally got it to work. I needed to assogm UV's in Carrara to the base model that was boned - use a texture map, then I exported the model as a OBJ model, brought it back in and added the bones, posed it, used the convert-to-mesh, then had to change mesh to vertex, create new shader domains because the convert-to-mesh does not keep the uv or shader domains, and then apply the texture map...it was a lot of work! Maybe there is an easier way - after the texture map is added, then I exported the new vertex object (uv mapped with texture) and brought it back in a obj and it is the one in front. I now have the "posed" obj to import when or wherever I wish - hours later - ugh! The hard part was having to assign the entire material again to the vertex object - but it can be done.

Never Give Up!