I've traced down some problems I was having as being due to too many items having the texture name "Preview" or "--- default ---". Is there a simple way of controlling what materials are called in Poser? Maybe the CRedit program will change them; and I can make a new material name using the grouping tool (but without getting rid of the old one), but I would like a simpler way. You would think it would be straightforward in Poser to click and rename, but apparently not.

heyas; really the best way to handle the materials is to load the file into uvmapper and assign (or re-assign) the materials you want. then open the cr2 in an cr2 editor, and delete all the materials listed in the 'figure' section. you can leave the preview in or delete it as well; it doesn't matter. the next time you load your object/figure (remember to delete the geometry rsr before you open poser again), poser will read the actual materials on the obj and use only those that exist.

Poser will automatically use any material name in the object file, you can change the name in UV Mapper (dan't forget to save and delete the RSR), there is no way to not have that material come up with that name, or to remove preview (even if it isn't used). However, if you do change the name the old ones will still show up as well, until you delete them from the CR2, you can do that in CR2 Edit or even Wordpad- they are at the very end of the CR2.

I would open the figure's OBJ file in UVMapper and use the editing tools there to assign my material names as required. I'd then use John Stallings CR2 Editor and remove all the material details. Now when you reload the figure Poser will read the new object file's materials and upon resaving place them into the figure's CR2. (file save with new name etc along the way ... but you knew that :)

LOL I take it you guys are also at "work" :))

If you wish to get down to basics with this, open the Obj file in a text editor. Cruise on down to the "f" section at the bottom. It should start with "g SOMETHING". This first g ___ this the name Poser calls I believe, and if it is opened as a single prop, Poser will ignore any subsequent g --- information, I think. What Poser lists as Materials is what is down here as usemtl _____ . Each of those shows as a material. If there is no usemtl line at all, Poser gives you "Preview" and the whole thing will only use one texture map. Type any name use wish after usemtl and it will show as a Material. But no spaces in the name, I think. There has to be one between usmtl and the name, but this is all. If the prop has a lot of "g ---" sections and each of these is something that you want as a separate material, you can change the "g" to "usemtl" and BINGO - you have your Materials. Just make sure there is one "g ___" at the beginning. UVMapper is great at helping you define just where in that long string of "f" numbers, you want the various usemtl lines. One other trick, if you use RDS and want to save your materials sections, edit all the "usemtl" entries to "g" before you go in, open the mesh as a single group, do you operation, save the prop, and text edit all the material "g" back to "usemtl".

OOps, of course Poser uses more than one group. I was thinking about some props that I imported. I think it is up to how the CR2/PP2/HR2 file is set up, as to whether or not more than one group is recognized. Is this what PHI is all about? If you have a file were more than one group is recognized and the groups are where you want the materials to be, you can insert another line just under each g line: usemtl ___

Jim, you're right, you can do it in CR2Edit, but take a look at your More Tools menu. You will see "Coordinate Materials". Click it. A list of materials in the associated obj will appear, along with a list of the ones that are in the cr2 but not the obj. Say ok. They're gone. With 50 or so tools in CR2Edit, there is very little reason for the average person to ever have to open a cr2 in a text editor, tho of course there is one in CR2Edit for the adventuresome and those who want to add to the body of knowlege about Poser files. Dan http://www.neca.com/~dwilmes/cr2edit.html Sorry Win only for software http://www.zenwareonline.com for ZenPaint and ZenTile and very soon ZenGrid http://www.zenwareonline.com/vuemaster/vuemaster.html for VueMaster

Thanks all for the useful ideas. Wouldn't life be easier if you could handle this from within Poser in the render materials screen? Cue Poser 5?