Here's a screen shot of the FaceShaper PoserPython script. The top two rows of buttons work the same as the ones in FaceRandomizer V2 so I won't go into those. FRV2 is available in the free downloads area and has internal docs if you want to know about those buttons. The big news is the bottom row of buttons. I'll describe the functionality for those. Limits - Clicking on this button brings up the 'Set Limits' window. That's the bottom one in the image. This window lets you set the range of random values that will be loaded to the MT dials. You can change the limits at any time and they will be good only for the currently selected MTs. That means you have greater control over the strength of settings for different groups of MTs. The 'Set' button saves the limits as the current selection. You can close the window at this point. Re-opening it will display you current limit settings. Pick MT - When you click on this button, the 'Excluded MTs' window opens. That's the middle one in the image. This panel lets you select which MTs will be the ones currently active. It displays a list of all the MTs currently associated with the figure's head. Clicking on a list entry will select it and re-clicking will deselect it. The 'blued out' MT entries will NOT be used by the other FSV1 operations. You can change the selected entries at any time. If you close the window and then re-open it, clicking on 'Current' displays the currently excluded MTs. You can select all entries on the list with the 'X-All' button. This is handy if you want to select just a few of the entries. You can excluded all of the entries then select just the ones you want. The 'Invert' button changes all the list entries. Selected ones are de-selected and de-selected MTs become selected. The 'Select' button saves the list entries as current for further FSV1 operations. ResetS - This button sets all the currently selected MTs back to zero. Using this button in conjuction with the 'Pick MT' list lets you zero-out specific MT dials. ResetX - This works similiar to the 'ResetS' except that it sets the excluded MTs back to zero. Quit - Along with closing the script, this button will open a window that lets you save the current MT settings to .txt file. I set this up with three windows to save display space. You can open and close the 'Set Limits' and 'Excluded MTs' windows as necessary and use the main window for the majority of work. I'm currently working on the tutorials/docs and hope to have them finished over this long weekend. One other note about the image, this was a final fine-tuning step on the face. Most the MT work was incorporated in the HeadMT1 target. That target was created in FSV1 using standard Vicky MTs with no imports from other figures. Image Credits: Millie Texture - Kristin Surprenant Maybee Lash Trans Map - Alan Lee Rei Hair Prop - Kozaburo/YAMAG/Koh

Here's a screen shot of the .txt file that the script creates when the script is closed. There wasn't enough room to put it on the first image.

Yeow bushi... that's some spiffy coding 8 ) Thank you 8 )

Nice Work guy:)

That looks pretty neat, but I've got a question, and it may be an obvious one, but I need to ask because, well, I'm curious... And I'm also relatively new to the forum, the face randomizer was already out by the time I got here and so I missed earlier posts that may have answered/asked this question. Am I correct in assuming that this utility is something only for the pro-pack since it uses python scripting? Or is it something that works in good old normal 4.03 poser as well? Thanks

Thanks for the comments! Fornit - No, it's better to ask then stay in the dark, as it where. You're correct. This is a PoserPython script so you will need the Pro-Pack to use it.

Alright, that works, it'd be neat if it worked in normal poser, but theres plenty of other neat stuff out there to play with. Thanks

Beginning to feel very much like poor old Tantalus - where, when and how do we buy this ;-) ?

I really like the concept of what you have done! I looked at the Pro Pack and even though it was interesting, it didn't have a "killer app" for my needs that would put it high on my "to buy" list. This may have changed that. Hopefully, in Poser 5, they will include the ability to run Python scripts/code, while leaving the ability to actually author in Python to the Pro Pack. That may make it less likely for a non-coder, like m,yself, to buy the Pro-Pack, however, it would give Python authors much more incentive to write applications, which would give those with the scripting talents reason to buy the add on as an authoring tool. Just a thought.

bushi, it's been fascinating to watch this app evolve. This version is so well thought out - appreciate the usability of the three separate windows. Can't wait to try it. Thanks!

Wow awesome!!!! When will this be out???? :)

Bushi You said that it is available in the free stuff area. Where? I cannot find it. Great tool. Thanks

Hey, great comments! Thanks for the feedback. :-) Fornit - I hear what your saying. Unfortunately the only way to run scripts in Poser is to have the PPP. Maybe Poser5 will change that. thip - I had expected to have this in the can already but it became a victim of feature creep. I'm getting the docs finished so it will be very soon. fiontar - I've been accused of killing a few apps in my day but this is a first for a killer app. Thanks! As far as having PoserPython in Poser5, it certainly would be an incentive for developers. One point though, all the actual development is done with a text editor so if it ran scripts then anyone could still write for it. gryffnn - One thing just lead to another. As I'd tinker with it, I'd find myself going 'Hmmm ... it would be great if it could do (enter a feature here).' The 'Invert', 'ResetX' and 'ResetS' buttons are what put me behind but they seemed worth the extra time. Darth - I'm trying to finish the docs/tutorials over this weekend so I hope by Tuesday or Wednesday. nitreug - Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the Face Randomizer V2 script. I should have been clearer on that point. OK, now that bad news. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask for a small fee for the script. My real-world business has been slow of late so the only way that I'll be able to keep bushi3d.com open is to have it generate it's own revenue. I'll keep the price very reasonable so it won't hurt too much and everything that's currently free will remain that way. I really hate to do it but it's the only way that I have of keeping the site open.

I'll consider it a good investment in a unlimited number of new characters.! Since it's a python script, will it run on a Mac? Or maybe with a bit of tweaking in a text editor for spaces and such? Or will the interface not translate over? I've got a little PC I run utilities on, but don't have ProPack installed there. Far easier if it could run on my Mac.

It should work just fine on a Mac. That's one of the big advantages of using Python for the scripting language. It's cross-platform support is very good.

Terrific - I'll be waiting to sign up! I agree with fiontar, this is sure to tip people towards buying ProPack. Do you have ideas for other python projects?

Please post when it's done. It'll save me a LOT of time when trying to do crowd scenes! BTW: What payment options will be available?

gryffnn - Yes, I do have some other ideas for PoserPython scripts. I pretty much wanted to get this one out before starting any others though. Crescent - I'll announce it loud and clear that's for sure! ;-) As to payment methods, that one is still being worked on.

Bushi, I don't know if this would be possible to add, but I've been thinking about this for a couple of days and thought I'd toss the suggestio out there: Would it be possible to add the ability to store all the current dial settings in a profile, either as an external file, or in a "memory button" type set up? So that if you find something you like you can save it in Faceshaper with out having to save the character in the normal fashion and keep working? If so, then could you have an option combine the settings from a two saved profiles of settings in various ways? I mean, you could offer averaging, weighted averaging by character or even feature. The first suggestion would still be a nice feature with out the second, being able to save current settings and go on randomizing or fine tuning. The second would allow for improvement through "evolution" and make it easy to blend desired characteristics, etc... I have no clue how possible or difficult either would be, but just wanted to suggest it. With full implimentation, I could see coming up with a character in randomizer that has, say a really great look for the upper half of the face, nose, eyes, etc... and saving those settings in a profile. I go on and continue randomizing until I get another character which has a great face shape, mouth and chin, saving that combo, then merging the two profiles together into a new character, with the ability to weight the averaging for each towards the characteristics that are best. O.K., I'm asking a lot, but the idea just tickled me. Of course, what I really would want would be a real evolution engine, where you would generate a "generation" of eight different random faces, select the two best, then have a new generation of eight that results from mixing of the two best from the last generation, etc... :-)

No ... Just Kidding! ;-) Actually what your talking about is an extension to the Meld! function. In this version of Face Shaper, you can save the settings for a face using the SP1 button, the settings for another with the SP2 button, then have Face Shaper use those as the basis for a new face. The main add-on would be the ability to load the SP buttons from a couple of files. Face Shaper gives you the option at exit to save a text file containing the parameter dial values. It would be just a case of getting the files loaded back to the buttons. My original idea behind the Meld! button was that of a poor man's genetic algorithmn. I plan on adding more to this function in later versions so it will be beef-up in time. Anyway, back to loading the SP buttons from files. It won't be in this release but I'm definitely put it as an item for the next. Your note is timely since I had been thinking along similiar lines myself at least in terms of letting the SP buttons load files.

This is going to be such fun! I have to get busy making more Michael morphs.

Thanks Bushi, I Guess I really will need to rearrange my Poser wish list and budget to get the Pro Pack! Damn, I forgot how expensive this can get. If I could afford everything I want for Poser and Bryce, I shudder to think what it all would add up to! :-)

Fiontar, that can be done. :-) Each character is defined by a nicely-tractable set of data, right? There are lots of freeware genetic programming works out there, and if you're using your own opinion as the discriminator between generations you've just eliminated the main difficulty in genetic programming. Sounds pretty cool, actually; wish I had time to try something like that. Any takers? Cheers! Mark