http://www.silverblades-suitcase.com/tutorials/htm/18.html

that may help if you're having problems with Poser imports, especially in regards to the amount of resources they waste :)

Cool tutorial -  Thank you!!!

My pleasure, Peggy :)

updated it and fixed some more typoes, lol.
Added bit about the Poser Python export trick, but don't know who here to credit with that discovery? :) 

Many thanks for taking the time to produce such a clear explanation.

I gave up trying to import Poser figures into Vue a long time ago but I might try it again now I understand some of the pitfalls.

The link to VSO's image resizing software made my day. Excellent little application.

Cheers,
Mark

BigGreenFurryTHing,

yeah, VSO image resizer is waaaay handy! I've used WIndows Image Resizer (microsoft app) that does much the same for a while, but it's not for Vista, so I tried VSO after folk mentioned it. Very handy and better than the MS one.

My pleasure, thanks to lot of folk's tutorials I learned, just returning the favour to others :)

Very good tutorial A++

Most excellent, thanks for taking the time to do this, it's appreciated

Some very nice tips here.  A couple of things:

1. There is an error in your opening paragraph 1) - where you state that a 4000 x 4000 image equates to 128 megs of RAM.  You are off by a factor of 8, it takes only 16 megs of RAM - its 128 MegaBits which equals 16 MegaBytes.  Also, the 16 Megabytes total may not be quite that high in actual practice especially if using compressed file formats like JPEG which can take the number down both on disk and in memory (provided that the application supports internal file compression as well which Vue does).  However, your fundamental point is correct in that Poser models often contain ridiculously large bitmaps.

2. Your point about connecting up the bump node to the grayscale channel of the color texture is a good one.  I wish more Poser character vendors did this as well inside Poser versus making a separate grayscale skin maps.  I usually just dump the separate map in Poser and wire up the bump channel to the color texture node so it comes across clean in Vue.

I'd like to see a tutorial on how to improve the accuracy and fidelity of the transfer between Poser and Vue (e.g. how to get bump settings to align properly, sizing, how to get better alignment of material properties, etc).

Thanks again for doing this.

Silverblade33: Thanks! Really helps clarify things a lot. I've been importing poser into nearly every Vue render I've done, and I have a few .vue files that are over  1.5 GB in size, but very few polygons. (I tend to save files with maps included, but it doesn't always work. I think there's maybe 12 figures in this current scene I'm working on, all full size image maps, and it does crash quite frequently)  I'll have to find an image resizer for the Mac though. I normally use Photoshop, but it still makes some really big image files, even in .jpg.

Skinvue: Thanks for the tip about bump maps. I had wondered what the big deal was for vendors to include a grayscale map with their creations, when essentially it was the same exact image, minus the color.

I'm interested in seeing even more tutorials. (Skinvue: I am breathless with anticipation waiting for the tutorial you spoke of about second skins in Vue! I've played and played with mixed materials with little success, and am a bit envious your recent renders pull it off so effortlessly)

Dbrudick,
ah! scratches ear oh well...sigh.... throws calculator into the bin ;)

I have seen some images where the bump is a truly different map (not just a desaturated colour map copy) and those are good, but not too common.

NPB, mate :)

AboranTouristCouncil,
You cna lower the quality of the jpg export, but as always, it's a trade off between quality / file size.
Bump maps are ESPCIALLY bad if you lower quality, you see too many angular jpg artifacts, bump maps are better as lossless formats, even if file size sucks.

Silverblade33: The tips you provided in the tutorial really do save system resources. In the image I'm working on, the majority of the figures were in the middle to far distant background. (instead of reducing the image size in Poser, I'm doing it in Vue. A little slower perhaps, but its working) I did try reducing the number of polygons per figure at one time, but with little effect on the overall file size. Now that I know that its the image map that's causing the problem, (how did I miss that?) I can do something about it. For these distant figures, the bump map would be unimportant, as you would not be able to discern details anyway.

SkinVue: Oops, should have written you as dburdick.

That's a super contribution Steven. Thanks a bunch for doing it. I hope it helps those who use Poser a lot.

Thanks for the tutorial. I appreciate all of your contributions.

Chipp,
I've been frustrated a lot over the years with Poser imports, so, if it helps sotp other folk throwing somehting at the wall...hey ;)

Paula,
bows :)

Good idea Steven. Also, your tutorial on comic effects got me remembering about some work I did a long time ago in the same vein. So, thanks for that tute too!

a very good tutorial !

thanks a lot for your help !

For the records - it's 4000*4000 3 Bytes, since we have 38 bit color information. So one picture would be 48 Megabytes - not 16. Even more with an alpha channel.

Great tutorial, by the way.

OK, one point. Before deleting the bump map off hand and plugging the colour map into the bump channel, it may be wiser to check the original bump map first.

For example, when I make a car model, I make the tyres smooth, and the colour map has the rubber colour, and maybe some dirt. The bump map will have the tread. In a case like this, discarding the bump map and plugging the texture map into bump is going to give you very odd wheels.

Quote - Chipp,
I've been frustrated a lot over the years with Poser imports, so, if it helps sotp other folk throwing somehting at the wall...hey ;)

Paula,
bows :)

I now have to take that target off the wall...

Really good, tutorial bookmarked for me to read at my leisure ;)

Quote - Chipp,
I've been frustrated a lot over the years with Poser imports, so, if it helps sotp other folk throwing somehting at the wall...hey ;)

Paula,
bows :)

I now have to take that target off the wall...

Really good, tutorial bookmarked for me to read at my leisure ;)

Helgard,
true ;)  Note I siad:

**Quote - Note, that for some items, you may wish to keep a detailed, specific bump map. Up close, bump maps have to be VERY detailed to allow realism. So again, for "Pin ups" etc, you may well be needing to keep the huge bump images. Or, you can try and use a Vue procedural bump, or small tiling texture. All depends on what the item is. For example, fine armour with engravings, up close you'd need to use a supplied bump map if the engravings come from the bump, and you wish to keep them. But, if the figure is in the mid or background, the engraving may not be so prominent, so using a reduced bump image maybe ok
**

**

**;)

Updated it, added bits about SSS from talking with folk here previously, and saving as .vob format :)

Thank you so much for your tutorials, They are all excellent.

Michel

Mikeberg,
Cheers, mate! :)

I recall many moons ago, loving Brycetech tutorials...happy sighs