I can't seem to import any 3DS files (ie. chemical studios models). I go to the import menu and select 3DS. Then I'm prompted to open up the folder that I want to import from and it doesn't register that any importable files are there. I have this problem with some OBJ files too, though it seems to accept some and not others. Anyone out there have some tips? I had this problem in Poser 3 too. Having it in Poser 4 leads me to believe this is not a bug.

Poser (and some others) are filtering out non-text files in open boxes. If it can't "see" a file, try to set the Finder type to "TEXT".

I've had this trouble with some "obj" files created on windows machines and running them through the maconverter utility seems to do the trick. 'Don't know if this will help you or not...

If one of the file-converter utilities isn't handy, you can fix them with Resedit. Check one of your files that does work, and see what the Filetype and Creator codes should look like, and just duplicate that info in the files that don't work.

Be aware that I have found that a 3ds import will loose it's material colors on reopening the .pz3 and all are changed to just a preview color. I think if you convert the 3ds in 3d painter to an .obj you can import it to poser and respec the colors and then they will stay.

I agree with Martin: Poser 4 will only accept files of type "TEXT". Anything else will not show up in Open dialog. You can easily create a drag and drop app with File Buddy (or Applescript if you know how) to change file type to "TEXT". MacConverter 1.1, which is what I use to conver PC Poser files to Mac, will automatically change the type of OBJ files for you. Haven't tried it on 3DS though.

Well I seem to have fixed the problems with OBJ by using MacConverter 1.1, but the 3DS files just aren't registering as importable. Are any other mac users out there able to import these 3DS files from various non-mac poser sites?

Maconverter indeed only handles .obj files, because they are directly related to standart Poser files - I wasn't aware yet that 3DS & Co. are producing this kind of trouble. I will probably fix this in a new version with some other cosmetic bugs (sometimes) (not right now, I'm afraid) (don't ask). In the meantime, "FileTyper" is my recommended utility. It also allows you to create "AutoTypers" for specific tasks, which are MUCH faster than AppleScripts. You get it from almost every magazine CD and shareware collection.

Thanks Martin! You are THE MAN! I can't begin to tell you how much I and other mac posers are in your debt. Thanks so much for bringing MacConverter to us all. Thanks for the advice on FileTyper too. I'll check it out.