Wierd shading makes it look like extrusions are coming apart at the seams. 

Any idea how to stop this?  My guess is Poser is failing to weld identical vertices when it imports the obj...does that sound right?

Very aggravating!

Maybe normals are fliped dont you think??

I don't think it's welding.  Poser has a way of rendering each group
separately, which doesn't usually show.   It seems to calculate
shadows continuously along the group, then starts over at the
next group.

ockham, is there anything that can be done about it?

Couple of things to add...

Looks fine in wireframe mode, and there aren't any loose vertices...meaning magnet won't break anything.  Tried changing the lighting around to no avail.

If you have more then two polygons connecting at the weld seam, Poser seems to have a hard time figuring out how to shade them.
For example, if three or more polygons share on eedge.

Well, hmmm...wouldn't that be everything?  I mean, there's always (almost) four polygons on any vertice?  The model here is all quads, I checked it.

Most importantly, is there any way to fix this?

Try to flip normal sin max and export it again...

I think  I have discovered the problem...

I didn't delete the inner layer when I shelled, so there's this hollow effect with two layers of cloth for no reason.  Second, when I extruded, I forgot to check "By local Normals" (or whatever) and some of the extrusion was inverted instead of raised.

I have fixed all this and regrouped and  am about to try it out...

Nope, unbelievably still there....drat.

Make sure all your verts are welded in the obj. (That way displacement maps can also be used.)

Also, if the oddity is occuring right at the joint between groups, andjust the smoothing rate higher for the group with the issue. Try it in +5 increments until the issue goes away.

Quote - Well, hmmm...wouldn't that be everything?  I mean, there's always (almost) four polygons on any vertice?  The model here is all quads, I checked it.

Most importantly, is there any way to fix this?

No, not polygons sharing a vertex, but more then two polygons sharing an edge - think of a fan, or a propeller. 

Sorry, I'm not where I can do a screenshot at the moment.

Well, I can definately say that's not happening.  I will try the shading rate thing, fingers crossed

Hi William

Take your mesh back into Max and check for 0 point polys and 2 point polys.  After that,  check for non planar polys.  Next check for convex and concave polys.  Last select the trim cut and paste it back onto your model without merging or welding vertices.  Then set your smoothing in Max and export to Poser.

Object looks beautiful in max, I cannot imagine a cleaner mesh.  Although I'm not totally sure how to check for some of those things, I can definately say that there's nothing dirty going on. 

Whatever is happening is happening in poser...something to do with the way poser puts groups back together into one object. 

going crazy

Are you cutting your mesh into groups then exporting to Poser?

Yes

Try leaving it in one piece.

What about the groups?  Don't you have to slice it up to get the groups?

Nah.  Just select the polys and assign the groups and export.  BTW,  incase you didn't know,  Poser's rigging is the same as Max's joint envelope.

Ah, good to know. 

Well, oddity of all oddities, I seem to have fixed it all with poser's morph tool lol.  Just a little nudge brought everything into focus.  Seems it was just a shading issue, and the slight movement of vertices allowed Poser to figure it out.

Excellent!  So,  when is your swimsuit going to be available?

I don't know about that.  I've got to be satisfied with it 100%.  I'm getting into the joints now...sigh.  At least it doesn't need a bleeping texture set lol.

Not fixed yet in this render...

Bill my heart goes out to ya.  PM me if you'd like any further help,  maybe I could run your model through lightwave's polygon correction.  In return,  maybe you can give me a hand on my current project.  It's an original figure for Poser.  Don't tell anyone,  but he's a norse god superhero.

Seems it might be your smoothing groups in max that you need to fix. As far as i know it can happen if you export back and forth or cut in the mesh after you have already applied smoothing groups.

Anyway not sure if thats your problem but you might wont to try to select all the polygons that make of the cloth and then simply hit the auto assign smoothing groups or what its called :)