Hi everyone; In theory is it possible to export a completed model as a 3DS or obj, the import it back just like it looked after rendered?

I tried this, but when I import back in, it looks like the silver surfer or something.

No texture, shade, or whatever it originally had.

I am trying this with v.4, the morph++, Amber, and Cecile hair.

By the way it don't even bring back the hair.

Is there a py script to do this, a tutorial, or some magic formula?

Or is this just not possible?

I am using Poser 6 by the way. I am not interested in using the model in another program just out from Poser, then back in to Poser.

Reason: Because as an object, it will still create shadows. Saving it as just an image would lose that feature. Also it seems an imported object renders much faster with BG scenes, etc, than trying to render the whole thing in Poser first.

Thanks :)

You could also try rendering the object and background separately and compositing them later in an image editor (Photoshop, Gimp, etc) You can create your shadow in you image editor as well,

I use this technique for compositing animation sequences all the time in After Effects.

But wouldn't that be the same issue, putting them back together and i/e loss of shadows?

As I mentioned, you can "fake" the shadows in your image editor. I rarely use 3D shadows from Poser, Carrara or D|S. I usually fake them (again to save render time). You also have more options after you've already done the render to correct color, brightness and contrasy to your final picture (or animation) this way.

Just an alternative method, since your concern is for speed.

ok got it :)

wonder if there is a script around to "fake" shadows too? :P

that would be a plus in animation, painting shadows frame by frame would be like going back to the making of the ten commandments 1956, lol

Actually, it's not that hard. Just requires duplicating the image layer (containing your figure) in Photoshop (Gimp, etc) and filling the duplicate with black, reduce transparency.  Add blur and distort to taste. Can make a drop shadow or cast shadow very easily. Make sure the "shadow" layer is below the figure. - I can whip up a quick tuorial if you're interested?

  There are some PS Plug-ins that will do this as well, I can't recall the names off-hand.

Maybe someone else can help you out with a scipt, if you'd prefer that.

The tutorial would be great. Not just for me, but probably for many others too :)

 There are some scripts available that does what you want. You'll need CastIronFlamingo's Grouper: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/index.php?user_id=90383
And you're right that obj files doesn't take up the same amount of memory as a poseable figure. Sometimes,with large CR2's, it can mean a LOT.

Export-Import works for me but I'm using -gasp - Poser 4. You need to have the .mtl file that Poser should generate to go with the .obj since that has the texture references. It doesn't store any paths so maybe that is the problem. Also .obj format doesn't store transparency information, only the basic texture, bump and colors, so you'll have to manually reapply trans map settings for hair etc. You're not going to get any procedural shaders either. Unless Poser isn't finding your textures or .obj export-import has changed, I'm not sure what the problem may be.

Excerpt from .mtl file:

newmtl 3_SkinLeg:1
Ns 11.5728
Ka 0.0784314 0 0
Kd 0.843137 0.980392 0.980392
Ks 0 0 0
map_Kd V4StLimbsM.jpg
map_Bump V4StLimbsB.jpg

I get the symptoms (missing textures) you describe if I delete the .mtl file and try to import. The hair (a parented figure) does import without problems though.  Check to see if creating the .mtl file is optional in P6 perhaps and not checked by default.

Thanks for the help all :)

By the way nothing wrong with Poser 4, I still have it installed as well ;)

If you have any kind of complex shading going on in the Poser material, you will never ever ever get it to shade exactly the same in Poser as it will in 3DS Max.  You can get some basic things, those supported by OBJ for example, but they just use completely different shading models.  This is true for pretty much any external renderer except possibly Cararra, where DAZ has specifically tried to support Poser's shading approaches.

Not to say that Poser's shading tricks cannot be reproduced, but just don't expect that there is a one-click script that will convert everything automatically.  Most particularly, skin shading will be largely demolished with any content converter I've looked at.  You'll have to come up with some equivalents on your own, by hand.

Any image map textures will save when you save an obj. The problem is that poser ( and many other applications) expects them to be in the same folder as the obj and mtl file. Its not the rendered appearance though but the material settings.

yes I realize the never ever ever thing.

but I figure with some lighting tricks, etc.. it can enhance it a little bit after importing back in to Poser.

Besides in animations, etc..you do not want too real and maintain a bit of surrealism :)

I agree mark, I notice if I export an obj into another program I use called CyberMotion it always complains about not finding textures, and once again begats the silver surfer..lol

"...poser ( and many other applications) expects them to be in the same folder as the obj and mtl file" 

Actually  in my quick experiments that's not the case for Poser. I saved my .obj+.mtl files to a folder outside of Poser's runtime - different drive even - and it loads the textures fine if the .mtl file is present. Apparently Poser does the usual runtimetextures search to find them, so I'm guessing it will should work either way, i.e. textures in the runtimetextures path or in the folder with the .obj file. The difference from loading a regular Poser file I found is that if the .mtl file is missing, Poser doesn't complain about missing textures, it just does the "Silver Surfer" thing.

If you can save your advanced material settings to a material collection or whatever they are called in P6 I would think you could quickly reapply them to the imported .obj. I suppose you could save your posed and textured figure(s) and then strip out all the morph data to make a lighter weight static figure? A hassle but maybe worthwhile in some cases.

Quote - but I figure with some lighting tricks, etc.. it can enhance it a little bit after importing back in to Poser.

Are you taking content into Max to modify the geometry or texture and bring it back into Poser for rendering?  If so, don't even waste any time trying to convert the materials other than just to get the bitmap textures over.

No, I do not even have max, nor do I ever plan to. The price tag of it is absurd.

I just want to create a 3Ds or obj, then bring them back in so other parts like props, scenes will render more quick.

It seems to me the most memory tasking thing in Poser renders, is the character due to all the add on stuff.. i/e hair, morphs, clothes, etc. They can get really huge :)

Quote - I just want to create a 3Ds or obj, then bring them back in so other parts like props, scenes will render more quick.

:huh: I can't see how exporting and importing will really help there.  If you think your render time is long due to materials, you can just use simpler materials - that's all that will change render time when you export/import.  Number of polygons will be the same, that's the only other thing that would affect render time.  The output quality will also go way, way down for many models, certainly any character with skin shading.  But if speed is what you want ... ^^

The character becomes a prop, and can be reduced in polygons in other apps. Max is not the only program out there can do this :)

If the character becomes a prop (in theory)  rendering time should be reduced coming back..

Using some of the reduced resolution figures might help here. I think someone may have said that you can even get the Daz LOD versions of V4 into Poser.

Unless you're dealing with a lot of heavy figures (with clothing and hair) though I don't know how much time you'll save by the time you export to .obj, reduce polys, import the reduced .obj and then fix the textures/material settings. And that's just for one frozen figure (maybe call them statues?). I once tried using Vizup(?) to reduce a simple figure - P4 BizWoman and helmet hair. It worked OK, not too pretty closeup but OK for a background figure. I'm guessing that poly reduction may play hell with trans mapped hair but I don't know. Post a pic if you get it all working.

That too would be another option, using the older models for distance shots. Sort of like a stunt double, thanks for the idea :)