When I'm posing a figure, I often want to adjust more than one dial at a time. For instance, if I'm twisting a character's head around so they can look at something of interest, I generally try to put equal amounts of twist into the head and neck joints. This helps to avoid unnatural looking discontinuity in the joints. If the character is looking at something behind them, then I might want to add twist to the chest and abdomen too. However it's very tedious swapping back and forth between body parts to achieve the required pose, and with the way Poser's selection works it's all too easy to end up tweaking something that you didn't want tweaked. At least Poser 7 has multiple undos - you do have [ Poser 7](http://store.digitalriver.com/store/allume/pd/productID.185011400/OfferID.4361769009?resid=S5skQgoHAjAAAAPLguwAAAAk&rests=1277945356991), don't you? ;) Nevertheless, this pose should work in all versions from 4 upwards.

Attached is a pose file that will add nine dials to V3's body actor, and probably to other DAZ generation 3 (and maybe 4) characters too although I haven't tried it yet. You can use it as it is, or read on and find out how it works so you can adapt it to your own requirements.

Save the attachment without the .TXT extension somewhere in your pose library. Once you've applied it to your figure, select the body and you'll see the extra dials.

ERCbendACNH
ERCtwistACNH
ERCsideACNH

• These apply bend, twist, and side-side to the chain abdomen - chest - neck - head.

ERCbendTorso
ERCtwistTorso
ERCsideTorso

• These apply the same controls to the torso only: abdomen and chest.

ERCbendHead
ERCtwistHead
ERCsideHead

• These do the same thing for the head and neck.

Read on, and I'll describe how it works and you'll be able to see how you might want to modify it.

First, a shout-out to Les Bentley, whose wonderful Compendium of PZ2 Techniques thread contains all the information I needed to make this pose.

Since this is the Technical Forum, I'm assuming that if you're reading this far, you're familiar with editing Poser library files, and you know your way around them to some extent. Now, if we look into the pose file, there are two main sections. First, the body section:

actor BODY<br></br>
  {<br></br>
  channels<br></br>
    {<br></br>
    valueParm PBMCC_01<br></br>
      {<br></br>
      name ERCbendACNH<br></br>
      initValue 0<br></br>
      hidden 0<br></br>
      forceLimits 1<br></br>
      min -100000<br></br>
      max 100000<br></br>
      trackingScale 0.02<br></br>
      keys<br></br>
        {<br></br>
        static 0<br></br>
        k 0 0<br></br>
        }<br></br>
      interpStyleLocked 0<br></br>
      indexes 0<br></br>
      }<br></br>
... and so on with the rest of the channels.<br></br><br></br>

Oh, I really hate this poxy editor. >:-(

The things to note in this section:

indexes 0 clears any existing deltas from the channel. Les says so. :-)

valueParm PBMCC_01 tells Poser to use one of the so-called community channels that are included in V3 and other DAZ figures. The dial is made visible with the hidden 0 line.

Now I'm aware that other poses may be using the same PBMCC channels as I've used, mainly character INJection poses. I rarely use ready-made characters myself so I don't care about this :) but if you find there are clashes, you may want to edit the file to use other channels.

Also, if you wish to make a pose for some other figure which doesn't have ready-made blank channels, you may be able to use another body morph channel that you don't need. A prime candidate for this treatment would be the DAZ generation 1 and 2 figures such as V2 and M2, which have two neck actors. In that case, an ERC dial that controlled the head, upper neck and neck together would be even more useful than this one is. I'll be making one next time I want to use V2 or the original Stephanie, which I still do from time to time.

Now, in the other actor channels, we find code like this:

actor head<br></br>
    {<br></br>
    channels<br></br>
        {<br></br>
        rotateY yrot<br></br>
          {<br></br>
          valueOpDeltaAdd<br></br>
          Figure<br></br>
          BODY<br></br>
 
       

ERCtwistHead<br></br>           deltaAddDelta 10<br></br>           valueOpDeltaAdd<br></br>           Figure<br></br>           BODY<br></br>           ERCtwistACNH<br></br>           deltaAddDelta 10<br></br>           }
      rotateZ zrot
          {
          valueOpDeltaAdd<br></br>           Figure<br></br>           BODY<br></br>           ERCsideHead<br></br>           deltaAddDelta 10<br></br>           valueOpDeltaAdd<br></br>           Figure<br></br>           BODY<br></br>           ERCsideACNH<br></br>           deltaAddDelta 10<br></br>           }<br></br>         rotateX xrot<br></br>           {<br></br>           valueOpDeltaAdd<br></br>           Figure<br></br>           BODY<br></br>           ERCbendHead<br></br>           deltaAddDelta 10<br></br>           valueOpDeltaAdd<br></br>           Figure<br></br>           BODY<br></br>           ERCbendACNH<br></br>           deltaAddDelta 10<br></br>           }<br></br>        }
    }
}

 
Each rotation channel has two valueOpDeltaAdd sections, which students of ERC will recognise as the "receivers" for the dials that were added to the body section.

valueOpDeltaAdd<br></br>
Figure<br></br>
BODY<br></br>
ERCbendHead<br></br>
deltaAddDelta 10

ERCbendHead in this example tells Poser that this channel is to be remote controlled by the dial which bears that name. I've set deltaAddDelta to 10 in this pose to give the dials a reasonably fast response. If I (or you) wanted, you could set different values in each actor's channels to give a different response - and they don't have to be the same values in every actor, either.

I hope that goes some way to explaining things. It is on the terse side, so if you have questions, ask them.

Anybody who has a tutorial on how to make nicely formatted Poser code using this editor is welcome to post it. ;) 

Oh, a little note on how I actually made the pose. First I added the dials to a V3 CR2, using the tools included in Dimension3D's Poser File Editor (as fine an investment as a Poser hacker can make). Then, once I'd confirmed that it worked, I stripped out all the stuff that wasn't needed until I was left with this little pose file. Boy, was there ever a lot of stuff. Hopefully the file I've posted can be used to build variations onto, and save you the bother of doing all that.

One more thing to mention, taken from Les' Compendium thread (edited to apply to this pose):

If the Body (rather than some other part) is selected when you apply the file, then the new dials may not show in the parameters palette. Select some other body part (or something else in the scene), then reselect the Body, this should cause the parameter palette to refresh, and you will be able to see the new dials.

> Quote - Anybody who has a tutorial on how to make nicely formatted Poser code using this editor is welcome to post it. ;)

When posting Poser Script code, I compose the text in a text editor first, using HTML tags where necessary. I then use the "Source" button in the "Reply" box before pasting the text into it.

Bob, thanks for your file, it's a great idea. I found one small glitch. None of the Torso dials in the BODY have anything slaved to them, and consequently they don't do anything. The rest of it seems to work fine.

As you point out the file uses PBMCC channels, and this could come into conflict with some morph injections that want to use the same channels. P6 and up allow a pz2 to create custom valueParm channels in the BODY (only). This is done with "createFullBodyMorph". I have done a slight hack of your file to use such custom channels. I have also fixed the Torso channels in this file. I haven't had time to give my hacked version a thorough test, but on the face of it everything seems to work. It should work on most figures, even if they don't contain PBMCC channels, V2 and M2 being partial exceptions because of the UpNeck actor which will not be affected. But remember, this hack of your file requires P6 or above.

 Thanks Les. I knew there was some technology that could add channels to the body, but hadn't got to grips with it yet. This is obviously the way to go for figures which don't come with blank channels provided in their bodies such as V2. I'll see if I can build a V2 ERC injector off your example.

I may have posted the wrong file somehow... I remember seeing that some of the receiver code had gone missing, and I thought I had fixed it since my test worked. But maybe I saved the updated version somewhere other than where I thought I had. Duh. Thanks anyway for the correction.

I just checked, and the backup file that Poser file editor makes has a later time stamp than the pose file itself. That shouldn't happen..!

Quote - When posting Poser Script code, I compose the text in a text editor first, using HTML tags where necessary. I then use the "Source" button in the "Reply" box before pasting the text into it.

Brilliant. How to persuade the editor to do what you want? Don't use the editor in the first place. :-)

Hi EnglishBob and Lesbentley!

I tried  the  Add_ERC_Dials_V3_ALT.pz2 and it worked great on V3 and  V4, one problem seems to be that the pose file adds both ERCtwistTorso and ERCtwistACNH (same goes for side and bend) and they appear to do the same thing.

One question, are you familiar with "Morphforms" included in the V4 morphs++ package? is that the same technique as yours?

The Torso dials should pose only the chest and abdomen, while ACNH poses abdomen, chest, neck and head. Mine do that - do yours?

Quote - One question, are you familiar with "Morphforms" included in the V4 morphs++ package? is that the same technique as yours?

Nope, only as a user. Les?

You are absolutely right, my mistake.

Anyway, this is a great utility, what to do know is to see if I can understand the principle behind it.

Is there a utility or program that will copy all of the ERC posing and scaling entries from one cr2 to another cr2?

I have a new figure that I want to copy the ERC from a figure that I have already done.

If this is not appropriate place to ask forgive the post.

Thank you
Randy

Great idea, EB ... think it's sort of morphform or the CTRL-chains techique in V4 if not even same approach ... there are not so much different way's to come to Rome in Poser ... :rolleyes:

Only one hint. In the body master dials you have used trackingscale 0.02. As far as the slave dials are rotation dials these are normally using trackingscale 1 if I remember right.
So therefor with that smaller amount in the master it can be a annoying dial orgy if you use the dial with the mouse. For inkeyed values it's equal ... mostly I prefer that ... :laugh:

Quote - Is there a utility or program that will copy all of the ERC posing and scaling entries from one cr2 to another cr2?

I have a new figure that I want to copy the ERC from a figure that I have already done.

If this is not appropriate place to ask forgive the post.

You might get more "airplay" in a new thread, but we'll try. ;-) Are these completely different figures, or different characters based on the same figure? I'm not very clear what you want to do here.

Quote - Only one hint. In the body master dials you have used trackingscale 0.02. As far as the slave dials are rotation dials these are normally using trackingscale 1 if I remember right. 
  So therefor with that smaller amount in the master it can be a annoying dial orgy if you use the dial with the mouse. For inkeyed values it's equal ... mostly I prefer that ... :laugh:

That's probably why I needed large deltaAddDelta values. ERC newbie, you see... It all works fine in the end though with no particular "dial orgy" (I love that term - I may steal it and use it myself). Maybe all roads do lead to Rome, after all. :)

Quote - > Quote - Is there a utility or program that will copy all of the ERC posing and scaling entries from one cr2 to another cr2?

I have a new figure that I want to copy the ERC from a figure that I have already done.

If this is not appropriate place to ask forgive the post.

You might get more "airplay" in a new thread, but we'll try. ;-) Are these completely different figures, or different characters based on the same figure? I'm not very clear what you want to do here.

They are two completely different figures, same body parts but different geometry and joint parameters.

Quote - > Quote - > Quote - Is there a utility or program that will copy all of the ERC posing and scaling entries from one cr2 to another cr2?

I have a new figure that I want to copy the ERC from a figure that I have already done.

If this is not appropriate place to ask forgive the post.

You might get more "airplay" in a new thread, but we'll try. ;-) Are these completely different figures, or different characters based on the same figure? I'm not very clear what you want to do here.

They are two completely different figures, same body parts but different geometry and joint parameters.

If you look for something like MorphManager 4 than I have not seen such tool.

But the nearly only file editing tool remained in market is D3D's Poser file Editor.
And with that youcan do that job as best as posssible. Though it's even at least a lot of manual work.

You open 2 instances of the editor, one for each figur. Then select all the entries which are in a series and shall be copies. Choose Copy Selected.
In the other figure place the cursor where the entries shall go behind and choose Paste. And repeat this for all needed entries without a unneeded in between.

But after this you should check/may have to rework the delta values cause you have different geo and joints. And keep an eye on the numberings like :1 or :2 ...
They should be in line in one CR2.

On other hand it's also easy to create new full body morphs and/or ERC only with PFE.
For example PFE is doing the complete body morph from reading the delta geometry directly till creating the actors geotargets and the FBM in body. Much easier and quicker than in Poser. And you don't need to split the delta geometry according to the actors. PFE is doing this on the fly.

And after this you can easiely sort and arrange your dial groups etc.

PFE is most recommended for poser file manipulations of all sorts ...

I was using G2 Olivia recently, for the first time, and noticed that she has Advanced Body Control dials which include the head and torso wheels that I reinvented here. So do Poser 7's Sydney and Miki 2, but Jessi G2 doesn't. I've used Miki 2 before, so my bad for not exploring her dials fully. ;)