Have a composition that I'd like to get started. It will require some realistic string to hang things from the ceiling. Anything like ball or kite string will be perfect. I took a few Poser "primitives" and stretched them out as you will see below. I don't want anything perfectly straight, needs to have a gentle flow. In the image you can see the original primitive (3 different types each in a different color). I just took down the x and z scale from 100% to 3% and you can see the results. I added a cloth texture map to all of them to give them some shading. I feel like there's something I could do in the Material Room that would make the string more realistic. Maybe a math node, just need some help from someone who's good with nodes. I flipped the small strings 180 degrees to see what they look like upside down.

Did some searching for freebies but most everything out there is rope. If anyone knows of a LINK to some natural looking string that would be great too. I would enjoy the challenge of making something work in the Material Room if anyone is willing to guide me along. Thanks! -TOM-

Have you tried Masa's "Gordian Knot" program? It exports in obj format, the string accepts common textures and works well with Poser. Simply export a "core prop" from Poser as an OBJ, load it into Gordian Knot, wrap it up and export the string back into Poser.

Here's the link:

http://www.eurus.dti.ne.jp/~masasi/index.htm

Quote - Have you tried Masa's "Gordian Knot" program? It exports in obj format, the string accepts common textures and works well with Poser. Simply export a "core prop" from Poser as an OBJ, load it into Gordian Knot, wrap it up and export the string back into Poser.

Here's the link:

http://www.eurus.dti.ne.jp/~masasi/index.htm

Downloading the program now. Sounds like a great program. Many thanks! -TOM-

Why not use the hair room?

Grow a few hairs on the cieling? (turn it upside down again to let them hang down)

Yo can select the polys to grow from, the number of hairs, and you can control how they behave.

We'v used the hair room to make hair, short and long grass, furr.. why not strings hanging from the cieling.

Quote - Why not use the hair room?

Grow a few hairs on the cieling? (turn it upside down again to let them hang down)

Yo can select the polys to grow from, the number of hairs, and you can control how they behave.

We'v used the hair room to make hair, short and long grass, furr.. why not strings hanging from the cieling.

Your suggestion sounds very interesting. Problem for me is that I've never been in the hair room. It's foreign soil . I had no idea I could "grow" hair. Ideally I'd like the string to have some tiny fuzzy hairs to help make it realistic. I would like to try the hair room but I wouldn't know where to begin.

"I would like to try the hair room but I wouldn't know where to begin."

Suggest clicking on the Hair Room Tab and seeing how it compares to the Chapter on the hair room in the manual. :)

Load a prop.

Use the hair room grouping tool to define a hair group. Suggest the entire prop to start with. Then click the "grow hair" button.

Turn the hair length dial.

Experiment.

Another thing to consider will be what level of detail you require. Unless you are doing an extreme close up you may be better off creating a long cylinder in a 3D modeling application. Give it a few small offsets so that it does not hang perfectly straight. In Poser apply a depth or displacement map to give it some "fuzziness".

To my view, yes the hair solution can work but I feel that it will get very complicated very fast, the 3D model will be much simpler and just as effective.

Quote - "I would like to try the hair room but I wouldn't know where to begin."

Suggest clicking on the Hair Room Tab and seeing how it compares to the Chapter on the hair room in the manual. :)

Load a prop.

Use the hair room grouping tool to define a hair group. Suggest the entire prop to start with. Then click the "grow hair" button.

Turn the hair length dial.

Experiment.

Another thing to consider will be what level of detail you require. Unless you are doing an extreme close up you may be better off creating a long cylinder in a 3D modeling application. Give it a few small offsets so that it does not hang perfectly straight. In Poser apply a depth or displacement map to give it some "fuzziness".

To my view, yes the hair solution can work but I feel that it will get very complicated very fast, the 3D model will be much simpler and just as effective.

I am trying several different things. Would like to try your "displacement map" idea. Can you suggest one to use that's "freeware"? I would really like a fuzzy appearance of the string that will show up in the forefront of the composition.

There is a noise node in the material room. I've not got easy access to Poser at the moment so you'll need to hunt for it. Or create one using a Photoshop filter.

Let me see.... yes I have Photoshop here .....

You may freely use this image.

...great looking texture! Will load it up and give it a try...

and will try some "noise", thanks!