I have made a seashell top and need to know how to group it without loosing the uv map.. I managed to get it grouped and it conformed perfectly but when I did I lost the uv mapping.. I have been all over looking for and answer.. any help would be greatly appreciated..

Thank you

This is the grouped one

Do you have the original grouped .obj file? If so import it into your modeler and check to see if the uv data is intact. Do you have the .cr2 that has the faulty uv data? If so, save it to your figure library. Import the double checked .obj into poser. Enter the set-up room. Load the .cr2 from your library. Exit the set up room. Load your corresponding textures. Is the uv data lost?

 I'll be honest, I've never heard of anyone losing the UV mapping due to grouping, but then again, I'm kind of new at this too. I would simply take the objuect file and take it into a UV mapping program and re-map it. If there's more to it than that, well, then we'll both learn something new.

Only thing I can think of is perhaps the .cr2 is somehow referencing an unmapped version .Obj?  running it through the double check stages I mention above might reveal something.

Did you check to see if you might have accidentally created a new material group and just need to apply the texture to that?

thank you for your quick response

what I did was created the top in Hexagon and then uv maped it.. after that I split it into body groups so it would conform and when I did that .. that is when I lost the uv mapping..

then I took the v3 blank cr2 and edited it to work with the shell top obj.

maybe I am going about this wrong... should I be grouping in a different program ?.. Now when I try to uv map it it is in pieces.. such as neck, lshoulder, rshoulder,  chest and abdomen

Stumped... not a Hexagon user so I'm not familiar with its grouping features. using Wings to create figure models... in Wings you can either assign groups via materials (thus not having to chop up the mesh, but having to text edit fix the materials on both the .cr2 and the .obj files after), or you can cut up the mesh into parts and the creation process in the set up room will assign welds via the new .cr2. Both methods have their pros and cons...

Hopefully a Hexagon user will see your post, I know that vilters is experienced with the app and he's pretty regular around here...

What version of Poser are you using?

You can group the model in Poser using the grouping tool. You won't lose your UVs that way. Don't break the model up, just create the groups you need by selecting the polys for each group with the grouping tool. Afterwards, delete the main object group (whatever the name of your model is will be that group). If you're using P10 or PP2014 the grouping tool is much easier to work with and you can mirror your groups across the X axis. 

I'm not familiar with using hexagon, but any program you use, just export the whole model after you've mapped it, and bring it into Poser.

thank you for your quick response

what I did was created the top in Hexagon and then uv maped it.. after that I split it into body groups so it would conform and when I did that .. that is when I lost the uv mapping..

then I took the v3 blank cr2 and edited it to work with the shell top obj.

maybe I am going about this wrong... should I be grouping in a different program ?.. Now when I try to uv map it it is in pieces.. such as neck, lshoulder, rshoulder,  chest and abdomen

What do you mean that you "split it" into body groups? How did you go about doing that? When you say that it is in "pieces" (neck, lshoulder, rshoulder, etc..) those are groups.

When working in Hexagon, I UV the mesh in Hexagon, export the finished and uv'd object, then I use something like the outstanding "AutoGroup Editor" ( http://market.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=21081&vendor=44570 ) to group the object as necessary. I find that Poser is a bit tedious to work with in that regard and the Setup Room's one-click version doesn't always give me the optimal geometry that I want for the groups.

Remember: Whenever you add or remove vertices, you will destroy the UV map in Hexagon. (And most other 3D packages.) There are exceptions to this rule in Hexagon, however. If you use one of the automated functions, like "Connect Points or Edges With a New Edge" (Found under Vertex Modeling) you won't destroy the UV, but you will create additional vertices that, depending upon how it's going to be rendered, may need to be welded together in your UV map. Most of the automatic functions that create new geometry can be worked with in order to not break your UV map. But, you may have to weld those new points in your UV map in order to clean it up. (I've found it can cause some issues with certain Materials functions in Poser with generated shader effects and the like if you don't. But, it's not always necessary.)

I don't recommend attempting to group in Hexagon unless you have no other choice. (Depending upon your version of Poser, it can do a quick-and-dirty regroup for you in the Setup room.) It's just too clunky and it has a habit of borking up Material Zones to depend on for multiple exports. (I routinely have to fix them using something like UVMapper.) You CAN do it, but if you have something like AutoGroup Editor, it's really not worth doing it if you have a detailed model to work with.

But, if you wanted to use Hexagon for grouping, you could preserve your UV map while making groups in Hexagon by selecting the faces for the group you're making, then copying those faces and pasting them right where they are and then renaming that group of faces the appropriate group name for your model. Do this for each group. Then, when you export, hide the original, ungrouped, object and export all the now-grouped objects as one object. (One object if it will be referenced by only one .cr2. If you are using more than one .cr2, export accordingly.) This will preserve the UV Map, since you wouldn't be adding/deleting vertices.

Yes, I know I mentioned AGE several times, but it's a darn handy little program and I recommend it and QuickConform very frequently. :)