Hi folks!

I have been a Poser user since the days of Poser 4. As far as figures are concerned, I have been fairly conservative. It took me a long time to switch from V2 to V3 (chiefly because I use custom-made clothes, and I wanted to avoid the hazzle of doing everything anew), and I was also pretty late to adopt V4. I have been using V4 weightmapped for my main female characters for two years or so, and I really like it.

Now, realizing how many ppl seem to switch to DAZ under the impression of V5, V6, V7, I wonder if V7 is really so much better than V4 WM. I don't really mind differences in realistic bending as I believe the bending abilities of V4 WM are pretty good. I wonder about subtle details in the mesh, accentuated feature on hands, the neck etc. I have started toying with X&M perfect V4 morphs. What I realized yesterday is that applying the all-in-one morph of Perfect V4 into a weightmapped V4 seems not to work.

Any experiences with "sculpting" V4 WM towards increased realism without the help of Z-Brush?

Thanks in advance!

I'll jump in early before the usual argument starts.

Firstly I cannot advise on the Genesis figures as I do not use them but I am surprised you are having a problem using X&M Perfect morphs. I am making the assumption that the V4WM version you are using is the perfect place one, free at RDNA, If that is the case I have been using V4WM with all of the Perfect morphs for years without any problems. More recently, after the launch of the SE version, I have been using Dawn a lot more, not so much for better bending but I find the expressions more realistic and easier to apply. I still use V4 though and the characters I have built are all based on V4WM with all the Perfct morphs and a few more besides.

Good to know, so I must have made some mistake. I followed the instructions on creating a new CR2 file in the Character/Daz Peaople folder but used tmy modified Wm file instead of the out of the box Vickie 4.2 one. And when I loaded that one and injected all the perfect morphs, it looked very odd.

lookoo, you don't say which V4WM you are using.......now that there are 2, it complicates matters.

Are you using the one from phantom place or the one from AerySoul?

Uhm... the one from RDNA, I gues that would be phantom place...?

The Applicator script for V4 WM was written to use the default V4.2 as the file to convert to V4~WM.

Odd things can happen if you use another saved figure, any jcm's, jsm's, magnets, etc, you may have added will be stripped out of it.

It was far easier to just use the Base V4.2 file, than write a ton of exclusions and special handlers in the script.

I think I may have started the confusion with the naming of the V4WM in my response. Years ago when I started using V4WM I believe it was the only one and from forums at the time I connected it to Poser Place however in my response I erroneously called it perfect place. I think the phantom reference comes from the fact that the rigging and weight is credited to Phantom3d.

The figure is actually called WMV4, so maybe I got that wrong as well but strangely the script for converting the V4 clothes for the weight mapped version is on RDNA as Poser Place's outfitter.

So just to make matters clear that is the version that I have been using for years and it does work with the Perfect morphs and I am sincerely grateful to every member of the team that created the weight mapped version and their generosity in providing it to the community for free.

Final point - take special notice of shvrdavid's advice, he was part of the team after all.

Thanks for the feedback! I figured out that injecting the individual "perfect" morphs into weightmapped V4.2 works just okay. What didn't work was the all-in-one CR2-meddling suggested in the package. But that's not a problem as long as the individual morphs work one by one. ;)

lookoo posted at 5:01PM Mon, 28 December 2015 - #4245967

Thanks for the feedback! I figured out that injecting the individual "perfect" morphs into weightmapped V4.2 works just okay. What didn't work was the all-in-one CR2-meddling suggested in the package. But that's not a problem as long as the individual morphs work one by one. ;)

IIRC, there is a bit of finagling to do be done to get them working well with weightmapped V4. But, they will work.

Beside's X&M's fixes, do not underestimate the power of the Morph tool in Poser nor the ease at which custom JCMs can be created. If you're not getting that "perfect bend" on a figure, due to it being a radical morph-combo or a custom morph, it takes only a few minutes, depending on the issue, to create a very nice, custom, JCM for your figure that solves just about whatever problem you could be having with it, as far as deformations go. (Instructions for creating dial morphs and slaved JCMs are in the Poser manual and are easy to follow, once you get the hang of it. If you'd like to create your own injectable JCMs, there are several programs in Rendo's products that would work just fine for you.)

Also, don't forget that you can adjust V4's deformers in the figure's main Object Menu. You can turn them off (-1, IIRC) or adjust them, (en masse only, afaik) as needed using the "Deformers" dial. This can solve some issues with flexing/bending/twisting limbs and deformers kicking in a bit too strong with a morphed figure.

Lastly - Many people forget to add V4's deformers, using the "Magnetize" pose-sets, to clothing in order to solve poke-thru issues and the like. (There are also some freebie python scripts that add V4's deformers to clothing, as well.)