There are already at least two threads on this topic, but given them that one has devolved into an argument over the reasons for the end of DSON compatibility in Poser 12, I decided to create a separate one focused on exploring solutions and work-arounds.

I can confirm my suspicions that you can technically get G8 figures into Poser 12 via the following steps:

1. Load your DSON-converted figure into Poser 11
2. Turn DSON subdivision off (Scripts >> DSON Support >> Subdivision >> Subdivision OFF).
3. Re-save the figure in your Poser library.
4. Load the raw figure geometry (OBJ file) into Poser 12
5. Go to the Setup Room and make your libraries visible (Window >> Libraries)
6. With the imported OBJ selected, load your re-saved figure from the host library..
7. Scroll to the bottom of the body part list that appears and uncheck "SubD."
8. Click OK to proceed with the rig and morph transfer.
9. Return to the Pose Room.
10. Change the skinning method on the new figure to Poser Unimesh (Figure >> Skinning Method >> Poser Unimesh).
11. In the Properties palette, subdivide as desired.

I assume this process will work for G1-3 figures as well. This will at least get a posable, morphable, and subdivided Genesis+ base figure into Poser 12. The downside is that I doubt the "Transfer Active Morphs" script will work on this converted figure, so getting clothes to fit a morphed character won't be as simple as it once was, though it's still technically possible via a process similar to the above. Pose presets are also unlikely to work.

I have some background in programming, and I've been researching ways to convert Python 2 material to Python 3. While script conversion seems rather easy, I think the core of the incompatibility lies in the "dzdsonimporter" PYD file, which is a compiled module. This means that I would most likely need access to the source code. Given that Daz does not appear to have any plans to continue supporting (and thus profiting from) the DSON Importer, what do you think the chances are that they'd be willing to open up the source code? Does anyone think it's worth asking?

It's worth asking, the worst they can say is no. I wasn't aware that DSON Importer supported Genesis 8, that it worked well with the original Genesis but fell short when importing G3. It was then that Wilddial developed Genesis 3 Poser Importer to get a fully functional G3. The importer was upgraded to include Genesis 8, but, then again, there was limited functionality to my understanding. Looking over your suggested steps may seem very feasible. I really need to check my runtimes for a saved G3 figure from Genesis 3 Poser Importer and load it into P12.

@hborre have a link to Wildials importer?

I think you can still get it in the freebie section at Renderosity.

You mean this?

The problem is that it's not an importer per se. All the original software does is add the facial bones necessary for expressions to work in Poser, which I don't mean to minimize, but it's still useless if we can't even import the figure. The rest of Willdial's package is a tutorial on how to export the figure in a way that's Poser-compatible. This is done mainly by changing the weight-mapping method, but it still has to go through the DSON Importer in order to work.

No, that is not correct. I just tried loading a G3F saved from such a conversion into Poser 12. It works but not the way you want it. I get a ghost figure outline with no textures loaded. Textures are in the Material Room but nothing in preview. All Poser converted DSON figure have a DSON file within their folder, Willdial does not. Those associated files are Python Script .py.

I believe the reason Poser 12 will not load a proper full textured figure saved from Willdial's app is that the cr2 is looking for a Subdnull.obj file that is almost impossible to find depending on which version of Poser you run DSON originally. I found 2 instances, one under my Poser Pro 2012 and the other under my Poser Pro 2014. I may have selected the wrong .obj file during the Poser search, ergo the problem. I need to play some more.

Just to humor me, I opened my P11 and loaded a G3F figure created with Willdial's app and I did find that the file still associated itself with DSON. However, I saved back the figure into the P11 Library and allowed Poser to generate a new obj file when I was asked. I went back into P12 and loaded this newly saved G3F figure,

A fully functional Genesis 3 figure. I would need to play with Genesis 8 using this workflow and determine if the key process to all this is just resaving the figure to the Library with a new obj through an earlier Poser version and just loading the figure onto the stage in Poser 12

As far as I can tell, Willdial only has two freebies on his profile, and the one I linked to is by far the closest to an importer. If anyone can point to something different, I welcome such information!

@HBorre I tried your re-saving method with a G8M base figure exported according to Willdial's tutorial. It doesn't seem to work for me. I get the ghost figure you describe above.

All the resaving is done in P11, or whatever version you are currently using. When you save a new cr2, you will get a window panel asking if you want to create a new obj or retain the original. I allowed P11 to create a new Obj file. At least with G3, I get complete importation. I still need to create a Genesis 8 Poser compatible figure to validate the results. That won't happen until later tonight maybe, I have a zoom meeting at 8 PM. I'll keep you posted on my results.

The truth about DSON: https://pub.dev/packages/dson

:)

(Remember: DAZ uses Javascript/Dart for scripting, Poser uses Python)

@hborre "fully functional" as in it takes all the character face and body morphs available at DAZ3D?

From Bondware:

https://www.posersoftware.com/article/470/3-ways-poser-works-with-other-programs-plus-the-daz-workaround

Scroll down to: The Genesis Work Around

Yep. When you create a Poser compatible figure, whatever morphs that are installed in DAZStudio will come along for the ride. Unfortunately, that means every morph that you load into DS for that figure. You have quite a hefty model and lots of parameter dials to delete if you want to lighten the weight.

@hborre so you have to save the entire figure + all the character morphs if there is a particular character you want to use, Alexandra 8 for instance?

When DSON began, the solution recommendation was to place the base figure into a separate library folder and load whatever morphs you want into it. Import the figure into Poser, save the figure into the Poser Library, and then you could delete the extra DAZ Library.

Ok but what if want another character morph..2 or three? then I have to do all this and bake in the character morph to the figure and save that as a new figure. Just trying to understand.

Well, I just succeeded in importing Genesis 8 Female into Poser 12 with complete workable morphs and facial expressions.

The workflow is a bitch but now I can say that it can be done.

@ghostship2: yes, that is correct. That is why you need to be very careful on the DS side when loading character morphs along with your base figure, the more you add, the larger the file. Now you may make the file size smaller by saving the figure back into the Poser Library and generating a PMD. Poser won't slow down and you might be able to add more Genesis figures and clothing to the scene. I haven't done that yet but I might save Genesis 8 in Poser 12 with that option and see where that gets me.

Meanwhile, anything Genesis to be loaded into Poser 12 needs to be modified in P11 first and then resaved into the Library. That means material collections, poses, hair, and clothing. Otherwise, the files will call upon DSON and we know that the program is not reliable in P12.

@hborre I'm quite sure I did save a new OBJ file with the re-saved CR2. It still didn't work for some reason. In any case, it was great to hear of your success with G8F! Care to share your workflow? Also, have you tried fitting any clothes to her yet?

Clothes fitting will come later but judging by my limited experience with G3F, conforming clothing and hair should not be a problem.

The workflow I am developing involves Willdial's Genesis 3 Poser Importer, P11 with a working DSON install, and, of course, P12. When Genesis/Genesis 2 was released the figures and content were in 2 files, one for DS and the other for Poser (Poser Companion Files). IIRC, Genesis 3 dropped the PCF and Genesis 8 definitely does not have any Poser compatible files. Now, if you manage to get Genesis 3/8 into P11, facial expressions are compromised. Willdial created the app to update the CR2s and fix the problem. Willdial was also so kind to deliver the tutorial of creating the necessary PCF file.

Starting with the tutorial, I go ahead and create the Genesis 8 PCF exactly as described for G3. The same procedure applies to clothing and hair. I don't know if dforce clothing can be exported the same way but, ATM, we'll stick to conforming items. Once the figure is converted and exported into P11 we proceed to update the CR2 with the Genesis 3 Poser Importer. Now I believe that the pop-up window for saving the original or new object file with the CR2 in P11 is a new feature, I never seen it before with the SM version, so I assume it was added by Bondware. At this point, I retain the original object file for the new CR2 for updating with G3PI.

With the new updated G8 CR2, I load the figure into the P11 stage, set the subdivision to 0 using DSON, and resave the figure back into the Library this time generating a new object file in the process. Open P12 and navigate to the folder where you saved the latest G8 figure. Load the figure into the scene. You should not see any call for the DSON script and if everything goes correctly, you should see a fully textured G8 figure appear in the scene.

Apparently, resaving the figure in P11 breaks DSON and I'm surprised that no one has ever noticed this before. If you open the folder containing any DSON generated PCF you will find it populated with Python Script associated with the files. However, any figure I saved back into the Poser Library do not generate any associated Python Script. I wonder why it wasn't noticed before.

To further test G8 poses and clothing in P12, I exported a DAZ outfit as a PCF and imported it into P11 through DSON. I did a quick pose and adjusted any pokethroughs with the Transfer Active Morphs Script from DSON Support Script. I saved the outfit back into the P11 library then opened P12 and loaded G8F and the conforming outfit. I gave G8F a pose and the outfit became deformed but I copied the Joint Zones from G8F and this is the result.

So yes, clothing can be ported over and morphs applied to fit the model. Textures need to be addressed but if you have EZSkin 3 and Material Room knowledge, those won't be a problem.

Thank you guys for putting so much into researching this!

I don't know if this will work for everyone. Remember, when the DSON Importer was first released, users had variable results when loading Genesis and PCF content. We had gotten use to depending on the DSON Script so much that we failed to notice that a solution was already there.

Iuvenis_Scriptor posted at 3:39PM Wed, 25 November 2020 - #4405035

I assume this process will work for G1-3 figures as well.

Great tip. Thanks for the write-up. I had a problem this week trying to use Genesis Male Genitals. Neither G1 or G2 would transfer over from DAZ with their testicles in tact! Upon review of the pz3 files that were created, both files strangely omitted any geometry for the testicle actor. I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but I can't help suspect it was done on purpose to foil those of us who like balls. Anyway, I used this method to create G1 and G2 male genitals with testes. The files that are created here still have some DAZ artifacts floating around in them. It appeared to just be meta-data fields. But I'm not really sure.

I think TAB works for G1 and G2

It's a great job. With this great work tutorial, many POSER users will be back.

This is a bunch of bull! this does not work! it never has!

Erogeneis' TAB can work with absolutely any figure. If it's not a V4/M4, just parent it to the hip, and adjust with the numerous parameters. Test done with Terai Yuki 2, with is definitely not Vic based, even not Aiko based, whatever the version number.

Are all of you doing animations? Well, at least I don't, for that simple reason, that a high quality picture takes me about 1 hour to render minimum. So no animation. If I needed a Genesis 8 character in my poser scene, I would open Daz studio and pose, dress and add attached props in there and import the whole thing as an *.obj file into Poser. Tweak some shaders, complete your scene and render.

@Hborre Thank you  for sharing how to import G8 character in P12.

I already succeeded in importing G8F, morph, pose & expressions.

But I failed to import clothes.

Please read my thread, G8F cloth cr2 and help me.