Well, I thought I'd rephrase the question, since all you people are so knowledgeable and so cool. :) Here's what I would like to do: I want to create a transparency map for Lady Cherry's pony tail hair (http://18.157.5.58/downloads/cherryptailp.zip), which I popped onto Posette for you to look at (nice, isn't it?) but I'm confused on a couple of points. I exported the hair as an .obj, but which UVmapper map should I use? Box-spherical-cylindrical-planar? Does it matter? How do I tell Poser which I used? Do I need to do different maps for the hair and the tail separately, and if so how do I get the program to recognize them? Jamball77 pointed out to me that many hair props have multiple layers. That doesn't seem to be the case with this one, and it has only two materials (the hair and the hairband). I'm new with all this, and I would really appreciate some detailed help with this one! If you know where there is a tutorial or readme that explains all this please let me know. Photoshop gruntwork I'm good at, but I just need to know how to get started! And hey, if I end up making something decent, I'll share. Thanks for your help!

Hmm... I don't have that hair piece... so I can't say for sure, but from the looks of it, I don't know how well it'll take to being transmapped... You don't have to export the hair as an .obj file to use UVMapper though... it will actually create a UVMap for you from the .hr2 file... you just have to change the file types to "all files" when you go to File->Open in UVMapper, then browse to the appropriate hair folder and load the .hr2 file. It'll generate a the map that the hair is already using... if however when it generates the map, the map is all garbled, then you'll want to create a new map to paint on... really it's personal preference... whichever type of map looks like it'll be easier for you to paint on, use that type... but if you create a new UVMap you'll have to make a new .obj file... I'm afraid I'm not explaining this terribly well... If you make a new UVMap it no longer coincides with the UVMapping of the original .obj... so you'd need to make a new .obj that will match the mapping you've just created... so you'd need to save the .obj and then reimport it into Poser to make a new hair prop... then your new UVMap will work. So you'd pain onto the new UVMap, and apply that texture to the new .obj file... Okay... I've probably just been more confusing than helpful... so I'm gonna go now... if you want me to try to clarify I'll try, but I make no promises that I'll make sense... :( K-

thanks cin especially about the tip for opening other types of files. definately overlooked that possability. :) I've only used it to open .objs

1. If the hair does not have UV coordinates, you'll have to create them. No big deal, but you'll have to save the hair under a different name and import that hair into Poser. 2) If the hair does have coordinates, but they're fubared, you'll have to create a new map and save the hair under a different name and import it into Poser. 3) I seriously doubt that hair will map properly. It is too thick. I could very well be wrong -- I'm not a UVMapper expert at all. It just does not look like any of the hair models that have been successfully give transparency maps in Poser. I think you can create groups in UVMapper with the selection tool and assign different materials to them: ponytail, ponytail holder, head, and bangs. If you can do that, then you can select the different groups and map them in different ways. The ponytail might work as a box, with the ponytail holder as a cyllander, and the head and bangs as 2 different spheres. If you do something like this, you'll need to save the model under a different name as you'll be creating or changing the UV coordinates. The newest version of UVMapper can create a .uvs file which is a way to distribute the changes in mapping without having to supply the model itself. Again, I'm not an expert, but hopefully this helps explain it a bit. I haven't seen many detailed tutorials on UVMapper. twillis' tutorial on creating a poseable figure may help as it has a section on partitioning an object in UVMapper. http://www.jabberdoggy.com/Tutorials/Gingerbread/GBMatrix.html (Stage 2: Dividing the Mesh.)

I figured out that UVMapper will open other file types completely on accident... way back when I had NO clue what I was doing... I just tried opening a .pp2 file, not knowing that I should've been trying it with an .obj and it worked... :)

Hi! That's very helpful. Is the ability to select 'all files' new? I'm on a Mac, and found that the latest UVmapper version was very unstable on my old, old machine (as in: it crashed on launch), so I'm using an earlier version of UVmapper. It doesn't seem to be able to import 'all files', just .objs. I'd figured that I might need to use a new exported .obj-- the thing is, Lady Cherry has made this hair with so many morph targets that it's great to use as is, and I would love to be able just to apply a transparency to her model, but I fear I'm going to have to go through a very complex rigamarole indeed. :(

Lots of great suggestions here! Crescent-- how do I create UV coordinates? Sorry-- I'm a terrible newbie.

If the object does not have coordinates, UV Mapper will let you know. Go to Edit: New UV Map and pick what type of maping you want to use. After you make the map, you can assign groups and then remap the groups in different modes (i.e. create the map as planar, create your different groups, then select each group and map it using a different method, such as box, spherical, etc.)

There's no such thing as a terrible newbie... not if you're trying to learn anyway... ;) I have NO MAC experience... so I don't know if I'll be helpful... but to create a new UV Map you go to Edit->New UVMap-> and then pick the type of Map you want to create... But if you do that, then you'll need to create a new .obj file to apply the new map to... and then you'll lose all the morphs in the original.. :(

OK, Crescent- this must be a feature in the new UVmapper version. I can't get it to work; I can only open .obj files. That's okay... I think what I may do is just remap the hair and redo the morph targets, though that will be terribly time-consuming, unless one of you wonderful people can tell me a time-saving way to do it... BTW, UV mapper exports a 'mtl' file.. what is that?

the .mtl is just the .obj's "material" setting, you can delete it...

I downloaded the hair file so that I could see what was going on with the map to begin with, and as you can see from the picture... it's a mess... so to even TRY to make a transparency map (I haven't loaded the hair into pose yet, but I really doubt that this one will trans map well... it doesn't look like it's built to...) you'll need to remap it... which can be frustrating...

Wow, that IS a mess. I think I will need to redo it! In that case... any advice on how I can get the new OBJ to sit like hair, scaled and all, on a Posers head?

You folks are great, BTW- it's wonderful for a newbie hobbyist to be able to tap the resources of experienced professionals lke yourselves. Thank you very much!

You don't have to map the morph targets, just the object itself. Poser uses the morphs as a comparison for sizing and placement, not for UV coordinates. If you remap the hair, you should be able to import it and have it sit as normal on Posette's head. You can always cheat and hack open the .hr2 file, change all instances of the original .obj name with the new, remapped .obj, and save it under a different name. Then copy the original .rsr and give it the same name as the new .hr2 so you have a thumbnail as well.

Heh... I'm far from experienced, or professional... but I try. Crescent's right about the morphs... unfortunately, the .hr2 doesn't pull from an outside .obj file... the geometry for the whole thing is in the .hr2 file... I know there's a way to make it point to an outside .obj file, but I don't know what it is off the top of my head... I think there used to be a tutorial on how to do it at morphworld... yup... I just looked... http://www.morphworld30.com/tutorials/externalcalls.html that's for a prop file... though it SHOULD work for a hair file too... just make sure you save it as an .hr2 file... now I could be completely wrong... so don't quote me! And again Crescent is right... if you export the hair as an .obj file, when you remap it, and reimport it, it should come back in the same place it was when you exported it. K-

Cool! First time I tried the export though I got HUGE hair prop somewhere in the middle of the scene. That was with a straight export from UVmapper (older version).

It's not too hard to do, really, just tedious.

First, regroup the thing in a logical fashion--in this case: ponytail, ring, bangs, and scalp. Be sure to assign a different material to each new group. Then export the hair as a prop .obj. (Or just save it to a prop file, or hair file...it's really easier just pulling it out as an obj file, though)

Pull it up in UV Mapper (thankyou, thankyou, Steve Cox...whatever would we do without it?) Select by material and play with mapping formats--cylinder for ponytail, spherical for scalp and bangs, cylinder for ring.

Save the object file and the texturemap file.

Then workup a texture and a transparency file, using the texturemap you saved as a template.

I heartily recommend the Digital Babes tutorial on doing their style of transparency...basically, just stay away from the borders and keep rendering the piece, trial and error, until it looks right to you.

eng

Wow Engelken, looks as if you've already done all the work! Now if I can just figure out how to do what you just told me to do, I'll be all set and happy. I did have a look at the Digital Babes tutorial, and have been playing with brushes in Photoshop to get a good effect. Thanks! Okay, I'm going to try that now... wish me luck...

I admit I haven't mastered the intermediate/advanced items in Poser. How did you do the material assignments in Poser itself? Thanks!

There are a coupla ways to do this. The one I use is: Select element, click on grouping tool. Select New Group (name it anything you like, or leave it New Group) Use tool to select the portion of the prop you want and then select assign material and name it something. Rinse, repeat. (hit remove all and select the next portion) eng