I went looking for Blacksmith3D hoping they would have come up with a conversion for G3 to G9 skin...and they are gone. 

An internet search doesn't find them anywhere else. 

What happened to them? 

Are they gone for good? 

Is there an alternative for skin conversions between figures out there?

You may have a few options. If your G3 skin is not the Base Female or Male UV, you could use Map Transfer to convert it and get one of the products by Cayman or Sickleyield to map the skin to G9. If it is the base UV then you could directly use those products without conversion.

I just happened to find a product that I forgot I bought called "ultimate unwrap 3d pro" which does conversions from G2 to G8. You would need to save an obj file to disk with all of the textures for the source and an obj for the target and the program projects the textures. The only issue with that product is that both the objects need to be the same shape and make sure as much of the mesh is exposed (open mouth, spread fingers and toes). Also you would need to move eyes from the base mesh on G3/G8 so it doesn't smear the textures. So it's a bit of work to get started, but does convert the textures. The product does have a tutorial on their website that explains most of the process. ("Tutorial 3 for Repainting Mesh UVs (Texture Transfer)")

The first option would probably be the easiest. 

Thanks :) 

No problem! Oh and I meant to say that Ultimate Unwrap 3D will convert skins to G9. I did a few conversions of between of G2/G3/G8 skins to G9 to try to build up my rendering library when G9 was released. You may need to do some photoshop editing for the nipples (for the males).. which is why I said the Cayman or Sickleyield products would probably be easier.

Still wondering about the first part of my question, does anyone know what happened to Backsmith3D and if they have their own site, where can I find it?

http://dev.blacksmith3d.com/software-products-cms-53

Thanks :) 

I would note that the website sends the user back here to buy Blacksmith3D products...and you get a message indicating the vendor has closed their store

You have a couple of potential solutions for transferring your G3 skin to G9:

If your G3 skin is not using the Base Female or Male UV, you can utilize Map Transfer to convert it. You can also consider using products by Cayman or Sickleyield to map the skin to G9. If it's not based on the standard UV, you can use these products directly without the need for conversion.

I happened to rediscover a product I had previously purchased called "Ultimate Unwrap 3D Pro." This tool facilitates conversions from G2 to G8. The process involves saving an OBJ file for both the source and target models, including all the textures, and the program will project the textures accordingly. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind, such as ensuring both objects have the same shape, exposing as much of the mesh as possible (e.g., open mouth, spread fingers and toes), and adjusting the eyes to prevent smearing of textures. While it may require some initial effort to set up, this product provides texture conversion capabilities. You can find a tutorial on their website that explains the process in more detail (look for "Tutorial 3 for Repainting Mesh UVs - Texture Transfer").

The first option is likely the most straightforward and should work well for your needs.