I know how to create a MAT file for a figure -- but how do you create a MAT file for a prop? Can this even be done? Thanks. azl

It must be parented to a figure to make a MAT file for it. ScottA

You can do it in a text editor pretty easily. I have some MAT files for Kozaburo's hair in the free stuff. If you open one of those in a text editor you should be able to see how it's done. (Those are hair, not props but the principle is the same).

ScottA is right. The MAT can't be applied to the prop unless the prop has a figure as a parent.

So is this only because Poser wont let you 'apply' a Pose/MAT file unless you have a figure in the scene, or because it will only check/update the props that are attached to the current figure? Obviously it 'can' apply the material, it just doesn't feel like it unless it's attached. :) So there must be some special-case handling CL has put into the file extention/library types, but in a general sense they all seem to use the same generic file interpreter code and can understand it, but instead skip over and ignore it. Has anyone tried putting the text from some of these pose/MAT files into a light/camera/.../??? type object and see what other strange things might happen? Bruce ~dke~ ~Duo Genesis~

It seems to be very simply because the little button you have to press to apply the pose hides itself unless the prop is parented to a figure. I assume that if the button were visible and usable there would be no problem.

Right. That's the thing I ment by the 'apply' part above. I'm assuming you have the same situation if you try to put it in the face libray/section, since that probably will hide the button as well unless you have a figure loaded. On top of which, when you do have a figure loaded, it would appear that it will only step through and update props/etc. that are parented to the currently selected figure. So that's why I started thinking about which of the other library groups you could put it in. Hair, Faces, and Hands probably require a loaded figure to display the button, but also probably have the same limitations as far as only accessing the selected figure and anything parented to it. So you're left with Figures, Props, Lights and Cameras - although Figures 'may' have a similar limitation as above. So that leaves the other three library groups that don't care much about what else exists, and perhaps putting the pz2 there and renaming the extension might have some ...results... :) They may have other limitations of their own, but before re-creating the wheel was wondering if anyone had tried mucking about with them? Bruce

I don't know of any experiments along those lines. It would be worth trying I think.

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