OK. I've got scoopy's Suspension Tank prop, but it has no UV Map. I've never done one, but I figure I'll giver it a shot. The trouble is the morph targets. There are several MTs that allow parts of the prop to move. When I save the UVMapped version, it loads fine, and I can now texture it, but of course the morph targets are gone. The trouble is I can only export the entire model. In the hierarchy editor, the sub-parts do not appear, just the "body tank" listing. I've never done this, and I'm in over my head. How can I UVMap all the parts of this prop and retain the morph targets? Thanks.

One way is easy the other harder. First is the prop just a pp2 file or does it have an object file as well? If it has an object file, meaning the pp2 references on external object file, it is easy. Just map the object and save it over the old object, or rename it and edit the pp2 with a text editor to the new object. You will find the object inside. Use the find function for .obj to make sure you get them all, then save the pp2 under a new name. If it has embedde geometry, then I am lost. Someone posted here a tutorial on making props point to external objects that might help you edit the pp2 to point to your object and include the morphs. I don't have that and could not find the prop in free stuff to look myself.

It's the Suspended Animation Chamber by Scoopey (note spelling).

The download comes with several props; the tank prop itself, a couple of harnesses (for male and female characters), and an air mask with wires.

The tank is a single piece; there are no sub-parts. All of the morphs and geometry are contained in the .pp2 file.

Are you simply importing the new tank .obj into Poser? If so, it doesn't have any morphs. They're still in the original .pp2. I suppose you could save the imported tank into the Props Library, and then use Morph Manager or CR2Edit to perform an emergency morph transfusion from one .pp2 to the other.

Thanks for the reply. Nope, the geometry appears to be internal. Tons of lines with verice coords. No obj file. I got the prop from here: http://www.miragegraphicsand3d.com/pages/props2.html Hmm... I suppose I could spend the next three weeks exporting the entire model in every conceivable position and then bring those back as MTs for the UVMapped version. Would that work? Or, I could go look for that tutorial you mentioned. :-) Thanks for your help!

Thanks Little_Dragon, I'll look into that as well.

You're welcome. Yes, posing the model and exporting morph targets could work also. You might be overestimating the task at three weeks (are you, by chance, an engineer?). There are only four morphs (frame, doors, tank, liquid), and you only have to export them posed at a setting of 1, so it wouldn't take more than a few minutes. Set one morph to 1, and the other three to zero. Export. Repeat with the other three morphs. Now import your new UV-mapped .obj, go to Object Properties and add all four morph targets, then save the tank to the Library as a prop. Be sure to post an image of your new-and-improved suspended animation tank in the gallery. I'd love to see it textured. I've just played with the silly thing and created an animation.

Hmm... now that I think about it, you're right. I was thinking 4 morphs = 4 digits = 1000 possibilities, but of course there's only two settings for each morph (binary), so 2^4 = 16. Oddly enough, I am an engineer in my day life. :-) If it turns out decent, I will post in the gallery. I've got an idea for an animation of a droid inventory control system sort of thing. :-) Also, in the readme Scoopey says to email him if anyone textures it, so maybe I'll get his permission and put a pack up in free stuff for it. Assuming it works, of course. Thanks!

Want to see my animation? I could email it; only 200KB in DivX .avi format (or 295KB in MPEG-1).

Sure. I'll hit you from your artist page so you've got the address.

Which format do you want? AVI or MPEG?

DOH! DivX is fine.

I was thinking about the morph/texture problem on the metro coming to work. If the objects are already mapped, then you can simply export the objects and get a template from UV Mapper. Don't make any changes to the mapping and the textures will work. If the objects are not mapped. Surely you can map them in Poser, which will save the map information to the original objects, and then export - again grab the template from with the UV mapper! Poser makes a hash of mapping anything more than a sqaure, but if you map each side seperately you should get a reasonable template. I know many people have never used Poser's UV mapper. If you don't know about it, it's an option in the edit screen (whatever it's called - that thing wher you select individual faces of the model.)

And as LD said, if not already mapped, you would only need to export & transfer the four original MT's (not all 16 combinations).