Dumb question... Why is it Poser4 doesnt always allow you to import 3ds, DXF and obj...with all the groups by themselves???? In other words some you can texture some you can't.You know you only get that damn "PREVIEW" in the box..then some will allow you to apply textures and make transparent.... I've tried UV Mapper...3Dwin/ogl even to try and convert it to some other format to get seperate groups. I know I'am missing the obvious, but a desk top lamp or such,just seems to lose it's impact when it's all one color.. Any body got a solution/ideas?????

Hi Cody you may find my clothing and colouring tutorial helpful (availiable in the free stuff) or at http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pcooke/graphics/examples.htm In it I make reference to the format of OBJ files. Also note that DXF format files just do not take textures only material colours... I spent ages finding this out too. Regards PhilC

Roger that..... Them darn files just don't wanna be texed'.. Understand what ya mean about DXF.... Gonna go check out the tut. Thanks...

You can only apply a texture to a model if its geometry .OBJ file has vt lines, and if its f lines contain pointers to those vt lines. .DXF and .3DS modes have no equivalent of .OBJ's vt mechanism, and therefore .DXF and .3DS objects can't be textured by map.

Waitaminute. You can't textmap 3DS? I guess I've never tried. Learn something new all the time. :)

You can texture map 3ds but it must have texture co-ords before its brought into poser........the rreason your getting some files with mats and some without is they must be applied before importing them, an Obj can be done in UVmapper but a 3ds must be done in another app..what do you have there..........Steve

Sorry I wrote that to fast lets see if I can explain better.........say you built the lamp in max and didn't put any textures on it then used it in poser it would be one color.......then lets say you applied 3 materials m1 m2 and m3 then exported it poser would read this file as having 3 materials but you couldn't apply a texture (well not easily anyway) ..........but if you applied 3 materials in max and they contained textures and you had them set up just right in max when you imported them in poser they would texture just the same.......its not posers fault its the modeler not setting up the model correctley.....don't flame me :o) I've done it myself many a time LOL

Import your 3ds file into Poser. Export the file as an object file. Map the object file in UVMapper. Import the object file into Poser. Save object file as 3ds. Then if you have a program you can import the 3ds file into that allows texture mapping, apply your textures and when you import the 3ds file the textures will be there. This applys to your question omly if you have a 3ds file that needed a texture map applied to it. I use Rhino and explode the mesh into all the parts. poser will have each material listed. Dutchman.

That's part of the problem.. The one lamp is from Trimax,I converted it too DXF with 3d win ogl..I did a quickie in Bryce3...The one on the left has nothing as far color added, That's how it came into Bryce,,,Then in the materials lab,I did the one on the right the way I would like to do it in Poser4...The mesh(3ds.) that came from Trimax,When brought into Bryce was all one color.Take the DXF into Poser4 and it's still all one color,,I hope this helps a little more... http://personal.netwrx.net/pitts/lamp.jpg

The only way round this I think is to bring it into another app and apply materials to it............try exporting it from poser as an obj then bring it into uvmapper and if there is no texture go edit new uvmap and choose any at this point now go edit select by group if this is all greyed out or there is only one group forget that bit (more later) but if you do find groups select each one in turn and go edit assign to material and give it a name.......then export the obj........if there was only one group then remap the lamp try planar on the x axis, just keep fiddling till you get the best view then save the map and save the model.........now paint on the map the colors you want then apply that map to the lamp............or if you get a good view in uvmapper you can drag over sections of the lamp and assign those sections to a material.....hope this helps......Steve

Yeah I've got the Rhino Demo.... Amazing little program there...I'm playing with it now. Exploding and saving...This seems to be working.Just wish I had the full blown VERSION>>>>>>

O-Kay I followed Steves advice. Took into the trial version of Rhino3d.....And walla... That damn chain is all seperate pieces all 20 of them little balls.... Now the hard part is convincing my financial advisor(read;WIFE) I can't live without Rhino.....If I tell her how much it cost's I may not live at all... Thanks Guys for all your help!!!!!!!!

Cody if you are a Student or know someone who is have them get Rhino for you. For Students Rhino is $195.00 I believe. Dutchman.

Hey good approach... Honey...the kids just can't live without Rhino.... Thanks man,,,,I've never used THAT one on her.... :)