Quick question for anyone who downloads and uses Poser props. When I create the props, do they need to include material? or are they normally just gray and you add the material? Thanks

Well, it depends on how much you want to add to the worth of the model. We try now to add a texture map to all our models, we have many that do not have a texture map, but they have templates. Some, like our headstones, have no template or map. Those would be the 3ds, but they have the ability to have material. We are trying to keep up with things, but when we have time we are redoing all of our models. We want them all to have texture maps of their own someday...but it is slow going. So, it does depend on what you feel your time is worth and what do you think your model is worth, how easy it is to manipulate for others that may only have one software application....must try to think of others and what they have to be able to use your model. Well that sure was lengthy, sorry. Hope this helped a little...Sharen PS: my opionion, all should have maps and materials

As a prop user, I would like to see templates and materials; however, what you want to include depends on what you want to offer as Sharen mentioned. If you're going to sell the prop, it better have those items if you expect to make sales.

I'm learning that free modelers like Metasequoia will do a great job and save in wavefront .obj format. From there you can use UVMapper to make a template and paint the daylights out of it in free paint tools like Gimp (or PS if you own it). Then the Pro Pack in Poser will put bones to it and autogroup or let you choose mesh groups and you can pose your props. I'll try and get a tut up this weekend in my tut gallery. www.annsartgallery.com/eric.htm

Thanks everyone... this should get interesting, I have no problems creating models in Rhino and Cinema (see gallery), but I have "little" experience in Poser. Will give it a shot and see what happens. BTW - What's a template?

If you use a program like UV Mapper in the freeware section, it will generate a bitmap image of the flattened mesh parts in your model. That's a template. You can paint directly on the bitmap and then in Poser, assign that painted bitmap to the model. Its a great way to avoid buying expensive model painting programs. What I just learned in playing around with this is that any model made can be opened in 3dExploration and saved in .obj format with uv mapping coordinates. Poser will then allow the texture map to be overlaid on it. I'll get a tut up this weekend.

Thank allot everyone... your all great with the help. Here's my first model for Poser completed in Rhino and I will give it a shot at getting it converted. I should have mentioned before that I have Poser 3. I've never really used it for much but maybe to pull people out of it for a scene or such so I never made the jump to Poser 4. If this works out, it will probably be worth the upgrade. Thanks again.

Oh my, this is amazing, you are terrific at this....what a great job with the model and texturing.....wow, really really great. Sharen

Thanks for the complement, but please don't go to far, I've got to get this into Poser at this point. I'll post apicture of what it looks like in Poser when I get it done. BTW - Here's an image I tried making with the light on and the shade off. This is when I noticed a major component missing... ummm, how is that shade going to connect to the Lamp? Duhh... I've got to get that fixed.

LOL, Don't be surprised if you get this into Poser and it doesn't look quite like this. Poser has a smoothing engine and will take any straight surface and try to curve it, so to speak. If it doesn't all you have to do is put this into UV mapper and split the verticies and it will look just like your original, but be warned your polygon count will grow to be about 3 times as large. Sharen

Ok, a few people over in the Rhino forum said I should include power.... so I added a Nuclear Reactor... LOL.

Holy Sh******, that is just amazing work, really just wonderful....you will not have any problems getting you models to go out.....whewy, I just can't believe it, just gorgeous....!!!!!!! Sharen