I have Poser 4 and AutoCAD2000, and this will not change anytime soon, so PLEASE don't give advice based on the assumed posession of Max or Raydream or any other supplemental modelling program. I have been using AutoCAD professionally for quite a few years and have become quite good at it. I am trying to learn how to translate mechanical and other 3D designs from AutoCAD (by way of the .3ds export) into fully poseable props/figures for use in Poser and related programs. I wish to concentrate on weapons, armor, and mechanical props, but intend to dally in new/modified figures as well. I have been able to export from .dxf as .3ds, import .3ds parts into P4, export them as individual and assembled .OBJ files. No sweat. I have successfully created .phi files using PHI Builder. I have converted said files. The problems start when doing the joints. I am running into some problems, mostly with the so-called "automatically generated joints between parent and child objects" when I convert the hierarchy file. The seams frequently do not blend or join up, so I end up with props containing detachable or floating parts, and semi-seamed parts. I have yet to determine where the error lies. I am quite fed up with all the trial and error... too many errors! This is - to understate things - a trifle annoying. Does anyone have a line on advice or a tutorial which will spoon-feed me with instructions written as though intended for a retarded earthworm? Thanks.

Let me ask you are drawing in 3D solid models or in mesh? Sharen

I usually design in solids but have found that even when exploded they do not translate at all well into 3ds format (normals get flipped seven ways from sunday) so i have grudgingly begun to use meshes generated with the edgesurf command routine.

What you're asking about has more to do with Poser and little to do with AutoCAD. There are a lot of good tutorials on poseable props, poseable figures, and joint parameters. Check out the mast head on the Poser forum page for a link to the tutorial page. As far as AutoCAD, here are a few I do: (I model in solids) I set the Isolines to 12 (default is 4) and the Facetres to 4, this inceases the number of faces when you export to a 3DS file. This means the model has a higher ploy count, but it helps to smooth the surface (faces are smaller). If you surface model, keep the m and n numbers little higher so the rectangles in your mesh are small for the same reason. I model full scale (in inches) in AutoCAD, when I'm ready to export I scale the model down to match Poser. Scaled down to 1/96 full scale will match Poser perfectly. Poser's scale is 1/8"=1'0". Also make sure that the origin of your model is at bottom center of your model, that way your model will come in to Poser at the center of the ground plain. No sharp edges. Chamfer all the edges. Chamfered edges catch the light better, while sharp edges tend to get lost. Chamfered edges also help with 3DS export. I'll use anywhere from a 1/4" chamfer on something really big to a 1/32" on smaller parts. Try not to export too complex a model, that's where the problems with normals show up. Break your model down into smaller simpler shapes, and export them one at a time. Then, import each one into Poser, when the whole assembly is in Poser export the whole thing as an OBJ file. When import it back into Poser it will be one piece. If you can't break it down, slice the model down the center, and export each half separately. When you export from Poser as an OBJ file it will be one piece again. Also mirror and copy can cause problems with normals. To keep the model looking sharp, I Export as a 3DS file, insert the 3DS file back in to AutoCAD, expload it, and then export it as a DXF file. I feel the DXF file import looks a little better in Poser.

(I'm sorry, I meant "export from .DWG as .3ds" not .dxf) good suggestions, as far as it goes. Good to know I can return to using Solids (designing splines in 3D and then edgesurfing them can be a rather hit-or-miss proposition). So thanks for that bit of choice news! The SKS pictured above is a to-scale model of MY SKS, right down to the serial number, with each part measured with caliper and micrometer and drafted independently. XREF assembly of all parts matched up perfectly (+/-.002"). I wish you had more to tell me about what the HELL I am supposed to do in Poser, but *sigh* ok, I'll hit the tutorial stacks... again... for the fifth time. I always FILLET edges whenever possible, chamfer them when not, manually subtract a purpose-built chamfer when the autochamfer fails (which as I am sure you have found, can happen at VERY inconvenient times.) The image here is a hovertank I WAS working on in solids. Now I can start back into it. *grinning*

grey cat - my default new draft format (I created this custom default years ago) has isolines set to 25 and facetres set at 5. Don't really know how this affects exploded solids/3ds export surface complexity.

I don't know if you already found how to make *.3ds in to poser figures/ props if you haven't you might want to try this toturial: http://www.morphworld30.com/dsl/class01assingment1.html It worked for me.