I think the only problem with partial MATs in P5 is when the MAT contains a shader tree. The easy way to avoid this is to NOT convert partial MATs to P5 format, but use the P4 version. When there is a shader tree in the file, P5 replaces the whole PoserSurface and tree. So this is OK when you want a material to be completely changed. The reason why it is impossible to create a partial MAT for shader trees is because they are dynamic, and they don't really exhist as a lits of standard variables that can be altered. They are generated dynamically at render time from a set of formulas. So a shader tree is really a formula (or recipe) for making a material and not a material or a setting by itself. You cant delete bits and pieces or change individual parts of a formula and expect it to still work. The formula must be completely rewritten to accommondate any revisions.

Awesome! - Great to hear from you again. I hope all is well and that we will be seeing more of you.

SWAMP - Where is that figure from? It looks pretty good to me and seems quite different from others that are available.

I had it happen just an hour ago - it was the first time for me in more than 4 years. Thanks for posting the link to the workaround, it came in just in time!

Has anybody noticed the conicidence that this suit was started in Texas and was announced the day AFTER the self-righteous bible-thumping morons of America elected the the most dangerous man in history since Adolph Hitler to the White House? I think we can expect to see a lot more of this because the people controlling this country are very convincing liars and are in the habit of changing any laws that don't support their position or suit their needs. They've done it already and they are about to do a lot more now that their power base is stable for 4 more years. And the idiotic sheep who elected them actually believe that it is all about "family values", the "right to life" and "protecting our homeland" when none of the elected officials care a damn about any of those issues because thier interest is OIL, MONEY, POLITICAL INFLUENCE, and CONTROL. Thanks to the gullibility of the majority of Americans, we can pretty much kiss the Constitution, civil rights, fairness and equality goodbye, and pray that we are not led directly into WW3.

Attached Link: Mat Pose Edit Home

It looks GREAT. Let us know when it is done, and many thanks!

Yep, the P5 shader system can simulate the effect of almost any type of lighting without the burden of having to control a bulky light set. The independent diffuse and specular nodes as well as the Alt_Diffuse and _Alt Specular channels on the PoserSurface provide MUCH better interpretation and control than the basic P4-compliant channels. Not to mention the special capabilities of the Skin, Clay, Velvet, and numerous other lighting and shading nodes which are awesome once you get to know them. And then there is the probelight node which may eventually become some folks' favorite. I sure do love the P5 materials they compensate for many of the other weaknesses in the product!

I don't have a number for you, but if you look at the UV template you could estimate the surface area covered by the head compared to the surface area of the body on the map, and then calculate that the head should normally be 1/6 of the body's LINEAR Y scale. Use that to calculate the relative sizes of the bump maps (linear dimension) which will produce the same scale bumps in Poser. You can see the template by examining the OBJ file in UV Mapper or you can download a seam guide or template from here - there may even be a template in the Poser installation, but I haven't looked to verify that.

If you have the backside of your figure illuminated, then the problem must be with your reflection setup. Be sure that the reflect node is plugged into the reflect channed of the Poser Surface. Make sure that the diffuse color is BLACK. Make sure that reflection value is 1.00 and that reflect color is white, and UNCHECK Reflect_Lite_Mult AND Reflect_Kd_Mult. That should give you a mirror with full reflections which is unaffected by the lighting. I have done extensive work with reflections is P5 and I can assure you that they work fine. Of course, in render options you must have raytracing on.

I'm sorry if I seem dense, but could you explain a bit more about that lighting tip, neilp?. None of my LIGHTS have anything on their properties list that implies "include in ray tracing". On the other hand all of my figures and props have a property called "VISIBLE in ray tracing". So, am I missing a special type of light that can NOT be seen in raytracing, because all of mine are by default? I might also suggest an alternative explaination to what might be happening - of course, this is just speculation without seeing the picture in question. Here's what I think is happening. Most commonly available light sets are designed to cast light primarily from the FRONT, and do NOT illuminate the backsides of the objects the way they appear from the front. Remember, in a reflection, you are seeing the side of the prop or figure that you can NOT see from the camera position. If you orbit your camera around the figure by 180 degrees, you might see that from the BACK, there is little or no light, so you need to add a light that shines from the back toward the camera. It won't change the lighting on the front, but it may brighten the ground a little, so you have to balance that. Also note that reflections do NOT reflect the light itself, only things that are illuminated by a regular light. Be sure to orbit your camera back to the front before rendering :-)

You've really done a great job. Please let us know when it is available, and thanks for sharing!

That's a real shame. Those military models and the few Sci-Fi products were the ONLY things in the lot of 24 that I wanted. I do hope DAZ replaces them with something equivalent and not just something else for the kiddy-porn crowd.

Its great, and I love the carriage. I wish DAZ sold the carriage without all that GIRL crap. If you know where I can get the carriage by itself, let me know, and thanks for the great texture.

Are there any plans to adapt P5 materials to shade materials or vice-versa? Will figure posing be possible in the next version of shade?