Q - "how do you make a phi from scratch"

Phi Preparation:

1. Create 2 folders in your Poser Subdirectory with the following paths -
   :Poser:Runtime:Geometries:chariot
   :Poser:Runtime:Character:test
   eg for win
   C:Program FilesPoserRuntimeGeometrieschariot
   C:Program FilesPoserRuntimeCharactertest
   eg for mac
   HD:Applications:Poser:Runtime:Geometries:chariot
   HD:Applications:Poser:Runtime:Character:test

2. Open the obj geometry file in a a text editor - like Notepad for Windows or BBEdit for Mac .
   Make sure the obj geometry has groups (groups are annotated as eg "g carriage") that match the numbered groups in the phi section above . No more, no less and that the case matches . Modify the obj or phi entry if you have to . Also, make sure that the geometry file ends with 2 empty lines - necessary because of a quirk of Poser .
   Copy the obj file into the chariot folder as chariot.obj .

3. Create a new file in the text editor . Copy the phi section into it .
   Insert the following text at the top of the section -
   objFile :Runtime:Geometries:chariot:chariot.obj
   This points the phi file to the obj geometry resource .
   Save it as test.phi in the test folder .

4. Open Poser, go to Main Menu>File>Convert HierFile.., and load the test.phi file . Say a prayer .
   If the files are in their place and the geometry matches the phi entry, you will be prompted for a name - enter "newChariot" and a new character(no picture) will be saved into your Figures/New Figures library .

5. This is important - Load the "newChariot" character from Figures/New Figures, and save it again as "chariot" in whichever subFolder you like . This completes the character with a picture and will serve as your base figure .

Continue as described above .

Phi Annotation:
The numbering in the phi section above is the hierarchy(parenting) order of the groups .
The "xyz" annotation is the rotation order - "xyz" means z axis as the twist axis, x axis as the main axis and y axis as the intermediate axis .
The "tail" suffixes makes the segment whiplike when you move it in Poser .
The last part with "ikChain Chain1" describes an ik chain of name "Chain1" composed of "chain1_1","chain1_2","chain1_3" and "chain1_4"; and so on for the rest .
These chains correspond to the arm and leg chains in the standard Poser figure .

Phew . That should cover it .
PS - All this has been covered before in old posts on the forum . :)

Message edited on: 09/09/2004 07:33

You need a Poser ready chimpanzee with expression morfs and maybe character morfs - get the Daz chimp first . It is really too much effort to create one from scratch, even for experienced modellers . With the Daz chimp, you could use magnets to reshape the head without losing the expression morfs - Then export the heads from Poser, remap the UVs with UVMapper to fit the different photos, import back and use replace actor with prop to change the head geometry . UVMapper at http://www.uvmapper.com/ Hope this helps .

PS If you're really daring, you could first rig the harnesses as conforming clothing for the horses and then do the chariot chain parenting . ;)

CARRY PROP Animation :
pose a figure with arms bent and stretched outwards;
set the preferred states;:
pose a ball on the hands;
parent both hands to the ball;
move the ball and both arms follow .

You can adapt the CARRY PROP Animation to your needs .
Chariot Background Info at -
http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/timelines/topics/chariot.htm

Steps :

1. Build the chariot cr2 from a phi -

1 carriage yzx
2 wheelAxle xzy
3 rWheel xzy
3 lWheel xzy
2 yoke xzy
3 pole xyz
3 chain1_1 xyz tail
4 chain1_2 xyz tail
5 chain1_3 xyz tail
6 chain1_4 xyz tail
3 chain2_1 xyz tail
4 chain2_2 xyz tail
5 chain2_3 xyz tail
6 chain2_4 xyz tail
.. and so on up to chain8

ikChain Chain1 chain1_1 chain1_2 chain1_3 chain1_4
ikChain Chain2 chain2_1 chain2_2 chain2_3 chain2_4
.. and so on up to Chain8

1. Adjust the JP centers of the chariot parts . Turn off bends for the carriage, axle, wheels and yoke .
2. Parent a prop harnesses to each horse . Parent a prop right swivel and left swivel to each of these harnesses .
3. Pose the chariot with the horses . Set the preferred state of the chariot - Go to Main Menu>Edit>Memorize Figure .
4. Parent the terminal ends of each chariot chain to a matching harness swivel .

Move each horse hip and the chariot chains follow as reverse ik chains .
Good Luck . :)

Message edited on: 09/09/2004 02:57

Photo - http://www.primates.com/chimps/index.html It might be advisable to create a seperate UV map for the head, since most of the work will be on the face . You could use a 2D mesh deform tool to spread the photo onto your template . Unless the chimps are art critics, you don't really have to go for a very high level of realism . Here's another selection of photos - http://www.bushorchimp.com Heh heh . :)

Make the face more rounded, ... and the eyes more squinty or loopy, and the mouth more twisty . heh heh :)

Message edited on: 09/07/2004 11:21

Texturing Rules

1. Make sure the UV map is accurate . If object is spherical, use a apherical map; if cubical, a cubic map and so on . Use UVMapper to create such projection maps . If you want unwrapping UVs, you can use Wings3D instead .

2. Use texture maps about one and a half times to two times the size of the image in your final render .

3. Use BMP or TIF format for textures . If you have to use JPGs, use uncompressed JPG . Otherwise, the rendered image tends to come out pixellated .

4. Try to keep texture map dimensions in multiples of 2 ie 2,4,8, ... 256,512,1024 and so on . Technically, this is to allow for better projections during rendering .

Message edited on: 09/07/2004 10:59

Quote - the precision of the Joint Editor dials is too low
Yes, 3 decimal points - anything more and it blanks out in the display - but shows up in the cr2 - add this to the list of weird things about Poser .

Quote - the holy grail of poser utilities
Where's Gawain or Indiana Jones when we need them ?

Anyway, are you modelling micro0rganisms ? ~ ~ LOL :)

Phi Builder takes some getting used to - But seriously, Phi Builder and then the Joint Editor is the way to go . Heard a while back that you have to add 2 empty lines to the end of your obj file - otherwise the last face gets obliviated .

Message edited on: 09/07/2004 10:36

Ja English Bob, but I put in differenz vay ...
Itz like der pishon and der vurk of Doktor Viktor Frankenstein
Nothinz iz izzy - You know ... heh heh :)

Message edited on: 09/06/2004 06:15

About Basic Shading ... Lambert, Phong and Gouraud use different algorithms for determining the surface normals of polygons in a mesh . Lamber is flat, Phong is simple interpolated smoothing, Gouraud is more complex scanline smoothing . From an Artist's point of view ... Lambert is suitable for angular architectural models only . Phong is preferred for regularly smooth architectural models; and Gouraud for smooth organic models . About the high end Renderers ... Ray tracing provides reflections on specular highlights - like for a mirror . Radiosity gives uniform reflections - like for a glass house . Caustics gives smoky reflections - like for a glass of swirling water .

About additional bones ...
If they're for fine tuning poses only, then bvh, walk designer animations and conforming clothes should still work fine on the figure .

About preferred pose for modelling ...
I think go for the extreme range of any intended morf

• almost fully open mouth, almost closed eyes and so on

During prototyping, you could set up a cr2 of the model in progress and make use of Poser's delta morfing and magnets to both test and make modifications - the magnet is really the most powerful of its kind - with curve-space based strength of transformation . It should be useful in returning the morfs to zero position .

Message edited on: 09/05/2004 12:46

Prior to morfing, you should test with a morf imported into blender, and exported unmodified . If the morf does not haywire, you can then proceed with the morfing but bearing in mind what pauljs75 said - only move existing vertices . Sometimes, however, haywiring is because of software settings - YZ axes switching and scaling should be turned off; local coordinates should be used . In yet other cases, the software exports vertices in reverse order, in which case, UVMapper can be used to unwind the vertices - I think . Hope this helps . :)

See Python Section... http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?Form.ShowMessage=1829711

"Is there no way of setting up alternative materials in a similar manner to alternative geometries?"

Materials are mapped from mat pz2 to the selected object in the Poser display in the following manner -
An actor or smart prop has associated figure data so that materials are mapped to the entire figure . In this respect, Hair is a kind of smart prop .
Ordinary parented props do not contain figure data, so that mapping occurs only to the selected individual prop .
Smart props are created by first parenting a prop to the figure, saving to the library as smart props (to acquire figure association), then reloading the props .

Alternate geometry and replace props behave the same as actors and smart props where mapping is concerned .

With delta morphs, there is no issue of mapping as the geometry is the same - only vertex positions are shifted .

Of interest is the material declarations in Poser files . The material declarations occur in the actor/prop section after the channels declaration - as customMaterial 0 or 1 .
CustomMaterial 0 uses subsequently declared materials in the figures section -
these manifest as figure materials in the Poser materials editor .
CustomMaterial 1 uses immediately declared materials -
these manifest as seperate prop materials in the Poser materials editor .

Message edited on: 08/28/2004 03:07

1. To make wider,thinner,longer,shorter Use scale, xScale, yScale and zScale parameter dials . For local scales, the scale channel descriptions in the pp2 or cr2 should be "scale", while for propagating scales they should be "propagatingScale" . Note - Local scales have scale extents that can be edited in the joint parameters in Poser . Note - Taper channels can be added for figures and props in the PP2 or CR2 - these are described as "taperX", "taperY" and "taperZ" . 2. To Add Spikes in Poser 5 Load a prop in Poser 5 . Convert into a hair prop by applying hair dynamics in the Hair Room and adjusting the hair parameters . For best results, the prop should be a uniform mesh, ie all triangles or all quads of roughly equal size . See Poser 5 Help for details 2. To Add Moveable Sections The base model must be a figure and not a prop . Parent the prop sections to the base figure - for each prop, go to Object>Change Parent... and set the parent . Save the props in the prop library - use the "select subset" option, select all the parented props and save as "smart prop" . Load the props from the library onto a plain base figure . This creates a "smart propped figure" . Save the figure into the figures library . You now have a library figure with additional moveable sections . Note - to create a base figure, convert a prop into a base figure in the SetUp Room . See Poser 5 Help for details . 3. A model must have a UV mapping to use skins, aka texture maps . Software required to edit UV Maps in OBJ models (A Must Have) is - Steve Cox's UV Mapper available at ... http://www.uvmapper.com/ When a new model is first accessed in the Geometry subdirectory in Poser : In Windows, a new rsr file is created . In Mac, a rsr fork is created . Note - the geometry information is accessed from the rsr file/fork and not the obj file . To replace an existing OBJ model in Poser : In Windows, replace the obj file and delete the rsr file . In Mac, replace the obj file - the new obj file must have the appropriate "text" headers . This can be created in a text editor like BBEdit .