Been told you can do the same thing using UVMapper in place of Compose but I haven't achieved equivalent results....but then I am old slow and slightly simple minded.:laugh: (Have to take off socks and shirt to count up to twenty-two.)

It continues to amaze me that Compose was last update in 1999 and still does the job.

In terms of software life that makes it what.....about a million years old.

Really? Tell me more.

I'm asking because in skimming the Cornucopia thread it appears that the script in question creates a "sequence of meshes" which is what the Barton export script does though it is limited to the .obj format rather than the list of Vue compatible formats in the thread.

Does your import script eliminate the requirement for having an export script by handling both ends of the pipeline in effect?

I'm definitely interested in an alternative method that is more resource friendly for prepping the simulation so it is readable by Poser .

The main (only) advantage that I've found for converting to .obj is that the results are usable in any program that handles .obj sequences.

Now my other question is: How does your import script handle extracting the information from within the Blender file.?

As you noted in the discussion in the Cornucopia thread .obj format while simple to parse is much larger in size than a binary format. in the interest of resource efficiency being able to use binary formats is much more appealing.

Perhaps you can also give insight into improving Meshfoot, a script for handling Poser .obj sequences so they can be imported into Blender for animation purposes. Sounds like you could clean that up or eliminate the need for it entirely.

I tend to be direct when asking questions so please don't take anything outside of that context.

Quote - Like I said, it was always possible. Just because you didn't know how to do it doesn't mean it hasn't been doable all along. ;O)

Yep. Been doing it  using Compose, Blender and Poser's Little Helper for a couple of years now. Started making FBM's in Blender for use in D|S before I even had Poser.

The update that retains groups is very nice but a convenience not an absolute necessity.

delete the eyelash meshes, you won't need them on a statue

delete all the materials that imported with V4, this is to provide a "clean slate"

create one new material, in edit mode select all the remaining V4 verts and click assign in the materials section of the links & materials tab

press the F5 key to enter the shading tab adjust any material properties here

press F6 to enter the texture area, this is where you assign textures to any texture channels you have created. At this point you can use the procedural  or load an image texture into the texture channel.

press F5 again and re-check your values to ensure the shading values are set to what you want and the Map Input is UV and the Map To is color

press 0 on the numberpad and suitably frame the statue in the view

Press F12, evaluate and make any needed adjustments to your material values

Campbell Barton's  BlenderFluidOBJExport.py script should be suitable for exporting the fluid sim from Blender for use as an object sequence in Poser. Works here anyway.

(Should also work in any other program that handles .obj sequences, may have to find application specific importers though.)

You have to be running CUDA with a high end vid card to get the best performance out of 3d Coat. I understand why the developer chose that route but it does cut out a lot of potential users.

Zbrush is more forgiving in terms of hardware. (Never expected I would say that!):huh:

Compose will work with the current Java build so don't worry about trying to track down and install an obsolete version of Java, basically it should work with any Java build you might have installed.

There are a couple of tutorials for using Compose over on RuntimeDNA and I have one that shows a workflow for using Blender to create FBM's.

Documentation on Compose is a little thin but if you check out the Compose-docs.txt file in the download you'll realize it does a lot more than my tutorial or the one's on RDNA cover.

Anyone that is interested in the Compose/Blender tutorial I wrote PM me and I'll send you the link.(The Compose section of the tutorial works for any 3D application not just Blender.)

Want to make morphs for Poser figures.....Compose by John Wind is handy.

Use it to create a unified figure, import the unified figure into the 3d application of choice, sculpt away, export the sculpted mesh, import into Compose, create the morphs.

Blender....consistent and dead simple to learn.

1. Stop thinking it should be like program X,Y,Z......that will hamper you in trying to learn ANY new application.
2. Be prepared to learn.
3. Cease listening to people that are not capable as the factor in the decision to try Blender.
4. A real shocker...Ask people who use the program how to do things if you get stuck.

The word "Blender" can be replaced by any other software name and the statements above still hold true.

Basically learning anything new takes a common sense approach and a willingness to adapt.

You can learn anything if you leave preconceived notions behind when you begin and focus on the task at hand.

A lot of misconceptions concerning Blender continue to be propagated, to correct these go to the source and discover for yourself what the program is about rather than simply relying on hearsay.....yeah, that even includes anything I've said.

No, I don't have any links to smart projection tutorials, never had much luck finding any good ones.

A larger number in the angle field produces fewer islands and smaller numbers produce more islands and consequently more seams but it is fast. Using projection painting in conjunction with the UV (smart Projections) should get you finished texturing pretty quick with good results.

If you are wanting to do detailed textures with asymetric painted details then you'll probably be better off at this point using manual seam creation and unwrapping which is covered in the wiki as well as I could explain it.

If you want to manually unwrap but have mirroed textures on the pods you can unwrap the front pods and rear pods and stack the islands then use the alignment tool in the UV editor to straighten and align the stacked islandss. Doing it that way will leave you with three major sections instead of five, helps when texture space is an issue.

If you absolutely get stuck on this unwrapping thing send me the .blend or the .obj and I'll do  quick unwraps using the various methods then send them  back with notes so you can see how it all works.

Quote - Personally I think Play-doh is a better medium for 3d work but all these nerds insist on using computers and polygons and stuff.  I think they're weird.

Hmpf! MUD is obviously the superior choice for anyone with taste and discernment. :rolleyes:

It comes in a variety of colors.

The consistency can be altered to accommodate any level from liquid to solid.

You can mold it, shape it, paint it, bake it, make pies with it, bath in it ( for a ridiculous amount of money), fling it about carelessly, use it to obscure unwanted details  AND it squishes delightfully between the toes.

Try that with your silly play-doh.

The Unwrap (smart projections) option should give good results for this model.

Oh yeah! Projection paint is a nice addition in the  Blender 2.49 release. Watch the vids here, Covers pretty much everything you need to know to get it done.

wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.49/Projection_Paint

It's probably one of the easiest to accomplish tasks you'll ever try in Blender.

If you try it after watching the videos and run into a snag give me a shout. If I can't walk you through it I'll direct you to some other info on using projection renders to create textures.

Got access to any programs that do projection painting? It's the easiest way to do what your trying to accomplish.

CS4 Extended, Zbrush, BlackSmith3D, and Blender 2.49 are some off the top of my head that handle projection painting. I'm actually getting more consistent results with less hassles in Blender 2.49 than in the others.

The guy sets a precedent for supporting the legality of retroactive abortion doesn't he?:rolleyes: