I'm making a figure using P5. I realize P5 uses a different material text than P4. Is it just the "material" part of the .cr2 that's different or do I need to change other parts also? I'm curious what's the best way make this figure P4 compatible. You would think I'd make this in P4 but P5(sr2.1) is much more stable on my system and the setup room makes it a lot easier.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Yes, the main difference is the material section. I've created CR2's in P5 and was able to load them into P4/Pro Pack without difficulty, although the materials didn't show up properly.

Admittedly, at the time I was using the Toon shader node, which P4 lacks. If you use only the basic channels (Diffuse, Transparency, Reflection, Gradient Bump), it might transfer to P4 properly, although you'll still have to remove the P5 shader-tree info by hand. You could leave it in (it seems to be ignored), but it'll make the file size smaller if you pull it out.

And while you're in there, you might want to change the file's version number, so P4 and Pro Pack users won't get the "newer version number that expected" message.

I tried loading the figure into P4 but it's invisible. The attached prop shows up and the figure's listed but nothing I do will make it appear. I guess I'll have to make something in P4 with the same materials and then "cut-n-paste" over the materials in the P5 CR2. And I'll use your suggestion on changing the file version number.
Thanks.

heyas; there's actually quite a few channels that p5 adds to things. p4 doesn't choke on them, however, so you can mostly ignore them. (things like the dial groups, the backface culling the smoothing, etc.) p5 reads p4 materials and translates them into p5 shader tree materials... i also think it tries to translate the shader into the 'old' p4 materials (at least it did in sr 1 and previous), when you adjust them. at any rate, they are in there for backwards compatibility, just unused in p5. if you tried to load the figure in p4, was it in the p4 runtime? p4 can't find it unless it is. or there could have been some other type of geometry translation problem when you opened it in p4. the materials would not have caused the figure to not appear. things that make the figure listed but not appear: corrupted geometry rsr (this is usually accompanied by a 'cant find blahblah.obj error'), having too much memory without that memory patch (see the cl web site), or running out of memory in a long poser session. wish somebody would make a p4 from p5 cr2 stripper. ::hint hint!:: you know, like that old pz3 to cr2 thing. that would be nice. :)

I copied the folder straight from P5 to my P4 character library. The object file is in the same folder and P4 doesn't give me any error messages. It has a simple ring prop attached which shows up fine. It acts like it's there, it's just not visible. If I scale the "body" the parented prop scales like it should. The same figure running under P5 (where it was created) works right. I'd be willing to pay $$$ for a conversion program. And when I say $$$ I don't mean more than my limit of $19.95+$4.95S&H (preferably in three easy payments).

Bloodsong, there is a pz3 to cr2 stripper thing? God! Seems like Ive spent most of the last month or two stripping down pz3s manually. Whats it called, where can I get it?

heyas; yes, les, it was for making multi-figure figures in p3, because that would only save one figure at a time. why are you manually stripping them, since p4 and above will save multi figures?? anyway, it was called pz3 to cr2, i think. did you look in the free stuff? might not be there any more; it's old. i don't think i ever used it/had it, myself.