Attached Link: http://spazticplastic.glasko.com

Well I've created a character in Wings3D for a 3D webcomic. Obviously for a webcomic I'll need to pose the character in multiple ways for multiple slides. Right now, this is a timely process. I have to keep a Wings file of the character chopped where the joints are and the after getting them were I want them... bridge all the faces to combine the objects. Now could there possibly be a way for me to import the pieces of my character into Poser to actually create a Poser model? However long this would take, it would save me hours in the long run. The character is a pretty simple human-like figure... any help? Could anybody maybe lead me in the direction of a decent tutorial on the matter? I have Poser 4 without any extras. Thank's for your time, the link to my site is below with the first comic on the main page. (Glasko.com is my homepage, the webcomic is a subdomain).

Funny you should ask - I had planed to write a tutorial for this, after I did a FreakyBabe myself, but lost my website on Poserosity like everyone else there and now will wait, until I find a new host. But I can show you some screen shots I did for that tutorial here. I have used Wings3D version 0.98.07d (the newer ones are too buggy for my taste) and Poser 3 (free from a magazine CD). Above is the start and the end image.

You will want to colour the parts of your figure first in Wings, cause it is easier for the next part in UV mapper, if you have the needed body parts set per material first. Your figure should look like this one - use the usual needed naming for the Poser figure parts.

Now you need to export your figure as a Wavefront obj file from Wings.

Attached Link: Dividing the mesh using UV Mapper

Now fire up your browser and go to the Gingerbreadman tutorial above (assuming you already have downloaded the free UVMapper classic from here http://www.uvmapper.com/ ). Instead of slicing the map by hand use first color by material and then select by material - this is a lot easier than the way on the Gingerbreadman tutorial. but other than that just follow the instructions.

Attached Link: Mapping the Model using UVMapper

Next step is to create a texture map template for texturing your model later. Follow instructions on the link above. you'll get something like the map above.

Attached Link: Creating the figure using Poser and PHI Builder

Now you need to make a directory in your Poser Geometries folder. Call it something like your figures name. Move the uv-mapped object and the texture template in there. You could move the texture template into a folder in your Poser texture folder too, though. Download a free copy of Roy's PHI Builder here: http://www.royriggs.com/poser.html Then follow the next step in the Gingerbreadman tutorial above.

Attached Link: Creating the figure using Poser

Almost finished now. Next is to create the figure in Poser. Follow instructions in GB tutorial above. He did it in Poser 4 but it worked in Poser 3 as well.

Now you need a texture for your figure. Use the uv texture map for painting over. Take care for the seams at the sides of the figure - you will want to match them. If you aren't that talented for this stuff - I hardly seem to be able to make tasteful maps... - use tile-able images or plain colours. I made this map above for the FreakyBabe.

Last step is to pose the figure, set lighting and other stuff and then render. Be careful with the joint parts of the mesh - if you don't have enough polys, the parts might get out of order. Don't use extreme poses. If you want more body parts poseable - like the fingers too - then of course you need to do the above steps for those parts too. Above is the finished render. I did not try to animate her, cause I never did animation and don't know how to do so in Poser, but you'll figure that out if you want. There are lots of tutorials out there for this stuff too. I believe there is an easier way to do the boning if you have PoserProPack or Poser 5. You could also use an existing PHI file or the bones, but I think it is better to do it from scratch. On a side-note: you could do that all in Anim8or too, I believe, but since you asked for Poser, here you go. I've never boned a model in Anim8or, but it is capable of it and does animations too http://www.anim8or.com Hope it helped a bit. Have fun!

great instructions Bryde.. Thanks!