This may be very old news, but I'm juts finding it out, so I'm seeking advice from wiser people to know if it could lead to problems. OK, so I have downloaded too many cool things for my computer's good, and my library begins to get fatter than me, which is saying something. Sometimes, I cannot even remember all the things I have. There are, specifically some cool clothing sets that unnerve me a lot, because they include some figures, plus some props, plus MAT files... So, if some weeks after downloading I want to find them all, I have to check in all the sections to see if there are props to go with that cool outfit, and modelers don't always think to give the same name to clothes and props (and don't talk of hair). In addition, I usually browse my libraries with P3dO, in search for inspiration, so it would be a great thing to have them all in the same folder. Well, I just tried something and it worked : I just copy/pasted a prop in the figures section, changed its extension to cr2, and used the double check mark to invoque it in a scene : it worked just fine. Even the parenting info is still there. It also works for hr2 files, with the additional benefit that the second hair you invoke doesn't take away the first one. This could allow me to join my cr2s, hr2s and pp2s by themes, and thus reduce the number of library subfolders. Is there anyone here that might spot some risk I did not see in doing this ? (I also checked for MAT files, but it doesn't work) PS : I had tried to put a shortcut to props in the figures library, but this doesn't work. it works all right for putting a shortcut in a figure folder to another figure, though). By the way : does anyone know how to make shortcuts for all the files in a folder at one time instead of having to click each file in turn ? (oops, nearly forgot : Poser 5 SR3). Thanks in advance for your advice.

You know what, we put all our models in with the Cr2, just to reduce the library for others. Good thinking. Sharen

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I'd be very wary of doing this. I can't think of a specific reason right now, but if your poser starts to crash, especially when you delete parented figures (ex-props) from a scene, I wouldn't be surprised in the least. You can convert props to figures, but this ain't the way to do it. If someone can prove me wrong, I'm happy, but I have a horrible feeling I'm right. mac

ya know- I'm coming out with a new props pack- and the whole thing is going to be in the figures folder- _all in one place _the cr2 have all of the obj data _and makes it easier to to make and use mat files but mostly it's cause everything is in one place(and it's a huge amount)

geocress, I did that too with my forthcoming pack. Made most of the props figures, even if they only have one body part. But, of course, there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. mac

I can't always remember what all those PZ3 files are, so just before I save them I paste them onto the background (if there's no background image loaded, that is!) When I reload them I just clear the background. What this means is that there's a graphic of the scene that appears in any image program, so you have instant thumbnails of all your files to jog your memory.

Very cool tip. I was just wondering the other day if there was an app that read pz3 in image form. This sounds like a good answer. mac

I have done this for years. (renaming the ext of a prop file to a cr2) I haven't had any problems. I have found that you can switch most of the library extensions, except cr2 to something else. I usually put a z- in fron of my props so they show at the bottom of the folder and I don't pull a bone-headed patented move and try to conform non-conforming props. lol

I'd change the filenames to reflect the original extention/type. I've always felt that Poser should have provided the option for file consolidation. It would make removing things much easier.

"does anyone know how to make shortcuts for all the files in a folder at one time instead of having to click each file in turn" readScript, you can call any number of library files with one readScript but it may have to be a PZ2 or FC2. It might be a strange feeling, loading a figure and everything else from a pose file, but it should work and the files may not even need to be in a Poser Runtime at all. The only problem I see with changing a PP2 to a CR2 is at the save back to Library, if you ever want to do that. If you do the hack trick in a PP2 of altering the two "prop" to be "actor" there is a save problem, too. If I had a character that I wanted to come in with hair, clothing and props: 1)make sure the hair and props are external call (way too inefficient as embedded) 2)save the character with all the extras - as a CR2 - or if that doesn't get everything as a PZ3 3)open the PZ3 in a text editor, delete the lights/cameras/documents parts 4)save to figures as a CR2.

you mean like package all the associated files to a particular pz3? That would sure be a godsend!

Mmm, I'm not familiar at all with readscripts, so I'll pass on this one. Since it looks OK to translate pp2s into cr2s, I'll do it, but I'll back up my pp2 library before, just in case Mac Lean's intuition proves right in the long run. As for showing the extension, I thought I could try to make it show in the thumbnails. Does anyone know a procedur or little program that could go like this : Check all the files in this folder and its sub folder For each file that ends with .pp2 (or begins with "Z P4", since I have identified al posette's clothes like this) add X pixels at the bottom of the same named .png add "prop" text at the bottom of the png file change the extension of the .pp2 to .cr2 I have PSP8, but I'm not sure it can do batch processing of this kind. Thanks for any help you cand send. Compiler

I certainly will not try to sell you on the technique, but for anyone else who might be interested, I did a test. Here is a file I named V3readScript test.cr2 I put it in a folder in characters. This is in the Runtime where I have V3 = the primary P5 Runtime. The hair is in my P4 Runtime. The bikini is in a remote that I use for just V3 Clothing. { version { number 4.01 } readScript ":Runtime:Libraries:character:DAZ People:Victoria 3 sr1.cr2" readScript ":Runtime:Libraries:props:Primitives:cane.ppz" readScript "F:A PoserRuntimelibrarieshairA Milli HairJ Traci hair.hr2" readScript "F:V3ClothingRuntimelibrariescharacterBatJyuneBikiniV3.cr2" } Once I fixed a broken path in the bikini.cr2 (I use by own locations for OBJ and textures) the file loads all four. The clothing must be conformed - saving the setup as a complex multifigure c2 the conforming would be already done, if it was saved that way. Anyway, a file with a simple script - with just paths in it - wll do the same thing as the actual library files it has a path for. And, will do as many, from any number of locations as you care to enter a line for. I don't know but that the ":" style delimiters will not work as well as the "" for remote Runtimes, but Poser seems to prefer the "" when it saves itself, so I use that in case the other style might stress the poor thing.

That's really amazing. I just thought of a bizarre use for it. A Python script that lets you locate bunches of clothes and props and hair, and a character. Then randomizes the choices and makes a readscript CR2. So you might end up with V3 wearing Iceni clothes, Treadz, sunglasses, and Koshini's hair. :)