Suggestions anyone?

John

Either reversed normals, or double-faced normals (which Poser doesn't like), or you have two surfaces a little bit too close together. To save yourself some effort on the normals dance, try saving from UVmapper with normals unchecked. On import to Poser, use "make normals consistent." Oh; Poser really hates n-gons. Something about n-gons fries its ability to read normals correctly, and if you have an n-gon in there your problem normals will jump about from spot to spot like gremlins.

Not reversed, or double-faced, normals - that was first port of call - I'll give your other ideas a go though. Thanks. John

OK, tried again - forgot to say last time, most polys are quads with just a few triangles, NO n-gons - ran through UVMapper with normals unchechecked, no change! I'm going to have to take it to work Monday and run it through some professional software I guess.

John

Could be a polygon that has three vertices in a line (colinear vertices). For example, if you have a quad that is actually just a triangle with an extra vertex on one side, Poser can try to calculate the polygon normal based on the three colinear vertices. Of course, it can't do that so you wind up with a problem. UV mapper has a lot of tools for dealing with this sort of thing. Try getting it to check for colinear vertices, degenerate polygons etc. That's a calico, right? Looks good.

Try splitting your verticies....should help alot. Sharen

Attached Link: http://www.pygott.demon.co.uk/mapper.htm

Ajax,

I think you're right about the co-linears, way bad news, as the models full of them. I thought any quad was OK as long as it wasn't actually concave, damn! Yeah, it's a calico, I'm not a gun enthusiast myself but... well somebody had to do it didn't they?

Sharen,

I'm making fairly low-poly model so just splitting all vertices would produce unwanted facetting on portions that require smoothing, trying to steer a middle way is the problem!

John

xantor, thanks for the link, looks very like a very useful program, didn't fix my problem though :( There's got to be something basically wrong with my mesh that I just haven't found yet I think. John

I'm not a gun enthusiast either, but I see a lot of requests for a calico model so I happen to know what they look like :-) If you split the problem quads into triangles you should be OK (assuming that is the problem, of course).

Ajax,

I can see the fascination with the form of the thing though, a very intruiging looking piece of engineering. Plus of course it's THE sci-fi gun, didn't Arnie use one in Total recall? Quads with indeterminable normals can't be the whole problem though, the adjusting wheel thing certainly has none.

John

That's often caused by reversed winding aka face normals (as distinct from vertex normals). A couple of checks. If you're using P5, try applying a random noise displacement map as very low setting. If that "cures" it then it is 2 (or more) faces "in the same place". If that fails then try using the group tool. make a new group and add the faces which render black to it, then click "reverse normals" (this actually reverses the winding order or "face normals", and has nothing to do with vertex normals). I'll bet a free copy of the modle that one of those options can show up where the problem lies . Cliff Bowman

Still don't know the cause, but I cured the symptoms! If i select the whole model in Anim8or and select 'merge points' with a tiny offset (effectively weld identical vertices) before I start breaking it up for Poser, everything's fine. So, yeah, there must be multiple points and/or faces in identical positions, I still can't isolate them though. Must just be an Anim8or bug. John

OK, must have been multiple faces in identical positions then. That's certainly one of the many things that can cause black polygons.

• stares intently at pic *

I've been waiting for someone to do a Calico in 3D. They have such a unique design.

Is this one an M-950 (the Liberty III pistol)?

Plus of course it's THE sci-fi gun, didn't Arnie use one in Total recall?

Possibly. I remember that they were featured in Terminator 2, Stone Cold, and the ironically-named I Come In Peace.

I dunno. In 50's movies "I Come in Peace"/"We Come in Peace" was always the last thing said before the guns opened up. I thought it looked familiar but couldn't place it. Calico. Of course. I agree with the elegance of the machine -- still could use more models of machines that make music, not just kinetic energy poisoning.

Little Dragon,

it's meant to be the M-950, but I'm afraid that if you've been waiting for really nice, detailed and accurate model - this isn't it. Seems like every time I find a new reference image, for the bit I'm working on, it reveals an error in what I've already done:( Just scrapped the pistol grip and started again, then realised that the front grip is totally wrong in lateral section, and that took way too much time for me to feel like rebuilding it. Maybe I'll just release what I've done and put it right in SR's like the professionals do:-)

Nomuse,

there seems to be a lot of stringed instruments out there, maybe a bit of a lack of woodwind and brass, are you looking for anything specific?

John

That's got me thinking too. Don't think I've EVER seen a French Horn, a Tuba or a Serpent (the brass instrument you have to climb into) available.. Cheers, Diolma

Hmmm... yeah, serpent, sackbut, cornamuse and krummhorn are pretty lacking too. A bit of a fan of ancient music me. Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary really rocks, doesn't it? Nude Vickie in a Temple With a Euphonium though, umm...

..thinking about it though, could be interesting...

John

Also Alpenhorn. NVOAMWAA = "Nude Vicky On A Mountain With An Alpenhorn" (how the Alpenhorn is posed is another matter..) :-)) Sorry. Going off-topic.. Cheers, Diolma

Yodel-eh-ee-ooooh! John

... but I'm afraid that if you've been waiting for really nice, detailed and accurate model - this isn't it. Oh, I'm not that picky. As long as it's recognizable and has more detail than a game mesh, I'd be happy with it. I'd contemplated modelling one myself, but I knew I'd never be able to do it justice. Unlike many of my fellow MilkShape users, guns are not my forte.

You model your fellow MilkShape users? Sorry. Yah, musical instruments are out there...most of the violins are not elegant, nor have I seen a viola or double bass (can't even swear I've seen a detailed 'cello.) Guitars, accoustic and electric, well covered. 80's synths -- I know a nice DX7 (IIFD yet!) but have yet to see a Fender Rhodes. Harps-a-plenty but not so sure about crewth, psaltry, Irish harp, or a properly detailed concert pedal harp (and on the subject of pedals, timpani with full star gear)...but what is really short (at least outside of $400 models at TurboSquid) is the keyed woodwinds; oboe, bassoon, english horn, sax... just random thoughts here about what I've bumped into at the usual suspects. If I clear the decks on all my other projects (hah!) I might lathe some simple early winds. Have a woodworking book with nice templates for simple shawm, transverse flute, crumhorn, rackett.

here's an Anim8or OpenGL preview of the side elevation of what I've got at present. Comments on whether or no I'm getting the essence of the thing welcome.

Nomuse,

there's actually what would appear, from the sample renders, to be a really nice sax on turbosquid for $54. OK, so that's pricey compared to RMP, or even DAZ, but keyed brass is a pretty complex thing to model isn't it? Also, Noggin - an occasional visitor to these shores - has a truly great looking serpent there for not too much.

John