Could anyone recommend a tutorial for how to make mat pose files that include P6 node settings? I've tried playing around with MAT Pose Edit 3, and it seems to strip any nodes other than imagemap and bump map. I can make Material settings, but that isn't wuite what I'm looking for - I'd like it to be a pose if at all possible. I must admit I'm not familiar with editing poses a text editor. Is there a handier way than that, or is it pretty much the only option? Thank you muchly for any feedback. -.-

Is there a handier way than that, or is it pretty much the only option?

Save to the library as a P6 material collection.

Open the MC6 file in a text editor, and, at the beginning of the file, change

mtlCollection

to

figure

Then save the modified file to a pose folder, with a PZ2 extension.

Attached Link: http://www.netherworks-studios.com/nws-utility.htm

You could use my script too (MAT Writer PLUS Pack) at this page.

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I keep asking myself why anyone would want to do this (since P6 material collections are better than MAT poses), but then I came up with a reason: Poser 7 wishlist item #999: ability to load MC6/MT5 library presets from the Pose Room. We should only have to go into the Material Room if we want to modify or create new materials. As an addendum, there is a UI glitch that allows the material library to be accessed from the Pose Room, but I cannot get it to work but once in a blue moon.

You are quite right, R_Hatch. :D I, personally, find the P6 nodes to be absolutely revolutionary - so very many really beautiful effects are possible, and judicious use of the nodes can turn a nice texture map into an awesome one. But... alot of people are afraid of the material room (myself included until not long ago). Having Pose files allows a user to have the familiar way to a new mat pose, but allows me to sneak in my nifty tweaks. Thank you very much for the tips everyone! I'm surprised something like this hasn't been asked before. Addendum to your wishlist: A more efficient 'pose-handling' system than just the Pose folder! Having morph poses, mat poses, pose-poses etc etc mishmashed together is a pain in the patzeroni. Thanks guys!

Poser 7 wishlist item #999: ability to load MC6/MT5 library presets from the Pose Room. We should only have to go into the Material Room if we want to modify or create new materials. but forcing the user into the material room to apply the materials will help demystify the nodes as they will see them as applied by the presets. Hopefully this will make the room less scary. In my personal opinion it is much easier to select items in the material room with the eyedropper in part because it is not capable of accidentally moving anything.

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From what I can tell, this is the result of Poser's rather clumsy selection handling (compared to competitor DAZ Studio). The only way to insure that you have a valid material selection for an MC6 or MT5 is to be in--you guessed it--the Material Room. From a design standpoint, this was the right decision to make: It's the only way that both the program and the user will know exactly who the recepient of the material preset is, or even if it would be valid to apply a material preset. I'm not saying that I like this--it cheeses me as much as y'all--but it's better than the unpredictable alternative. The whole selection system badly needs a makeover for Poser 7. My library gripe? Hitting the delete key goes up a directory. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to delete a figure or prop and wound up traversing my content folders instead. Delete should be a shortcut for one thing: Deleting things.

RE:In my personal opinion it is much easier to select items in the material room with the eyedropper in part because it is not capable of accidentally moving anything. I agree. It's really pretty easy to select the section you want with the ColorPicker. I am also very much for the Mc6 files. There is already far far to much junk in the Pose Folder. IMHO, Poses should be just that poses, not Texture Map changes. I would be more inclined to turn Mat Pose files into mc6 files. Cheers DR

"That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves."
Thomas Jefferson

'but forcing the user into the material room to apply the materials will help demystify the nodes'

I don't think that 'forcing' users into doing anything is the right way to go about it. EF took a big step forward by splitting the material room into basic and advanced. That's enticement, which is a different thing, and probably worked very well.

Mind you, I've always preferred the carrot to the stick. When someone brandishes a stick at me, I tend to belt them one. LOL. I'm all in favor of mt5/mc6 instead of MATs. MATs have gotten completely out of control.

mac

Message edited on: 02/21/2006 14:23

I don't think that 'forcing' users into doing anything is the right way to go well, given that MAT poses still work (in the pose room) i suppose it could be seen as more like the carrot than the stick.

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I ain't afraid of no ghost, er, Material Room; in fact, I quite enjoy using it to create complex material setups. But, OTOH, I shouldn't have to go into it every time I want to use a different material set that's already been created. Additionally, Poser can't accurately tell which figure is selected most of the time in the Material Room, which is yet another reason why also being able to apply materials from the Pose Room would be an improvement.

Poser can't accurately tell which figure is selected most of the time in the Material Room I've never seen or experienced this problem. the only difficulty i have had was selecting an area that is small in the current view. but this is nothing compaired to the difficulty in selecting a figure in pose room in a dense scene.

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You'd know right away if you did encounter it. Imagine you only have two figures in the scene, and there is plenty of surface on each visible to select. You click the dropper tool on FIGURE 1 skinBody, and then tweak the material settings, only to have the effects show up on FIGURE 2. Just to be sure, you click on each figure somewhere on their skinBody area, but only one of the figures gets changed, no matter which figure you just clicked on. Fortunately, it's not a show stopper, and can be fairly easily gotten around by using one of the manipulation tools to select the figure you want.

I make my MATs with Shader Spider from DAZ, I'm pretty sure the nodes are included(I'd guess they'd would'nt be working otherwise)