After parenting something If I decide that I don't want it to be parented how can I err unparent it? The main reason I ask brings to mind another question. I parented a bunch of items together then later decided I wanted to tweak the size of just one of those pieces. Wouldn't you know it? It was the piece everything was parented to and changing it's size or position effected it's "children" :) Unless I'm mistaken the options at the bottom of Heirachy don't seem to correct it. Is thhis just the way it is or am I missing something? Is parenting through the drop down menu the same as draging the selection within Heirachy Editor? Many Thanks! Scott

Parent to "Universe"

Hi Scott,

As you have found out, a child will get rescaled with a parent.

You can use the Hierarchy Editor (HE) to "Drag & Drop" (D&D) objects to change their parent so it is ALMOST the same as using the drop down menu (ddm). You can change a parent using the HE and the D&D method ... but you can not "unparent" something using the HE. You must use the ddm method and, as SamTherapy said, parent it to >>> the Universe.

And ... After you have "unparented" something ...
If this is a chain of objects, you can D&D the objects that may have gotten moved when you unparented an object to re-parent them back to where you want them.

cheers,
dr geep
;=]

P.S. Thanks for the order. The CD is on it's way to you. ;=]

Ahhh. Thank you. Scott

Can't wait for it's arrival. ") Hope you do well with it. And thanks for the above notes. I had also wondered about "chains of items" coming along. You know this house I built from Primitives. Having big trouble with parenting it. Mostly it's all loaded primitives with the "properganda scale" (spelling) having allready been fixed in an editor but some parts I parented & saved as new figures & loaded for other walls ect. Is there an easy way to group the whole thing so it can be moved as one? I will edit it in text but it's confusing as all, there must be some other "easy" way. :/ Scott

Hi Scott,

Yes ... use some of Dr Geep's "glue" ... ;=]

You can use it to "glue" a number of different objects together so they become a single object.

Here's how to use the "glue."

The EXPORT Operation ...

1. [menu] - "File" >>> "Export" >>> "Wavefront OBJ..."

2. "Single frame" <<< (is the default - just click "OK")

3. Select the items that you want to "glue" together ...
   (click to select - click again to unselect)

4. "File name:" (use whatever name you want)
   Note - I always use the "Untitled.obj" (default) if I don't need to save it permanently.

5. Click "Save" and you will see the Export Options window.

6. Make sure and check ...
   "Include existing groups in polygon groups"
   (Note - it is NOT checked by default)
   ... if you have "grouped" the objects that are being "glued" together.
   "grouped" means ...
   Normally, this means that all the polygons are added to a "group" for an object with the same name as the object.
   Now, when you import the single "glued together" object, you can take it apart again by using the "Spawn Props" function in the "Group Editor."

Now, the objects that you exported are a single Wavefront OBJect in the file named "Untitled.obj" (or whatever you named it).

The IMPORT Operation ...

1. [menu] - "File" >>> "Import" >>> "Wavefront OBJ..."

2. "File name:" >>> "Untitled.obj" - (or whatever filename you used when you exported it)

Setting the "Prop Import Optiions"

***** VERY IMPORTANT *****

1. UNcheck >>> "Centered" - (it is checked by default)

2. UNcheck >>> "Percent of standard figure size:" - (it is checked by default)

3. Click "OK"

The single object will be imported back into the Poser Studio (i.e., Universe) in the same position and the same size (i.e., scale) as when it was exported.

Now, it is a single object and can be easily moved (or rescaled if desired) very easily.

Want to take it apart?

Select it and open the Group Editor ... click on "Spawn Props" and ... Walla!!! ... all of the original objects are recreated in the studio along with the single "glued together" object.

cheers,
dr geep
;=]

Yes very good. But what if the objects I select are different textures and some with TMaps? Unless I'm doing something wrong my new obj is coming in using only one of the original items textures on it all. Scott

Hi Scott,

If you have assigned "groups" AND "textures" to the individual objects before you export +AND+ check Include groups ..." when you export, all of the groups and textures should still be in the imported object.

*** EXCEPTION ***

The exported object will NOT retain:

Transparency or Reflection data.

You will have to redo it after import.

Sorry, it's not a perfect world.

cheers,
dr geep
;=]

Here is my easy way. Download and install "MinFig" from the Free Stuff. You can click on my name above and select "lesbentley's Free Stuff contributions".

Parent your props and or figures to the "Body" of MinFig, select MinFig and save it back to a figure pallet with a new name, if prompted, select the "Whole Group" option.

All the props and figures will be saved with MinFig, when you reload the file all your props and figures will reload with it. You can translate, rotate, and scale all the items as a group by performing these operations on the Body of MinFig.

You don't neeed to parent everything directly to MinFig, as long as the base item of a chain of parented items is parented to MinFig everything will save with it. The items will maintain their colours and textures.

MinFig is a figure that only contains a BODY actor, it about 5KB in size. There are no restrictions on the modification or distribution of MinFig, so you can use it even in a commertial product.

Message edited on: 03/16/2006 12:39

Sorry It took me two days to get back to this.
I've been getting my ducks in a row, so to speak.

I've had problems doing it both ways.

1st the error I spoke of getting.
It is after parenting everything via "HE" to my Bottom floor.
The error "Multiple Root Actors found, check parenting".
My only option then is "OK" then all my nails loosen & my house goes haywire. :)

I believe I solved this.
6 of the items were figures I created from Parented props then loaded onto me house. My work around was to create a new figure from these, though it took one texture accross it's materials, (see below), it was one material so no biggie.
I parented the remaining props to the bottom floor and now can move the entire house from it. :) Very good big step forward.

If I try to make a new figure either from "HE" or export, my new figure comes out all wood, no other textures. (I can live with loosing trancparencies and reflections re; as Geep stated).

As a test I created a new creation using those props with multiple textures and exported to an obj. Once again it came in with one texture.

The textures are in two or possibly three different locations all within Posers main texture folder.
Can't think of any other possible reasons.
Next to other things on my agenda these next few days I'ld realy like to figure this out.

MINFIG.
All previous trys included moving all figures & props.
I haven't tryed to do this excluding the 6 figures I speak of above. I will ASAP.
Parenting everything makes Poser unstable, good word. ")
And then when saving or closing... Crash. :(

I have been succesful at using MINFIG and definetly see it's use in past & future projects. Many Thanks.
Hopefully I will figure out this current prob thus widening it's usefullness. Thanks.

One other note maybe of importance...
Using Poser 6 & a Mac

Much & many Thanks! Scott

Is there a limit to the amount of sub parented items that are then parented to main items. Example; The Outer flashingsor skirt parented to the ceiling which is then parented to the roof which is then parented to the Bottom Floor. Theres a big family for ya. Children, Parents, Grand Parents, Great Grand Parents Great-Great Grand Parents. Just how deep can it get? Scott

Q: Is there a limit to the amount of sub parented items that are then parented to main items?

A: I am not aware of any limit, but there may be one. What you have should easily be within any limit. Think of a human figure there are 30 parented parts in the fingers alone.

As to ending up with a figure with only one material, that's because when you use the HE to assemble the props into a figure Poser puts the the 'material' blocks of code in the 'figure' section, and tells the the actors to acess the data from there by a "customMaterial 0" statement in the actor. You are useing Poser primitives and these only have one material defined "Preview". Thus all the actors are getting their data from one "material Preview" block of code in the 'figure' section. When the props were just props parented to a figure, each prop had its own "material Preview" block of code in the prop itself, and was instructed to use this internal block by a "customMaterial 32" statement in the prop.

Now this is probably all starting to sound a bit complicated, and could get more so. So lets cut to the chase, you have a lot of options but lets just look at two.

Method #1: You already have a figure, and all actors use the Preview material. In Poser, use the Grouping Tool to assign a new group with a distinct name to each actor, also assign a new material to each new group. You can then set your new materials up in Poser by assigning colors and textures etc, as you would for any figure.

Method #2: You are going to make a new figure out of primitives. This is a rather unorthodox way to make a figure, but in regards to what you are trying to achive it is probablly quite a good way, and has the advantage of being very quick and easy.

Load MinFig. Parent all the props to MinFig, or parent the base element of each parenting chain to MinFig. Save MinFig back to a pallet with a new name, let's call it "NewFig". Open NewFig.cr2 in a text editor, Search and replace all instances of the string "prop " (note the blank space) with "actor ", save the file to disk.

All the props have now been converted to actors, they are an integral part of the figuer, you can select them from the dropdown Body Parts list. In most other ways nothing much has changed, in particular in the Poser Material ditor (P4), or Material Room (P5/P6), you will still acess them as if they were still props. Because the material code blocks are still in the individual actors, and still use "customMaterial 32" you will be able to set diffrent materials for each actor. Try this as an experiment with two or three primitives to see what happens, before you use it on something more complex like your building.

For more info see this thread at Poser Pros.