... or pointless long holiday weekend activity ... or got a 3D itch which needs to be scratched

Downloaded free human figure models from SP Effects.
http://www.speffects.com/
Decided to use the male figure.
Discovered it is in FBX format and Maya format.
But I do not have Maya, and I want to use the figure inside Poser Pro.

I looked for FBX format convertor.
Found the Autodesk FBX Convertor tool (free, stand-alone)
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=6837478&siteID=123112
I downloaded the windows version and installed it.
Converted the FBX human male figure into 3DS, OBJ, and DAE (collada) versions.

Tested by importing the 3DS, OBJ, and DAE versions into Poser Pro directly.
Figure gets corrupted in each case.
Unable to use the first-generation file conversions directly inside Poser Pro.
Exited Poser Pro.

Launched Google SketchUp 7.
Imported the DAE conversion of the human male figure.
Exported as KMZ.

Unzipped the KMZ file with folder structure intact, using 7zip ( I am certain that Izarc, Winzip and Stuffit would all do the unzipping fine as well).  This step produced the second-generation DAE version of the human male figure.

Launched MeshLab.
Imported the second-generation DAE file.
Exported as OBJ.
This is the second-generation OBJ format of the human male figure.

Launch Poser Pro again.
Imported the second-generation OBJ version.
Success.  No mesh corruption. 
However, the imported item needs to be rotated -90 degrees along x-axis, and then raised along the z-axis until the feet touch ground.

Inside Figure Setup Room, attempted quick-n-dirty rigging using Poser figures.
James Rig - failed
Don Rig - failed
Poser 4 hi-res male Rig - failed
Poser 1 male Rig - passable success.

Materials Room adjustment required, but UVmapping seems to have carried forward throughout the conversions.

Note:  Eyeballs fallen down around left foot of figure.

Figure is poseable to a degree.
Best used as garden sculpture in 3D scene !!

Thus endeth the Playing with 3D Format Conversions.

Eternal Hobbyist