Does anything like this exist, or can it? I'm thinking about a script that can take multiple props that are parent/child grouped, and convert it into a basic rigged CR2, using the origins of the parented props as the joints. This would be great for mechanical characters, where there is no bending and no need for falloff zones, but I could see it working, too, as a basic rigger that would then allow a user to further tweak the model in the Setup room. I've got a spaceship model with only two moving parts, each of which is parented to the main hull, and all of their non-used controls are hidden; it works fine as it is, but it's still 3 props. I tried creating one model with groups, but because there are some points in a moving group that are in the same location as static points in the main hull (because I don't want a gap there when it's closed), Poser creates a 'bridge' between the static and moving points (I didn't have this problem in older versions of Poser - I tried this rigging in P9 - although D|S always used to have this issue). So I can rig a model if I have to, but it would be great if there were a script to do what I'm thinking, where it could convert the parented props to groups and create joints where they currently rotate on their origins

hierarchy editor, button near the bottom to create a figure from parented props.

for mechanicals you have to turn bend off for each body part and you may have to adjust centers.

Well, heck! Right there all along? D'oh! Thanks!

Hmmm, well, that didn't seem to work, after all. It converts a single prop into a figure, but I don't see a way to do it with a group, and even the manual seems to ignore that button, at least in this sort of context. When I tried it, I can select only one item, and it converts that one item into a figure, and parents everything else to it, so I'm in the same boat I was already in, except that now it's a figure and 3 props, instead of just 3 props ;).

Back to the drawing board ...

You can create a phi file and use the file menu option to process it.  

I was sure that heirarchy editor took a parented set of props and made it one figure. hmm, I will have to try it again.

try http://www.sharecg.com/v/32860/view/3/PDF-Tutorial/Poser-3-figure-creation for the details of using phi files. 

I have done a test with Poser 7 and get 1 figure from a group of 4 primitives.

load 4 balls and move them so each ball is just toutching the next   ball 1,2,3,4

parent ball 2 to 1 , 3 to 2, 4 to 3

select ball 1 in heirarchy editor

press the button to create a figure, give it a name

the figure will be in new figures folder

delete the props

load the figure

you should get figure 1 with bodyparts ball 1,2,3,4

select  a bodypart and move the rotate dial to see it work.

this seems like the thread to get some help, i made a chess clock, case is a cr2 but all the moveables are smart propped, but its a nightmare to mat due to all the bits, i tried grouping everything but i lose any movement............help

A chess clock is one of those boxes with two clockfaces, hands and timer on/off buttons on top?

If so, you can create the figure as described by markschum.
Parent everything to the case, select case in hierarchy editor and hit "create figure".
For all moveable bodyparts you may have to turn "bend" off in the properties panel. 

The hierarchy would be something like...

case
...clock1
.......hand1
... clock2
.......hand2
...timer1
...timer2

You need to turn off bend for hand1 and hand2. You also may need to adjust the bodyparts centerpoint.
Then you can use one of the rotation dials to set the time.

If you are doing animation, you can control the hands to run at 30 frames per second.
It may even be possible to toggle the animation of the hands using dependent parameters, linking them to the start/stop button... maybe :-)
 

Well, after seeing the responses here, I went back and tried it again. I didn't realize that creating a figure would save it in the Figures directory and I'd have to hunt it down and tweak it there - I tried it with one of my freebie props that's currently 2 separate props, and darned if it didn't give me a nice, shiny new figure! I tweaked the center point on the moving lid of the box, turned off bend on BOTH parts (good to know! :-) ) and now it's a working CR2 just like the Great Bird intended (yeah, it's a Star Trek prop ;-) ).

Thanks for setting me straight! This just might make things a lot easier!

You may have noticed, that Poser creates a new .obj for your newly created figure.
It's usually saved next to the .cr2 in the New Figures folder.

You may want to edit the cr2 to point to your original .obj

Right, so to revive this thread... somehow I'm getting nowhere with this method, only because I'm definitely missing a step. I'm not the fastest read out there, so please bear with me.

First, I must say that I did look at the Poser Pro Reference Manual and at the Poser Tutorial Manual. Both appear focused on creating figures that are going to bend and which have bones, i.e., setup room candidates. Indeed, on page 51 of the PP2010 manual, the Create New Figures dot point states:

The addition of the graphical Setup room (see “Chapter 27: The Setup Room” on page 445) eliminates the need to use the Hierarchy Editor palette to create figures.

Yeah but. :blink:

So, I have this wall - a front wall to a room - that I want to make into an independent figure. So, top of the hierarchy is: this wall. 10 windows (sash: 5 upper and 5 lower) are to be parented to this wall. And a swivel-lock is going to be parented to each lower window.

So, I start off with something like this:

...which I go about organising to this:

Then, click on the Create new Figure button:

Name it:

...which gets saved to my New Figures folder:

...which I load into a new scene, and bring up in hierarchy editor, and see this:

and whilst all the windows show as part of the body parts:

...I can't see them in the material room at all:

...which is a show stopper.

What am I doing wrong? And how to fix this? Thanks to all who reply...

ETA: actually, the materials for the windows, panes and brasswork do show up under the figure with the rest of the materials for that wall now, so that problem appears to be resolved. But it still seems odd that the wall - which i would have thought was the base figure, shows up as a body part at the same level as a window.

Actually, the wall does not show up on the same level as a window.
It's a child of BODY, all the windows are children of FrontWall30.

Compare to any of the human figures. You got the Body... hip it's child... all other bodyparts are children or grandchildren of hip. :-)

Your FrontWall30 is your buildings' hip ;-) 

Thanks, it's starting to make more sense, now, thanks for that, msg24_7.