Bjørn's Props and 3d bits

Added 4 oriental hats to post #7...

I am remaking the chinese spears and pole arms. I somehow got poser set to use external morph files. I am not sure how well these work in older versions of Poser. So I thought it best to get it right.
There are 2 Chinese spears, 1 Chinese halebard, 2 sword spears, 1 Sai, 1 Tonfa, 1 nunchuka, 3-4 shuriken, and a bamboo staff. The only hang up is that the tassles move a little.
Here is an example of one of the spears with the tassles to the side a bit.
spearsc3.png

I will release the suit too if I get the rigging worked out. I have no idea what I did wrong, but the lower hem on the back side goes up in the middle as he bends over. As in Upright, and it is a straight hem, as he bends over it begins to look like tuxedo tails. Weird, huh? I suspect that the length is the reason. I am gonna DL and look at how some skirts are rigged might give me a clue.

The weapons should all be done fairly soon. The suit depends on my luck sorting out what is going on with it.
 
Hey, didn't see the oriental hats untill now. They look really good, I hope they get used. :)
 
Hey Bjorn,

Would you be up to making a tutorial on how to make Poser models with joints and morphs?

I've got the copy of the coat Kinboat used for his Janissary unit, but it's a 3DS file, so it imports as an immovable prop. I'd love to be able to convert this and maybe make things as well.
 
Yes, the tutorial (or the second half of it, at least) is just about how to use the Setup Room to turn a prop into a poseable figure.

If your model is of a character (human figure, animal, etc) rather than an item of clothing that you want to make conformable to an existing character, then you'll have to create your own skeleton for it rather than simply import the skeleton of the character you're conforming it to. I don't think this is a very difficult procedure, although I haven't done it. Probably the easiest way would be to import the skeleton of some existing character that's roughly similar to the one you're making, and then edit it. But I would consult the manual about this. Also, don't forget that the Poser forum at Renderosity is a very good place to get Poser-specific advice.
 
The process Plotinus describes can be applied to any (and I mean any) thing you can import in to poser. Wanna make an elephant nosed PDM.... well you find (or make) a nose shaped object and follow the steps (except you would have to add your own bones).

To add morphs is pretty easy... you take the "base object" (character or prop) change it (magnets or what ever) export the modified object, reload the base, load a morph target (navigate to the modified obj) and load it. It will ask for a path to the obj after you load it, select a more reasonable name.

More info on FBM if you need it.

I have made several things with bones. I made a bunny trying to figure out how to make clothing. It is not too hard. Just a little time consuming.

Just bare in mind, things will go horribly wrong the first several times and to no panic. You may (and I almost always do) have issues with grouping. You use auto group see where the polygons get assigned and then move them around using the grouping tool (which sucks btw). Once grouped, you will probably have to fiddle with the Joint parameters. I do not do this step in the setup room. I just go back to poser and under the same menu as libraries you will find the joint editor.


Plot's tutorial is excellent. Refer to it often as it descibes stuff well and in an easy to follow manner.
 
Thanks Bjorn, and thanks for the tutorial, Plotinus, I tried my hand at it.

HOLY HAND GRENADE, you're not kidding when you said it sucks trying to get all of the facets in the right group! I tried working on the Janissary coat I mentioned earlier (which is a lot more complicated than some models) and I keep missing things in the tail. I've tried changing to wireframe view, as well as looking at it from every angle, but it's still funny.

On the other hand, the model is already broken up into groups (you can separate them in Bryce). Is it possible to take advantage of this and not have to use the Auto Grouping tool? What about importing one body part at a time, and then linking them into one figure? I this what the IK chains do?

Have you every done this? And also, how do you group more than one prop together? I've read through the help section and I can't find it mentioned anywhere.
 
Those things are a bit beyond me, though I think Bjorn worked out how to link props together. I don't believe that groups visible in Bryce can be used in Poser, but I may be wrong. IK chains are something different, to do with posing. If IK chains are applied to a limb it means that the extremity stays where it is (according to global coordinates) even if you move the rest of the figure about. By default, most figures have IK chains turned on for the legs; this means that the feet stay rooted in place when you move the figure about. You can move the feet manually and the legs bend correctly. This is much easier to demonstrate than to explain; try checking that IK chains are turned on for the PDM and then move his hip about, then turn off the IK chains and move him again, and you will see what I mean.
 
Any idea when we will see some more hats and or head dress type props? Also the socks and shorts you used for your last unit.
Sorry, I know I am late with a lot of this stuff. I will try and get to it soon. I am asking for some time off, if I get it I will try to use some of that time modeling and rigging.



Thanks Bjorn, and thanks for the tutorial, Plotinus, I tried my hand at it.

HOLY HAND GRENADE, you're not kidding when you said it sucks trying to get all of the facets in the right group! I tried working on the Janissary coat I mentioned earlier (which is a lot more complicated than some models) and I keep missing things in the tail. I've tried changing to wireframe view, as well as looking at it from every angle, but it's still funny.

On the other hand, the model is already broken up into groups (you can separate them in Bryce). Is it possible to take advantage of this and not have to use the Auto Grouping tool? What about importing one body part at a time, and then linking them into one figure? I this what the IK chains do?

Have you every done this? And also, how do you group more than one prop together? I've read through the help section and I can't find it mentioned anywhere.


Bryce rigging can be adapted to Poser, but it is not a good idea with clothing. You need to have the clothing bend and twist a little.

You can link props several different ways depending on what you are trying to do.
1. Dirt simple method. Load both Props, export them together and re-import that OBJ. It will now be a single prop.
2. Parenting. Load both props, make 1 the parent to the other. The child will follow the parent around.
3. Parenting variation. Load both props. Make a tiny mesh or primitive and place it at the point where mesh 1 and mesh 2 meet. This can be used as an animation controller. You parent the ball to mesh 1 and parent mesh 2 to the ball. This is bryce style rigging which I have used on a lot of stuff. The benifits of this are that they more or less stay together and you can move the mesh two in any direction by just rolling around the ball in different rotations. The downside is that they are not a single object but 3 and you can to keep track of 'em. For example, you have a tank you parent the Animation Controller 1(AC1) to the chassis, turret to the AC1, AC2 to the turrent, the barrel to AC2, AC3 to the turret and the hatch to AC3. Kinda messy real quick. Since to rotate the gun, and raise the barrel, you have to find and rotate ac1, then find and elevate ac2. But it works flawlessly. And, it is a simple wayt to make distortion free movement along the whole range of movement with out the weirdness of the setup room possibly messing it up.
4. Morphing object. (variation of dirt simple method, but with movement). Load prop1 & 2. Postion them in the neutral arrangement (usually the base/starting position). Export as BaseOBJ.obj. Move Mesh 2 to the 2nd position. Export as Morph1.obj. clear the scene. Import BaseOBJ.obj. Important, do not move anything do not scale anything. Now load a Morph Target. Navigate to where you saved Morph1.obj, rename the morph from the name of the file to something more useful. This will give you a morphing object. The 0 setting will be the baseobj setting, the 1 on the dial will be the Morph1.obj setting. The advantages are many. Easy to control. Single object (faster render, less ram used). It is not as messy... to move something you just go in to prop and spin the dial. The disadvantages are distortion and such along the range of movement. And, limited range of movement. There is no doubt some clever way to limit the distortion in between position 0 and 1, but I do not know it.
5. Yucky method. Load both props. export them together. Reimport that obj. Go to the setup room. Make a skeleton. Do the grouping. Do the joint parameters. Advantages as many. They include single object with minimal memory use. relatively Distorition movement if you do your Joint Parameter edits right. Simple operation, etc... the disadvantages are the most difficult and convoluted of the methods. Some minor mesh deformations near the point of movement is almost always there.
 
Sorry, I know I am late with a lot of this stuff. I will try and get to it soon. I am asking for some time off, if I get it I will try to use some of that time modeling and rigging.
No problem just wanted to make sure it wasnt forgotten.
 
bjorn, your downloads are down because of the hack, and I kinda need some of them :p

could you pretty please upload them again?
 
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