Do they come with any .mat files? If the MATs are built properly (which, I admit, some are not) they should apply when you import the object, if you have that box ticked in the import window.
If you're just looking for the place to stick textures, look for the 'Surfaces' tab. First find the object, then make sure it's uncollapsed, so you can see the material zones. Some objects only have one default zone that affects the whole thing. Others will have different ones for different parts. The best way to tell which is which is to screw with the transparency slider, so the texture you have selected turns invisible. It's pretty quick to ID the thing that disappears.Then find the Diffuse colour channel and click on ... Well, in DS3, it's the box that probably says 'none', if there's no texture loaded, and it's directly under the Diffuse colour... well, colour. That'll give you a window to browse for a texture. I know png and jpg are valid file formats, because I use them all the time. I'm not sure what other formats it'll take, but most textures you find will probably be one of the two, usually jpg.
If you want to apply a shader, make sure the object is selected in the scene tab, and the material is selected in the surfaces tab. Then apply the shader. Both have to be selected, or the shader just doesn't do anything. (I've done this to myself so many times, today included.)
I admit I'm writing from a DS3 perspective, so if you're using 4, some things may be in slightly different places, but if you look for the names of the tabs and sliders, they should be the same or pretty close.
the first question to ask have the OBJ been UV mapped
if yes then they should have material zones you then just go to the surface tab select the required surfaces and using the drop down button next to the diffuse add a texture you will need to adjust the other channels as well.
if the obj does not have any material zones you will need to take it in to an modeller and UV map it ( I presume you have grabbed hexagon.
here is an example using a letter obj I created in Carrara
Comments
Do they come with any .mat files? If the MATs are built properly (which, I admit, some are not) they should apply when you import the object, if you have that box ticked in the import window.
If you're just looking for the place to stick textures, look for the 'Surfaces' tab. First find the object, then make sure it's uncollapsed, so you can see the material zones. Some objects only have one default zone that affects the whole thing. Others will have different ones for different parts. The best way to tell which is which is to screw with the transparency slider, so the texture you have selected turns invisible. It's pretty quick to ID the thing that disappears.Then find the Diffuse colour channel and click on ... Well, in DS3, it's the box that probably says 'none', if there's no texture loaded, and it's directly under the Diffuse colour... well, colour. That'll give you a window to browse for a texture. I know png and jpg are valid file formats, because I use them all the time. I'm not sure what other formats it'll take, but most textures you find will probably be one of the two, usually jpg.
If you want to apply a shader, make sure the object is selected in the scene tab, and the material is selected in the surfaces tab. Then apply the shader. Both have to be selected, or the shader just doesn't do anything. (I've done this to myself so many times, today included.)
I admit I'm writing from a DS3 perspective, so if you're using 4, some things may be in slightly different places, but if you look for the names of the tabs and sliders, they should be the same or pretty close.
the first question to ask have the OBJ been UV mapped
if yes then they should have material zones you then just go to the surface tab select the required surfaces and using the drop down button next to the diffuse add a texture you will need to adjust the other channels as well.
if the obj does not have any material zones you will need to take it in to an modeller and UV map it ( I presume you have grabbed hexagon.
here is an example using a letter obj I created in Carrara
Thanks. As far as I know the props have material zones, so I'll have a mess around with them as you explained.
Cheers!