Problems with Export CR2 from DAZ4

E-Arkham

I have a custom obj file that I created. When I import it into DAZ4 to assign textures, everything works as expected. All materials show up.

I'm following along with this tutorial in an attempt to get a Poser ready character model: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDYEvSb7jQs

I first export it as an object file to an appropriate geometries folder since that's what the video does. If I re-import it at this point, all textures show up fine.

If I export it as a cr2 for use in Poser, making sure to use the obj created in the previous step, I end up with a cr2 that does not work. When I try it in DAZ, the cr2 acts as if it's creating the object, but nothing appears. You can select it in the scene manager, but will only see a small bounding box. No materials or surfaces appear in the viewport or the surface editor. It's as if the cr2 is ignoring all grouping on the object -- and as stated, the obj itself if I import it appears perfectly fine.

There's information inside the cr2 when I open it in a text editor, and all the paths appear to be correct.

I'm selecting all the surfaces as per the video when I export the cr2.

The viewport is set to texture shading (other props appear correctly).

Any idea on what's going on here?

Richard Haseltine

And the figure works as a figure before you export the CR2?

E-Arkham

Yup, it's using a hip bone and completely weighted to the hip bone (no joints due to being a building that will have smart props attached to it).

However you are right in that it's the setup of the model itself at fault. Tried exporting various other things as cr2 files and they work as expected. I'm wondering if my weightmapping is wrong somehow but at least now I know what part of the process is failing.

[Edit] Also, wow, I know I didn't post often here, but I guess with the new forum change, all post counts were reset? Hee.

E-Arkham

Turns out I did NOT have the model set up correctly as a figure -- I used Edit > Object > Rigging > Convert Prop To Figure. Totally wrong -- I should have used the Figure Setup tab, dragged the geometry onto a bone, and then created the figure from that panel. Explaining this for the benefit of people googling similar problems. CR2 seems to be working correctly now.

Richard Haseltine

You can't really export weight-mapped figures as CR2 - DS won't read the weight-mapping back in, and it won't work in Poser versions before 9 either. For something like this you'd do just as well to use the legacy (Parametric) option in Figure Setup, and turn the Bend parameter off in the Parameters pane (that's the on/off button for bend, not the slider labelled bend if there is one) - that way you can use the result in any version of Poser and DS. Of course if it's just for your own use in DS then there's no need to save as a CR2 - just save as a a .dsf figure, or a ,duf file if you are using the 4.5 version of DS.

E-Arkham

Noted, thanks.

Hoping to submit this as a product once I'm finished so it'll need to be correctly made. I'm experienced with creating models, just not at all experienced with getting it into DAZ/Poser formats. Used to do it years ago, but basically I'm having to relearn the process now.

It's a building, and my thoughts are that it'll need to be a cr2 so that some of the other objects can be smart-propped to it. Hopefully that's the right thinking.