Saving distributables for Poser

guilledcf

Okay. So by now I kind of understand that D|S redistributable content should follow something like:

• Parent folder
  • Data (autogenerated so nothing about it, morphs, materials and UVmaps appear here)
  • People / Props / Animals / Whatever
    • Here go the folders as they appear in Daz's content tab
  • Runtime
    • Textures 

(Feel free to correct any of the above!)

Now, how should that go if I wanted to publish Poser compatible stuff? I think everything should be on Runtime, but I quickly get lost among Geometries, Data, Libraries and so many other arcane folders.

Also, which formats should I save in? I'd like to produce stuff usable both for Daz n Poser. I guess that means some duplication within the ZIP, or is there any good cross-format?

Thank you :)

 

 

Richard Haseltine

The OBJ, at Poser scale, goes in /Runtime/Geometries/SomeFolder, the textures go in the same place as for DS, then you will have the /Runtime/Libraries folders to which you saved (Figure is the Character folder on disc). You can, for a non-weight-mapped figure or a prop, get away with just the Poser files plus DS materials (and if you give thsoe the saem naem as the Poser material files and plonk them in the same folder in the Materials library then DS will apply them when the user double-clicks the Poser material file).

guilledcf

Thanks a lot Richard. Your help is always very appreciated. 

Aaalright, so... 

- textures in their folder will work the same for Daz n Poser

- In Runtime/Geometries/(...) goes the OBJ

But then,

Richard Haseltine said:

(...) then you will have the /Runtime/Libraries folders to which you saved (Figure is the Character folder on disc). 

Errrmm so what I am supposed to save there? The .OBJ was in Geometries already. Figure is the Character folder, alright: so I make my folder inside, and save uh... a .DUF? A Supprt Asset /Figure or Prop? I dont now if you can save .CR2s o .P3Zs or any of those strange Poser formats with Daz...?

Materials (and morphs?) also got me a bit confused. Lets say my figure is weightmapped -- if i got that properly, DS (3delight) materials in the Data Folder would work fine in Poser, without me doing nothing else...? gawd i hope so lol.

Ay. Sorry people, I ve never done Poser (not a Daz expert either, specially when it comes to foldertrees) so I feel a bit like gropping blindly at the thing. Thanks for yr patience.

Leana

Poser can't use .duf files directly, though DSON importer plugin can import those if you have Poser 9+. If you want to go that way you would provide the .duf file in DS structure and then create "poser companion files" for them (see here: http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dson_importer/poser/userguide/dson_content_conversion/tutorials/creating_dson_companion_files/start )

If you want to provide the content in Poser native format (which would be easier to use for Poser users) then you need to export the files as cr2 (for rigged figures) or pp2 (for static props). There’s a cr2 exporter tool in DS, and IIRC there's a script to export pp2.

And no, DS materials will not work in Poser "as is", Poser has its own material system and format.  You can try this freebie to create poser materials from DS: http://www.sharecg.com/v/36622/browse/9/Plug-in/Create-Poser-Mats (it says DS3 but works in 4 too apparently).

guilledcf

Thanks Leana! Well I better bookmark me this thread. Ill give it all a try (and probbly be back with brand new doubts, such as "what is DSON", "how do I use scripts" or "how do i install plugins". But let me google it around a bit first).

Cheers!

:D

 

Leana

DSON is the name of the format Daz uses for their files (the one used in duf files).

DSON importer is a plugin for Poser 9 and later which enables Poser to load and use content in DSON format (with some limitations). Daz created that plugin so that Poser users could use Genesis in Poser too. 

guilledcf

Lol I see! Seriously thank you very much for your help :)

I'll try the native way and Im doing a rigged figure (so cr2, no script needed). I used the plugin Leana said for the materials. It all looks like this:

• Runtime
  • Textures (same as Daz)
    • PNG or JPG
  • Geometries / My folder(s)
    • OBJ
  • Libraries
    • Characters Character / My folder(s)
      • PP2 or CR2
    • Materials
      • PZ2

...But it doesnt work :( At least not on Daz. After installing it:

- My folder in the content library appears empty. Dammit.

- So I browse my folders and drag the cr2 into Daz. Weird things happen: the figure loads partially, one leg and part of the other are invisible (node visibility is on, texture opacity 100%, yet nothing to be seen). Also, morphs seem duplicate, but i could live with that (for now).

- The OBJ loads alright with all its legs when i drag it in.

Ooff. This is...  well, lets say this isn't easier than expected lol. Red Richard somewhere sayin that weightmapped figures may be trouble when exporting to cr2. My fig is weightmapped, althought with empty volumes, robot-like... Yknow what, here's the zip with the Poser, weirdly-workin version, if anyone wants to have a look. (And this is the published, Daz-only freebie, which works fine, or so i think).

Thanks everyone :)

Leana

For the empty folder in DS library, the probllem is that you put the files in "Libraries/Characters" folder while it should be "Libraries/Character" (without the "s" in character). Once you change that the figure should ve visible in the content library tab under "Poser formats".

I looked at the cr2 quickly in a text editor, What seems weird is that there are references to geometry for some body parts but not for all:

actor hip:1
    {
    storageOffset 0 0 0
    geomHandlerGeom 13 hip  
    }
actor head:1
    {
    storageOffset 0 0 0
    geomHandlerGeom 13 head  
    }
actor jaw:1
    {
    storageOffset 0 0 0
    geomHandlerGeom 13 jaw  
    }
actor l leg1:1
    {
    }
actor l leg2:1
    {
    }
actor l foot:1
    {
    }
actor r leg1:1
    {
    }
actor r leg2:1
    {
    }
actor foot.r:1
    {
    storageOffset 0 0 0
    geomHandlerGeom 13 foot.r  
    }

This certainly explains the parts loading without geometry. So there was obviously a problem when you exported the cr2.

I wanted to download the DS version to check if I could re-export it, but sharecg downloads don't seem to work for me right now, so I'll check again this evening.

guilledcf

@Leana Wow, thank you so very much for taking the time and all! Yep sharecg seems to be down -- glad to see was not me (and yet another valuable piece of info). The "s" in Characters is genius, I wouldnt have seen it in a lifetime, and for once is something easily fixable! yay!

Well here's the Daz version if you or anybody wanna go for it (dont feel obligated or anything tho). I guess it wont work if i just type in  "storageOffset 0 0 0 geomHandlerGeom 13 &nodeName" like a parrot right :P 

Leana

guille.dcf said:

The "s" in Characters is genius, I wouldnt have seen it in a lifetime, and for once is something easily fixable! yay!

That's actually a tricky one as forlder names for all libraries are not coherent: it's "Character" and "Pose" but "Props" and "Materials"....

guille.dcf said:

I guess it wont work if i just type in  "storageOffset 0 0 0 geomHandlerGeom 13 &nodeName" like a parrot right :P 

It might work if it's the only section to fix, but there are probably other things missing in the cr2 due to those missing lines. I've not checked the rest of the file as that part was obviously wrong.

guilledcf

I think i got it :D

So yep, I decided to type in the thing, and noticed something: some of the leg nodes were called "r leg1", while others followed this format: "leg1.r". Well actually only the right foot (cause head and jaw have no left/right) was named like this, and it also was the only none visible in the legs. So i updated the names (and yeah, typed in) and it works! I had to change the names at one point (or was it at several points) while rigging, for proper bone symmetry. 

This should be it, then ^u^

Leana

Glad you figured it out :)

I just downloaded the new file and it loads fine for me in DS. I hope it will work fine in Poser too.

guilledcf

Thanks again for your help :)

I'm not sure if the converted materials are working (they dont load on DS, but then maybe they shouldnt?). We'll see.

ShareCG is pissing me off. The whole site is bad innit? It aint just my freebies right?

SixDs

Further to what has been said, the original Poser directory/folder structure tended to house content in one of the Poser file formats in each corresponding folder. In addition to the Textures and Geometries folders that you seem to have a handle on, there are a number of specific folders within the Libraries folder structure. References within both Poser and DAZ Studio to these folders can be a source of confusion, as the names given in the programs can sometimes be category names in some instances, and actual folder names in others. The main Poser Format Libraries are, using their actual folder names, followed by the corresponding Poser formats in brackets, and lastly their names as displayed in DAZ Studio and Poser, are:

Libraries

     Camera (*cm2) - Camera

     Character (*.cr2) - Figures

     face (*fc2) - Expressions

     Hair (*hr2) - Hair

     hand (*hd2) - Hands

     Light (*lt2) - Lights

     Materials (*mc6) - Materials

     Pose (*pz2) - Pose

     props (*pp2) - Props

     scene (*pz3) - Scene

Another source of potential confusion is the fact that different types of content can end up being saved in .pz2 format, and be saved within the Pose folder, including some that arguably should be elsewhere. A good example of this would be material files that have been saved as .pz2 files and therefore end up under Pose, when they arguably should be mc6 files and placed under Materials.

Finally, anyone who has accumulated a significant amount of Poser Format content will notice that a significant amount of content can be found within the Runtime folder that has not been placed neatly into one of the main content folders or subfolders. These could be just about anything, but frankly is often just poor packaging or the result of errors on the part of the user in incorrectly copying files to their Runtime folder. These need to properly placed to be accessible within DAZ Studio. Misspelled folders names are also not uncommon i.e. Libairies instead of Libraries, Poses instead of Pose, Material instead of Materials, etc..

To be fair, similar issues can sometimes also crop up with DAZ Studio Formats within the Content Library outside the Runtime folder as well.

guilledcf

Thanks for the lore! I get quickly confused with DS and Poser formats and folders. My Runtime/Library reminds me a bit of that kid in Akira, ever growing like some mess of a monster lol. That Pose/Materials confusion is specially noticeable tho. I've saved my poser materials as a .PZ2 (or, the plugin i used did), but saved them in Materials. They dont seem to be working either, or at least i see no effects in DS. Should I save them as MC6, rather? Would the PZ2 work if i save it in the Pose folder?

SixDs

It depends. Do they show up under materials? If not, just move them to the Pose folder. If they are showing up, but do not apply (with the proper prop or figure that they apply to selected in your scene), then there is something else wrong. Although technically .mc6 files would be correct, the .pz2 files should work as well, as many times they are used for that purpose and work.

guilledcf

Well I gropped a bit at my plugin and  got me proper .mc6 which seems to work just fine :)

Here's the final result (at shareCG). I think it should be perfectly funtional (it is in Daz).

So we got it! :D Thanks a lot everyone for you help! 

guilledcf

shite.

I'm trying to download some Poser trial, but apparently there's none since Poser 11 (at least I cant find one). Seriously. How are these guys still even in the market.

i'd really like to be able to produce content for poser (as it seemingly still has quite a legion of fanatical users), but I'm not paying two hunfred bucks for a software that does the same as Daz... The most reasonable alternative I can think of right now is buying me one "Poser Debut" (19.99, which still pisses me off) to try my figures. The thing is, Im not even sure I would be able to do just that with that software :S