question on Cr2 file to create a morph

[Faery_Light]

I am trying to finalize a morph for Dusk.
It has this in the top section.
<<figureResFile :Runtime:Geometries:HiveWire 3Dusk:Baseusk.obj>>
Is that correct or should I create an obj file with the morphed Dusk and load it there?

TIA

 

[Semicharm]

There's a few ways to do it, depending on whether you plan to release it publicly or just use it for yourself. Either way, it's generally easier to add morphs to the original figure with an injection pose. Which version of Poser do you have?

 

[Ken1171]

I agree with Semicharm - it's best to create an injection file. In addition, you cannot include the Dusk mesh in your morph because it's copyrighted. The whole idea of a morph injection is exactly to avoid distributing copyrighted materials, because it only includes the morph data from your changes to the Dusk mesh. If you wish, I can help you creating the morph injection.

 

[Faery_Light]

I managed the morph injection, does not include the Dusk geometry.
I made a character file with all the morphhs in it, cleaned out all unusud ones and used NW Toybox to crate the morph using pmd thing.
Then I cleaned the pmd so only my morph was there.
All working fine now.
But still uncertain why the one cr2 showed Dusk obj.
Usually Poser 11 creates an obj of the morphed model when you save as a cr2.
Now I need to tackle DS and adapt the morph there too.
If foggy brain will clear a bit so I remember how...lol.

 

[Ken1171]

Great! Looks like everything is falling into place.

 

[Faery_Light]

Yep, f I can get the brain cells going long enough to do the DS morph.
I do know the steps as I've done it many times but today I am foggy.

 

[Faery_Light]

So far all I've done in DS is get a headache.
Can't remember the steps and tried following a tutorial and also the info in their pdf.
This is silly as I have several already morphed character packs finished.
A few right here in the Hivewire store.

 

[Faery_Light]

Can't get a morph that loads onto dusk, but I did save it as a Character/Prop and it loads in fine.

 

[Ken1171]

That probably happens because of the way Poser exports OBJs, which is incompatible with DS. This is why it's easier to start in DS and then export to make the Poser version. If you send me the Poser injection, I can create a usable OBJ morph target that is compatible with DS.

 

[Faery_Light]

Oh, that would be great, Thanks!
where do I send it?

 

[Ken1171]

You can send me a DropBox link, or perhaps email it to me?

 

[Faery_Light]

I'll dropbox it soon.

 

[Faery_Light]

Sending link in PM.

 

[Ken1171]

Got it! I will get you a usable DS morph target in a moment.

 

[kobaltkween]

But still uncertain why the one cr2 showed Dusk obj.
Usually Poser 11 creates an obj of the morphed model when you save as a cr2.

That generally isn't how P11 works in terms of morphs. Because the cr2 file describes a figure, it needs a mesh to work with. So it points to the _original_ mesh. Your morph is either embeded in the cr2's dials or externalized as a PMD, depending on your Poser settings. Either way, the base obj and the morphs are separate. The PMD, that's _just_ the morph.

Distributing the cr2, unless you somehow made it with embedded geometry and/or embedded morphs by someone else, would in no way violate anyone's work, unless Dawn's rigging were somehow sold separately from her base mesh.

CR2 files were how people used to share characters. Hence MorphManager's former popularity. Several hard drives ago I hundreds of megs of Posette and even Dork characters, as well as some for V1 and V2. But then V2 and M2 came out, and they were just additional morphs for V1 and M1. Same meshes. So when people made "V2" characters as Cr2 files, they could inadvertently distribute "V2" to people who had only bought V1. And the whole MorphManager process was complicated. You needed to:

1. Install your new character to your chosen Poser runtime
2. Load the new character and an uber character (has all your morphs) in MorphManager
3. Transfer _all_ the new character's morphs to the uber character. IIRC, you had to move over each body part's morphs individual for FBM.
4. Save the new uber character (with new morphs)
5. Go into Poser, load the new uber character
6. Dial in the morphs.

Basically, "characters" (defined as specific morphs of figures) as Poser understands them work for the use case where you're making your own, singular character, but not so much in an environment where content is shared among people and users mix and match content.

Pose files worked for sharing dialed characters since pose files defined any dials, not just rotation. All you'd have to do is load your figure (assuming it had the morphs), then click on the pose file. DAZ (I think Anton, specifically, though I could totally be wrong) came up with injection poses that could add the morphs on the fly and from a source outside the library. Poser very wisely built on this, added binary morphs, but only recently (in terms of versions, not years) added the ability in Poser to make injection pose presets with Poser. Until then, you had to save a character file (cr2) to create the PMD, but the preset to redistribute was a pose file (pz2) that pointed at the PMD. Now you can just go File > Export > Morph Injection (at least in Poser 11 Pro).

TL;DR, cr2, despite their name, are most useful for base figures, not characters. Characters best distributed as injection poses, and if you have PP11+, you should be able to generate those poses without making a cr2 at all.

 

[Faery_Light]

If I sell this set, does it absolutely have to be a shaping preset?
What if it is saved as a character/prop set, is that allowed?

 

[kobaltkween]

Well, _I_ would say it's OK since you're not distributing anyone else's IP, but the custom in our community is to ask permission, which has traditionally been withheld by the figure owner/DAZ except in very particular situations. But IMHO, that's irrelevant. By making it a character, you basically force people to go through the described situation above with MorphManager. It's _terrible_ usability, which is why the community dropped it even for non-DAZ figures. By allowing the morphs to be injected into the selected figure, instead of just forcing people to use your character/figure, you allow mix and matching with other morphs from the community. Same goes for props. You can make a prop file with as many props as you want, so why assume they're using your chosen figure and morph? Let them use the props as they please. It's _worlds_ better for the user for you to:

• Make all of your morphs injection poses
• Put all of your PMD files outside of the library. I put mine in Runtime > Morphs > kobaltkween > Dawn. If you put your PMD files inside the library (e.g., with the preset, as Poser does automatically), the absolute links to the PMD files will break as soon as the person customizes their library. A very, very common practice. And if they're a normal user they won't know why your morphs don't work, they'll just try the dials and they'll do nothing. There's no indication of why it fails. Also, others can then build on your work if they want to. If someone, for instance, wants to take your character and age them up or down as a random freebie, they can do it if they can count on your PMD file being in a particular spot. Which they can't if it's in a library folder that someone is likely to move, rename, or both.
• Make all of your props into both collective and singular prop files (like say a whole jewelry set, then separate ring, earring, and bracelet files). If you're making conforming clothes with props, it's probably good to make a preset for the clothes and props together, a preset for the clothes alone, and the above presets for the props.

Basically, don't force the user to make their own presets just to have some basic flexibility. That said, I don't think you have to go overboard with options, either.

 

[Ken1171]

If you put your PMD files inside the library (e.g., with the preset, as Poser does automatically), the absolute links to the PMD files will break as soon as the person customizes their library. A very, very common practice. And if they're a normal user they won't know why your morphs don't work, they'll just try the dials and they'll do nothing.

This is very easy to fix. Simply remove the path from the PMD file name, and boom - it's now folder location independent. You can move it anywhere you like, and it will always work.

 

[kobaltkween]

This is very easy to fix. Simply remove the path from the PMD file name, and boom - it's now folder location independent. You can move it anywhere you like, and it will always work.

Only if you do it by hand, and not if anyone ever saves anything with Poser. It's much, much, _much_ better just not to put non-library files in the library. For the same reason it's a bad practice to put textures and OBJ files in the library, it's a bad practice to put PMD files there.

 

[Faery_Light]

For Poser it is no issue but for DAZ it is a hassle to get INJ pose files,