Where should Poser geometry files go? Best practices.

[Gadget Girl]

So Poser has done a couple things recently that have confused me, or at least made me realize that I don't understand it's files as well as I thought I did.

I'm working on a conforming item. I created the geometry elsewhere, imported it as a .obj file into Poser then added some rigging and saved it to my library. I noticed later when I was going to send the files to someone, that in the character folder (i.e. Runtime/Libraries/Character/) it had included a .obj file there along with the .cr2. Normally I think of the .obj file as being in the Geometries folder.

So where is the best place for it?

After that experience, I was working on my dynamic clothing items, which are props, and when I was packaging them up to test, I realized I had never put the .obj files in the runtime I was testing in. I opened the .pp2 file, to make sure I knew which version of the geometry was being linked to at this point, and realized there was no reference (at least none I could find). And looking through the file, it looks like all the geometry is probably in the .pp2 file.

Which means that in my Ao Dai for Luna, I probably didn't need include the geometry files in the Runtime/Geometries folder. Or is there some reason I'm not thinking of that I should have them there. Or am I missing a link somewhere?

Just trying to clarify what Poser is really doing, because I've clearly made some bad assumptions about it.

 

[RAMWolff]

Runtime>Geometries>Your Name>Product name... Really is the most professional way...

 

[English Bob]

Poser puts figure geometry in the library folder with the CR2 if it's been modified - in your case, because you rigged it which probably added grouping. I suppose you could take that as a recommendation of best practice, but I've always preferred to put geometries in their own folders myself. Call me old-school if you wish. (Edited to add - as RAMWolff recommended a few seconds before me. *waves to RAMWolff*)

Props are a different matter. If you import a mesh and save it into the props library, Poser always embeds the geometry (It's in the PP2 file as you deduced). There are ways of extracting the geometry to be called externally in the same way as a CR2 does it, but it's frustrating that Poser doesn't allow that as an option at the time of saving.

 

[Gadget Girl]

Okay that makes sense. It follows what I sort of thought from recent behaviors, I just wanted to make sure what I thought was going on really was. Thanks guys.

 

[Alisa]

FYI, products submitted to the HW store must have separate obj files (in the Geometry folder, please), not embedded ones.

 

[eclark1894]

FYI, products submitted to the HW store must have separate obj files (in the Geometry folder, please), not embedded ones.

Are you saying then that the CR2 files have to be edited to point to those obj files in the Geo folder?

 

[Lissa_xyz]

Yep.

 

[Alisa]

Easy to do in a text editor

 

[Glitterati3D]

GadgetGirl, I think I remember you have Creator's Toybox?

If so, you can correct both of these things using it. Be sure to set up your Geometries folders and then run Toybox. You have the option to change the CR2 object location and to unembed geometry in a Prop file.

 

[eclark1894]

I'd like to ask a favor of Hivewire then. Speak to SM and ask them to change where the geometry files should go and where the cr2 files should point to. Granted, we could edit the CR2 files, but if they make the change we don't have to. Plus, if no one likes or supports the way it works now, then why do it? I'm going to post a note over at the official forum, but it would be nice to have Hivewire's support in asking them to change this practice.

 

[3dcheapskate]

Poser puts figure geometry in the library folder with the CR2 if it's been modified - in your case, because you rigged it which probably added grouping. I suppose you could take that as a recommendation of best practice, but I've always preferred to put geometries in their own folders myself. Call me old-school if you wish. (Edited to add - as RAMWolff recommended a few seconds before me. *waves to RAMWolff*)

Props are a different matter. If you import a mesh and save it into the props library, Poser always embeds the geometry (It's in the PP2 file as you deduced). There are ways of extracting the geometry to be called externally in the same way as a CR2 does it, but it's frustrating that Poser doesn't allow that as an option at the time of saving.

Just an observation (posted on the SM thread too): in Poser 6 (and all versions since then) all the new people (Jessi/James/Kate/Ben) came with their OBJs in the /Runtime/Character/ subfolder, NOT in /Runtime/Geometries/

Don/Judy and everything earlier had/have their OBJs under /Runtime/Geometries/

 

[Gadget Girl]

FYI, products submitted to the HW store must have separate obj files (in the Geometry folder, please), not embedded ones.

Well, that helps me know what to do . I know I did that last time, I just started wondering if I had uploaded excessive files. But thinking through it more, if someone wanted to use it in DS, it's probably better to import the geometry files than to try and have DS convert the .cr2

GadgetGirl, I think I remember you have Creator's Toybox?

If so, you can correct both of these things using it. Be sure to set up your Geometries folders and then run Toybox. You have the option to change the CR2 object location and to unembed geometry in a Prop file.

Sadly no I don't. I believe it was Window's only, and I didn't think to get it while I could and see if it would run through wine. (Of course I started creating content when I came here to Hivewire, and that was after the RDNA merger, and by the time I had started creating stuff, I think Netherworks had close shop. ).

I'd like to ask a favor of Hivewire then. Speak to SM and ask them to change where the geometry files should go and where the cr2 files should point to. Granted, we could edit the CR2 files, but if they make the change we don't have to. Plus, if no one likes or supports the way it works now, then why do it? I'm going to post a note over at the official forum, but it would be nice to have Hivewire's support in asking them to change this practice.

Just an observation (posted on the SM thread too): in Poser 6 (and all versions since then) all the new people (Jessi/James/Kate/Ben) came with their OBJs in the /Runtime/Character/ subfolder, NOT in /Runtime/Geometries/

Don/Judy and everything earlier had/have their OBJs under /Runtime/Geometries/

Hmm, that's interesting to know. I can see both ways making sense, but I had always sort of assumed that the .obj files were required for props, and that they had to be in the Geometries folder. I guess because content I've purchased has always come that way.

 

[Glitterati3D]

I'd like to ask a favor of Hivewire then. Speak to SM and ask them to change where the geometry files should go and where the cr2 files should point to. Granted, we could edit the CR2 files, but if they make the change we don't have to. Plus, if no one likes or supports the way it works now, then why do it? I'm going to post a note over at the official forum, but it would be nice to have Hivewire's support in asking them to change this practice.

Honestly, I don't think this is the wisest solution. I just want to change the CR2 file location. I honestly do NOT want Poser saving an object file OVER my object file. I would much prefer the control that this gives me.

 

[Alisa]

by the time I had started creating stuff, I think Netherworks had close shop. ).

This doesn't help for right now, but Netherworks is going to be coming to HiveWire. He's just been too tied up with his job to get us files...

 

[Gadget Girl]

This doesn't help for right now, but Netherworks is going to be coming to HiveWire. He's just been too tied up with his job to get us files...

Oh yay! That's right, I'd seen that before. I was mixing up Netherworks and Shaderworks, and thinking the script was going to be no more. Of course I know it might be a while until it's for sale again.

 

[eclark1894]

Honestly, I don't think this is the wisest solution. I just want to change the CR2 file location. I honestly do NOT want Poser saving an object file OVER my object file. I would much prefer the control that this gives me.

Fine, then they can give you the option of pointing to the obj file you want it to use. God knows the dialog box comes up often enough already if Poser can't find the file.

 

[Glitterati3D]

Fine, then they can give you the option of pointing to the obj file you want it to use. God knows the dialog box comes up often enough already if Poser can't find the file.

That's what Creator's Toybox does. It asks if you want to move the object file (that Poser created) or "re-point" the CR2 to a different object file. Simple, clean and does a lot of other file cleanup in the process. Honestly, after Toybox is done, you have the cleanest CR2 I've ever seen and it's all automated, saving hours of tedious work.

 

[RAMWolff]

Where can I get Creators Toybox? Don't tell me it was sold at RDNA?

 

[Glitterati3D]

It was. But Joe will bring it here, eventually. It's a Netherworks product that will be moving to Hivewire.

 

[RAMWolff]

Where oh where is Joe? *sniffle*