One of the many new features in the latest update from
Pandromedas MojoWorld 3.1, offers the user the option to import
Poser .pz3 files directly. Of course, a requirement for this to
work is that a copy of Poser must be installed on your machine. The
MojoWorld application will ask you where your Poser application is
installed the first time you attempt to import a .pz3 file. I find
using the two programs together is more like photography [or as I
prefer to call it digitography], than it is like a
traditional 3D applications. With nearly unlimited choices of
environments to put sets and characters in for shooting its like
selecting whatever type of location fits your needs. Then, using
the sun for light, it allows you to setup and place your models
where you want them; and, perhaps adding another light or two for
fill or effect, and render away. Characters and sets can be fun to
work with, and the propensity for Poser figures to be of a fantasy
or Sci-Fi nature, just seems to make them fit perfectly into the
myriad of planets in the Mojo universe.
The worlds available and the feature set inside the program make
setting up, and rendering sets and characters, a workflow with
endless possibilities! Although it was possible to import Poser
figures in previous versions it was not as simple as now, and the
ability to edit the materials once imported has been greatly
simplified. Experienced MojoWorld users will find this process
quite straightforward. It is simply a new option under the import
mesh teapot icon. Not as obvious however is an option in the
preferences for the program that allow the user to clamp the size
of the image maps used on mesh objects.
A 4000 pixel texture file, clamped down to 1000, still gives great
results for most shots and makes it possible to use many objects in
scenes without running into memory problems. This is a very nice
feature because many Poser image maps are quite large and can cause
your project to quickly suffer from texture file ram bloat. Once
imported the object can be placed, scaled, or manipulated as with
any other mesh object using an easy set of on object manipulator
tools, which can be cycled through by just clicking again on the
object. The size and other information about objects in the scene
are also available by viewing the object properties, which can be
locked up or down. A handy feature is the ability to preview the
object in detail, or in resource saving modes such as Draw as
Box.
The stranded hair available in Poser 5 and 6 imports and renders
nicely, and the materials are set up in MojoWorld style material
trees, making them easy to adjust for fine-tuning. All the
individual materials for the object are arranged in a
multi-material tree, and can be edited from within the materials
editor in the generator. MojoWorld renders these objects with
transparency and reflections as well as with shadows and either
bumps or full displacements. The material editors give the user
complete control over all aspects of the materials for each part of
the object. One of the nice elements that a regular Poser user will
find when setting up and rendering in MojoWorld, is the amount of
space there is to setup characters and sets! With entire planets to
use as digital locations, its never the same background twice. Or,
save that location, sets and all, and come back to it anytime with
different characters. The amount of depth in the scene that is
possible, and the distance between figures without having to change
any lights, is very nice. Plus, the ability to change the time of
day by just spinning a dial is also very handy. Inside MojoWorld
there are several things to help a regular Poser user get familiar
with the program, set up a scene, and start rendering right away.
Even a relative newbie to both programs could easily scan a photo
and place the image along with Vicky on a beach, or any alien
landscape imaginable! There is even a layout mode that allows
users, unfamiliar with working in 3D, to put together scenes in a
more familiar 2D fashion. Not everything imports flawlessly every
time however, and occasionally the user will need to make a few
adjustments to the materials. Primarily this occurs with reflective
materials, which might become unrealistically shiny and with
material bump maps that have been converted to displacements. Even
in those cases, they can be readily adjusted in the MojoWorld
material trees.
I suppose by this time you must be wondering about animated Poser
characters. Well, dont get to excited yet, because this first
implementation will not support it. Although MojoWorld can do some
amazing animations of a variety of types, it will not support pre
animated meshes or even the rendering of mesh sequences. Only
static characters can be used. There are a whole slew of handy
features to help you manage your scene building like smart guides
and drop, as well as 4 different kinds of clone stamps. Scale,
translate, and rotate can all be accessed right on the object by
just clicking; and there is even a cool right click and spin the
camera around the selected object feature! Multiple cameras also
help setting up scenes, and there is a set of object-based cameras
that can be accessed to help give you easy access to orthographic
views of the selected object. You can zoom in or out from these
views, as well as manipulate any object in the view. Rendering is
easy with a wide variety of quality settings and a nearly infinite
number of resolutions; including super huge ones using the tile
rendering feature, which can be stopped and restarted again,
creating long super-high quality renders.
Some regular Poser users may things like; different rendering
styles with a click, or pre-saved light sets, smart props, or even
a guaranteed flat piece of ground to set up on. Getting use to
working in a program, that is as open and powerful as MojoWorld,
might be more than some casual users will feel comfortable with
hence the make it easy tools I mentioned already. However, for
the more serious user there are plenty of controls and power
under the hood! I find this implementation of the Poser import
feature to be very well done and I can honestly say it has made me
more interested in using both programs! I have always found Poser
to be lacking in depth of field, when setting up scenes; as well
as a bit limiting in the number of objects or characters I could
easily handle and render. I have wanted to more easily use
character models or other mesh objects in MojoWorld since I
discovered it, and now that I have the ability to natively import
Poser models, I can strongly recommend it to Poser users. I think
even diehard Poser fans will fall in love quickly with the
rendering quality, and the unbelievable number of possible
locations to find or create. Poser characters seem to come alive
when placed in these locations! The artists ability to mix and
match characters to locations is wonderful. Then, while doing this,
they will find locations that make them want to go back into Poser
again, to create a whole new set of characters in new poses to put
in that location and over and over again. Using these two programs
together sets off a firestorm of creativity in my mind, just from
imagining characters and stories taking place in these fantastic
locations. I think many Poser users will feel the same way once
they make the discovery and jump into the hyper-verse of MojoWorld!
MojoWorld
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