Hi Folks. Carrara Studio is where I do my modelling. As my modelling skill slowly develops, I'd like to build some objects in Carrara (they have to be vertex only [polygons]for Poser, a tutorial told me...) to be used in Poser. My understanding is that Wavefront obj is the only way to go. Now, I know Poser and Carrara both use Inverse Kinematics (IK) to make the hip control the thigh control the shin control the foot. As in: 'move the hand, the arm and body follow. In Carrara, this heierarchy is created by dropping one object on another. I'm using the boom arm from my Chapman PeeWee movie dolly. I've been able to find tutorials on Poser to Carrara. And I have Transposer. I don't think it (Transposer) will go in the opposite direction, from Carrara to Poser. Questions: is anyone out there doing the same thing, Carrara to Poser? If there is someone, have you found any decent tutorials on exporting Carrara obj's to Poser? Do you know how to keep the hierarchy you made in Carrara? I've attached the simple arm, basically 3 objects, and it's hierarchy, with Poser labels. Do they need to be exported as single objects and organized in Poser? So to re-cap, I'm exporting a wavefront obj from Carrara 3 and importing it into Poser 4 on the Mac and I lose the hierarchy. You need the hierarchy to make it poseable. Help! :/ deedub

David Willetts

You need to export each items separately in obj and then apply hierarchy on it in Poser's editor. I hope this ll help

Just a thought I would like to share. Why would you want to export this good obj in Poser? Poser is very slow in renderer and not great with color/light. TransXposer plug in is offered by Eovia for Carrara to be able to import animated poser figure in. TransXposer is less than a Ben Franklin dollar to purchase.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll build some simple objects and experiment. I have TransPoser...it's good. I want to make poseable objects in Carrara for Poser, that is, go in the other direction. You're right, lights are awful in Poser. deedub

I did not actually find it needful to export item by item. I've found that if I build in the Assembly room, group, and export the group as a Wavefront obj what is created is a single obj file with the proper "g" groupings used by Poser. If I build entirely within the vertex modeller (my current method) I merely have to use the command "name polygon" to create the needed groups. I've found that Carrara doesn't always export materials mapping zones, however, and rather than fight with it I've taken to naming groups of polygons for materials mapping purposes, exporting the obj, using UVmapper to unfold the map properly, then running the obj file through BBedit (or another text editor) to convert most of the "g" statements into "usemtl" statements.

Yeah, just export the entire object from Carrara. One tip on creating cr2 files (objects posed by IK etc.) as opposed to pp2 files (objects posed by morphing): if you group and then export the object from Poser, it makes it easier for Poser to read it when using a phi file that you wrtie in BBEdit.

I recently tried the phi builder method and hated the heck out of it. Had to go through several odd steps and the final file was so mucked up I had to hand-edit it. I found it more straightforward, when trying to build a heirachy from scratch, to use the Spawn Props routine to split out the groups, then Create New Figure, save that and do a quick edit to point back to the external obj file.

Oh yes that is other alternative. I won't want to go thru this process unless it is needed for character such as clothing or props that need to be attached. Poser is only great with posing, character animation and dynamics. Good thing we got TransXposer to use most out from Poser and Carrara features.

Aw...for clothing it's far too simple to strip the cr2 of the base figure and use that. I did ONCE Poser-ize something to make it easier to pose -- but this was back in the Ray Dream days. With Carrara's new bones it doesn't make sense any more to pose externally.

Attached Link: clapper board

I'm back asking for more details...if I can comprehend the answers. I have zero programming knowledge. I'm scamming for a decent used PC so I can use 'PhiBuilder', which worked on the old brokendown PC I got hold of. (It died.) So. I've built a simple object in Carrara, a movie slate or clapper board, to export to Poser. It only has 3 parts and the only movement is the stick on a hinge. Should I run it through Steve Cox's UV Mapper? "I found it more straightforward, when trying to build a heirachy from scratch, to use the Spawn Props routine to split out the groups, then Create New Figure, save that and do a quick edit to point back to the external obj file." Could you elaborate on the 'spawn props routine' for this Poser beginner? The link below is off topic (textures) but shows the clapper object.

Heck, I would, but I can never remember how it works. When I have to spawn props I open up the grouping tool and mess around for ten minutes until I figure it out again.