Instruction guide for PoseRay (transfer into TG adequate file formats)

[kasalin]

Hi

now I have PoseRay installed for changing the files of models !!!

Cool programme.......



I thought I have to write a little instruction for newbies to handle with PoseRay and transfer inadequate file formats in a format adequate for TG:



1.) Install PoseRay
2.) Start programme
3.) Go to INPUT tab --> LOAD
4.) Load your 3d model (f.example .3ds object...)
5.) The picture of your model appears in the preview
6.) Go to POV-Ray Output tab
7.) Click on Export tab --> Save
8.) Choose the path where to save your file and press o.k.
9.) Go to the OBJ Output tab
10.) Click on Export tab -->
11.) Have a look at the path that appears here, it should be the same path as before
12.) Press o.k.
13.) Now you can load your model with your new file format in TG (as object) (file format .obj)


If you like you can modify your models material and different settings (in the various tabs) before you save it to another format !!

For numerous files in one folder you can use the batch function (load.... batch) and can load all the files into the programme, then choose your output option and click on "convert".
The path appears and after changing it, click on o.k.





That's it !!!!

[bobbystahr]

Hiya Karin...actually there's a lot more you can do in PoseRay to prepare your object. It allows you to do fairly rudimentary U/V mapping for projects with none and then as well the texturing for objects with none as TG2's abilities I find limited. I find cubic to be the best option.
Also on occasion you will find an object has many textures but only one listing in the groups...in this case you want to go **Rearrange>Materials>Groups from the Tab in the groups editor and it will give you a listing for each texture named the same as the texture channel. I find this invaluable myself. Also when I have my model ready for export I always go: Drop to y=0, and Origin in the next column [on the Groups page] then hit Update. Update after everything in PoseRay!This seems to help in loading objects as populations in Terragen and having them not float. Also sometimes you may get a tree with roots and it always floats due to this, well in Pose Ray just turn off the roots in the Groups window and hit Update and they're gone. Then save, I generally add a NR for no roots to it's name to preserve the rooted one. Then I reload and resave as the same thing to get rid of the roots texture channel which seems to persist in the Parts Shader if you load the fresh convert to TG2 without the last step.

**Rearrange>Materials>Groups from the Tab...this has changed in the current version to be on the Tools drop down..Select Materials>Groups now.. ...

[dandelO]

Also, here's another step-by-step from Martin on this subject(nice to keep it all together to be easier searched, I know you've pretty much covered it, Bobby. ):

Somehow TG2 likes obj's better after they have been processed through Poseray, which is a free app.

I'll give a very brief description on how to do it. Basically you work from the left to the right menu bars:

Go to input -> load -> 3D Model -> select your obj

Go to materials -> UV -> weld vertices
Go to materials -> basic texture properties -> load the textures accordingly (in my experience this doesn't work, but you can try)
- if you only see "defaultshader" on the far left you have to convert groups to materials
   - to do this go to materials -> rearrange -> groups to materials

Go to groups:
- you should now see a list of materials in the left panel
Go to groups -> faces, vertices & normals -> click on "center origin" + "drop to y=0"
Go to groups -> faces, vertices & normals -> enable "calculate normals" and click on "smooth" to the right (normal sum)
- the value of the calculate normals box should change from 0 to 180
Go to groups -> faces, vertices & normals -> Weld Vertices (keep setting untouched)

Important: press "update" at the top left -> poseray updates the model for all the changes you've made in the materials- and groups-settings

Go to OBJ-output -> choose filename -> enable first 3 options -> click on save -> choose path -> enable first 2 options -> OK

Now your model should be good to go!
Load it in TG2 and go to the parts-shader, then load your textures and alpha's.
Test your file and if it all works then save as tgo (optional).

This is the way how I do it and until now it has always worked, so hopefully you will find this useful

Cheers,
Martin

[Dune]

I sometimes find it necessary to remap. Lightwave maps are sometimes distorted. Weld it. Then I save the map as bmp, and color it in photoshop. 

Dune

[airflamesred]

If you wish to start doing your own models Karin, TG also likes meshes from metasequoia. The freeware version exports as dxf which poseray can convert. It UV maps and you can paint directly on the mesh.

[kasalin]

Hi you all here,

thank you guys (and girls ) for your nice tipps here.....

I'll copy that all and then I have a good instruction of PoseRay and other helpful tipps and programms !!!


Karin