How about I start creating parts of the car that are poseable? Can I do this in 3D Studio Max? I want to do steering, especially pedals, gauges with needles, shifter, etc.

Thanks!

Hi goat4444 and welcome to Posetteforever         !

3D modelling is out of my knowledge   , However there are GREAT models makers here, I hope they will reply to you soon   . About the cobra you could import it in 3d studio and look at VK's technique or ask him directly

Hi goat4444,

You can use any 3D modeler like 3DS Max to make a car model with poseable parts.

If I understand your question correctly, you'd like to use the car model in Poser. Here is a brief overview of the major steps:

1. Prepare the geometry for your Poser model.
The car model in Poser is a figure with several body parts. Poser will load the model from (usually) a single Wavefront .obj geometry file.

The .obj file must have group definitions, that is, each part of the geometry is a group with a group name. You can define and export .obj groups in 3DS Max and most other 3D modelers.

The groups in the .obj file are used to identify the parts in Poser. Usually, each group in the .obj file is an actor (body part) of the Poser figure. The .obj file of the car model has for example groups "car", "steering", "pedal", etc. The Poser figure library has actors "car", "steering", "pedal", etc. Poser treats the corresponding geometry group as a separate object.

There are other ways to achieve the same result: You can create the parts separately and load each part into Poser. Then you assemble the parts (car, steering, pedals, etc.) in Poser and export all parts from Poser to a single .obj file. When you use the proper export options, each part will be a group in the .obj file.

Or, you define a Poser figure library which uses many different .obj files, one for each actor. In this case, you simply create an .obj file for the car, one for the steering, another one for the pedal, etc. In the Poser figure library, actor "car" will load the "car.obj", actor "steering" will load the "steering.obj", etc.

2. Prepare the Poser figure library (.cr2).
When your figure .obj is ready, you define a .cr2 figure library to use the model in Poser. To create the .cr2 in Poser 5 or later, you can use one of the "rooms". There are several utility programs (I guess) which can create .cr2 libraries.  
Alternatively, you can write a ".phi" text file ("Poser Hierarchy File") and use the "Convert Hierarchy File..." command to convert the .phi to a .cr2 library.

Your .cr2 file defines a hierarchy among the actors. For example, actor "steering" and "pedal" are children of actor "car". Furthermore, the .cr2 defines whether the seams of two actors are glued together or not. The parts of a car are typically not glued. The .cr2 can include additional actors which have no corresponding geometry.

The .cr2 defines a pivot ("origin") for each part, and "channels" to perform standard transformations (rotate, translate, scale, etc.). These standard channels are automatically included when Poser creates your .cr2.

3. Tune your .cr2.
Once your .cr2 exists, you can adjust the actors properties in Poser or edit the .cr2 in a text editor.

When you want a poseable steering wheel, for example, you center the pivot of actor "steering" and adjust the "orientation" angles if necessary. Poser displays dials for the "rotate" channels in the dials palette. To turn the steering wheel, you just set the proper "rotate" dial. You can rename dials, hide not used dials, and set channel limits, to make a user-friendly interface.

That's it. Since most of the parts of a car perform very simple motions, you don't need additional channel code. The opening doors, hood, trunk lid, wheels, and gauge needles are all simple rotations.

4. Customize your .cr2.
You can add non-standard code to your .cr2 if you want special behavior of your moving parts. You can for example use the "PointAt" constraint to implement automatic orientation of your moving parts, use "alternate geometry" to load or modify parts of the car model, or use Morph Targets to deform the geometry.

You can use "ERC" code to synchronize several moving parts. For example, you include code to turn the steering wheel and the front wheels accordingly when a single "Steer" dial is set.

To learn more about ERC code, you can download my ERC tutorial here:
http://www.atlantis23.com/erc_download.html

There is a code example for the steering mechanism in Chapter 3 of the tutorial.

Hope this is the information you're looking for.

VK

I fail to see the relevance of that allusion. Do you think I should alter my programming? Two what? I don't know when. Can you think of another example? Then what is it? Three what? "" is "rename dials hide not used dials and set channel limits to make a user-friendly interface"? Oh four.

Thank you for the tutorial VK    

Thanks for the tutorial VK !    

Great information by the master himself   (I'm still in love with the Vespa )

Thanks for your support.  I do not understand.

Too much input, though! Posy seems a bit confused   

Oh.  Try saying that with more context.

Yep I like the Vespa a lot       I made a lot of pics with her ! What about another little scooter       ? Maybe a Lambretta   !!

here is Clara  

WOW!  I'll give it a try!

Thanks!

Thanks for the info VK.

Let me see if I'm understanding this though:

1.) Save imported obj as cr2 (to figure library).

2.) Set rotation and dial limits.

3.) re-save cr2.

? is that the short version of what you said?

Yes, these are basically the steps you have to do. Unfortunately, the process is a bit complicated when it comes to the details.

1. You can't safe the imported obj directly as a cr2 figure library.
When you have the obj, someone or something must create a first version of the cr2 based on this obj. In Poser 5 or later, you take the obj into the "figure-creation-room". I don't know the name of the room because I use Poser 4.

In Poser 4, you write a "phi" file. In this file you specify the name and path of the obj which should be used for the cr2 creation. I usually place the obj file in the Geometries folder. In Poser, you choose the "Convert Hierarchy file..." and Poser creates the new cr2 library and puts it into the "New Figures" folder of the Character libraries. The new cr2 will use the obj at the path you specified in the phi file.

The "phi" method is old-fashioned but still the best when you create a complicated model with many parts. The following code is the phi file for the cobra. You can see the obj file, the actors, their hierarchy, and rotation order. Each actor is a group name in the obj, and will be the name of the body part in the cr2.

2.+3. Once you have the first version of the cr2, you load the cr2 in Poser from the figure library, set rotations and dial limits, and re-save the cr2 to the library.

At this point, you can load the model from the new cr2 library and you have a working model in your scene.

However, you a lot of work can't be done in Poser. When Poser creates the cr2, it assumes you want to make a human or animal. A lot of code in the cr2 is used for this sort of soft-body models. When you make a car, you will adjust or remove this code from the cr2. So, you usually edit the cr2 in a text editor and then go back to Poser, load the cr2, and check the modifications.

BTW, thanks for the cool textures, Whazizname  

Thanks for the additional info VK.

Now I have to see if Poser 5 can use the "phi file method".
Poser's expectation that a figure is a humanoid has been the problem for me. I have a car that has been in the "set-up room", and all the groups are available; but I'm unclear as to where/ how to add bones.

It seems like I will need to use ERC because the car I've chosen has "Scissor type" doors.

Also;
It was my pleasure to create the textures for the Cobra & Vespa {in fact, there are a few un-released ones still floating about in my runtimes...}. I am pleased that so many people thought that they were useful. (Over 800 Cobra downloads since I posted the textures!)