♥ PosetteForever ♥

I prefer to use stand-alone ($$) DSF Tools, but that is slow, really struggles with hi-poly meshes. And, sadly, the package is now unsupported following death of its author.

Plan_B is to use DS. Although its UI gives me a prompt migraine, I've put together a sorta 'strip map' for the work-flow.

Essentially, you add link to an 'external library', do the biz, then remove link. IMHO, DS makes it harder than necessary...

For example, I'll use a neat  'stone wall with front floor' DS freebie by kalhh, which I found on DA.
https://www.deviantart.com/kalhh/ar...Kalhh-893739747

If you've not visited DA recently, be aware that pages may 'time out' after too-few minutes, such that [V] download button under piccy fetches HTML page, not the file you want. Just refresh page to resolve...


Download zip, shortcut and piccy to convenient folder location, eg WIP_10

Open folder, 'un-zip to current directory', gather zip, shortcut and piccy into this new folder, which has DS model's data, props, runtime sub-folders etc. Make folder.jpg to taste. I prefer 350x350, YMMV.

I'll assume is 'Prop' rather than 'Hair', 'Character' or whatever.

Open DS
x the 'Welcome' pop-up

Right click on DAZ Studio formats, left-click on 'Add Base Directory'
Browse to your new folder holding those DS sub-folders. (NOT to any DS sub-folder within.)
Select it.

Nothing much seems to happen, but DS has now 'acquired' it.

Left Click on teeny-tiny > beside DAZ Studio formats

Last in that list should be an [S] with the new folder's name.

Left click on teeny-tiny > and work down DS' Props folder tree until you reach the file, when a thumb-nail pops up in next column.

Drag / Drop thumbnail into main view-port as sanity check. Materials / textures should auto-load.

Go up and across to the DS _File options list
Left click it.
Go down to Export.
Enter file name, eg TEST1
'Save as Type', select Wavefront Object (*.OBJ)
Enter.
A busy page of OBJ export options pops up.

YMMV, I usually go with...
'To: Poser (1 Unit = 8ft)' which auto-scales to 0.410105%
Ignore 'axis conversion' and 'invert positive direction' options.

Then there are two columns.
LHS defaults seem to be...
Ignore Invisible Nodes, Use Bone Welds, Write UV coordinates.

RHS defaults seem to be...
Write Groups, 'Use Node Names', which I change to 'Use Existing Groups'
Write Surfaces
Write Material Library ( The 'MTL', I think ?)
Original maps.

Accept.

OBJ+MTL created promptly.

Note MTL may only call 'Diffuse' texture, the Kd, which DS knows as 'Albedo'. You'll need to manually load others via Poser's Material Room.

If you move OBJ+MTL, you'll have to edit call-paths with eg Wordpad.

If you want to remove DS' link, left-click teeny-weeny > beside Daz Studio Formats.
Go down to [S] with new folder's name
Right-click folder.
Left click 'Remove Base Directory', and is gone from DS.

Care: There is NO 'Are You Sure ?'
But, the model's DS files, textures, OBJ+MTL etc are still in your convenient folder...

:clap: Thank you very much Nik! Much appreciated Sir :thumb: !

I still don't have D|S, and I'm on Poser 7, so I can't import Daz files, either. But I have to admit, I don't miss this option much. There are lots of props around in native Poser or obj since years. More than I'll ever need, but that's me ;)
Interesting workflow thou, thanks :D

I'm sorry DAZ figures since V4 series do not 'work' in Poser without a near-complete re-rig, likewise their outfits. My limit seems to be rigging the rudimentary 'Box Man', and even that sometimes fails for reasons I don't understand...'

As with XPS, SFM and PMX, the DAZ Studio (DS) 'world' is a useful source of props. The trick is getting their 'mesh' from 'native' format to OBJ, then matching them to their textures for MTL.

I have exported several amusing DS outfits to OBJ+MTL, 'hung' them as props. 'Every-day' items are very useful, while furniture, vehicles and rooms fill out scenes.

From time to time, I've managed to load DAZ files into DS and export them. Too often, it became an exercise in screaming frustration, spawned a prompt migraine. I much preferred the stand-alone ($$) DSF Tools. Down-side was that only converted mesh, did not 'do the biz' for textures.

When there are only a few materials, supplied with usefully named textures, okay. I can pair them in ($$) 3DOC or directly in Poser's 'Material Room'. Gets harder if more than a few textures, especially when too many do not seem to match. And how do you translate procedural equivalent of Poser's MC5 / MC6 ?   :mmmh:  :mmmh:  :mmmh:

With the death of ($$) DSF Tools' author, and the package now unsupported, I felt I should figure how to use DS' own export tools.

It's not the best work-flow, but it will reliably 'rip' hi-poly models, and should be able to handle complex 'Environments', that DS' equivalent of a PZ3 which loads multiple items...

They're on my growing 'To-Do' list of fun things to investigate after kitchen woes resolved. Speaking of which, the wood-glue in 'main' and 'shutter' parts of thru-wall waste pipe's 'shield' still has not set. I've checked date, glue is only 6 months old, manufactured April 2021. Perhaps just cold, so I've snuggled them atop the central heating unit...