Got Poser - what now?
by Andy Hawkins · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 09/12/2006 (12:08 am) · 18 replies
So I've got Poser 5 free. What I want to know is do people use this to make professional characters, use it as a starting point and develop a character from there or what else? Do poser characters have a particular look that gamers / publisher can tell a mile away, because the models look pretty good to me, and if Poser can pump out meshs that I just need to animate then it make game dev so much easier. Thought please....
#2
If you want to model and rig characters, you'll need to use a 'proper' 3D modelling package.
09/12/2006 (1:42 am)
Poser isn't really a modelling tool in the way that Max, Maya, Blender etc are modelling tools. It has a few primitive functions in it, but almost none of the models and props available for Poser have actually been built with Poser.If you want to model and rig characters, you'll need to use a 'proper' 3D modelling package.
#3
I create my characters using Lightwave at the moment - I was kinda hoping to get some good heads and hands out of Poser - but you say I can't use even one bit of a Poser model???
09/12/2006 (2:09 am)
You're kidding me? I don't use WTF that often, but WTF???? What's the point of Poser then? I create my characters using Lightwave at the moment - I was kinda hoping to get some good heads and hands out of Poser - but you say I can't use even one bit of a Poser model???
#4
But you could always try to contact the creators of the models you want to export and ask for permission.
09/12/2006 (2:18 am)
Personally, I just use Poser to output 2D images of models which I use in TGB.But you could always try to contact the creators of the models you want to export and ask for permission.
#5
Poser is an animation and rendering tool. It is designed for quick and easy animation and rendering. That is what it was made for and what it does rather well.
09/12/2006 (7:20 am)
You would have to contact the makers of Poser for any Poser-created content to gain permission to use any mesh data. Their EULA specifically denies such use, but you can get permission.Poser is an animation and rendering tool. It is designed for quick and easy animation and rendering. That is what it was made for and what it does rather well.
#6
09/12/2006 (7:31 am)
You can buy content for Poser at Daz and Curious Lab and other places. There alot free content out there. You can build one fantasy 2D game with it. Also everything render is yours to sell. It is very easy to build resource pack for TGB. I have build a few, flower pack, mushroom pack, tree pack, halloween pack, and few character pack. If you read before you buy you find alot model already have animation with them. Like the dinosaur pack from Curious Lab. I made dinosaur pack to go along with the adventure kit, I did not have to build one animation. I used Poser 6 with puppet master all the time. If you have any question shoot me email.
#7
09/12/2006 (7:33 am)
Okay so I could use Poser to render out 2d images for a zombie shootemup in TGB right?
#8
09/12/2006 (7:38 am)
Yes. And you could use Akahastur's excellent skins such as Bludgeon and Ooze...
#9
09/12/2006 (9:39 am)
You could also beg Josh Ritter of Minions of Mirth to release his script which automated the 2D-making process (for his older version of MoM, before he moved to Torque) ...
#10
Next is GlueIT to stick them all into one big image, and you're done :)
09/12/2006 (9:59 am)
Poser will do all that. Set up your animation, export to movie, and choose PNG as the file type. Hey presto 1x PNG file for every frame in you animation.Next is GlueIT to stick them all into one big image, and you're done :)
#11
09/15/2006 (7:45 am)
What about if I export the poser rigg, poly reduce it and use that mesh? Can I use that in a game then?
#12
Besides, V3 is somewhere between 74,000 and 75,000 polys. Do you really think you can reduce that to a couple of thousand without completely destroying the model? With the amount of time and effort required to get any reasonable results, you could probably have modeled your own unique character.
09/15/2006 (7:55 am)
I shouldn't think so. It would likely be classed as a derivertive (sp?) work and therefore still be against the EULA.Besides, V3 is somewhere between 74,000 and 75,000 polys. Do you really think you can reduce that to a couple of thousand without completely destroying the model? With the amount of time and effort required to get any reasonable results, you could probably have modeled your own unique character.
#13
09/15/2006 (8:18 am)
It depend on where you buy the model from. Daz has in the pass approve people for using model in games as long it is protect. You would have to contact Daz for any models you purchase from them. They may say no or maybe yes. They sell software on there site that can convert to Torque.
#14
09/15/2006 (8:21 am)
You know what it would be good for though? Import the poser mesh and put it in the background to reference to create a lores poly character that is anatomically correct.
#15
09/15/2006 (8:57 am)
You could do that in a lot of modeling applications. There are a number of mesh convertors out there. he Greenbriar ones are quite nice.
#16
I guess it's not that Poser sucks, it's that most of the people using it and making "art" with it, give 3d artists a bad name.
Sorry, you hit a nerve with that one...
If you know anyone with SoftimageXSI 5.0, it has complete generic female and male meshes that can then be tweaked however you like. These models can be used for whatever purpose you intend. Additionally, you can export to lots of different formats. I model in XSI, then spit out an OBJ file, which I then import into 3DstudioMAX for rigging and animation (not that I enjoy animating in MAX tho..arrg) and export to DTS for torque.
09/15/2006 (10:04 am)
To answer one of your questions, YES Poser does have a look you can tell from a mile away. I can't quite put my finger on it right now.... I think maybe becasue they are so generic looking. And people tend to use them in the most generic ways possible. And the fact that they are all high-poly and fancy, but then posed badly and put in really cheesy scenes that give away that the user isn't really a "3d" person and couldn't possibly have created the models and rigging etc. I guess it's not that Poser sucks, it's that most of the people using it and making "art" with it, give 3d artists a bad name.
Sorry, you hit a nerve with that one...
If you know anyone with SoftimageXSI 5.0, it has complete generic female and male meshes that can then be tweaked however you like. These models can be used for whatever purpose you intend. Additionally, you can export to lots of different formats. I model in XSI, then spit out an OBJ file, which I then import into 3DstudioMAX for rigging and animation (not that I enjoy animating in MAX tho..arrg) and export to DTS for torque.
#17
Poser models are usually too high poly for games, but the models themselves are good for reference to make your own. Poser is really just a generator with pre-made models. Generally perverted people over at renderosity play with them. ;) Also, the other use I find for Poser would be composition, to visualise a scene with ease before actually doing it.
If you want character creation, last year I created the start to a character modelling tutorial. (But my computer died half way through and never finished) I have been meaning to remake it. But I would use a tool that is good for the organic type of modelling, generally Wings 3D is good if you want freebies, but if you got some disposable income, you have a nice selection, all round packages (Modelling, animating, rendering) I would recommend Cinema 4D, Lightwave or Softimage XSI, or for modelling biased apps, Silo, Zbrush and Hexagon are good apps. I myself use a mix of Cinema 4D and Hexagon and will be getting Softimage XSI.
My tuts are at this link if you're interested. Give me time and I'll probaly have a character modelling up there.
www.ozarkgames.com/smf/index.php?topic=655.0
[edit]
Nevermind, realised you do character modelling in Lightwave, goes to show I need to learn to read ;)
09/19/2006 (5:16 am)
Hey dude, Poser models are usually too high poly for games, but the models themselves are good for reference to make your own. Poser is really just a generator with pre-made models. Generally perverted people over at renderosity play with them. ;) Also, the other use I find for Poser would be composition, to visualise a scene with ease before actually doing it.
If you want character creation, last year I created the start to a character modelling tutorial. (But my computer died half way through and never finished) I have been meaning to remake it. But I would use a tool that is good for the organic type of modelling, generally Wings 3D is good if you want freebies, but if you got some disposable income, you have a nice selection, all round packages (Modelling, animating, rendering) I would recommend Cinema 4D, Lightwave or Softimage XSI, or for modelling biased apps, Silo, Zbrush and Hexagon are good apps. I myself use a mix of Cinema 4D and Hexagon and will be getting Softimage XSI.
My tuts are at this link if you're interested. Give me time and I'll probaly have a character modelling up there.
www.ozarkgames.com/smf/index.php?topic=655.0
[edit]
Nevermind, realised you do character modelling in Lightwave, goes to show I need to learn to read ;)
#18
I create my characters using Lightwave at the moment - I was kinda hoping to get some good heads and hands out of Poser - but you say I can't use even one bit of a Poser model???"
Oooooo a question I can actually answer! Ya got remember that Poser is actually ment as hmmm lets call it a "setup application" for 2D artwork. Most people use it to pose 3D figures (hence the name poser) that will be eventually rendered into a 2D piece of art. Some applications also read poser animation files, it then becomes a rigger/animation program. Sadly as far as I can tell, noone has made a exporter for Poser animations that Torque can read. I pray that Im mistaken cause that would save me a LOT of time learning how to run a different program since I learned animating on Poser for use in 2nd Life.
As many already pointed out... even if the poly count on Poser figures wasnt out the freaking roof; ya cant inglude them in games without special permission in writing.. Basically thats because you would in essence be reproducing and giving the model to anyone thats bought the game, a copy of the model (which they didnt pay for in itself.) Its ok to sale them a 2D artwork thats been made using the model because they are only getting a image of the model.
12/10/2006 (8:15 pm)
"You're kidding me? I don't use WTF that often, but WTF???? What's the point of Poser then? I create my characters using Lightwave at the moment - I was kinda hoping to get some good heads and hands out of Poser - but you say I can't use even one bit of a Poser model???"
Oooooo a question I can actually answer! Ya got remember that Poser is actually ment as hmmm lets call it a "setup application" for 2D artwork. Most people use it to pose 3D figures (hence the name poser) that will be eventually rendered into a 2D piece of art. Some applications also read poser animation files, it then becomes a rigger/animation program. Sadly as far as I can tell, noone has made a exporter for Poser animations that Torque can read. I pray that Im mistaken cause that would save me a LOT of time learning how to run a different program since I learned animating on Poser for use in 2nd Life.
As many already pointed out... even if the poly count on Poser figures wasnt out the freaking roof; ya cant inglude them in games without special permission in writing.. Basically thats because you would in essence be reproducing and giving the model to anyone thats bought the game, a copy of the model (which they didnt pay for in itself.) Its ok to sale them a 2D artwork thats been made using the model because they are only getting a image of the model.
Torque Owner Andrew Hull