All images from Poser 7 Revealed: The e frontier Official Guide by Kelly L. Murdock.

This is the next in a new series of excerpts from the Thomson Course Technology book Poser 7 Revealed: The e frontier Official Guide. In the next few months, VFXWorld readers will develop the skills needed to create, render and animate scenes and projects using the amazing tools offered by Poser 7. We will offer step-by-step tutorials for each task, followed by projects that allow readers to apply each new skill.

What You'll Do
In this lesson, you learn the options for importing 3D models into Poser.

The File, Import menu includes multiple different options for importing different types of content, including 3D models, backgrounds, sounds and even motion capture data. This provides the means for bringing in external files to the current scene.

Importing 3D Models
Several formats are available for importing 3D objects. All imported models appear as props. The available 3D formats include the following:

• QuickDraw 3DMF: Imports geometry objects using the QuickDraw 3DMF file format (available for Macintosh systems only).

• 3D Studio: Imports geometry objects using the .3DS file format from 3ds Max.

• DXF: Imports geometry objects using the .DXF file format.

• LightWave: Imports geometry objects using the .LWO file format from LightWave.

• Wavefront OBJ: Imports geometry objects using the .OBJ file format.

You can learn more about these various import options for the various 3D packages in Chapter 17, "Using Poser with Other Software."

[Figure 1] Import Options dialog box.

Setting Object Position
The Import Options dialog box, shown in Figure 1 appears when any of the previously mentioned formats are selected from the File, Import menu. It is used to set the initial position and scaling of the imported prop object and includes options for fixing certain problems. The Centered option causes the imported prop to appear centered about the grid origin within the Document Window. The Place on Floor option causes the lowest portion of the imported prop to be aligned on the grid floor.

Reducing Duplicate Vertices
The Weld Identical Vertices option reduces the total number of vertices by combining any vertices that have the same coordinates. This is especially common for mirrored objects along the center mirroring axis. Duplicate vertices can cause trouble for some game and rendering engines. They also can increase the file size of the model.