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Saving out a two part prop asset

SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
edited December 1969 in New Users

I have a prop which is in the form of two parts (.OBJ files for each). I want to save them both together as a single prop .DUF file.

I have tried parenting one to the other, I have tried selecting both in the scene tab, but whatever I do, it only saves one of them as the prop.

How can I "combine" the two parts of the prop so it saves it as one asset?

Comments

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    Sertorial said:
    I have a prop which is in the form of two parts (.OBJ files for each). I want to save them both together as a single prop .DUF file.

    I have tried parenting one to the other, I have tried selecting both in the scene tab, but whatever I do, it only saves one of them as the prop.

    How can I "combine" the two parts of the prop so it saves it as one asset?

    Import both .obj into the same Hexagon project. Then do an .obj export. They will both be exported at the same time.
    Then import that new .obj into D/S4.x and make the prop file.

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    Patience55 said:
    Sertorial said:
    I have a prop which is in the form of two parts (.OBJ files for each). I want to save them both together as a single prop .DUF file.

    I have tried parenting one to the other, I have tried selecting both in the scene tab, but whatever I do, it only saves one of them as the prop.

    How can I "combine" the two parts of the prop so it saves it as one asset?

    Import both .obj into the same Hexagon project. Then do an .obj export. They will both be exported at the same time.
    Then import that new .obj into D/S4.x and make the prop file.

    I don't have Hexagon. Could I use Wings 3D?

  • BejaymacBejaymac Posts: 1,889
    edited December 1969

    Make sure you have nothing else in the scene, then select both props in the scene tab, and go "File > Export" and create a new .OBJ, import that new .OBJ and both props will now be there as a single mesh, you can then "Figure/Prop Asset" it to get a single DUF prop.

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    Bejaymac said:
    Make sure you have nothing else in the scene, then select both props in the scene tab, and go "File > Export" and create a new .OBJ, import that new .OBJ and both props will now be there as a single mesh, you can then "Figure/Prop Asset" it to get a single DUF prop.

    Aha! sneaky... thanks. :)

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    Sertorial said:
    Bejaymac said:
    Make sure you have nothing else in the scene, then select both props in the scene tab, and go "File > Export" and create a new .OBJ, import that new .OBJ and both props will now be there as a single mesh, you can then "Figure/Prop Asset" it to get a single DUF prop.

    Aha! sneaky... thanks. :)

    Good one!

    As to the Wings3D, "maybe" ... I don't know how those 2 programs work together. But Bejaymac's suggestion sounds like a better plan.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Bejaymac's way is the proper way to do it. I use that method all the time.

  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    Proper? excuse me, there are no rules for what is proper, there is more than one way to achieve the goal and one is free to use whichever way works best for them and/or their project.

    There is also another way to save out props so that they can be used in other programs.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Patience55 said:
    Proper? excuse me, there are no rules for what is proper, there is more than one way to achieve the goal and one is free to use whichever way works best for them and/or their project.

    There is also another way to save out props so that they can be used in other programs.

    OKAY, Proper was a bad choice of wording. Fast and easy would have been better. And for those who care, for Props I prefer the Poser Prop format myself if it is not a DS4.5 only item.
  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    Patience55 said:
    Proper? excuse me, there are no rules for what is proper, there is more than one way to achieve the goal and one is free to use whichever way works best for them and/or their project.

    There is also another way to save out props so that they can be used in other programs.

    OKAY, Proper was a bad choice of wording. Fast and easy would have been better. And for those who care, for Props I prefer the Poser Prop format myself if it is not a DS4.5 only item.

    ty

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    Bejaymac said:
    Make sure you have nothing else in the scene, then select both props in the scene tab, and go "File > Export" and create a new .OBJ, import that new .OBJ and both props will now be there as a single mesh, you can then "Figure/Prop Asset" it to get a single DUF prop.

    Hi

    I did that, but now the object is all welded together. (it's a laptop with a base and a folding screen) How can I make it so the prop still articulates (ie you can still fold down the laptop screen)?

    For info, it came in two parts, an .OBJ for the lid and an .OBJ for the base. (plus the relevant .NTL and .JPG files)

  • jestmartjestmart Posts: 4,449
    edited March 2013

    To do that you need to import the base and the screen separately. Line the two objects up in a closed position, create a Null and align it to the pivot point for the screen. Parent the null to the base then parent the screen to the null. Save as a Scene Sub-set. Note that this technique only works when the pivot point is parallel to one of the global axises.

    Post edited by jestmart on
  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    jestmart said:
    To do that you need to import the base and the screen separately. Line the two objects up in a closed position, create a Null and align it to the pivot point for the screen. Parent the null to the base then parent the screen to the null. Save as a Scene Sub-set. Note that this technique only works when the pivot point is parallel to one of the global axises.

    ahh... ok

    Thanks

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited March 2013

    Load your Screen OBJECT file into HEX move the Center of the Object to the Bottom CENTER and then Save back out (With a Diff Name) rename the Original file Blah-OLD and then rename the new file Blah. That will place the Pivot at the Place you need it. X rotate should then allow you to open close as needed.

    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • patience55patience55 Posts: 7,006
    edited December 1969

    I have a prop which is in the form of two parts (.OBJ files for each). I want to save them both together as a single prop .DUF file.

    I have tried parenting one to the other, I have tried selecting both in the scene tab, but whatever I do, it only saves one of them as the prop.

    How can I “combine” the two parts of the prop so it saves it as one asset?

    Sertorial said:
    Make sure you have nothing else in the scene, then select both props in the scene tab, and go "File > Export" and create a new .OBJ, import that new .OBJ and both props will now be there as a single mesh, you can then "Figure/Prop Asset" it to get a single DUF prop.

    Hi

    I did that, but now the object is all welded together. (it's a laptop with a base and a folding screen) How can I make it so the prop still articulates (ie you can still fold down the laptop screen)?

    For info, it came in two parts, an .OBJ for the lid and an .OBJ for the base. (plus the relevant .NTL and .JPG files)

    Yes it's all welded together. You asked how to weld it all together.

    It seems what you want is not a static prop file ... but a figure file. You want to rig it perhaps?
    Then you can have as a .cr2 figure file, a "prop figure" that can have a moveable lid.

    You would need to import the geometry [the one that is not welded together] into the Geometry Tab on the Skeleton tab, slide the info over to the figure part. Create the figure. Use the joint editor to fix the bones as you please. Then export out a .cr2 file.
    Before starting all this, be sure that the .obj file is already in your geometry folder in the appropriate Runtime which will be holding the legacy rigged file.

  • SertorialSertorial Posts: 962
    edited December 1969

    Patience55 said:
    I have a prop which is in the form of two parts (.OBJ files for each). I want to save them both together as a single prop .DUF file.

    I have tried parenting one to the other, I have tried selecting both in the scene tab, but whatever I do, it only saves one of them as the prop.

    How can I “combine” the two parts of the prop so it saves it as one asset?

    Sertorial said:
    Make sure you have nothing else in the scene, then select both props in the scene tab, and go "File > Export" and create a new .OBJ, import that new .OBJ and both props will now be there as a single mesh, you can then "Figure/Prop Asset" it to get a single DUF prop.

    Hi

    I did that, but now the object is all welded together. (it's a laptop with a base and a folding screen) How can I make it so the prop still articulates (ie you can still fold down the laptop screen)?

    For info, it came in two parts, an .OBJ for the lid and an .OBJ for the base. (plus the relevant .NTL and .JPG files)

    Yes it's all welded together. You asked how to weld it all together.

    It seems what you want is not a static prop file ... but a figure file. You want to rig it perhaps?
    Then you can have as a .cr2 figure file, a "prop figure" that can have a moveable lid.

    You would need to import the geometry [the one that is not welded together] into the Geometry Tab on the Skeleton tab, slide the info over to the figure part. Create the figure. Use the joint editor to fix the bones as you please. Then export out a .cr2 file.
    Before starting all this, be sure that the .obj file is already in your geometry folder in the appropriate Runtime which will be holding the legacy rigged file.

    sorry. yes. I probably wasn't accurate in my original post. I am quite new to all this, so don't understand rigging, or Hexagon or stuff like that, so I will probably just leave it as a welded open laptop, for now. Still better than my original two separate props, so thanks :)

  • jestmartjestmart Posts: 4,449
    edited December 1969

    You don't need to know rigging or Hex to do this. Import the original separated objects one at a time. If they don't import already aligned you will need to use the translate dials in the Parameters tab to align them. Find the Create menu at the top left, create a null and give it name like "screen pivot". Using the translate dials again align the null to the logic center point where the screen would pivot. In the Scene tab drag and drop the null on the base or keyboard object, this is 'parenting', parent the screen object to the null. Now depending on the orientation of the laptop object using one of the nulls rotate dials should make the screen open and close, but like I said before only if rotation axis is parallel with one of the global x,y or z axises. Save as a Scene Sub-set to a DAZ Studio format library and you can load it to any scene.

  • NeilrNeilr Posts: 69
    edited December 1969

    If you want a prop that is made up of two movable parts then I would suggest using the obj2pp2 script it works great. What I do is load both parts and get them all textured up, positioned and ready to go. I then save the scene. Now delete one of the parts and export it to a new temp file folder as an obj file. Reload the scene and delete the other object and save the second object in the same temp fiile as an obj file. Now you are ready to make them a single prop, select new scene and import both items from the temp file folder, they should be set up just the way you had them, now parent one to the other, open the obj2pp2 script and run it with the main object selected. if you want them to move then be sure "weld" is not checked.

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