I’ve got to export models from Blender and import them into Poser 7.
It was easy to export my model chair as an OBJ and import it into Poser and it even kept the different material colours and different material indexes that I’d set. But they were only colours and it would be sooo much better if I could import it so that it keeps the material and texture information as well.
So this is where MTL files come in yes? I read that an OBJ object can refer to an external MTL file for material information. But how do you set it up?
1.For one thing I don’t see how I can export MTL information from my selected object in Blender.
Then when I tried importing a character (Simon) from Poser into Blender I noticed that, in making the character into an OBJ format, Poser automatically created the coresponding MTL file. But I don’t know how to apply the MTL info to him. Simon is sitting in Blender, completely black. Poor guy.
With MTLs is it a case of importing and exporting, the same as OBJs? Or is there some different workflow involved?
If anyone can shed light on this for me, it would be muchly appreciated!!
To export a .mtl file from Blender just select the “Materials” button in the “Extra Data” column that comes up in the .obj exporters GUI. If you hover the mouse over the button the tool tip will tell you this.
The .obj importer will automatically use the .mtl file if it’s present in the same directory as the .obj file. If the model has textures make sure they’re in the same directory as the .obj file or in a sub dir below the top level directory of the .obj. You can also select the “Image Search” button to drill down in search of the textures (see below for where these textures are and need to be) .
The .mtl file is human readable so you can see what textures you need to gather from Poser as they will remain in their respective directories and obviously the exported .mtl file will contain only the file name and no path data as that would vary with different users.
Is anyone else experiencing the phenomenon that upon .obj import, the .mtl import sometimes goes a bit screwy? i.e. for some parts of the imported object Blender will not seem to find the image file, even though Blender is showing the right filename in the image tab of the F6 screen (blender reports it as a “size 4x4 RGB byte”).
If I click on the Fileselect button, I can see the image right where it is supposed to be and spelled how it is supposed to be, and clicking on it allows Blender to use it properly for the image.
This manual hunting to see which images didn’t get found, and then to show blender where each one is can be tedious. Can anyone point me towards a fix, or perhaps some test to better define the problem?
I have noticed that Blender does not import MTL files. I always assume a retuxture is needed whenever I move an object from one 3D package to another. It does not matter if it is from Max to Maya, Poser to MAx or whatever, none of them can do it correctly.
My big hope is that FBX will do it all. Animation and texture. But I have yet to see it work in Blender.