Digital Art Zone

  I bought “DSF Toolbox” thinking it would convert OBJ files for import into DAZ but I can’t figure it out. Doesn’t look like it does what I want.  I have imported OBJs into DAZ but none of the materials come in and I can’t seem to assign any materials to the OBJ because it is one solid object not a model with parts.  Also I thought I could bring it into Hexagon but Hexagon keeps crashing. I’ll try uninstalling and reinstalling it.  There must be some easy way to do this.

    Please be kind. Even though I am older, I am basically brand new to DAZ in particular and I really haven’t done any modeling or animation in the current atmosphere.  Years back, i started to dabble but then dropped out for other things. I am still in the “getting a feel for DAZ”, learning how do do things, and how things work stage. Any help would be appreciated.  By the way I did do a search for this topic but nothing much came up.  DAZ has some really good models available but it doesn’t have everything. I really need to have available some of the stuff they have on the outside world, most in other formats.

Thank You

well you just import obj as obj (or drag and drop it into studio and the import dialogue will come up) and it is one solid thing, the material zones depend on the uv mapping, you should have a material file to go with the obj and maybe some maps.
without it there will be no surfaces in the surfaces tab.
you can send to Hexagon and add uv mapping ie box, planar and export it again as an obj so it is mapped
but
it will not use the original textures.
to make seperate objects it would need to be broken up in say Hexagon or another modeling app and each bit imported seperately.

OBJes are read from File->Import->browse to file (make sure either “OBJ” or “all Files” is selected in the drop-down on the Import File box).
Regarding textures, OBJes usually are accompanied by a file with the same name and extension .mtl. You can open that file in a text editor and see the paths it is looking in for textures, and change it if needed.

  Thank you both, who have responded so far. I thought I did use export but I did it again and played with it. I think the problem is that I don’t know DS4 well enough. The model still doesn’t come in with any materials but when I discovered the Surface tool (I think it is(I’m not in front of the program now)), I discovered that the model IS separated into parts, contrary to what I first thought,  and I was able to assign colors to them.  I haven’t figured out how to add materials but I think that will come with more time and experimentation.

    This is the second OBJ model I was able to get into DS4.  Both were cheap, simple outside models.  One did come in with a surface and the other, a much more complicated model, did not.  I have to get this down because I am planning a few big, ambitious, projects, where I will have to be able to control importing outside assets and then integrate them with DS4 characters and models and animate everything.  I have plans to buy a few expensive models and I have to make sure this will work before I spend the money.

  I have lots of questions but I won’t waste anyone’s time with things I should be able to figure out, as I learn it better. At least I crossed the threshold by getting the things in.

Thank You

I have often come across OBJ’s that don’t have their textures applied when imported in to Daz Studio. However if they are UV Mapped and come with the textures maps (images) then these can easierly be reapplied via the Surfaces pane (which you have found already).

Some OBJ’s are not even UVmapped, often left over from the maker using procederal shaders as opposed to image based texture maps.

I have found that Carrara can often import many OBJ’s with their surfaces in tact when Daz Studio wouldn’t.  Saving out from Carrara as an OBJ should keep the surafces in tact for Daz Studio.

It really all depends on how the OBJ was made and with what modelling program and how it was saved out.

Yes some conditional wording in there as it is for the most part hit and miss until you start to understand the subtleties and differences. Then if the right information is provided with the OBJ you can then start to make an educated choice weather it will work or not. But even then it is not plan sailing.

I have downloaded OBJ and had to take them in to Blender and UVmap and texture myself just so it would work in Daz Studio. Sometimes I use and many shader as I can to save UVmapping, all depends on the item.

Yaaay, I finally found what i’ve been searching for for the past 2 days!!! I was having the same problem. I am using blender to model and then when i import it into daz it wasn’t showing any of the textures! lols Now I know its the UV that I need to work on. Thanks for everyone that posted here.