Babel Reference

Workflow

Using Babel is straightforward.

Click open on the toolbar (or File/Open from the menu) and select the Poser file you want to analyze. Babel will examine the file and generate a report on all objects and materials.
(optional) Save or print the report using the toolbar icons.
(optional) Copy the referenced texture, bump and transparency maps by clicking on the "copy maps" icon (or select it from the menu).

You can also load, edit and save rtf and txt documents in Babel but since the map list isn't saved with the report, you'll only be able to collect the map files if you've opened a Poser scene file.

Different versions of Poser reference map files in different ways. Some are releative to the ...\Runtime directory, some to the ...\Runtime\Textures directory and other are referenced by their full path from the drive root. Babel handles all these cases for you. If you have more than one version of Poser installed, Babel assumes you're using the runtime that belongs to the version of Poser that is associated with the pz3 file extension.

Babel uses MDI (multiple document interface) so you can work with as many files as your system resources permit.

Interpreting Babel Reports

Babel lists each figure, then the props parented to the figure and finally, any unparented props. For each figure or prop, it lists a color and a map table and groups the materials in a logical order. Both the color and map tables are sorted and grouped in the same way, by texture map, bump map, transparency map, transparency then finally by sepecularity. This is the natural order you would setup your materials in Grouper. The report lists the diffuse, ambient, specular colors and transparency, and Texture, Bump and Transparency maps..

   Colors        Kd          Ka          Ks          Tr 
   ------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --------
   InnerMouth    151/089/098 000/000/000 000/000/000 000-000%
   Pupil         000/000/000 000/000/000 040/033/024 000-000%
   -------------
   UpperEyebrows 000/000/000 000/000/000 000/000/000 100-100%
   EyeBall       255/255/255 000/000/000 255/255/255 100-100%
   -------------
   Eyebrows      000/000/000 000/000/000 000/000/000 100-100%
   Eyelashes     000/000/000 000/000/000 000/000/000 100-100%
   PubicHair     001/001/001 000/000/000 000/000/000 100-100%
   -------------
   Toenails      255/255/255 000/000/000 126/126/126 000-000%
   Fingernails   255/255/255 000/000/000 126/126/126 000-000%
   -------------
   SkinBody      255/255/255 000/000/000 002/002/002 000-000%
   Nipples       255/255/255 000/000/000 021/045/048 000-000%
   -------------
   Tongue        195/121/137 000/000/000 127/127/127 000-000%
   Teeth         255/255/255 000/000/000 191/191/191 000-000%
   -------------
   Iris          255/255/255 000/000/000 000/000/000 000-000%
   Nostrils      255/255/255 000/000/000 000/000/000 000-000%
   EyeWhite      255/255/255 000/000/000 000/000/000 000-000%
   SkinHead      255/255/255 000/000/000 000/000/000 000-000%
   Lips          255/255/255 000/000/000 016/016/016 000-000%
   Lacrimal      253/251/251 000/000/000 126/126/126 000-000%

The color table lists each referenced material and the color Poser assigned to it.

   Maps          Texture      Bump            Transparency 
   ------------- ------------ --------------- --------------
   InnerMouth    
   Pupil         
   ------------- 
   UpperEyebrows 
   EyeBall       
   ------------- 
   Eyebrows                                   M2BHTrHi1.jpg 
   Eyelashes                                  M2BHTrHi1.jpg 
   PubicHair                                  M2BHTrHi1.jpg 
   ------------- 
   Toenails      BernBody.jpg 
   Fingernails   BernBody.jpg 
   ------------- 
   SkinBody      BernBody.jpg BernBodyB.jpg 
   Nipples       BernBody.jpg BernBodyB.jpg 
   -------------
   Tongue        BernHead.jpg 
   Teeth         BernHead.jpg 
   -------------
   Iris          BernHead.jpg M2HeadNEW1B.jpg 
   Nostrils      BernHead.jpg M2HeadNEW1B.jpg 
   EyeWhite      BernHead.jpg M2HeadNEW1B.jpg 
   SkinHead      BernHead.jpg M2HeadNEW1B.jpg 
   Lips          BernHead.jpg M2HeadNEW1B.jpg 
   Lacrimal      BernHead.jpg M2HeadNEW1B.jpg

The maps table lists each map associated with the material

   Map Locations
   -------------
   \Runtime\textures\DAZ\Characters\MilMan\BernBody.jpg
   \Runtime\textures\DAZ\Characters\MilMan\BernBodyB.jpg
   \Runtime\textures\DAZ\Characters\MilMan\BernHead.jpg
   \Runtime\textures\DAZ\Characters\MilMan\M2BHTrHi1.jpg
   \Runtime\textures\DAZ\Characters\MilMan\M2HeadNEW1B.jpg

Finally, each referenced map is listed as it is referenced in the Poser file. In this case, the path is incomplete so Babel looks for files in the runtime associated with the Poser installation that is associated with pz3 files.

Example 1

Here's a quick example. Suppose you've created this fine young Irish lad in Poser but you want to do the finished render in Bryce. I'm using nothing special here, Michael 2.0, LQ Hair and the Millennium Beard. But, I deliberately chose the Millennium Beard because it's such a nuisance to map correctly.

I'm planning to use Grouper later but I'll start Babel. Step by step:

Select File/Open and locate the original Poser file. When you click "Open" on the file dialog Babel scans the Poser file and generates the report.
(optional) Select File/Save to save the report as a plain text or rich text document for later reference.
Once the report has been created, select File/Copy maps to collect all the texture, bump and transparency maps referenced in the Poser file.

Ok, that's a lot of information, but it's easy to read if you stop and look at it for a minute. Babel has already organized the materials into a best guess grouping for you. It sorts the materials by map then by transparency and specularity.

Click here to view or download the annotated report in PDF format for this scene.

The report tells me I need to setup materials for:

Michael
- Lacrimal
- PubicHair, UpperEyebrows, EyeBall (invisible)
- SkinBody, Fingernails, Toenails, Nipples
- EyeWhite, Pupil, Iris
- SkinHead, InnerMouth, Tongue, Lips, Nostrils, Teeth
- Eyebrows
- Eyelashes
Millenium Beard
- Beard
Backdrop
- Backdrop

These are the groups needed to faithfully reconstruct the Poser materials and mapings in Bryce (or other rendering applicatons). You need Babel to extract this information from the Poser scene file because some of it isn't included in the OBJ file.

That said, common sense tells me I also need one more material for EyeBall. It's invisible in Poser but in Bryce I'll want to set it up as a glass or water material. Other tutorials in this section give detailed information on how to use Grouper and how to setup your materials in Bryce so I won't reinvent the horse here.

Example 2

Sometimes you run across a really great model that's very complicated and hard to handle, even in Poser let alone try to export it to another application..

Click here to view or download the report in PDF format for this scene.

This is where Babel really comes in handy. If I'm exporting, I can see immediately that there are only a few parts I need to texture map. Actually, since this model doesn't use transparency maps, it will import pretty well anyway. All the parts can be brought in pretty much "as is" because Kd, Ka and Ks values are passed in the OBJ file format. With this model Grouper is going to make more work than it saves because there are so many different parts that don't have common material assignments. With a guide to help navigate all the materials and the odd names this model becomes easier to handle.

Even if I'm only working in Poser, the report can tell me the exact materials to adjust if, for instance, I want to change the paint job from Sunset (so 70's) to a nice Sienna Pearl Coat. Thanks to Oubastudio for the model.

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