[Tutorial] Making an Adjusted FBM

By an "adjusted" FBM I mean one different enough from the base to require adjusting the rigging.  You've seen these for Genesis - the Troll, the Freaks, and Mavka are examples.

For this example I'm using Blender and DAZ Studio 4.5 Pro, but it should work with other modeling software if you can figure out the scaling.

This was another request.

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First of all, it is necessary to export a "base" Genesis to morph.  

Load Genesis into your scene, or whatever other figure you wish to use.

Go to Parameters and turn the subdivision level down to 0 and the resolution to Base.  This is very important.  If you do not do this, your new morph will not load.

Now file--export--wavefront/obj.  I choose to work at Poser scale on import and export because it works with Blender's base import/export scaling, but that is completely up to you.

Choose a location where you will store this morph base.  I have a "UsefulOBJ" folder containing all my FBM bases in my Blender directory.  Export your Genesis morph base to this directory, giving it a reasonably name such as GenesisMorphBase.

Import the morph base into your modeling software.  Make sure you import with polygroups and retain vertex order if those are options.

Now create your morph by editing this base's shape.  I made a quickie "amazon" proportion set taller than the base to test mine.

Export the obj.  Make sure you retain vertex order again.

Select your loaded base-rez Genesis in DS4.5.  Start Morph Loader Pro.  It looks like a flexing arm with a letter P on the bicep.  I have mine hotkeyed to ctrl+m since I use it so often (and Transfer Utility to ctrl+t, but that's beside the point).

Navigate to your exported morph.  Notice it uses the name you gave the obj when you exported it, but you can double-click on this to change it if  you wish.

Expand the options and choose a group for it, or create a new one.  In this case I'll use Actor/Female/Fantasy Sci Fi.  

Don't leave it as Morph/Morph Loader Pro.  That instantly tells the customer you didn't bother and it looks bad when others use the morph.

Click Accept without changing any other options.

Your morph should now load.  A dialogue box will pop up telling you if it has.

Dial it in to 1.0 or 100% in the Parameters.

Turn on the Bone tool.  It looks like a bone with a bandaid across it.

Now you can see that the skeleton of Genesis is too small or too large for your scale-affecting morph.  Right-click and choose edit--adjust rigging to shape.

Turn on Orientation on the screen that comes up.  You should be able to leave other things as they are and click Accept.

Now you can see your skeleton is refitted to appropriately match the morph.  It's time to freeze this to the morph so that it turns on when the morph is on.

Go to the Property Editor tab.  If you don't have one you can create one using Window--Panes (tabs) -- Property Editor.  

It is normal for it to take literally five minutes or more for this to load on a Genesis with lots of morphs.  Go do something else while you wait, such as writing the first half of a tutorial on your deviantart blog.  Or inform me in the comments how to get around this.

When the property editor is finally accessible to you, go to the right-hand panel, right-click, and choose ERC Freeze.

In the dialogue that comes up, choose Genesis as the Figure and also as the Node.

In the Property dropdown below that, find your new morph.  This can be difficult.  Try typing the first couple of letters of it to scroll to different things with those letters.

Once it is selected, go down and uncheck Restore Figure Rigging.

Now select Accept.  You may have to wait a while again while it processes the new frozen ERC.

Now go back to your Translate widget (or whichever) and select Genesis.

Choose File--Save As--Support Asset--Morph Assets.

In the dialogue that comes up, put in your screen name for vendor name and the name of the new morph under Product Name.  

Expand the morphs dropdown below, find your morph, and click the box to its left to put a check mark in it.

Choose Accept.

Now delete Genesis from the scene and reload it.  If you dial in your morph with the Bone tool up, you should now see the skeleton adjust with it to the proper size.

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This should work with any TriAx figure in DS4.5, not just Genesis.

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