Morphography tutorials
A Guide to Using the QuickDress - Part 2
• Main Index • Tutorial Index • Introduction • Initial Shaping • Cutting the Cloth • What to do Next •

• Initial Shaping


The first step is to shape the mesh. If you prefer to use your favourite 3D modeller for this, you can skip this page and just import the V3QD mesh directly.

If you only have a basic free modeller, you will probably prefer to do at least some of the shaping with Poser's more familiar controls. In that case, we'll start with a mannequin so we can see where the dress falls on the body.

In Poser, bring in a V3 figure from the library palette. This can be any version, it doesn't make any difference, all she has to do is stand there for hours with her arms out. Any Vicki can do that. ;) Open the Joint Parameters window (from the Window menu), select the figure (any part), and click on the "ZeroFigure" button.

Now you can go to the Props library, and add the V3 QuickDress. It should just drop into the scene around Vicki. If it doesn't for some reason, move V3, don't move the dress.

In the section below, you'll see that I've coloured my mannequin black. This isn't compulsory, but I find it helps to locate "poke-through" since the dress is plain white at the moment.


The QuickDress has some morphs built in to it, which you can see demonstrated on the right.

Most of the dials affect the skirt part of the dress, and should be self explanatory. You'll see that I added a couple more "pleat" dials since the animation was made; but I couldn't be bothered to change it. The principle is the same, anyway.

The "MonoBust" dial may need some explanation. This makes the cloth bridge the gap between Vicki's breasts, as real cloth tends to do, rather than the unrealistic "shrink wrapped" effect that you see on a lot of Poser clothing. If you happen to prefer shrink wrap, the option is there. :)

Set the morph dials to get the rough shape right, if possible. By the way, if you create your own morphs for the QuickDress, and you think they would be useful to others, you can send them to me and I'll put them up on the QuickDress download page for the benefit of all.

You can also use Poser's magnets at this stage to perform further shaping, if you have the expertise. If you don't have the expertise, you could do worse than look at my magnets tutorial which should get you started.

You could also add props at this stage to form buttons, belts etc.


Once you've finished with the shaping you want to do within Poser - and you still have the option of doing more shaping within your 3D modeller - export the modified QuickDress to Wavefront OBJ format. Make sure that you select only the V3 QuickDress from the hierarchy, since you probably don't want the figure to be exported as well.

If you added props which are meant to be part of your dress, select them as well.


At the final option dialogue (the one that pops up after you've selected the destination for your file), uncheck all the boxes.

Next: Cutting the Cloth

• Main Index • Tutorial Index • Introduction • Initial Shaping • Cutting the Cloth • What to do Next •