Creating a MAT file
(Don't miss Part II: Inside the MAT file, and Part III: MAT Transparencies.)
Now that we've seen why to use MAT files, how the heck do we put one together?
The easiest way is to cheat! For this example, we'll do the lips.
In Windows Explorer (or the Mac equivalent), use Notepad (Mac users, improvise) and open up a .cr2 file. (Vicki, Posette, Dork, or Mike will do.)
Save the .cr2 file under a new name immediately! Since this will be a MAT pose file, save it in the \runtime\libraries\pose\[your folder]\------.pz2. I saved mine in c:\program files\poser\runtime\libraries\pose\Cres-Vicki-Lips\vicki-template.pz2.
Place the cursor just below the following lines in the .cr2:
{
version
{
number 4.01
}
Scroll down. Hold down the shift key and place the cursor just above this line:
material Lips
Note: Posette and Dork's version of "material Lips" may be named slightly differently.
This will select everything between the first few lines. Hit the Delete key. Wave all the unnecessary stuff "Goodbye!"
Add in the line just above material lips:
figure {
Place your cursor just before the next material entry in the .cr2. (For Vicki, this was material Lacrimal.)
Delete everything except the very last }. For best results, add an extra } at the end.
You should have something like this:
{
version
{
number 4
}figure {
material Lips
{
KdColor 0.913695 0.537255 0.572534 1
KaColor 0 0 0 1
KsColor 0.337255 0.254902 0.239216 1
TextureColor 1 1 1 1
NsExponent 95.1942
tMin 0
tMax 0
tExpo 0
bumpStrength 1
ksIgnoreTexture 0
reflectThruLights 1
reflectThruKd 0
textureMap NO_MAP
bumpMap NO_MAP
reflectionMap NO_MAP
transparencyMap NO_MAP
ReflectionColor 1 1 1 1
reflectionStrength 1
}
}
}
Save your file. Your Vicki lips template is done.
You can always play around with lip color (eyebrow color, etc.) in Poser, save the character in the character library, then hack up the .cr2 and create a small MAT file and save it as a .pz2 file.
Notes:
- Mike uses many of the same bodypart names as Vicki. If you make a MAT file for Vicki, it will likely work for Mike as well.
- Different figures may use different material names. MAT files that work for one character may not work for another.
- Capital letters make a big difference. material Lips is different than material lips.
- Technically, the absolute easiest way to make a MAT file is to use a script program like MAT Pose Edit by Ilari Pihlajisto, but, hey, would you have read all this if you knew there was a program to do this automatically?
Inside a MAT file
Body Material Name Comparisons
MAT file transparencies