Adding Strand-Based Hair to the Library Palette

Strand-based prop hair differs from geometry-based prop hair because it needs underlying geometry in order to “grow.” Strand-based hair grows in strands, much like real hair, rather than being made from textured polygons like geometry-based hair. You can’t add strand-based hair to figures/props in the same manner as prop-based hair. As a result, you can’t save strand-based hair to the Library palette unless it is growing from underlying geometry.

There are three ways to save strand-based hair for later use:

• Saving a PZ3 file with the hair object in it (you can do a merge function later, as explained in Importing Poser Documents or Props).
• Saving a prop/body part with a hair object on it. In this case, simply add the prop with the hair to your scene. For example, you could use the Group Editor to select polygons on a character’s head and create a skullcap prop, grow hair on that prop, and save the hair and prop to the Library palette.
• The Library palette includes skullcaps designed to fit the Don, Judy, James and Jessi figures. These skullcaps are available in the Hair category under their respective figures. To use a skullcap, add it to your scene, create and style hair, then save the skullcap with your new hair style back to the Library palette for use on other figures. Add skullcaps to figures just as you would prop-based hair. This is the preferred method for saving strand-based hair.

Skullcaps are also useful because they have a higher polygon count than the underlying head, giving you more detailed control over hair surfaces. You can spawn props from any figure or prop, subdivide them in your favorite 3D modeling application, then apply them anywhere you like to obtain more detailed results.

To save strand-based hair to the Library palette:

1. Open the Hair category in the Library palette. Locate or create a folder in which to save your new hair.
2. Click to select the hair that you want to save.
3. Click the Add to Library button. A message informs you that you will need to save the hair group along with its parent prop. Click OK to continue.
4. Click Select Subset in the Set Name dialog. When you select your hair groups, make sure that you also choose the prop that the hair groups are attached to. For example, if you grew the hair groups directly on the figure’s head, make sure that you also include the Head in the props that you select.

Strand-based hair is created on a per-object basis for each scene.