Applying hair in Poser

Last updated: 08.07.2001

From Poser 2 onwards, users have the option of adding hair to their Poser figures. The procedure for applying hair varies slightly according to the version of Poser in use.

Poser 2

In Poser 2, hair is stored in separate prop files (typically in Wavefront OBJ format). To be used, the hair model must be imported from the file and attached to the figure's head. The procedure for doing this is explained in the note on importing hair models.

Poser 3 and 4

The importing techniques described for Poser 2 still work in Poser 3 and 4. However, the hair styles distributed with the application can now be applied more easily via the Library palette. Clicking the Hair tab on the palette opens the Hair library. When you select an item from the library and click the 'tick' button, the selected hair style is added to your scene. It's automatically positioned at the correct place and parented to the figure's head, and default materials settings are applied.

Poseable hair

Poser 4 introduced a new type of hair, whose appearance can be varied using the parameter dials. Given one poseable hairstyle, you can produce a wide range of different appearances by varying the parameters for different parts of the model.

Poseable hair styles are not simple props like the standard built-in styles. They are, in fact, figures, in the same way that the new 'conformant' clothing is also a figure. For this reason the poseable hair style that shipped with Poser 4, 'Long Conform Curls', is found not in the Hair library but in the Figures library, under the 'Clothing - Female' category.

To apply conformant hair, select the item you want to use in the library and then click the 'double-tick' button to add a new figure to the scene. If you click the basic 'tick' button, the hair will replace your current figure, which is not what you want. Clicking the 'double-tick' button adds the hair as a separate figure.

When you first add the hair, it will probably be positioned and oriented strangely. To resolve this, click on the hair to select it. Then choose the Conform to ... item from the Figure menu. You will then be given the option of choosing which of the figures in your scene the hair should be attached to. Choose the one you want and click OK, and the hair will automatically be aligned with the figure's head.