Exploder

A Python script that will enable you to explode Poser models.

The explosions may then be saved for future use.

Poser 6 PC only
Poser 7, Poser Pro, Poser 8 PC & Mac, .

Video overview uploaded to YouTube

Installation see below

To run the script see below

load bomb
Start by loading the bomb and positioning it adjacent to the prop that you wish to explode. If you place the bomb below the prop the blast will tend to go upwards. If you place the bomb inside the prop the blast will tend to go everywhere. If you wish to explode a body part first use the Poser Grouping tool to spawn a prop of it then make the original body part invisible.

create groups
The bomb will explode each of the prop's groups in a different direction. These can be existing groups or groups created using the create groups button.

explode groups
This is the button that does the damage. When ready click it then stand well back :)

delete shrapnel
Did not quite go as expected? Click the delete shrapnel button and start over. Your original prop will still be in the scene. It will have been set invisible. Select it from the drop down menu at the top center of the Poser preview window.

reverse animation
Once the explosion has been created you can use this button to reverse the animation.

repaint shrapnel
Initially the shrapnel takes the materials and textures of the original prop. Should you wish to change this you can set the materials for one piece then have all the other pieces match it. This saves the task of setting up the materials on possibly over a hundred little pieces one by one.

help
Brings up on screen help in Poser.

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Transformation
Place the bomb to the left of the prop and the blast will go to the right. Place the bomb below the prop and the blast will go upwards. Place the bomb inside the prop and the blast will go in every direction.

Shrapnel Properties
Set up how fast you want the shrapnel to fly, how much spin and how much each piece expands.

Shrapnel Limits
Want to make it appear that the shrapnel hits a wall or the ground? Set up the shrapnel limits so that the pieces only fly so far.They will then stop and if gravity is enabled they will slide down as if they had hit a wall. Place a wall model at that point for full effect. Please note that, Python or no Python, the Poser collision detection system is not set up to work with animations. This provides a very workable alternative.

Scene Properties
Use these parameters to set gravity, number of frames and a randomizing factor.

Saving your explosion.

When completed you can save the bomb complete with its shrapnel to the Poser figure library. Save the animation to the Poser pose library. When you want to use it again simply load the bomb and apply the pose.

You can move the explosion round the scene by moving the bomb.

Another method is to save the scene then later apply it to a new scene using the Poser menu File > Import > Poser Document. This may work better for multiple explosions.

You can move the explosion round the scene by moving the bomb. You can move the explosion withing the scene's time line by using the Poser key frame editor. Select the whole block of the bomb and shrapnel's keyframes and drag them to a new location within the animation.

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Preset Examples

Click the "presets...." button to access these additional buttons.

To help you get started a number of preset bomb settings and sample props have been included. With the bomb already loaded I suggest you start by next clicking the "Sphere 100" button. This will load a sphere containing 100 groups into the scene. Now with the bomb figure still selected in the scene click on one of the preset bomb poses. Follow this by clicking on the "back" buttons to access the main Exploder buttons in order to click on the "explode groups" button. This will execute the explosion.

On completion use the Poser animation controls to scrub through or play the animation.

You can then start to experiment. Start be clicking on the "delete shrapnel" button. This will clear the scene of the shrapnel props but will retain the original prop and bomb figure. Select the bomb (not the bomb_widget's BODY), and change some of the parameter settings. Then select the original prop from the Poser drop down menu located top center of the preview window. The original prop will have been set invisible but you can still select it from the drop down menu.

With the new bomb parameters set and the prop as the selected actor in the scene navigate to the Exploder "explode groups" button and click it to execute the explosion.

In this way you can quickly become familiar with the effects of changing the various bomb parameters.

Notice that with the exception of the number of frames all the parameters may be animated over time. You could for example create a big explosion that expands rapidly at first using a high shrapnel velocity then slows down towards the end by setting the shrapnel velocity to a lower value.

Installation

PC
Extract your downloaded zip file to your Poser 7 folder keeping folder information intact. For a tutorial on how to use Winzip to install Poser files please see http://www.philc.net/WinZip_tutorial.php Alternativly the free unzip utility will work on a PC as well as a Mac, see link below.

Mac
Extract your downloaded zip file to a temporary directory then copy the files over. See file list table below for file placing. Since I know that this can get tedious I have created a free utility that will make the job of installing this (and most of the other Poser zips that you will download), very much easier. This free utility is available from http://www.philc.net/unzip.php

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File list

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Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\PhilC\Exploder
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     exploder.pyc
     exploder0.py
     exploder1.py
     exploder2.py
     exploder3.py
     exploder4.py
     exploder5.py
     exploder6.py
     exploder7.py
     exploder8.py
     exploder9.py
     ExploderInfo_page_1.htm
     ExploderInfo_page_2.htm
     readme_exploder.txt
     start_exploder.py
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Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\PhilC\Exploder\data
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     Big Bang.pz2
     Bomb.cr2
     Bomb.obj
     Cube_6.obj
     Cube_6.pp2
     Cube_96.obj
     Cube_96.pp2
     Fall Out.pz2
     Geosphere_180.pp2
     Kerrr Splat.pz2
     Pfuttt.pz2
     Reset Bomb.pz2
     Rising Smoke.pz2
     Sphere_100.obj
     Sphere_100.pp2
     Spiral Galaxy.pz2
     Torus_32_rings.obj
     Torus_32_rings.pp2
     Torus_64_slices.obj
     Torus_64_slices.pp2
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Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\PhilC\Exploder\help_file_images
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     bluedot.jpg
     exploder_01.jpg
     exploder_02.jpg
     exploder_03.jpg
     exploder_04.jpg
     exploder_05.jpg
     exploder_12.jpg
     philclogo1_on_white.gif
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Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\PhilC\Exploder\temp
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     temp.py
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Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\Projects\PhilC
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     Exploder_1.py
     Exploder_2.py
     Exploder_Project_page_1.htm
     Exploder_Project_page_2.htm
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Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\ScriptsMenu\PhilC
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     P7_start_Exploder.py

Start the script by using one of these methods:-

1. Select the Poser menu "Scripts" ---> "PhilC" ---> "P7_start_Exploder.py"
   Then select the Poser menu "Window" ---> "Python Scripts"
   (Not available to Poser 6 users).
2. Select the Poser menu "File" ---> "Run Python script" ---> browse to:-
   Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\PhilC\Exploder\start_exploder.py
   Then select the Poser menu "Window" ---> "Python Scripts"
3. Select the Poser menu "Window" ---> "Python Scripts"
   Click an empty script button then browse to:-
   Poser 7\Runtime\Python\poserScripts\PhilC\Exploder\start_exploder.py

In all instances you will need to open the Poser Python script window manually using the Poser menu Window > Python Scripts. The starter script will not do it for you.

If required you can edit mainButtons.py to have this permanently displayed as one of the default script buttons.

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