Tentacurala MK-I
Poseable Tentacle for DAZ-Studio and Poser


Version 1.2, modeled in Hexagon 2.5. Rigged and tested in DAZ-Studio 3.1.2.32 Advanced Edition 64 Bit with Figure Setup Tool. Further tested in Vue 9 Studio and Blender 2.57.0 (scroll down for export/import-tips DAZ-Studio -> Vue/Blender).

June 5, 2011: Version 1.2 is ready for download now:
Upgrade of the rigging! V1.2 offers far more smoother bendings of the segments now! The shown promo-pic above still show Version 1.1 where the connections of the segments became visible in narrow bendings. The up-to-date version for download here is now Version 1.2 in wich this annoying effect will not occur!



This is my first rigged model i created. So if something did not work correctly, it's my fault... and sorry for my bad english.


Installing in Poser 6/7 (or higher) and DAZ-Studio:

Windows: Unzip all files of the Runtime-folder in the "Tentacurala MK-I for Poser"-folder to your Poser 6 or 7 folder.
Mac: Unzip all files to a folder and copy them into to your Poser 6 or 7 folder. Please don't overwrite existing files or folders.
I hope, that it will work in Poser; i use DAZ-Studio only and so i wasn't able to do a real test in Poser, but the internal paths of the .cr2 are correct when i checked them in a text-editor.


Posing:

No IK in this model, sorry. It's my first rigged modell ever. Maybe i will create later a MK-II version with an IK-chain... I am still learning modeling and rigging.
Best work is to grab the whole model an bring it into the desired position. The last end of the tentacle is the "base". From here you can start to pose the segments one after another or using the Active Pose-tools of DAZ-Studio to bend and twist the tentacle!


Materials:

Try some new settings in your Surface-tab: DAZ-Studio load the model only with the settings of Lighting Model to "plastic" (as it do with almost every Poser figure). Try something other instead.
Tip: Set the Bumpmap to 100% and negative to 0.40 and positive to 0.40 too, to get a more organic look. Set Lighting model to Glossy (Plastic), Specular glossiness to 70% and Reflection to 60% with the "tentacula-texture.jpg", to get a fine, wet and slimy looking style


Using in other 3D-programs:

The .OBJ is located in the Poser-folder in Runtime -> Geometries -> Tentacurala MK-I -> tentacurala.obj but without rigging!


Using as a poseable figure in Vue (Tested in DAZ-Studio 3 and Vue 9 Studio):

In DAZ-Studio:
Load the file as you do with every Poser-figure.
Choose "Export" from the File-Menu
Choose Collada (DAE) for export
In "Collada Export Options/General/Preset" choose "Generic Collada".
Click "accept"

In Vue:
Choose File -> Import Object
Choose Collada-File (*.dae) and in the import-obtions choose "Resize Object -> Automatic resizing" (you can scale it up/down later to fit your scene).
Click OK and the tentacle will be imported as a fully rigged model to pose it directly in your Vue-scene.
In the Material-Settings set Reflection in "Global reflectivity" down to about 10 to 20% (Vue set it to 100% after import, you got a shiny metal tentacle in the render without this material-correction)


Using as a poseable figure in Blender (Tested in DAZ-Studio 3 and Blender 2.57.0):

The collada-file (with the same export-settings for Vue) did import well in Blender too, including the rigging. As i am a bloody rookie in using Blender, i can't help your further and you must figure out by yourself if the mesh needs a seperate connection/parenting with the rigging. I can move both (mesh and rigging/armature) independently in Blender, so i guess, both needs to be connected in a "blenderish" way


But most important:

Have fun while bringing the screaming, wriggling, kicking damsels in distress with it!!


P.S. Promotion-pic without any post-production, except the added text! For more impact the adding of splashes, waterdrops and wet-effects on the tentacles in Photoshop, GIMP etc. would be a good idea, but the promotion-pic was to show exactly what you get after you rendered it.

P.P.S. You can never ever have enough tentacles in your runtime! Here is MK-II for download too: