Updating exported objects?

SnowSultan

Just a general question, but is there any way to export something from Studio into Blender and later update the Studio file, export it again, and update the object in Blender with the updated mesh? For example, exporting a Genesis 8 figure as an OBJ or other format, import into Blender, then later, turn morph dials in Studio or change the pose, export again, and tell Blender to replace an existing mesh with the new update while retaining its world position and material settings? Doesn't seem like it from the searches I've done, but many of those results appear to be quite old.

Thanks in advance.

SnowSultan

Now that I think about it, I guess one way would be to import the new mesh alongside the old one, then use the Object Data Properties to change the old mesh into the new one? If you create a fake user, can you can delete the newly imported one, leaving the 'changed' old one with it's new shape?

Padone

An easy way may be to apply the imported object as a new shapekey.

Krys Kryngle

I've used Padone's methed when I had something like hair shrinkwrapped to a character.  To move one object to another object location, assuming they are exactly the same, using the following process is pretty fast.  I actually used this prior to 'join as shapes' to get the imported mesh in correct location, then joined with shape keys.  You can set the origin of an object by selecting the object, then object->set origina->origin to geometry.

Assuming that you have two distinct objects (rather than two unlinked meshes in the same object) and each object's origin is at the "true" center of the object (however you prefer to determine that), you would use the following process (in Object mode):

1. Select object B
2. Snap the 3D Cursor to object B's origin (Shift+S > Cursor to Selected)
3. Select object A
4. Snap object A to the 3D Cursor's location (Shift+S > Selection to Cursor)

You can also use Blender's snapping tools to do some of this interactively, but the 3D Cursor is the most reliable way.

https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/3214/how-can-i-quickly-move-translate-an-object-to-the-center-location-position-of-an

*********

To copy materials, enable the add-on in blender called 'material utilities'.  Then, shift+q will allow you to copy all materials from one object to another.

 

SnowSultan

Thanks for the information so far. I'm actually not sure how to use shape keys with two objects, I only know how to use them like morph dials (create a base key and new key, then select new key and edit the mesh). The method I mentioned above using Object Data Properties seems to work really well, I just don't know if it will lead to issues later on as work progresses.

Oh man, thank you for the tip on copying materials from one object to another, Krampus. Having to set many materials for similar objects was something I was dreading about potentially doing more serious work in Blender.