How i import a Poser animation into Max

In Studio Max, import the first obj file you made from your animation. This will be your master object in max. We are going to create a morph from this character, all of the other files you import will be morph targets for this figure in max. You could even export your master figure in a default pose if you wanted to, import this defaulted pose as your master, and use the first obj file as a morph too. This is off topic however but worthy of note. To make the morph in max select the master base object (the first obj file exported by Poser). With this object selected, add a Morpher modifier. Find this option in your modifier's window by clicking the More button. Save your file.

Before we continue, let's import the rest of our obj files from Poser. Leave the master object where it is in the center of the stage. Import the first obj file from your animation. Like the master, this should be a single mesh on your stage. Rename each imported obj file "act_1" start with 1, finish with 10. Move each object you import to the right of your master obj. Renaming each mesh as you import. This makes it easier to keep track of where you are. After all of your obj files are on your stage in a line, select the master object you applied the morph to. In the modifier panel window, edit the first channel labeled empty. Rename this channel act_1. This will be the first animated frame you have in Poser. After you rename the channel, select the Pick Object From Scene button. With it highlighted, click on the object which goes with the new channel. Repeat this process until you have 10 channels, one for each frame in your animation. Note, you can get fancy and click on the "Load Multiple Targets" button and get the same result when adding channels.

Now it is time to animate our morphs. You can hide all of your act_1-act_10 meshes. You can also delete them, hide them if you want to keep them for easy tweaking and updating. The Morpher let's you update your objects from the scene which is helpful. To begin animating, select the master object. click the animate button so it is red. Add a keyframe at frame 0. This is the first animation frame from your master. This will be our zero point for all our morph channels. The idea here is to place a value in each channel between 0 and 100. 100 is the morph in full effect, 0 is no effect. You can combine these morphs and mix them to your liking. That is our goal now. Go to frame number 10, change the morpher's channel value for act_1 to 100. Leave the rest of the channels at 0. Scrub to frame 20, set act_1 channel value to 0 and act_2 channel value to 100. Repeat this process till you get to the end of your time line. Your morph channels should end with zero just like in our first frame. Voila, you have imported into Studio Max. I would say you are finished but playing the animation proves otherwise. Next is tweaking each morph's transition so they fade to each other in equal proportions.

Believe it or not, i used to try and do this in the timeline. Took forever and was a real pain. Save yourself the trouble. Right click in the top left of your perspective viewport window. Create a new Track View. Inside the track view window, locate the mesh object which is your master, open that up until you see the Morpher object. Each of the ten animations you imported will show up as a item in the list. Select the first act_1 morph object in your track view. Choose the View Function curves button at the top. A graph will appear showing the time line and a bell curve for act_1 morph. The bell needs to change to a triangle. select all the points in the curve, right click and for the "in" and "out" buttons, choose the straight line option. You can also move your keyframes in Track view too. You will need to do this starting at frame 20. Make each morph's curve a triangle. start and each morph's triangle in 20 whole keyframes. From 0 to 100 back to 0 again. You should now see a Poser animation in Studio Max.