I'd like to produce a bunch of free backdrop-type textures but before I do so, I'd like to have a sense of who-uses-what. If there's a predominantly popular tool (Nerd's Backdrop Tool, Daz Cyclorama, Worldz, etc.) that's the one I'll concentrate on first. Give a shout and let me know what you use and what you like. Regards, -Nancy.

As an owner of DAZ's Cyclorama (and therefore biased), I'd like to see more texture sets for that backdrop.

nerd's backdrop has been around longest. Don't forget that RunTime DNA has a couple of freebie backdrops, also: the Infinity Cove and nikitacreed's morphing terrain backdrop.

I have Cyclorama and rarely use anything but the studio backdrops (used for a lot of Daz's product images. I'd use it more but mostly I just see beach, woods, street pictures to use with it, and somehow my renders always look like well, look like plastic people pasted infront of a digital photo. doesn't do much for me.

I feel a little obsessive...I have Nerd's backdrop (which I use regularly), Cyclorama, Infinity Cove (which seems to take the same sets as Nerd's backdrop in most cases), the Nikitta Creed's morphing terrain backdrop (haven't used it yet), 3DModelez, Dazn's morphing terrain, and one that not many people seem to support but has some handy features: Ricardi's Poser Studio - Set Creation System. My problem is much like MachineClaw's...many of the photographs don't blend well with the lighting of the Poser characters. More important to me than the tool (because, obviously, I seem to have quite a collection), is that it works well in both Poser 4 and 5 (not everything does), and that it blends well with other models (plays well with others?) when it comes to lighting and looking...well, not realistic but blended, as if the characters and the scene belonged together.

dialyn/Machine Claw - I know what you mean about the lighting problems. I've been doing some testing and the lighting makes me crazy - compounded by the fact that I don't compose my own scenes in Poser, I generally do them in Bryce - and my own Poser lighting skills are abominable. I see that Nerd's tool comes with some light sets and I'm sure that Cyclorama does too. Infinity Cove is RDNA, no? I will probably create a couple of sets for a couple of packages and ask for feedback/testing. Even if they're free, they should be right :) -Nancy.

well I vote for the Cyclorama . This is a render i am working on for the Cyclorama useing a back ground photo i took at the beach with global lighting from daz. I think most people do not set it up right and with out shadows cast it will make the plastic look . P5 has its own settings that make it look good but i use p4 so i do not know what they are. Some times its a matter of droping the cyclo to the floor as well as making sure that cast shadows is unchecked for the cyclo but NOT the other items in the scene. The cyclo did not come with any pre set lights . I look forward to seeing your product nacey.

I use both Daz's Cyclorama and RDNA's Cyclodrop. I am another one who doesn't like the combination of photographic backgrounds with rendered figures - I prefer rendered backgrounds, but often don't have the time/can't be bothered/haven't the inspiration to make my own. I'd love to see some backdrops built along the lines of a stage set - I'm thinking of the sort of sets I remember from when my parents used to drag me to the ballet as a child. Not photorealistic, stylised, and dramatic!

I'm another Cyclorama user, and I would use it a lot more if there were more sets for it. Anything with stuff that isn't easily made as a realistic-looking prop in Poser (without eating memory at the same time) would be good, particularly vegetation. Some ancient woodland, for example, with some really gnarly trees, or water in serious motion (storm-tossed waves, waterfalls, white water, mountain streams). Some things like that could work really well by building up the layers using transparencies.

Cyclorama user here too :o) And I'd love to see more bacdrops for it. I second what Haigan said about vegetation. tasquah, that's a great picture :o) Looks very well. I haven't tried the infinite lights on the cyclorama but it looks like I'll have to :o) Oh and the cyclorama DID come with 3 light sets, one for each of the 3 basic textures (forest, wild and beach) Oh and btw, since I am so HOPELESS with Poser's lights, I would relaay WORSHIP anyone who would make lightsets specifically for the cyclorama :o)

Two major things with the cyclorama is (1)you need to render it with shadows and (2)turn off shadows on any lights casting the figure's shadow on the backdrops. Some ambience on the cyclorama will prevent it from being murky in low light settings Most of the lights from the 2nd Global Lighting pak in the PC are cyclorama friendly cause the shadows on the strong front light have been turned off. But without shadows rendered, it will never look right. And alot of people use camera MM over 100. That is bad for the cyclorama. Camera MM should be under 75 for proper depth. Otherwise it looks really flat like a postcard.

Here is a quick example. Left with a lower MM and shadows. Right is high MM and no shadows. That is what I see alot of people doing. Complex Global Lights work better I think with Cyloramas and background props like this. Anton

Thanks for the tip regarding the focal. I normally use them around 100 mm, becourse it gives prettier faces, at least at close up, but I can see the difference. Much better with the lower mm :o)

Yeah I think alot of people use high MM cause it makes even the worse face better. But that is also why there are alot of strange faces morphs out there. I always feel that if the face looks good in a low MM then it will always be gorgeous. I tend not to trust high MM renders from experience. I have seen some face morphs that looked pretty in the render, downloaded then and went "EEEK!" when I loaded it. I'm always barking at the guys in the office not to make morphs using isometric cameras in LW and such without previewing them in Poser at 38 MM along the way. Just my take on things. But it works for me.

But if you look at Mike with the default camera focal setting he looks like a neanderthal/monkey hybrid L I agree that some morphs looks great at 100mm and hideous at 38. But then again, try smacking your own face close to a cam and see how it looks L Probably not a pretty sight. At that focal I mean.... err... what am I saying. Don't get me wrong, ok? :o)

I have all the various backdrop systems. I'm partial to Cyclorama, Nikita's new 'crappy' (her word, lol) morphing backdrop tool and the RDNA Infinity Cove (Nerd-compatible). So any stuff for these would be VERY welcome. Wild & nature, SciFi, City, etc. :] Fish

Hmmm... this is great information. I like the idea of the 'stage set' and look and the focal information (and pictures) are very telling. I think it would be possible to do sets for Cyclorama AND adapt them for the RDNA and Nerd tools. Thank you all for responding - I'm going to print this thread. This really inspires me! Thanks :) Nancy.

Cool. Glad it helped/ Look for threads on the Cyclorama for more info.