Just downloaded the newest patch, didn't even know that there was one. Before I install, can someone tell me what it is suppose to fix or do. Just got Poser back running after a total crash last week and am still installing zip files. Don't want to start all over again! I would like some info before I decide whether to install or not. Thanks butch

That's it? I was expecting a little more... butch

Well, all of that is in ADDITION to what the 4.0.2 patch did. Basically, they reissued the 4.0.2.118a patch and changed the splash screen and logos to the Curious Labs logo. The "spying" is the same type of thing that Adobe does. It checks on the local area network for other copies of Poser running with the SAME serial number. That's it. See the letter from Steve Cooper on the main page for further details on that. HTH,

It does do one nice thing. It asks if you wish to save a figure as a single figure or as a group if dealing with multi figures. For example, if you conform a shirt to a figure and save the figure, it will ask if you want to save just the shirt or the whole person as a figure. Kind of handy.

Thanks for the info. Still unsure about the patch for one thing, I am convinced that it was the second patch that screwed up poser on my computer. It was working fine until I install it. The first patch worked fine. It was the second when I installed it, that things started going wrong, and kept getting worst till Poser crashed. Going to have to think on this one butch

I just thought members of Renderosity would like to hear what kind of useless tech support response I got to my report of a bug (namely, not saving preferred state on exit) after installing the Curious Labs 4.03 patch. My original question appears at the end: ----- Response from Curious Labs Tech Support ----- From: Tech Guy To: Chris Disdero Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 8:45 AM Subject: Re: Problems with your latest patch 4.03 Rule of thumb is never apply a patch to a used and installed copy, apps change to many parameters that confuses the patch. Reinstall like this: Win presets will remain if installed to the same directory, BACKUP MAC PRESETS (personal custom stuff) WIN:Use control/alt/delete and the task manager that appears to close (end task) some of these tasks, leave if possible only the explorer and the systray running, reinstall. This assures that your install is clean, if your are installing Poser to a different directory then you must assign it a folder example d:/Poser 4, the installer will ask "this folder does not exist, shall I create it?" This assures you that it is a correct install. Mac:In extension manager make an extension set copy of OS base, rename to Installer. Turn off all of the extensions but Apple CD-ROM and QuickTime and QuickTime power plug, reinstall. Something in you system has conflicted with the proper install of the program. This set can also be used to check on further conflicts. Then patch it in this state. Tech The prefered stae is a bug and the fixes will be posted soon. ------- My reply to "Tech Guy": Hey, I'm a software engineer and I don't need to be told about how to apply a patch for a program. I applied your patch to Poser 4.0 (direct off the cd from Metacreations) and guess what, it failed in the exact way I describe. Second, I applied to another fresh install of Poser 4.0 off the cd the 4.02.118 patch (which by the way does not have the bug I described). Then I applied your 4.03 patch. I get the bug I described. So the problem is not with how I applied your patch - the problem is that YOUR PATCH HAS A BUG. So please fix it and don't give me any stupid lectures about rules of thumb. ----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Disdero To: tech@curiouslabs.com Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 7:34 PM Subject: Problems with your latest patch 4.03 I downloaded and succesfully applied your 4.0.3 patch to Poser for Windows. I sure wish you had tested this on installed copies just a little more carefully before shipping it out to customers. Although I appreciate the bug fixes you refer to in your readme.txt file, I don't appreciate the new bugs you've introduced in this patch. The most irritating one is that the preferred state is no longer saved when I exit Poser. Can you guys please post another patch with this problem fixed?

Well so much for installing the patch. Why is everytime, somebody supposely fixes a bug or problem, at least two more pop up? Not just poser either. I am willing to admit that it has been about 15 years since I last wrote any code, and that was in college, but we had to have all the bugs out or we didn't pass. Maybe the writers of the patches and the programs out take a leaf from that book, (if they even remember what books are) in other words, No workee, no payee. Somehow, I think we would all see a lot less of bugs, and programs that don't do what they are suppose to do. And I want it clear that I am not talking about all engineers or creators of software here, just those who want to rush a product out, knowing that they are bugs in it. For some reason Mircosoft seems to spring to mind on that count. butch

As if they actually listen to the people who use the product....

I have noticed one BIG change, my Poser boots up a lot faster than it used to...my husband even noticed it. I'm happy with the patch, not worried about the S.N. check. Marque

I'm so confused...!!! Just resized my working window, changed a few of the interface element locations & set my figure to Zygote's Nude Young Woman. Saved this as the preferred state & exited. Reloaded & everything was as I left it. I suppose if this is a bug in the latest patch it is a highly selective patch indeed. BTW, a support tech has no way of knowing what a customer does or does not know. So s/he really has to adopt the lowest common denominator approach. I wouldn't take it personally nor would I condsider the tech to have been condenscending.

That's odd, my preferred state is saved every time. Wonder why cdisdero is having a problem? Marque

Now I am confused. Do I or don't I install the patch. How about a vote? Yes if no problems occured when you installed it and No if you have problems.... I am curious as to why some people have had problems with the various patches and some haven't. Could the type of computer, operating system, etc... all have something to do with the problems that occur with the patches? butch

My vote will be yes. I install Poser one year or so ago, I install 4.0.2.118 and after 4.0.3 and my poser never crash unless I try to load a model that is missing something. It is not really crashing but take one or two minutes to come out and this is normal because this the way Poser work. If you look on a previous message posted last week or the week before, someone explain all the bugs that patch 4.0.3 fix. I think there were about 50 bugs. Claude

Butch- if you have not installed any patch yet (still on 4.0) then yes, install 4.0.3, there are enough bug fixes over 4.0 that it's worth it. (or install the older 4.0.2 manual patch, don't use the 4.0.2 auto patch), you'll get the same bug fixes/bug additions, except for the Logo and updated weblinks) If you've already installed 4.0.2, then don't bother with 4.0.3. Marque- Are you saying that your 4.0.3 will let you save custom UI settings? I.E. change the size of the document window, or the position of the tool windows etc? Or just your choice of figure to start up with? I'll be insanely jealous if you can save your custom UI and have Poser 4.0.3 load it correctly, without having to click on a UI dot to get it back. Regards- Lemurtek

Lemurtek, I don't know about Marque but I'm sure saying that about 4.0.3. Perhaps you could get some blue contact lenses to hide that green shade in your eyes...

I applied the 4.0.3 patch to my existing Poser installation. I have no problem saving any UI, document size or preferred character as Preferred State. Are you guys shure you have the 'Launch to Preferred State' and 'Use Previous State' options checked. I think that with a fresh install these are on 'Factory State' Yet, I observed another strange thing: when starting Poser the first time after applying the patch I was able to change the color of the UI (with the same type of colorchooser as for background and shadows). Now it doesn't do that anymore. Or is this a normal feature I'm not aware of?