well i'm kinda new to Poser(2 years with it but left it for months and started again...) and im wondering what is the BEST software to render my models? and what else they offer? please. I heard of Bryce, Cinema4d, and some others but I wan to looking at the "BEST" :p Thank you.

I use Bryce and poser 5, but I don't really think there is a best. I think that each has equal points that help out no matter what you are doing.--Essie

The "BEST"? Well, if you're sure you want the best, here's a helpful article: Choosing the Best 3D Rendering Application for Your Needs

I was thinking on Vue.....but who uses it here?....its easy to use but what about the lights?.... Thanks for the article. It doesn't include Vue though.... anyone?

If you gointo the vue forum there will be lots off peeps to answer your ?? seeklight

Different programs have different strengths; the character of the render is typically a bit different in ways that is not easy to describe; there are bigger differences in ease of use, which interface suits you better, how much you want to spend, and so on. Probably about equal numbers use Bryce and Vue; I've seen some stunning results from Cinema 4D (which has a very recognisable character to its renders) but I don't know how easy it is to learn.

I have seen excellent renders done in Poser but it really depends on how you setup your lights and cameras. I love the renders done in Cinema4D, Vue and Carrara and even 3DStudio and Bryce but it depends on the skill of the renderer.

Poser 5 renders the actual figures very very well, but I've always had a devil of a time lighting architectural sets properly, and am now commited to Blender for wider shots with figures and will render the set only and use that render as a background pic for Poser 5 for figure head shots.

Do you have a price limit? If you want to get by on the cheap, go with Bryce (~$80 US)...it renders well (though can be slow when working with transparencies, soft shadows, etc. and you have to "fake" hdri and other fancy lighting effects.) If you're aiming for professional software like Cinema 4D, it can do more but it costs a fortune. Although, they do offer older versions at a lower price. I think you can buy cinema 4d version 6 CE+ for less than a hundred bucks. Never used it myself though so I don't know how it compares to newer versions.

For pure control, lighting, media, fog, radiosity, you can't beat POV-Ray. For frustration trying to get your figures and props into it, you won't beat it either, but it's well worth the effort.

I use Carrara 3 to do all my rendering. I am very pleased with the results, and is shown im my gallery. I have a step by step tutorial in the Carrara foum on how to import Poser4 figures.

The added benefit of Vue is that it'll read pz3 files directly and bring over all your textures. That's why I've started using it more and more. Bryce will bring over the basic textures, but you've got to go a re-do all the transparency and such. I'd really love to do more in Carrera but I've found that it's a resource hog when I've got scenes with lots and lots in it. Supposedly, they're going to make a plugin for Poser to Carrera. When, I haven't got a clue.

As fls 13 pointed out, Poser 5 is fine for figures, but the lighting is a moose...On the plus side, I believe blender is not only free, it's a darned good way to render big scenes. I use Poser 5 almost exclusively, and Bryce when I feel like twiddling the final product. No one seems to notice one from the other..

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