If you're new to Poser the 3D Starter Bundle from Daz is worth getting -- be quick and you'll still catch the sale price -- which includes the reduced resolution versions of Michael and Victoria. But the package is a huge download, even though there sub-packs which can be downloaded one at a time rather than the whole thing at once.

It sounds like you want to do mesh editing, which can quickly get complicated. There are some good free programs such as Wings3D and Anim8or, but getting a grip on them takes time. Start with some simple props; you can make morphs for a character or prop which can be very useful, and let you see how the basics work.

I'm getting comfortable working with simple props. Actual characters are a good deal more complicated.

But consider the fingertip on a figure. A morph can change the shape, but it can't remove any polygons, neither can it change the materials. You could make the fingernail very small, but you couldn't remove it. And its colouring would be set as a fingernail.

And if you just made the fingertip invisible, you wouldn't have the stump of a finger (as one of my neighbours has). You'd need something to fill the gap at the end (which could be a prop). And the same for the fingernail material.

Message edited on: 11/22/2004 08:46