It's been awhile since 5's release? Does anyone have any news?

Yes, they are working on Poser 6. Supposedly, it will be mostly improvements on P5's existing features, plus enhanced Vue compatibility. They are saving the major changes for Poser 7.

CL recently sent out a $50 off coupon if $100+ is purchased offer to (some?) existing customers. Interestingly the coupon does not expire until June 30, 05. So does that indicate that P6 will be out (just) before 6/30, or not before??? Personally I'm not up for an early purchase from CL ever again, either way ;-)

I don't think they can predict it that closely. I doubt the coupon expiration date has anything to do with the release of P6. They want to get P6 out next year, but it may well slip. DAZ was supposed to have the new version of Bryce out before the end of 2004, but they're not making that deadline.

Let's not rush P6 otherwise there will be a whole lot of "Why did CL release a buggie app, or why was P6 release before it was done.." and the like I have had P5 for a little over a year and I still don't know a lot of the functions so while I await P6 I try to learn all of P5 "Patience is a Virtue"

I agree with Stallion. I am still learning. I would require a patch, and to see if Poser5 works better than it is now. I couldn't go onto another product, thinking it will be better, when P5 has bugs, And still has problems. What would P6 be any better. I would have to be convinced on P5 first for its support.

If Poser 6 will mainly be fixes for Poser 5, then Poser 5 users should get it for free. I have no idea what email address Curious Labs has for me. I've changed addresses several times in the past year alone. Curious Labs doesn't provide regular communications, so I never saw the need to be sure my email address info is updated with them. So maybe I lose out on the coupon?

Message edited on: 12/16/2004 11:09

BB, Possibly. It's not listed on their website. CL had promised repeatedly to provide some reward for those who were trapped in the early P5 no-refund pre-release purchase. I wonder if this is it? If so it's not much of a sweetner: to those we have burnt so bad, we'll offer you a $50 discount, but only if you buy from us again! After all we paid $75 more than those who purchased post release. Reason for my first post, is that I could see that this could sorta make sense to CL, offer a $50 discount off of P6 to these early customers. But that would only be true if P6 is out in time (end June, '05). But as you say, if P6 is primarily a working P5 it should be free to at least the early purchasers (say pre SR2.1) - if not everybody. If it's a >$100 update, then well, I think I'll pass - sight unseen.

I'd like to have a working copy of P5 that includes all the Service Packs. I didn't rush to buy Poser 5 "in advance." I couldn't afford it at the time. I've never had any of the major problems with Poser 5 that some have experienced. As for pricing: it's a fact of life that companies will offer special prices or incentives to their customers or potential customers in order to attract new business or keep their customers. The computer world is constantly changing. If I buy a hard drive today, I'll be able to find a larger hard drive in a few days, for the same price I'd already paid, or the same hard drive will be cheaper. That's just the way it goes. This Poser 6 thing is different. If we're looking merely at improvements on Poser 5, then it's likely not worth my money. If we're looking at "fixes" for Poser 5, then call it Poser 5.5, and give it to me for free. But give me the entire thing on one cd, so I don't need to do the CD shuffle to reinstall.

Me as a customer buying a product that is defective makes me think of future products from the same company. They may fix some of the flaws. Then forget about it, and move to another product. What am I suppose to think of their future products, when they are not fixing the previous ones? So, me as a customer wouldn't purchase their next product. I would have to look else where, or stay with what I have now. Unless if they want me to return, they would have to make me and everyone else happy. I would like to see Poser 5 function well with no bugs, before I can move to Poser 6.

I got my copy of P5 through the university book store and while it was discounted, I still think that the buying public is going to demand a better explanation than "well, its a better looking box and a plug-in for a program most users don't own." I may have to pass, also.

Me as a customer buying a product that is defective makes me think of future products from the same company.

Currently, there aren't any real alternatives to CL Poser. Poser is the only program that does what it does -- and Curious Labs is the only company that offers Poser for sale. It's not like consumers have much of a choice in the matter.

I suppose that someone could stick to D|S in order to avoid using Poser -- I wouldn't recommend it. At least not at the present time.

Or, alternately, one could purchase Lightwave...and model all of one's own figures, clothing, props, etc.. But it's not for me. I do this for fun. The self-made model alternative is too much like work.

Whenever P6 hits the market, I'll snap it up and ask questions later.

P5 has been good. I fully expect P6 to be even better.

Improving on existing features isn't necessarily a 5.5 release nor should it be a freebie. Look at it this way. For instance the Poser rendering engine, say they added HDRI or image based lighting, or say the remodeled how the setup room works. These are things that I see as work on existing features. So who knows it could be worth it. I personally haven't had P5 installed for months, mainly because I couldn't do what I wanted with it, which was rigging a character. If P6 improves character rigging, then I'm in for an upgrade, if it doesn't, depending on cost and features/improvements, I might still get it. Though I hope not to be disappointed. Keep in mind that everything we are talking about, or heard is mere speculation. Brian

Keep in mind that everything we are talking about, or heard is mere speculation.

Hear, hear!

((But...but...jumping to conclusions is so much more fun, you see........))

"Improving on existing features isn't necessarily a 5.5 release nor should it be a freebie. Look at it this way. For instance the Poser rendering engine, say they added HDRI or image based lighting, or say the remodeled how the setup room works." If they do something like add GI to the current render engine, and don't add the ability to network render directly from the app, I certainly would not pay for this kind of "improvement". Know what I mean? ;-)

Some add'l content and improved features and that's about it.

Hopefully an improved manual, too. The P5 manual is among the worst I've ever seen. The P4 manual isn't bad, but I pity anyone who tries to learn Poser from the P5 manual.

We actually have a very vague prediction from Curious Labs (quoted above). So I wouldn't call that speculation. Plainly put, both the Poser 4 & Poser 5 manuals are lousy. I just can't understand why some people keep telling us "read the manual." I can't remember the last time I found a good computer software manual. It's gotten to the point where I don't even object if I don't get a printed manual, and never bother to print any "docs on disk."

("Plainly put, both the Poser 4 & Poser 5 manuals are lousy. I just can't understand why some people keep telling us "read the manual.") OMG!...Is that ever correct....lmao!

Not a manual. It is a reference manual. "Reference"

Message edited on: 12/17/2004 01:27

I'll stick with my beloved Poser4 thank you very much. Everythime they try to fix bugs they ruin a good product that had nothing really wrong with it. No thanks I'll pass on these upgrades. Poser is mem hog as it is. ;)

PS: If Poser 6 comes from DAZ it will be the buggiest program ever made. Just go test out their poorly done DAZ Studio program to see what I mean. Shudder to think about it.

Actually, the memory issues are one thing they are supposedly fixing. They've made a lot of improvements so far with their SRs; if Poser 6 is not going to be a major change, I'm hopeful that they can make further improvements.

One reason Poser's so hard on the system resources is that it's such an old program it doesn't take advantage of newer technology. You can have all the video RAM in the world, and it makes no difference to Poser. If you have two processors, Poser only uses one. Hyperthreading makes Poser slower, not faster, because it's not designed to work with it. I suspect Poser isn't fully taking advantage of the power of the newest versions of the Mac and Windows OS's, either.

CL really isn't the same company it was when it released Poser 5. e-Frontier seems to know what they're doing. I'm hopeful that they'll do as good a job on Poser as they've done on Shade.

I can't remember the last time I found a good computer software manual Bobbie, you didn't buy MojoWorld 3 then! Their manual is totally outstanding :)

The Shade manuals are impressive, as well....

If you haven't seen Max/MSP, you haven't seen a good manual :)

I looked at Mojoworld a bit, and just couldn't grasp what it was all about. I looked at some tutorials, and they really didn't seem helpful. But that was a long time ago, and I don't remember much. Max? Is that the incredibly expensive program I'm thinking of? I'm not likely to afford that in this lifetime. I've been using computers for more than 20 years, and one thing becomes evident: those who create and sell the software don't have any/many employees capable of making a good manual. Maybe sometimes the fact is that someone who makes the software is just on a "different level" than those who would use it. They can't fathom that new people might not understand it. The lack of good software manuals has resulted in a large industry of "3rd party" computer books. But there again, you can find a lot of terrible books out there. Unfortunately there aren't many Poser books. There is one author who keeps churning out Poser books even though the majority of buyers advise against his books. There's one well-respected artist/Poser book author who writes a book that is way beyond my meager capabilities. I don't have any extra money to spend. So I rarely bother looking for good computer books.

Amen, Bobbie. Even after all these years, most manuals are still written in the weird passive style where every sentence includes "allows the user". They never acknowledge that you might want to know how to do something; you're supposed to have that in your genes. The manual's job is only to verify that XYZ is impossible, because it's not in the list of "allows the user" items, after you've already tried it 37 different ways.

Just go test out their poorly done DAZ Studio program to see what I mean. Shudder to think about it. Um ... the purpose of a beta test is to TEST. That means bugs are expected to be found. That is why you are TESTING it. LOL >> I've been using computers for more than 20 years, and one thing becomes evident: those who create and sell the software don't have any/many employees capable of making a good manual. I think it's because the companies that CREATE the software are too close to it, and don't see it from a beginner's perspective. It's an entirely different style of writing to TEACH rather than to REFERENCE. It takes an entirely different mindset. >> Unfortunately there aren't many Poser books. The economy is affecting everything. The book market is very slow right now and publishers are only working on "sure things" ... big-name apps like Adobe, Macromedia, Microsoft, etc.

Attached Link: http://www.cycling74.com/

randym77 I can say the same on your post #22. :-)

Blah blah, nag nag, complain complain. I dunno... I think CL do about the same things all SW companies do, including MS. Release it, hope it works, fix it, etc etc. And there are always people who SWEAR this is the worst disaster they ever saw, the lousiest manual, the crappiest support, the most money-grabbing company of all time.... sigh. I've been in the biz since the mid-80's, since before Windows even existed. I used to beta test new apps and OS's, new BIOS's, new HW. And it has ALWAYS sounded the same. Complain, complain. Come on, you lot. I love Poser, I have done for many years. It has its quirks and the manual could be better... just like all SW I ever used, every manual I ever read. Okay? When Poser 6 comes out I'll buy it. Simple. But not immediately. I'll buy it after a while when all the complaining subsides to an uneasy simmer. Then I'll know it's okay to go back in the water. Oh, and about the original post :o) P6 will be out for sure. There's a market for it and it WILL come one day. And version 7, 8, 9 etc. Be so sure. CL said a LONG time ago that it would mostly consist of stabilising and consolidating Poser, not adding piles of advanced new stuff that hardly functions. They learned from the mistakes made last time. Of course, if new people take over, they may just reinvent the wheel. That happens too, lol. But of course there will be new functions included, that's basic marketing strategy. The 'step up' must be obvious enough to attract people. :] Fish

k...maybe I will hold my money, then I do not have a right to complain or say anything. Customers have a right to say what they spend on.

Gosh, I used to think that my purchase of an item gave me a certain "right" to evaluate, and complain if it did not suit my needs. Poser is the weirdest product in that regard. Never have I seen so many people who rely on our dollars who are so rude and/or apparently have absolutely no business sense. The prevailing attitude goes like this: "You'd better like my product, or keep your mouth shut. If you keep complaining, I'll get together with my buddies, we'll gang up on you, and drive you out." And then some of these snotty merchants even have the gall to ask for handouts after driving customers away. Ok, I've had enough of this thread.

I like the Shade manuals. IMVHO, they are among the best software manuals I've ever seen. So there's some hope that the Poser 6 manual will be decent.

"Poser is the weirdest product in that regard. Never have I seen so many people who rely on our dollars who are so rude and/or apparently have absolutely no business sense. The prevailing attitude goes like this: "You'd better like my product, or keep your mouth shut. If you keep complaining, I'll get together with my buddies, we'll gang up on you, and drive you out." Yeah? I don't know about this. Every forum I frequent for every app (lots of them) - graphics, video editing, sound, multimedia, etc etc - all look the same. Same with HW forums for everything under the sun. Harddrives, MoBos, MP3 players, videocams, MTBs, everything. People who scream how this is the WORST SHIT they ever bought etc etc. How the people who run the company (or the forum) or whatever are the MOST UNCARING, STUPID people is the whole world. And it just makes me tired. What everyone needs is to realise that nothing/no-one is perfect, including (definitly! lol!) Poser, which has enough quirks to fill a whole extra manual. "Ok, I've had enough of this thread" No you haven't, lol! :] Fish

Actually, you're right. I'm just not wasting lots of time on this one. I've never had any major problems with either Poser 4 or Poser 5. That's rather interesting since some "Poser Pros" have had so many problems with Poser 5 that they can't even run it on their computers. By the time I got to Poser I'd pretty much given up printing anything, including manuals on disk, tutorials and my own artwork. I haven't found many good Poser tutorials, even the ones created by the most popular tutorial folks. Maybe we just speak a different language? So I just plug along, doing it my own way, and feeling grateful when I do pick up a few pointers here and there.

Hmmmm...having taught technical writing a few times, I've found my vindication for my statement that "you never let the engineers write the manual. You give their working notes and a copy of the program to some enthusiast, let them blow it up or melt it down several times, make them take notes and write up the walk-throughs. THEN you let the engineers add the footnotes and the 'If you do THIS, then THIS happens..." sections. I had a student last year who wrote a sweet little bit of C++ for fantasy role playing and ran off all his customer base with the instruction manual and his explanations. I'm also in favore of folks like Dr. Geep writing user handbooks. Tech manuals are great for those who speak tech, but the rest of us need "real people" explanations for what to do. And I just love these forums! THIS is where I learned how to use Poser.