Hi everyone, I am doing a presentation on Poser for my 3d Concepts class and I need some information from people that know the program well. 1- Can you create things in Poser or do you create them in other programs (like 3ds max) and import them? 2- If you do create them in other programs how do you get the figure to have the sliders (I dont know the exact term for them) to morph targets? 3- What is the name of the rendering engine that it comes with? I know they have Shade 7 out now but that is an add on. If any one can help me out that would be great, I am sure I will have more questions soon...if you dont mind. Thanks again!

1 - Poser has no modelling capabilities (technically - but you can do some stuff) so yes, most models are made in other programs like 3ds max, lightwave, maya, etc. 2 - you mean dials, I believe. Not something I have any experience with, but I understand ZBrush is involved. 3 - Poser gives you the option of using 2 render engines. The older one is Poser's own, and is a legacy from Poser 4. The newer one is called Firefly and is licensed from another company. Firefly is the superior, being capable of things like raytracing (which the P4 render can't do) - although the P4 renderer is quicker and can produce better results depending on the project (i often use the P4 one, for example)

So its safe to say that poser is mainly used for animations and photos? Why should I use poser over the programs that the models are made in...I can see the use of these dials as it is allot easier to use them, but why go through the trouble of exporting a model just to "pose" it and render. If you are making a model in 3ds max then you must be capable of posing it in that program and rendering it there...

Poser comes with a large collection of items ready to use, and there are uncountably more available to purchase or for free - you can use Poser all day long and never have to model anything if you don't want to. This does draw scorn from some areas of the 3D community, but let's not rattle that cage...

Modellers using an application that doesn't have character rigging can import to Poser and do it there; admittedly the process isn't straightforward, but it's better than a static model. Even a free modeller like Wings can produce an animated character by these means.

Message edited on: 06/23/2005 10:30

If you have BodyStudio by Reiss, you can seamlessly have Poser figures in Max. My advice: Use the strenghs of each program, do not limit yourself to one global solution.

Why should I use poser over the programs that the models are made in As you might imagine, its an old debate around here, but its usually two distinctly different functions (creating meshes & creating images) and, as manoloz suggested, it works best when the tools are suited to the objective. Poser can be a more efficient tool when the necessary elements are already available, allowing the artist to focus more on creating the images, as opposed to the nuts and bolts within each of his set pieces. For example, if an agency needed an image of a woman fastening a seatbelt, few art directors or photographers would consider building their own car or breeding their own actor to be essential requirements for producing the desired shot.

Nance, that is the best explanation I have heard yet in regards to creating your own models in some high end program vs using pre-made models in Poser.

I am getting it now. Poser is more of a time saver then a big production type of a program. If you want to do a quick rendering of a person or make a short movie of some sort you can just go out and find models already made and use them in poser rather then spending months building your own and animating them in a bigger name 3d program. Thanks for all the help everyone, I will have to show my group this. I am sure I will be back with plenty more questions. :D

I wouldn't characterize it that way.

?? dont leave me hangen here... :)

I think the biggest point that hasn't been raised here - is value for money.... What other 3d application gives you the ability to pose and animate characters for such a price? - apart from D|S which IMO isn't yet in the same league as Poser 5 or 6......

Well 3ds Max is a powerful animator and 3d creator along with everything else and that is only $600...for the $350 extra from Poser I would think its worth it. Seeing that you can actually create models in Poser only download them and import them, I dont see why anyone would bother. I can see if you are new to the 3d world, like me, it is an easy program to get into although its not very powerful for those people who want to do professional renders.

Attached Link: http://www.e-frontier.com/article/articleview/995/1/305?sbss=305

Poser is used for professional purposes too; see the promotional link. The $600 price you quoted for Max is the 6.x to 7.x upgrade price. The list price is $3500, about 14 times more expensive than Poser, so the two programs are naturally not in the same league. Poser is actually quite powerful for what it costs.

For example...some "high end" features in the latest versions of Poser include dynamic strand-based hair; dynamic cloth simulation with wind forces; a very powerful procedural material editor including true displacement mapping and advanced nodes such as subsurface scattering; magnets for interactive mesh deformation; image-based lighting with ambient occlusion; and all these things can be keyframed and animated. Although it's not intended to be a primary modelling tool you can actually do a fair bit of basic modelling in Poser using the primitive shapes and the mesh grouping tool to make things like buildings and furniture.

Great! :) Thats info I can use. THX!

Great! :) Thats info I can use. THX!

Great! :) Thats info I can use. THX!

Sorry my comments fell short. I had to take off unexpectedly before I could finish my thought. A good number of people use it professionally. Book covers, web site graphics, forensic testimony, featured art (particularly at sci fi/fantasy art shows); the list is quite long...it's even been used for a production on Discovery Channel. Take a look in the Poser gallery and you'll see examples of some really great work. Trivializing it as a "time saver" rubbed me the wrong way I guess. Some folks are doing some really serious art with this piece of software.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=morir

Here's an example from my favourites list, of an artist who uses Poser for real paying projects (medical illustration). Poser is just part of his toolkit, and you can see from his gallery that he's proficient in other media too. This is more like the original intention of Poser, which was meant to be a replacement for the traditional artist's lay figure; a guide to limb placement, foreshortening, lighting etc.