Hello, I am fairly new to Poser 6, I bought it last summer just after it was released, and messed with it then stopped, now I am ready to totally delve into it, along with Bryce 5.5 and soon Shade. I have been spending many hours looking at the Gallery, and downloading some characters, and buying them, some clothes, etc. My questions stem from I guess some confusion, newbieness (is that a word?), and curiosity. My main question is, I made my first hair (out in the gallery under poser, portraits (author vulcanccit) for a figure I got somewhere named Kitty. No matter how much hair density I used, I still see scalp as you view the render. How is the best way to avoid this? Next question, figures... for female figures, what do most people use? Vicky seems popular, but what about Jessi? I do not see much talk about Jessi. Do most of you take a default character and modify from there? What do you find works best? One character better than others? Why Vicky over Jessi, etc. I know these questions would depend on what you want to draw, but I guess just in general, what do you see as a trend. Clothes.. Do most of you download/buy them? or do you make them? I have tried to learn the creation process, but it seems daunting...I do have a Shade 7 book on the way as I think I might need this for mesh work? Lastly....order of your modelling. pose first, face next, makeup, then hair? something like that? does it matter? It just seems overwhelming with all the stuff that can happen in the poser world (and bryce) that I find I spend hours just on one thing like a pose, then hours on hair, and after tons of hours, I still feel I do not know what the heck I should do! I have been reading and looking at tutorials and practicing but if you look at the gallery under Vulcanccit, im not sure I am doing good yet. Thank you all for your time.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?Form.ShowMessage=2588554

You can also get some really great free hair at this site:

http://digitalbabes2.com/

There are a ton of sites that have free content, here are a couple that I use regularly:

http://www.philc.net/

http://www.poser-corner.de/freebies/

http://www.pretty3d.com/download_cat.php?cat_id=2

http://poserclub.jp/data_free_view.htm

http://www.juno.dti.ne.jp/%7Eyamato-k/

As for poses, while some do make their own each time they use Poser, most use premade poses and just tweak them if they want to. Here are 2 links that you can get hundreds of poses for your characters. http://www.schlabber.org/piaa21/ http://www.schlabber.org/ Poses and hair can be used across figure with just a few adjustments of the parameter dials usually.

Message edited on: 02/24/2006 18:29

My main question is, I made my first hair (out in the gallery under poser, portraits (author vulcanccit) for a figure I got somewhere named Kitty. No matter how much hair density I used, I still see scalp as you view the render. How is the best way to avoid this?

It's not easy. Dynamic hair really works best from a distance. You can thicken the hair shafts, make the hair more dense, and style it to hide bald spots. And there's always postwork.

Perhaps the best solution would be to use a textured skullcap. Someone should make low-res skullcaps with high-res hair textures on them.

Next question, figures... for female figures, what do most people use?

Vicky 3, far and away.

Vicky seems popular, but what about Jessi? I do not see much talk about Jessi.

Because most people use the DAZ figures. Besides, Jessi looks like an extraterrestrial. ;-)

Do most of you take a default character and modify from there?

Probably most people here start with Victoria 3, from DAZ, and her morphs packs.

What do you find works best? One character better than others? Why Vicky over Jessi, etc.

The DAZ figures are considered better than the default figures that come with Poser. Since everyone uses them, there's a lot more stuff for them. Textures, hair, clothing, morphs, etc. You can use other characters, but it's harder. Kind of like going with Linux or Apple in a Windows world. You can do it, but it's a lot easier to stick with what everyone else is using.

Clothes.. Do most of you download/buy them? or do you make them? I have tried to learn the creation process, but it seems daunting...I do have a Shade 7 book on the way as I think I might need this for mesh work?

Probably most of us buy clothing. If you have Shade you can make clothing, but there's quite a learning curve. Start with dynamic clothes. It's a lot easier to make dynamic clothing than conforming. If you're a newbie, download some free clothing and learn to use those before you try making your own.

Lastly....order of your modelling. pose first, face next, makeup, then hair? something like that? does it mater?

Doesn't really matter. You'll find the workflow that works for you.

It just seems overwhelming with all the stuff that can happen in the poser world (and bryce) that I find I spend hours just on one thing like a pose, then hours on hair, and after tons of hours, I still feel I do not know what the heck I should do!

Be patient. It does take hours, especially when you are new. You might want to stick with one program for awhile. Trying to learn Bryce, Poser, and Shade all at once is a bit much. Try Poser first, then move on to the others. Message edited on: 02/24/2006 18:44

Hair. I think you may be better of with premade hair. Confirming or a hair prop. Dynamic hair is propaply better for animators. Kozaburo has some very good hair that is easy to use. Vicky. Vicky is popular and what is sort of srange to me is that she gets more views than Stephanie (allso a Daz model). I think there is something very appealling about vicky that other female models don't have. I maybe wrong, it's just my guess. I start with the character first. Either making up my own or using a premade one. Then the hair and then fidling in the material room to enhance the skin. Then the lights. After that I make the pose. Then props and tweaking. There is no "right" way of doing things tho. As for modelling. I make some clothing and morphs myself. I use silo and metasequoia for modelling. Modelling is not something I enjoy too much but I have to in order to have clothing that I need. I don't create joint's/bones myself but use pre-exsisting ones. Poser takes time. But you will learn things that work for you and that will speed things along. But still it will take time. Much of it is tweaking and playing with settings. Every image/render you make will eventually help you discover what works for you and what doesn't. I'm still learning myself and it's been 5 years.