Hello all,

I was cleaning out some stuff from my hard drive the other day and ran across some really, really old renders from years ago. I thought it would be fun to post my then-and-now images and hope others do too. This will give everyone a chance to say, "Look how far I have come!" and perhaps it will give newbies a chance to see how all of us have grown through hard work, perseverance and help from tutorials and forums like this one here at 'Osity. 

Render from 2001:

In the image below, I had no idea how to 'conform' clothing, so most of my renders had nekked people in them. Hence, the very ugly 'flowers' she's holding. Also, I didn't know how to do transparencies, so eye lashes were a chunk instead of lush, individual lashes. And of course, I had no clue as to lighting, so my renders had very harsh lights. Still, all in all, I was very pleased with my self at the time! :-D

« Click to see an enlarged version.

Render from 2006:

And here's what a render today looks like. 

« Click to see an enlarged version.

Come on! Post your own before-n-after images and let's see how we've all grown!!

Best regards...

Well, I have only been using Poser for a shot (~6 Mo.) timeframe, but I can definatley see imporvement.  I don't usually do  stils, only animations.  However, you can see improvement in each project.

I've done lots of test renders, but here are the four main projects that I've completed in that timeframe.  The first three projects were a fun contest at a video editing forum I belone to.  These were kind of a "Yo Mama" type of joke (and believe me, the other guy got his digs in too).  I learned so much from doing them that I decided to enter a contest, and that is what the last video is.

www.slakrboy.com/videos/BattleTrailer.wmv              First Render I ever made
www.slakrboy.com/videos/pestcontrol.wmv                1st part of a two part video
www.slakrboy.com/videos/pc2.wmv                             2nd part of the two part video
www.slakrboy.com/videos/stranded-high.wmv          Contest entry

My Church has actually approaded me about doing an animated Sunday School lesson for Pre-Schoolers, which is the project I'm working on now.  If this Pilot episode takes off, I will be doing a 1-year project with them that we will sell to other churches.

Old (2001)

« Click to see an enlarged version.

New (2006) « Click to see an enlarged version.

WIP « Click to see an enlarged version.

And still learning...

To slakrboy: Oh my gosh did I ever get a good laugh at the **"**stranded-high" vidoe when the chick punched Zeb - the look on his face was priceless!!! I laughed out loud so suddenly that my cat ran out of the room! Your videos are awesome!

To zorares: Your 2001 render reminds me of mine, though you had a much more complex scene than I ever attempted at that stage. I can definitely see your growth as an artist!

I wish more people would post, I think that this is a very interesting thread. To learn and develope as an artist is why I joined Renderosity back in 1999 and I'd like to see how others have developed.

Webmaster421, thanks for your kind words.  I especially like your comments when I see the quality work you, and the other artists that have posted, have done.  You "early" works are so far above what I can do; t gives me something to aspire to!  Hopefully my next project will take me leap forward so I can join the ranks of the "Masters"

I also agree that this thread is interesting.  I got into 3D as a way to augment the movies I've done, and I got bit by the 3D bug!  When I look at some of the old movies I've done, I get positively embarrassed.  Probably the same thing will happen with 3D!

To zorares:
Re: "I wish more people would post, I'd like to see how others have developed."

Yea, me too...hopefully more will post over the next day or two? Maybe?

To slakrboy:
Re: "When I look at some of the old movies I've done, I get positively embarrassed.  Probably the same thing will happen with 3D!"

Yep, been there. It took me a long time to get up the nerve to post my 'then' picture, yet it's what got me where I am now. When I started with 3D, I had no idea of Renderosity or any other 3D communities. I was also in the dark about finding tuorials and other methods of help. Sooo, I struggled to learn on my own with no-so-good results. Then, three years ago, I found this place and that led me to other places and well, here I am. If it wasn't for the kindness of others, I wouldn't have learned as much as I have, nor would I have such a HUGE library of 3D freebies I have collected over the last 3 years!

Oldest Animation - Bryce/Poser2/Adobe Premiere http://homepage.mac.com/kflach/media/Spew.mov (sometime in 1996) Newest Animation (Poser Pro Pack/Lightwave/Adobe After Effects) http://homepage.mac.com/kflach/media/StarTot.mpg (August 2006) My technique has gotton better but whatever it is that's wrong with my mind hasn't improved.

To **Bobasaur:
** 'Spew' was a little gross, but it was an interesting effect to be sure! :-D
'StarTot' is sooo funny! Wonderful job on that! Got quite a few laughs on that one!
Also, I went to your gallery and just wanted to say how much I liked your  "Taming The Technology" image!

To **Bobasaur:
** I just went to your web site and saw "Dude, You Suck" and just wanted to say how much I enjoyed that one too! :laugh:

I think this is fun to see early renders. Here are mine. Both are in my gallery here. I have some that are older and worse than this but  none are uploaded anywhere so this was easier.

2001 (click image for full size)

No sort of background and I'm sure that must be default lighting. I remember posing  Vicki in that banana peel was sooo hard!

2006 (click image for full size)

This was from a few months ago.

I'll be posting mine  in a while, I just have to dig out my first one, buried somewhere in my archive (I have actually saved every render I've ever done, even test renders).

Thanks webmaster421! "dude, you suck" is one of my favorites despite its age. I think I may have to update it one of these days (changing only the aesthetics). I've learned a lot here as well and am very grateful for the generosity people have in helping others to improve. I enjoy these type of threads. p.s. My beloved wife will no longer allow me to film her eating spaghetti - not since I did 'Spew.' (grin)

To weezie: Wow - your 2001 render is purdy darned good compared to my low level ability at that time! Looks like something I would have loved to have been able to create back then. I was so proud of my early renders! I'd hit that render button, sit back and be amazed at my 'talent'!

[By the way, the flowers she's holding are really just in front of her - I had very little idea as to how to pose the Poser figures than - especially the legs! I kept wondering why the legs would wig out when I tried to move them! hehehe]

Oh, I just noticed the time - I gotta get ready for work - won't be back till 11:00 pm tonight - can't wait to see more posts here later - hopefully  wink Have a great day all! Best regards...

So, you want old, huh? This was done in POV-Ray, 10 years ago. Look... Shiny... And here's something TOS friendly from this year, a portrait of an online acquaintance. The figure looks more realistic than those stick people from Hubbub, but I'm still finding my way round Poser 6.

Mine.........was a looooooong time ago.  Ok, to me, it was a long time ago, LOL.  3 years, 2 weeks, and 6 days ago was a loooong time.

Blue Ocean
(My first actual render happened to be a weird abstract thing, and probably a "how the hell does this work" post in the forum, because I couldn't get how to pose, LOL)

And, here's my latest.
Black Widow
I personally think I create better art now than I did back then, simply because I understand the mechanics more.  Plus, when I create when my heart tells me to, rather than to keep up with everyone else, I make better work ;)

Then:

1999:

2000:
Learning from the master
(Nudity)

Now:
August 2006:
Elf Match
(Nudity)

August 2006:
Bait and Switch

It is called "In The Dark".

You can click the link in my signature to see my most recent uploads.

This is the third image I ever posted at Rosity, I had posted some images at before at other sites, but these would not be allowed here. The figure is Latexa. The image is dated 2002-01-26 (26/01/02 in English notation). This is the second to last image I posted. The figure is Posette. Here are links to the very first and very latest images I posted here. first latest

Attached Link: http://market.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/browse.php?username=gagnonrich

My last

The biggest change with most of the artwork is improvements in artistic sensibilities as well as improved Poser use.

Wow, cool stuff here. Neat to see how we've all changed and actually improved.

Hmmm, interesting thread. I'll bite...

One of my first images (a non nekkid one with my most views) was in 2004:

"Danger Girls - Ready for Action"
http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=715362

I had collected and purchased so much Poser stuff that I had to start making scenes.
I can see a load of issues with this old image, dodgy shadows, dodgy posing, and a lack of decent postwork. (I am cringeing here because I forgot to apply the no nipples morph to the figure in the black latex). I might just have to go back and fix all the problems now.

Somewhere in the middle I tried some attempts at humour, e.g.:

"(For the ladies)...The Locker Shocker"
http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1095023

Still lots I could improve, e.g. lighting and shadows. Also this image was slightly let down by the fact that the expression morphs just quit working in two of the figures. Argghhhhhh! Why does Poser sometimes do that?

And my most recent image is just a day ago (WARNING NUDITY):
"Skimpy Skirts Shocker"
http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1286858

Really just having some fun using dynamic clothes and seeing if and how they can be applied to other figures.

I really enjoy making multiple figure scenes and I am really waiting for Poser to catch up with my ambitions for making complex scenes.

There is one thing that all of my images have in common. They all seem to take a lot of time.

This is so fabulous - I love seeing everyone's posts. Keep 'em coming!

Attached Link: http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1284723

The link is to my latest character image

I only started in 2004....and I seem to have gotten rid of many of my very first renders (or they're on some backup disk my desk has...eaten...)

But here is my 2004 Gallery

And here's 2006 - Latest render is 3rd bottom

(you can see 2005 if you really want by clicking the gallery button...I should probably fix that but I don't feel like website stuff today)

What a neat trip down memory lane!

Most of my early renders never saw the light of day. But this is my first post in the gallery three years ago: (note: minor koshini nudity)

http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=468909

Then this is about a week ago:

http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1282617

P1 man, he was the michael 4 in his day.

Here's one from 2001  http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=108900

And here is one of my latest

http://excalibur.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1262311

Thanks for all your posts so far guys! :-D

Here is the earliest stuff I think. QA at Metacreations. What a fun gig that was.

http://www.larryweinberg.com/gallery2/v/PoserHistory/joe_grover/

Here is one of the latest. I can't show the stuff I work on now because of contract obligations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEfhRxveTTE

Cool thread!

O.k. Here's mine:) Different years, same subject matter!

Wow - how amazing! I can see that even in earlier years, most of these posts showed oodles of talent! [I say most cuz look at my first! LOL]  Thanks all for posting - hope even more people post too! :-)

19 Posettes, a few primitives , a few other Poser objects, maybe a 3DS file, a few scanned or borrowed (from other programs) textures. All rendered in Poser 4. That's it, no internet in those days.

I have never been able to create an upgraded version of that render.

You could do that in layers, render the background row first then the middle and then the foreground and add them all together in a paint program.

With p4 propack I could easily have 3 or 4 figures in a scene even with only 128 megabytes of ram.

Quote - Here is the earliest stuff I think. QA at Metacreations. What a fun gig that was.

http://www.larryweinberg.com/gallery2/v/PoserHistory/joe_grover/

Here is one of the latest. I can't show the stuff I work on now because of contract obligations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEfhRxveTTE

Cool thread!

HAHA!!  That "Sumo Baby" is hysterical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  wipes tears from eyes   LOL

I also have the Sumo Baby, which is from the Daz sampler CD (now discontinued). I got that CD free when I ordered Poser 4 from Daz many moons ago (actually right before I joined Renderosity).  (then I got another one in a CD bundle with the accessories collection and the costume pack. I gave the second one to my daughter.