Quick Question
 Back a couple of years ago I switch from Poser 4 to Poser 5 and after installing it I noticed that now I had both poser 4 and poser 5 on my PC which was'nt a big thing cause I had no content in 4 Only what ever came with the program. So I just deleted 4.
Fast forward to today.
Now I have Poser 6 which has blown up to 8.5 gig's ,with alot of content.
Does anyone know if Poser 7 will update Poser 6 or (I really hope not!!!) do i have to install everything all over again?

I should imagine you'll be able to link your P6 runtime to P7, just like P4/5 users were able to do with P6. I highly doubt that they're sadistic enough to make us reinstall the whole shebang again.

After installing P6 I just copied my P5 runtime over complete.

That said, I don't think it's gonna be "THAT" easy with P7 because it's starting to look like a totally different beast!

I'm sure they've thought about it and it'll be easy enough to sort out!

"I'm sure they've thought about it and it'll be easy enough to sort out!"
and next week the goverment will be cutting tax by 50% ;)
i live in hope

Actually, Poser 7, like Poser 5 supports multiple runtimes, so I think we are pretty safe.  I just upgraded to Poser 6 (the get P6 free with your pre-order of P7 deal) and I just left Poser 5 alone on a separate drive and linked to it's Runtime.  It's worked great.

My P5 Runtime has passed 21 GBs, by the way!

I have this noble idea that some day i will make different runtimes in catagories, one for each character and one for props and such of different genres.  But, when will i ever have the tiem to sort through all the stuff!? lol.

One other note, when I upgraded to P5, it left P4 on my system, When I upgraded to P6 it left P5 alone, and I suspect it will be the same with P7.  I'm backing everything up onto a separate drive just incase, anyway.

I have P6 ( bought as part of Vue power bundle). I have seen all those nice features in P7 and am contemplating the upgrade. However the last time I had a major piece of software make it "easy" to upgrade without losing data or keeping the old version on my HD was, err.... well never. But P7 looks too good to pass up. one can only hope for a neat upgrade path, but what say you e-frontier?

If e-Frontier follows previous upgrades (and I've gotten all of my Poser versions through them) then P7 will install to it's own directory and leave previous versions sitting just like before.  It's actually pretty neat the way they do that.

As for Runtimes, Pakled, my props runtime alone is 35 Gigs - I'm such a props junkie! 

It probably won't be a good idea to copy or move the entire runtime folder into the new version after you install. Better to use the "External Runtime" feature to link to the previous runtime folder.

I would think you could like.  My big question is are they getting rid of the horrible library system in favor of a faster heirarchical menu tree like DAZ Studio has.  I have about 50GB of content and it takes about 2 full minutes to enter the pose room.  And then you have to hunt through cryptically named directories to find the pose mat or object you want, and if you don't get it, there does another 2 minutes while the program switches back to the main pose folder.  I swear you spend 90% of your time looking for stuff because Poser is sooooo slow and doesn't keep any cache from what I can tell.  If it's selection system worked exactly like windows, it would save a ton of time.  As it is, it is a kludge wrapped in molasses.

Poser 6 and assumedly Poser 7 allow multiple Runtimes.  With this feature and some time you can divide your content into categories, each category being its own Runtime.  Right now I have three Runtimes.  The base P6 Runtime which only has what P6 came with in it, then my new stuff Runtime and then my old P5 Runtime.  Poser 6 always loads the last Runtime you were using (though there might be a way to change this, I just haven't looked yet).  Instead, I always make sure to switch back to the P6 runtime before exitting.  It starts up so fast now, that I'm often surprised.

It does take it's time when I go to open my huge P5 Runtime, but then it seems to swim along with the browsing much smoother then P5 did.

Still, I intend to break my content down to categories because as Sparrownightmare pointed out, there are just too many cryptically named things.  I also have a big issue lately forgetting which piece of clothing goes to which character since most clothing don't even give a vague clue in there thumbnails.

I'm figuring on dividing clothing and morphs by character, and then having Themed runtimes for props and scenes, like Sci-Fi, Western, Fantasy, etc...

Yeah, It's going to take time, but it will be worth it.

I have, at this point, 10 external runtimes.  The only content in the default runtimes is what's installed with each of my Poser installs.  My Runtimes are set up by character (V3, M3, D3, Sp3, MilKids, MilTeens, etc), also have one for hair, one for lights, one for characters I'm working on, and my biggest one, Props.  I have a runtime for 3rd party characters like Apollo Maximus by Anton and for the characters I get from Sixus1.  This keeps my content organized in a manner I can use quickly.

The advantage of multiple external runtimes is that when I load P6 I load with only the P6 runtime which is fairly empty.  I can, then, load and unload any of the external runtimes I need at the time.  I also close Poser with no external runtimes linked so my P6 opens in about 20 seconds.  Also, since all of my Runtimes are on an external USB 2 hard drive, I won't lose everything I've got installed if my comp crashes.  This is a big plus for me since my external runtimes total nearly 75 Gigs of content.

Quote - I have, at this point, 10 external runtimes.  The only content in the default runtimes is what's installed with each of my Poser installs.  My Runtimes are set up by character (V3, M3, D3, Sp3, MilKids, MilTeens, etc), also have one for hair, one for lights, one for characters I'm working on, and my biggest one, Props.  I have a runtime for 3rd party characters like Apollo Maximus by Anton and for the characters I get from Sixus1.  This keeps my content organized in a manner I can use quickly.

The advantage of multiple external runtimes is that when I load P6 I load with only the P6 runtime which is fairly empty.  I can, then, load and unload any of the external runtimes I need at the time.  I also close Poser with no external runtimes linked so my P6 opens in about 20 seconds.  Also, since all of my Runtimes are on an external USB 2 hard drive, I won't lose everything I've got installed if my comp crashes.  This is a big plus for me since my external runtimes total nearly 75 Gigs of content.

Pretty much the same setup as you have. I have something like 40 External Runtimes.
I even yanked the P5 and P6 Characters out of Poser 5 and Poser 6.

Cheers
DR

You bring up a good point about another problem Poser has.  Namely, figuring out what item of content goes with what character model.  If they could make it so that when you are working on a particular character, the library only shows items for that character, it would be great.  I know it would be nearly impossible to do for old content, but if new content had a unique identifier which told the program what it was for, as well as what it was (mat, pose character hair etc..)  It would be great.  I hate having to play scroll the library to find stuff...

Quote - You bring up a good point about another problem Poser has.  Namely, figuring out what item of content goes with what character model.  If they could make it so that when you are working on a particular character, the library only shows items for that character, it would be great.  I know it would be nearly impossible to do for old content, but if new content had a unique identifier which told the program what it was for, as well as what it was (mat, pose character hair etc..)  It would be great.  I hate having to play scroll the library to find stuff...

That's where the exernal runtimes come in.  For example, all of my V3 stuff is in her own runtime so when I go to find something for her I only have to link her runtime.  I took all of my old content zips and DAZ installers and re-installed everything when I got the external drive and set up the runtimes.  Makes it really easy to find since I only install to the external runtimes rather than the P6 runtime. 

I know one program (for PC) that will soon let you put tags on files/folders and use those when searching/filtering. So if you tag all your V3 files with V3, you could have only those shown... Probably waiting for Poser 7 first though.

That has got to be the most useful Poser Utility I have seen to date.  A real shame that Poser couldn't handle it's library natively...  I hope curious labs / E-Frontier are listening.

OK so I guess the Answer is, Yes I'll wind up with both Pose 6 and Poser 7 on my Laptop.
So seeing how Poser 6 already takes a while to load the 8.5 gigs of stuff I have Installed (thank God for DVD's ..backed up the rest of it to 9 DVD-R's) wouldnt linking the Runtime folder just make it that much more painful?
Shouldnt just copying over the P7 Runtime folder with the one from P6 make more sense as THE FIXER suggested?

Shouldnt just copying over the P7 Runtime folder with the one from P6 make more sense as THE FIXER suggested?

Not sure. You'll have to be careful with preference files and other setting stuff that is specific to P6. You probably won't want it to overwrite the stuff that gets installed with P7.

Good point...

**It worked from P5 to 6 But as I did say above, P7 sounds like a totally new beast and that sort of transfer might not work!
**
It's something to try though when I get it, if it doesn't work there's no harm done, I'll just uninstall and reinstall, no damage done!!!

Don't forget, copying the P6 runtime folder over doesn't delete all the P7 runtime, whatever is different in P7 will still be in the runtime!

It's ALWAYS smarter to add old runtimes as new additional runtime instead of copying old junk into fresh install.
And it you have a runtime so big it takes forever to load, you really need to start using multiple runtimes, and break up those big monsters into manageable runtimes.

I have all my installed stuf, and all my work runtimes fo rall my products, and I have no speed issues at all. I have about 30 or so runtimes, and just swap between them as I need to.

Yup, time to break those runtimes into manageable smaller ones. Switching them isn't that bad. 8-)

I have one runtime broken up with the sub folder routine, I don't have any speed issues except on initial launch.
I find, and I'm not alone in this, that the workflow is easier using sub folders and accessing my entire runtime list using the little black arrow at the right hand side, nothing could be easier and yes I have tried multiple runtimes and it doesn't do it for me!

But it's an old discussion that we don't need to start again, some prefer multiples, others single, each to his own!  And don't try to convert me 'cos you won't! 

No one's trying to convert you at all, I think, the OP asked why he's having such a bad slowdown, and the problem is he has a HUGE runtime folder, which really needs to be broken up into multiple runtimes.

That is just the simplest soluton. No muss, no fuss, no mixed up texture references, just install things in some organized system of your own design, and P6 works just fine.

I do little or no management at all of my content. I install thing based on type like plants, characters, ect. I'm always surprised so many people are still having problems with this.

That's where we'll have to agree to disagree Gareee, my runtime is bigger than the OP, coming in at 13 Gig and I don't have a speed issue with a single runtime, the initial start up takes a couple of minutes but the application doesn't give me any problems and the way I have it sectioned with sub folders and sub folders of sub folders, works really well for me!

*Quote: "That is just the simplest soluton. No muss, no fuss, no mixed up texture references, just install things in some organized system of your own design, and P6 works just fine."

Couldn't have said it better! 

Well actually the time to load things were never an issue, just the fact of having to deal with 2 poser's(6 and 7) on my laptop when I would think by now they would have figured a way to just have it update poser 6 into 7..like most programs that get installed on pc's do.
Think I'll just have to go with the old copy and paste.
Thanks Fixer.

Actually, most programs I install require you to uninstall and then reinstall the new program.

Photoshop, Lightwave, Vue6I, Bryce6, heck even Daz Studio all recommend uninstalling the old verson, rather then attempting a new install over an old one.

The thing that makes Poser unique, is the volumes and volumes of content, and EF's solution was the external runtime system. Then you just install your new poser version, and then just link to those old runtimes, without issue at all.

That's worked fine for me from P5xx through P6.xx and beta testing P7.

(Course I have to admit, I still on my OLD networked system still have P5 installed with my original HUGE single runtime.) I didn;t know any better, and all my old work files are buried in that mess. It's much easier to just network the old system in, and if I need something, to troll through that mess, and move the files I need into a new blank runtime for P6.

I know that as soon as I delete that mess, I'll think of a file I NEED from it.. LOL!

I keep reading "New Runtime, Another Runtime .5 6 7 Runtimes"
Are you speaking about me creating a new folder called runtime within my poser 7 when it arrives and installing poser 6's runtime in that one ?

Nope. You don't need to do anything at all with your old runtime folders.

First install something for you to add.. if it's a daz item, install it anywhere, with a unique folder name. (say install Freak into a folder called "freak").

Now you open Poser, and use the up folder icon in the library palette to get the the top level, where you see the "poser6" folder.
At the bottom right, you'll see a checkmark, and a "plus" sign. Click th eplus sign to add a new runtime, and ten browse to the new "freak" folder you created. (NOT the runtime IN that folder!)
Now you'll see a Poser 6 runtime folder, and also a reak runtime folder. select the freak one, and you have access to the content in that new runtime. To access the stuff in your original one, just use the "up folder" icon to get back to the top level, where the P6 and freak runtime folders are, and select the Poser 6 one!

After you do it ONCE, you'll be dumbfounded why the hck you never did it before!

Also, if you want to get rid of content you don;t want to use for a while, FIRST removed that new runtime folder with th eminus sign once it's selected, and THEN just delete the install folder you did manually. (Removing the folder first outside poser will confuse it when it looks for it.)

My explanation might not make much sense, bu tthere are MANY explanations here about adding additional runtimes, and I'm sure they might be clearer then this explanation.

Just use the search option.

Wow that was simple..LoL..I should have known that..
Thank You...

Yup. Everyone says the exact same thing! Glad to help!

Vue is an even bigger pain in this respect, especially if you have a HD crash. To re-install V5I after a crash I first had to re-install V5E becuase my Infinite version was an upgrade and it wouldn't let me use it without finding V5E first, pain in the arse that!!!

Hmmm that's good to know. I still have V5I installed, after getting the pre-order V6I.. I can't think of any good reason to keep it installed, until now...

Quess I'll keep that one installed also...

Yes, I have V6I installed now which is also an upgrade from 5Inf so at the moment I have 3 versions of Vue on my system, 2 of which I really should bin!

I think it's ok to uninstall them while your 'puter is running ok, but God help you if you get a crash, because you have to re-install each in turn, I have asked their tech support about this and haven't had a satisfactory reponse yet!

I've been unfortunate to have 2 HD crashes this year, one was a knackered drive and the other was wrecked by my Son bringing a worm onto it even though my AV saw it, he still let it in somehow, he's banned off it now [lol].

Good thing is HD space is cheap now, so letting some old junk hang aroudn isn't as bad as it used to be.

Eventually we'll all have systems with so much hd space we won;t bother to clean or arrange things at all.. kinda like some of our homes.. LOL!

Yea, I have a 250Gig seagate drive in now and another 250Gig Toshiba external drive for backing up, the Seagate was $62 and the Tosh was £75.

It's the time to put it all back that sucks, I keep meaning to buy some Ghost type software but my Poser and Vue purchases keep getting in the way! [lol].

Ghost is invaluable when it comes to reloading crashed drives.  I back up my C drive every week on Sunday morning and do an incremental on Wednesday morning.  My D drive, where all my 3d apps sit is backed up every Monday morning with an incremental on Thurs morning.  Luckily all my content is out in external runtimes but they get backed up incrementally every Tuesday morning.  

Like you, Fixer, I've had a couple of bad crashes this year so I'm really a bug about backing up my 3d stuff.  I've had my Ghost for 2 years now and have never regretted the purchase.  It's one of the best programs I've ever found for backing up hard drives.  I have 2 internal 250 Gig Maxtor drives, 2 internal 300 Gig Maxtor Sata drives and 2 external 250 Gig Iomega hard drives so I've got a lot of storage space.  My backups go out to the #2 external drive since it's partitioned only for the backups.  There's a partition for each of the drives that get backed up each week.

Yea but I have a thing about Nortons, they screwed my 'puter up once with one of their live updates, took them 2 months or so to sort it out, so I'm looking for a Non Nortons one if you know of any good one!!!

New Tech Infosystems (NTI) has one called BackUp Now!  It came with my burner program but, since I've been using Norton for so long I haven't tried it.  I know the company is a good one, though, so here's the link:  http://www.ntius.com/backup_solutions.asp

I'll never EVER put norton on any of my systems again. It is a huge resource hog, and when I last checked, was using about 20% of my speed, and resources!

I just installed NAV 2007 and I have to say it's running very quietly and not using much in the way of resources.  Right now I have P6, Vue5 and IE7 all open and I'm not seeing any problems at all, even when I switch between the apps.  I know NAV 2004 was a HUGE resource hog but 2006 was better and 2007 is really good. My total CPU usage right now for all running processes is 2%.

Thanx for the link Victoria, I'll check it out!

Happy to help.