Newbie here, waves hi! :-) 
Ages ago, I registered at Eon to get a demo of Vue 4.  Loved it but had to pass on buying as my old computer just couldn't handle it. Eventually I even forgot I had an account there.
Then today I get a newsletter announcement about Vue 6 Infinite and X-Stream. Wow, there's a Personal Learning Edition I can have for free!  And "The Monster" can certainly handle it. Downloading even as I type, now got a couple of questions.
1: PLE files are not compatible with other versions of Vue. So does this mean none of the stuff in the Vue freebie section here will work with this? Or just that if I save a project, it won't open in any purchased flavor of Vue?
2: Must choose between Infinite and X Stream when installing. Er, what's the difference? Or does it really matter?
3: Watermark/logo on renders. Fair enough, as they're letting me use this with no limitations -- except no commercial works -- for free. But I'm wondering if it watermarks like the Poser 6 demo did. Gods, but that was ugly! Sure won't want to post anything in the gallery if it does. Hoping for a nice, discreet watermark. Classy, not something that's all logo and you'd go boggle-eyed trying to see the actual artwork underneath. Would anybody here know what it looks like? That feature doesn't kick in for 30 days, not as if I can hit "render' and see for myself soon as I install.
4: Hints, tips and tutorials, please. Especially on how to get Poser stuff into Vue.

Thanks!

PLE not compatible with other versions: scenes created with other versions of Vue can't be used ( Vue4, 5, 6 ), but I'm sur freebie objects will load fine.
xStream is only useful if you want to integrate Vue scenes ( created with the PLE) into other 3D apps ( Max, Maya, Lightwave, Cinema4D), if you don't have any of these apps, then install Infinite.
Watermark/logo; watermarks appear all over the render. they blend quite nicely with the sky, but no so well on other parts. Logo appears at the bottom right corner of the render (Vue6 a new dawn)
Poser scenes import by using the object import command, like any 3D object ( there is a special Poser import dialog box afterwards, but it's pretty straightforward)

Thanks. Not too thrilled about excessive watermarking but I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

Either way, even with watermarking, is a fantastic opportunity to use and learn the app.  I for one am a happy camper!

Whilst I understand scenes from other versions arent compatible, I wonder if  purchased content such as plants, scripts etc will work with it?  If not.. isnt a drama.. am simply curious.

You will love 6, my honest advice to you is save up and buy it, if you are a serious artist you will not regret it.

I've downloaded it. I like the idea of being able to try it. Finally I don't  always have to wonder about what Infinite is all about. 

*You will love 6, my honest advice to you is save up and buy it, if you are a serious artist you will not regret it.
*Guess I'm not a serious artist then. After having tried it,  I know for sure I don't want to save up for it. I'm now cured of always wanted to have Infinite. It sure is cool, but for me it's not worth the money at all, I like creating scenes the 'old way'. I did not enjoy painting ecosystems at all, I did get a feeling that I was cheating a little.Seems and feels like any kid can create some stunning landscapes with this, where have the real artist gone? I'll stick to a lesser version and still have the satisfaction and feeling that I've created something myself and not the application for me.

But, I enjoyed trying it and I'm happy that I did, no more wondering about it now.

To each there own, but no, not just "any kid can create stunning landscapes with it."  The function editor gives infinite advanced control over texture, placement bumps ecosystems etc for intermediate and advanced users.  IMO, programs don't make  good art, artists make  good art.

Comming from Vue 4 (which I mastered pretty fast) to V6 Inf PLE is so far over my head!
Are there any 'Dummy' books for Vue?

I noticed a lot of the content is 'unavailable'...  is that just me? Or did I miss something during the setup?

I didn't like V5.... but i've ordered V6 as I was told it's miles better than V5.  I hope so as I really want the Eco System.

You could take a look at :

Vue 6 Revealed

Would be better if the pictures were in colour but its not a bad book, would help you out.

Jon

Quote - Comming from Vue 4 (which I mastered pretty fast) to V6 Inf PLE is so far over my head!
Are there any 'Dummy' books for Vue?

I noticed a lot of the content is 'unavailable'...  is that just me? Or did I miss something during the setup?

I didn't like V5.... but i've ordered V6 as I was told it's miles better than V5.  I hope so as I really want the Eco System.

I also came directly from Vue 4, skipped Vue 5. So many new things, but yet i didnt really need any tutotrial, it stayed as easy as vue 4 I'd say. The manual is huge, but it's also very good as it covers nearly any topic you can think of. I've had and still have much fun discovering Vue 6 and 5's new functions.   :)

There's also video tutorials that are advertised on the e-on website.

*To each there own, but no, not just "any kid can create stunning landscapes with it."  The function editor gives infinite advanced control over texture, placement bumps ecosystems etc for intermediate and advanced users.  IMO, programs don't make  good art, artists make  good art.
*I agree it's not the program it's the artist..... as for those features being for intermediate or advanced users, I'm not sure. I've created my own materials using the function editor within minutes in Vue PLE and showed my first complete multiple ecosystem render to my wife with in 15 minutes..... of which 11 minutes were used for rendering the image. That's why I made my "any kid can create stunning landscapes with it."  remark. Took me less then 10 minutes to figure the whole thing out.....

I still stick to my kid remark.... even my 12 year old daughter can do some coolstuff with applications like Vue and Poser if she wanted too. They're just mere toys to her generation and they can create about 90% of what we see here in the galleries.

To be completely honest I don't call anything created with Vue or Poser and the likes art. Anyone can creating something stunning with it, if they wanted too. You don't need to be an artist to create digital art.

Working at school teaching teenagers gives you a whole different outlook on the usage of software and art. Teach them how to use Poser or Vue and the likes and they create some cool stuff..... are they artists? No way, they just use some applications.

The main difference between a digital artist and most other people is that the digital artist devotes time to creating something everyone could have done.

I dont agree with that. Why should pictures from vue or poser not be art???
Yes everyone can learn it, but also everyone can learn to paint with a brush and paper.

And what's art? There's a good example for some very abstract pictures that sold very well at a famous Gallery, i think they brought a well 5 digit amount. Whats the joke here? They were painted by a chimpanzee. Yes, by a monkey.

Or the legendays "artists shit" (please excuse my wrods, but this is how its called), an artist placed his excrements in sealed cans and sold these for their weight in gold. He sold every single one to art collectors from all over the world. Now wanna hear something funny? Some were traded at auctions for around 50.000 USD. Want it even funnier? Due to the natural processes which produce quite large amounts of gas, several cans already bursted. You can imagine how that looks...

I could fill books with more examples about "art". Now let me know why vue pictures can not be considered as art...   ;)

Just my ten cents

Quote - I still stick to my kid remark.... even my 12 year old daughter can do some coolstuff with applications like Vue and Poser if she wanted too. They're just mere toys to her generation and they can create about 90% of what we see here in the galleries.

To be completely honest I don't call anything created with Vue or Poser and the likes art. Anyone can creating something stunning with it, if they wanted too. You don't need to be an artist to create digital art.

The main difference between a digital artist and most other people is that the digital artist devotes time to creating something everyone could have done.

After thinking about it a bit, I agree. Anything other than pushing a stick around in mud is just cheating. I mean, c'mon...Watercolors? Are you kidding me...with the advances in brush technology and super saturated pigments, half-blind monkeys can use it. And don't even get me started about new canvas technologies for oils and acrylics.

Yep, carving a picture in the side of a cave wall...now that's real art.

Hmmm interesting so we should be able to come up with say a script that creates a masterpiece at the push of a button?  Perhaps so mathematically but there is far more to a great scene than textures, and how hard or long it took to do.  I build ships in bottles and some take months while others take only a few hours, some of the ones I spend less time on look better. Time or pain is no measure of art or artistic talent.  Music is a prime example of this. Music programs today can build songs from scratch but they lack feeling, emotion, and artistic feelings.  When the machines can emulate these subtle but essential elements then I will agree but we are far from that point IMO. 

And so what if there are enough shortcuts to allow a 12 years old to create stunning pictures ? In the end, that picture will be coming from his/her imagination. It will allow them to express what they have in mind. if they persevere, the result will be come closer to art than just a pretty picture. And if they study art, they will end up making art. My favorite metaphor for 3D graphics is photography. You can give a 12 years old a digital camera and he/she will take pictures easily. Some may even be interesting or stunning if they are lucky to be at teh right place and at the right time. But does that make them the equal to Ansel Adams or Tim McCurry ? Of course not... their tool is mostly the same, but their vision, their experience of photographed materials are vastly different. In the end, I think it is a good thing to enable a vast range of people to express themselves through any medium. While most will recreate the same imagery, some will discover a way to create images that would not have been possible by keeping tools arcane and reserved to an elite.

I didn't get an email about the v6 PLE.  Where can I download it?  I would like to play with the ventilators and eco painter.

Follow the newsletter link on the front page of e-on site.

You will have to log in to download it.