Quote - igohigh: Thanks for the further explanation of my question. Now I'm not so sure about an upgrade to version 7 because “e-frontier feels that is wrong”  for me to render a certain way. Version 6 is working fine for me right now anyway. -James

Yes, Poser 6 was the last version that saves out an Alpha Channel with the 'subject' masked out from the background (much like the way Bryce saves a 'Mask' render). But in P7 you have no choice anymore but to do it from a PNG using the Render Over -> Black node ("BLACK" meaning the node 'BLACK' not the color black - took me a while to catch onto what they were saying about that).

Why anyone would want a Solid useless alpha channel that contains the entire image is beyond me? You already have the standard RBG channels, and you can create an Adjustment Layer, so what would one what the entire image's data in the Alpha Channel for? What use would it be?
Perhaps there is another use for the Alpha then I am aware of as I really only use them for Masks...?

Anyway, they are still trying to figure out the 'mysterious disconnecting BUMP node' mystery as well...another real pain Poser 6 has brought us....er, excuse me, it was all the past versions that where broken, they kept reloading those darn texture maps instead of makeing you manually reload each time you open the file!!! Duh!