I've been looking and looking at Miki2, trying to avoid the 'puchase-itis' that's so easy to fall into. Her facial morphs seem like some of the best out there as far as versatility and realism, but there doesn't seem to be as much done with her as the Victoria figures. Not that this is would limit one doing their own work, but as an indication of possible shortfalls.

What's the general concensus from those who do use Miki2? Is she as morphable as she appears to be? How are the posing deformations.. controllable? Does one need the Ultimate Morph packs to enjoy the full range of the character?

I'm looking to make more "interesting" faces. Not unattractive, but with a little more strength than I seem to get from the V's without looking strange (which is the word I use for a couple of the newer Poser characters). P4 is playing very nicely thanks to some hard-working people, but, as they say, variety is the spice of life.

Thanks for any input on this!

Miki 2 is super IMVHO, I just posted an image using her and her expressions in my gallery here, go take a look and see what you think!
The title of the image is S-t-r-e-t-c-h, it's my last upload!

When I finish with the remapping of V4.1, I'm thinking of remapping her too.  That should increase her versatility.
DPH

Gwyn, that image shows exactly what attracts me to Miki. She has a real face.. and the yawn looks real! Not a perfect plastic face, but one that might really exist without a plastic surgeon. 

Great image, BTW!

I have to mention that you live in the one country I really, really want to see sometime prior to croaking.

DP, that sounds like an excellent idea! From the Fixer's (as in Michael Ironside?) image and one particular incarnation over at RDNA, I think Miki is vastly underused.

That's one thing I like about Miki, than made me finally decide to get her: She has flaws like a real person. She's not drop-dead gorgeous (I know very few real people who are). Basically, Miki looks like a real person

scanmead: Glad you liked the pic!!
So how likely is it that you will get over here any time soon?
If you ever do and you come up to the North of Wales which is where I am [on the coast], be sure to let me know and I'll buy you a beer!!

Or you both can visit me in Tel-Aviv for a cup of Turkish Coffee.
DPH

You mean you don't do Nescafe` David!!

Pure Black Turkish has a much richer aroma to it.  Nescafe' is for Ashkenazim, not for a good Sephardi like me. ;=D
DPH

Did he just insult me??

I don't see how, unless one of your Keltic ancestors was secretly a Eurppean Nescafe' drinking Jew, -unlike Sephardi Turkish Coffee drinking Jews like myself. ;=D
DPH

Perhaps you'd preferr to have a GoldStar Beer instead, or do you prefer Maccabbi?
DPH
PS: I like it with Humus and Pita Bread and Yemenite Hot Sauce.

oh, noo... in North Wales?! On the coast?! Bear with me, I'm going seriously OT here... 

I blame Ellis Peters Cadfael series for starting all this. Her descriptions of Shrewsbury and Wales were so visual, they piqued my curiosity. So I read more. Then I read more. The more I read, the more I realised how much today is based on what the Welsh believed and, more importantly, what they kept records of. When I started looking at photos of Wales, I was sunk. Never could I imagine such beauty! It may just be geology and climate, but I've seen photos of rivers in North Wales that go beyond description.  Heck, I even tried to learn Welsh. Didn't work too well: I never got 
past how to pronounce what letter which way when following what letter. ;) 

A little more on-topic, Miki interested me, because I'm in the (protracted) planning stages of a series of images I really want to do, based on a book by Steve Blake. Pendragon. But not the mythical figures... images of what they might really have looked like, set in what was then called Britain, and is now called Wales, based on Welsh records. It's the History Major in me: I have to do tons of research on clothing, building styles, tools and household things...

Will I ever get over there? Not if I don't stop spending all my pay on Cinema upgrades, render engines, and hardware. ;)

Dang! I took so long to reply, I missed the coffee fight!

I'll take you up on the Welsh beer, and the Turkish coffee (yummm). But I'm waiting until y'all settle down before visiting down south.

LOL, yes it is a very beautiful land, I am very close to the Snowdonia National Park too, it starts in a 10 minute drive away and can stretch to 40 minutes or more to the other end!
Myself and my Wife regularly walk there and we also dive in a local quarry called Vivian in Llanberis, look it up!!! [LOL].
If you want some nice photos of the park, check out my web site, there are some free ones up there!
Also if you want any info from our perspective, don't hesitate to send me an e-mail. I regularly chat to ravynsworld about Wales and have also sent her some books on our history from our perspective.

And also on topic, I like using Miki 2, the only down side for me is lack of suitable clothing!!

(the ebots failed me, here) This is getting stranger. I use my middle name, lee, but my first name is Vivian. Being named after a quarry is good.. I think. ;)  I will definitely check out the photos on your site!  

 Since the clothing I'll need is so specific, I'll be doing it all in Cinema the hard way. Unfortunately, the way I model isn't suitable for any sort of export. I do know someone who can do it the right way, so I'll put a bug in her ear once she's through with the pile of work on her desk.

lee... trying to pry the cost of Miki out of her fist... ;)

Miki 2 is a great character.   There is certainly no harm in getting the RDNA morphs and/or the D3D ones for Miki 2.   They do make her more versatile.   There is, though, plenty that can be done in the face room, or (especially) with the Morph Brush.

She could certainly do with more support, in terms of clothing.   There are already quite a few very fine textures for her, but there's not so much for the poor lass to wear.    Definitely my favourite female character, even so.

One of the reasons I'd like her remapped because then it would be easier to change her lip colour without going into photoshop if she could take V3 textures. Love esther

I love that one!

Nice work, Esther! She does toon well! Can't you change her lip color in Cinema? 
I know when I bring figures in via Riptide, after having exported from Poser with everything 
checked except "morph target", the lips are a separate texture tag. Easy to change color 
and make them nice and shiny.  Presuming, of course, you're rendering in Cinema... 

I already mentioned Miki's lack of wardrobe to my friend (nameless so she doesn't get inundated). And I suggested she ask here what you all might be looking for in the way of togs. Hope she gets
some free time soon. 

Think I'm covinced on this one. I'll fuss about for a while, then get the RDNA morph pack.. which my nameless friend also highly recommends. ;)

Yes I have the RDNA body and face morphs for all the EF females, I can well recommend them!!

Ultimate Morph's for Miki2 is now on the short list. ;)

I checked out your photos of Wales at your site, and wow! just gorgeous! Then I googled that quarry, and it's beautiful, too! The water did look like it would be a little cold, though. I think you're living in the world's best-kept secret.

LOL, yes average water temp is about 9 degrees Centigrade, pretty cold even in summer! I wear a dry suit which keeps my body warm but hands and face are always cold. It's only 18 metres deep at it's deepest so it doesn't get much colder further down! [LOL].
I have to confess to not doing much in the UK, I prefer to dive abroad in warm water, we over in Australia in March at some friends and dived on the Barrier Reef, absolutely superb!!

brrr... that water is cold! That must have been one very long flight (or flights) down to Australia, but I've heard the trip is worth it. Great food, great beaches and great people down there!

We broke the trip up, stopped at Singapore for a couple of days [13 hours flight to there], then brisbane for a couple of days [7 hours flight from Singapore] and then to Airlie Beach for 10 days where our friends live [1 hour flight from Brisbane], they emigrated from here 4 years ago and love it. They have a gorgeous house in the rain forest, crickets and fireflys at night, and the odd dingo pack and Kangaroos and wallaby's in the morning, fantastic!!

barrier reef is tropical scanmead - so water not that cold. scanmead - i did the tooning using olivier;s art materials from rdna and rendered in poser- there are still some issues i have to sort for tooning in c4d using sketch and toon. love esther

I meant the water in the quarry was cold. ;)

Don't know a darned thing about texturing in Poser. I can barely get a pose done and export into Cinema, where things are much more comfortable. It's interesting to see how different people
react to different interfaces.

Poser does very nice toon renders, by those examples!