I would like to know....... if I use the materials room to change the textures on a item, then save it to my library>pose>......... would I then be able to make a file for uploading the item with those new textures on it? I'm asking this as I have the 'materials' but someone using the file I make might not have the same 'materials'.
I use a mac os x........... poser 6........... photoshop cs2

Well, changing materials settings doesn't get saved back to a pose unless you manually convert a materials file (whether single material or collection) into a MAT pose.  Vince Bagna has a pretty clear tutorial on this at his site:
http://www.vincebagna.com/tutsen.htm

 Thanks, that's what I wanted to know. Will go over there now and see.

You are saving files compressed as indicated by the mz5 name , there is a python script that will decompress individual files .

Any material using only nodes will save and transfer to any other Poser user with the same version . If you are careful what nodes are used its compatible between 5,6 and 7. as a mat pose.

Yeah anytime you see a "z" in the last part of the filename (the extension) that means the file is compressed and not editable as you're trying to do.  Sorry, I didn't think to mention that.

Here is a tutorial on how to compress and uncompress files.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=3169372&ebot_calc_page#message_3169372

The tutorial explains how to compress them, but the method is the same for uncompressing. Just pick "uncompress files" instead of "compress". 

You can use the browse window to locate the Materials folder, or even the sub folder inside it that has your actual files in it, if you don't want to uncompress the whole runtime.

mz5 = mt5 file compressed / a single material channel
mz6 = mc6 file compressed / a material collection

• You can use either a mt5 or mc6 to make a MAT Pose, but with a mt5 you will have a Partial MAT Pose that will be applied only on the material channel that is listed inside the file.

• You can make your own Partial MAT Pose from a complete MAT Pose by deleting the unwanted material channels.

• You can make your own single material mt5 from a material collection mc6 by deleting the unwanted material channels and saving the new file with the mt5 extension.

• You can make your own Partial MAT Pose from a material collection mc6 by following my tutorial mentionned above by pjz and deleting the unwanted material channels before to save with the pz2 extension.

If you need some help concerning the tut, feel free to ask :)
Though i think it's pretty clearly explained ^^

 Ahhh... thank you everyone. I now 'think' I have a file to upload.... anyone want to check it out for me?
Vincebagna.... I would have to say that that's one of the best tut's. I've found, Thank you. One thing though.....the textures I used are other peoples and I have had to put  the .jpg's that I used into the 'texture' file. As they aren't the complete file... I guess that's O.K.?

Oh...yes... The MAT I've made is for 'Nights in Madrid for V3'.

Quote -  Ahhh... thank you everyone. I now 'think' I have a file to upload.... anyone want to check it out for me?
Vincebagna.... I would have to say that that's one of the best tut's. I've found, Thank you. One thing though.....the textures I used are other peoples and I have had to put  the .jpg's that I used into the 'texture' file. As they aren't the complete file... I guess that's O.K.?

Oh...yes... The MAT I've made is for 'Nights in Madrid for V3'.

Uh oh... you cannot use someone else's textures without his permission first, it's a copyright matter. Even if it's not the complete. Just be very carefull about that. You should make your own texture maps to avoid any problem ;)
Generally, copyrights about merchant products protect all the parts of that said product. You can not sell whole or part of it, you can not share whole or  part of it. Merchant ressources are something else, though you can not sell unaltered maps from the pack.

Yes, generally re-distributing ANY files that you did not create yourself is a violation of copyright.

 So why then are these textures put up???

Correct me if i'm wrong:

I understood you were using textures from another product. Seeing your last question, i understand now you are using textures shared on a share site (like sharecg). If so, and if the creator of these textures allowed clearly the commercial use (if you plan to sell your product) or share use (if you plan to make a freebie), you can oerfectly use them :)

 Yes.... I got the textures from sharecg and it said "non commercial use only". I only want to do freebies at the moment so that I get to know what I am doing... and that was one little glitch and I will be more careful with textures.
Thanks for making that clearer.... there's just so much to learn.

Oh, great so. Excuse my confusion :)

"Commercial use" has different meanings.  Some think it to mean "You can sell this."  Some others think it means "You can render this and sell your render."  I tend to interpret it as the latter unless someone specifically says otherwise. 

 I must thank everyone for their help so far. I'v made some simple texture now and have made a mat for a dress. now my problem is this. when I render the picture the material that I did is on it, but when loading onto the dress it is just white. I know that the mat. I made is working 'couse when I first load the dress its sort of green then when I load my mat. it is white and then I render it and the material is there. What can I do to fix it?