I think BAR-CODE's suggestion about putting a 'works in D|S' symbol on products is a good idea to start from, but hasn't been thought through enough.

Unfortunately it is the case that most products here don't just work or not work in D|S. In most cases it is a question of how much of the product works and/or how much extra work you have to do on it.

Question: most clothing, props, figures and character packs here work from the point of view of the figure/prop loading up, with the right maps applied and functiional - but the actual material settings are lousy in D|S and need tweaking. In a simplistic work/not system - does that get the sticker or not? If it doesn't, many users who just trust the sticker will miss out on vast quantities of useful D|S content they could actually use. If it does ... Ok, so maybe it has a Poser light set as part of it too, and Poser lightsets are cack in D|S, so does that lose it the sticker or not? Just how much of a product needs to work in D|S and needing how little work on it to get the sticker?

It is just too simplistic to have a works/doesn't work indicator.

Really, D|S only users should just learn (and there should be a clear FAQ explaining) what Poser features work, what work with effort, what don't at all, so they can look at a product description and immediately be able to see not IF it will work in D|S, but HOW MUCH of it will work in D|S, and with how much effort ... and if they think that's still worth the price. That's how I shop - barring the odd product with a very badly written Poser format file, I can see from what it is how much of it will work in D|S with how much work on my part.

But if there's going to be a marker system, then I would respectfully suggest that it needs to be rather more than a simple yes/no marker.

Something like a five star system ... except stars are already taken by the reviews. So - a five 'D' system, maybe. Something like:

DDDDD = made for D|S; or contains full D|S versions of everything as well as Poser versions (D|S material scripts, D|S lights etc); or has the same functionality as in Poser, like, say, a product that is an obj for import into any program.

DDDD = Main functionality of the product works in D|S, but aspects need some basic standard tweaking in places. E.g. clothing, props, hair or a character set that just needs the materials settings tweaking, and maybe has a Poser light set as a minor part of the product that won't be much use in D|S..

DDD = Main functionality of the product needs tweaking in D|S. E.g. texture set for clothing, where the material settings all need basic standard adjusting. (Same issue as in DDDD, but here it's the main function of the product, not just one aspect of it.)

DD = The main function doesn't work in D|S, but has some useable elements, but needs a lot of basic work to get use of them. E.g. a Poser shader pack that doesn't work, but there are some useful specular/displacement maps in there that can be applied by hand in D|S.

D = Doesn't work at all in D|S as is. Contains useful product, but needs considerable D|S expertise to get any use out of any part of it, like rewriting the Poser files to make them D|S compatible.

P = You're a D|S only user? Nothing to see, here. Move along. (Dynamic cloth, dynamic hair, Python scripts, sets of P6/7 shaders)

well i did think it trough 3x ...
But DS is just a little part of Renderositys MP
If we have to do that DDDD,  DDD , DD etc etc
What about VUE ? Vue has even more VVVVV. VVVV. VV etc etc
or poser itself  P4 PP P5 P6 P7 P7P etc etc...

Thats to much..
When a  ( D ) is added to a item the Vendor Must have the DS version to be exaclty like the Poser version.. other wise no ( D ) ...
You are making things way to difficult  with all them DDDDD etc etc..
Be sure that a good way of doing  cool easy DS shopping will come here to the MP
i have 100% faith in the staff and vendors "from wich im one" to make things work..

things are already looking good.. so dont worry

All we DS users ask for is if the product is compatible with DS or not. So many times we bought a product that states it works in DS and when you open it and start using it, it don't. It can be a Z or whatever, as long as we can see it can be used in DS.
Is that to much to ask?

I agree Chris. Thanx.

I dont see the problem with having a 'D' to state that something is 100% compatible with D|S and no 'D' if it is not 100% compatible.  Trying to set up a system where you reflect to what degree things are or are not compatible is making the whole thing far too complicated.

I think its looking at it from the wrong perspective to think the D|S users want to know which parts dont work, thats what we can figure out for ourselves. We know Dynamics dont work, we are used to texture problems, light sets that perform badly etc, we almost expect these things.  What we are asking for is quite different:  We want to know which things have no problems at all in D|S, something I think we are very entitled to know!

I dont think people will avoid anything not marked with a 'D', no one is that silly. There are many things that work in D|S sufficiently well to be very useful without being 100% compatible.  However D|S users should surely have the benefit of knowing when something is 100% compatible and requires no additional tweaking, as these are the products that are best suited for the application we use.  Its very simple and logical.

This would also encourage vendors to get their products working 100% in D|S, so that we no longer feel like second class citizens, which is basically the aim of this whole thing anyway.  :)

"But DS is just a little part of Renderositys MP"

This may well be true.. depending on how you see a little part. But is it true industry wide, or do daz primary users just know that merchants here are not yet to a place where they think its in their best interest as a business person to address the daz users needs? I saw a really small poll last week where the percentage of poser 6/7 users was 44% and daz users was 33%, the total of all poser users was 52.8% and all daz users 34.8%. Admittedly a small poll. But it may mean that daz users do not constitute such a "little part" of the overall industry. It is possible that other marketplaces just meet their needs more readily and the bunt of their dollars goes elsewhere.

Hello

I have been lurking around Renderosity for years. Buying things and the like, but never getting involved. Until now.

I have Poser 4 and DazStudio. I haven't had time to learn either programme very well (doing the 2 job thing will do that to you), but I like Daz because the cost of entry (free) makes it very attractive. A lot of props and characters can be had for $1.99.  I'm an artist, but the plain fact is that our arts community where I live is for the most part broke. Free software and $2 add ons is about the right price. Daz is a little easier to learn too.

I LOVE a lot of the work you vendors do here at Renderosity. I go to buy some of it and I see "NOT Tested in D|S". If the stuff being sold was $1.99, I'd take the risk. When the price starts creeping up past $8, I just throw the item in my Wishlist and wait for the day I buy a new version of Poser (and find the time to learn it).

I like the idea DavidGB put forth. I don't believe it should be mandatory to do the "D" system, but I can tell you for a fact that would net some sales for vendors around here. I have personally walked away from buying items here because I was unsure of its compatibility or level thereof. The few people I know who use Daz (or Poser for that matter) steer clear of Renderosity when they shop for Daz stuff. 

I wish more vendors did test in Daz, but I guess those of us who use Daz and buy items here should post as soon as they know, the level of compatibility with Daz of each given item. I know I will start doing this.

Thanks and take Care

DS is to the 3D world what the first portable camera (Kodak) was to the artists world. DS's simplicity has made 3D accessible to the masses just as Kodak camera made everyone an instant artist.  

I only joined Renderosity this year and already I am seeing a great increase of new 3D artists posting.

The entire 3D community better be prepared for this big shift in demographics. If they don't come up with some rating system then certainly Daz will because through DS Daz will have the power of the masses behind them.

Sorry but I'm a realist.

Aah but when you say "Works In DAZ|Studio" what version do you mean? 1.7.x, 1.8.x, 2.0.x, 2.1.x, 2.2.2.13, 2.2.2.15, 2.2.2.17 Beta or 2.2.2.20 Beta? What works in one version may not in an earlier version and DAZ break something different with each release so something that works in an earlier version may not work in a later version.  At least they have started labeling new releases as Betas.

i am one of those artists who likes to see for himself 'if it works'. i use both daz and p5. the daz program is set up to use poser items up to i believe up to p6 maybe poser 7.2 things it cannot do yet are dynamic and read material files native to poser which i figure it probably will be added soon.
 the majority of my runtime is full of free items with an ever growing spackling of items i've bought both here and at daz. i can honestly say for  the most part everything has worked even with some tweaking on my part.
 imo the vendors i know and /or bought from give ample warning in their readme's if something will work in in ds or at least say they haven't tested it in ds.it in no way means it won't. i think if every vendor could give at least a heads up like that it'd be a big help for all involved.   

I would love to have a "D" system in place. On occasion there might be an item I'd like to purchase and it states NOT Tested in D|S... I usually walk away from the product at that point. If it is something I REALLY want I will contact the Vender. More often then not I do not even get a reply. I make note of this and steer clear of their products. With that said, there are some Venders who go out of there way to respond and help us D|S users. These are Venders I will continue to purchase from.

I am tired of being treated as a 2nd rate artist because I use Daz. If you go to the Galleries you will notice any image that states it was done in Poser gets alot more views then those stating Daz. I have to say that I do not understand this for the life of me. I have seen some PRETTY AMAZING images created in Daz and yet very little views to them. In my humble opinion I think D|S is just as good a product as Poser. Or at least the images it produces are just as good.

Ok, I am done ranting now and will get off of this soap box. It was something I felt needed to be said. No disrespect intended to anyone.