Thanks for all the GREAT and detailed replies to me for help in getting this lined out. You guys are very kind and I just wanted to say so because there is a LOT of useful information here. In fact, I am saving them for my notes to refer to.**

jfbeute, GaryMiller**, silverblade33 and others, THANK YOU!

Yes, it will be a fairly BIG task, but one I think I will truly enjoy when all is said and done. I don't plan to create my own models from the ground up if I can help it, only do some custom characters using Poser Pro with the built-in morphs for figures like V4, M4, etc. As most know, you simply don't have time to do it all and everything takes time. My main concern is focusing on the story and bringing it to life. I don't want the main reason for doing this to suffer and spending too much time trying to make models, textures, etc. will mean I compromise myself somewhere and I don't want it to be my story. Therefore, I am planning to get by with Poser Pro, Vue, Photoshop CS4 and perhaps Z Brush to do the main work load.

I do have an intermediate knowledge of Poser Pro and have used Z Brush to fine tune some figures like the DAZ V4 head to get a look not possible in Poser alone. I first get the basic look in Poser Pro using the morphs, then export the V4 head as an ".obj" and import into ZBrush for the work. I know ZBrush does allow you to do a LOT more work and make your own models and textures too, but like I said, you can only do do much due to time and some sacrafices have to be made somewhere. Besides, doeing a model like M4, V4 would take years alone to figure out and make otherwise wie would se MUCH more variety in the market than just the main DAZ figures (which are VERY good).

I have also done editing of texture maps in Photoshop before and used it to paint on body hair for color matching with the hair color of the figure and also some other skin texture edits. As someone pointed out above, I do plan to use Photoshop to sort of merge the layers together and polish it up. Use Poser Pro rendered to a .PNG file or export into Vue depending upon the scene.

I have just started learning Vue and found some GREAT tutorials as well over at the Lynda.com learning site. They have CS4 help as well for both Phostoshop CS4 and Dreamweaver CS4 now up.

The story -

Right now, I have about 80+ pages done for the first part of my story which takes place over the course of 3 seperate arcs. As it stands now, there is simply no way to translate it all, nor do I feel it would truly work best from either a writer's stand point or artist's view trying to do so. That is why I have made the final decision to publish the completed work as novel only and do the hgihlights as mentioned for the main parts in the art.

I have been a free-lance writer in the past and hate to admit it, but rarely do I make a truly structured outline. That's why I mainly put my basic ideas down on paper then I simply sit at my computer and let the words appear as I go. That way when I get inspired and am on a roll I don't box myself in and can freely explore what it is I am dreaming up.

**silverblade33-

**Just wanted to say I checked out your work and I know how long and hard it is to do that sort of thing. Thanks also for the reply and posting links to what you do. Very nice to see what other are doing and to share in all the creative talent out there.

Jeff

Development on: Mac Pro 2008, Duel-Boot OS - Snow Leopard 10.6.6 & Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit, 2 x 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon , 10GB 800 MHz DDR2 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT.