Hi. I'm considering buying Vue 4 to render poser scenes and I wondered how existing owners felt about the Poser Importer. I read several threads back that some people had problems with BUM files. Has this been solved? Are there also problems with transparency maps? Any advice is much appreciated. Dan

So far, the only problem that's semi-consistently reported is that the BUM files don't seem to be transferring correctly. There is a workaround for them so they can still be used, but the import is supposed to work for the BUMs too, and E-on is pretty busy right now working out what the problem might be. All the rest seems to be working as it should. I only got my own v.4 installed late last night so I haven't been able to try it out myself just yet.

Its my understanding that getting individual models and their maps into Vue 4 remains as straight forward as in Vue 3.1. Apparently from everything I have been hearing there is a problem (bug?) with trying to import a Poser Scene. I have been using Poser models in Vue 3.1 that required bump maps when used in all other applications. However, most if not all map very well without the bump in Vue 3.1. So I assume that part has not changed in Vue 4. So if importing a scene is what you want to do you might want to wait a bit before you get Vue. I heard somewhere that World Builder 3 is supposed to be able to import a Poser scene but haven't heard anything one way or the other on it yet.

The poser import works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. At least I have a model which crashes Vue 4 (and worked, when saved as an obj, in poser without a problem in Vue 3.1 demo). Even when trying to import it as an obj file it gives an error. I emailed support and they confirmed that there is a problem when importing the model as een obj (there where UV and non UV mapped portions) and they fix it in an update. E-on is looking into the problem with the poser file. And there was also some problem with loading of BUM files. So it is not yet working as it should, but e-on is working on it. Hopefully they find the problem soon and send out a patch. But there are enough model which work, and there is a lot of new things to figure out in Vue 4, so there is enough other things to do :). Bye, Angelo

I am having lots of trouble with some figures, alas I cannot find a common detail with them (for example one model is simply a morphed character of the P4). But that's not to say you won't have trouble, and in time, these problems will get addressed as more information is gathered (which I am trying to do now). Jody

Can't get any Poser scene import to work, tried even a default install of V4 & Poser4 on a newly installed Win system. V4 won't import the unchanged default of Poser or something as simple as the ball or plane prop. This combined with a number of other errors that keep popping up (tried 4 different PC's now ) and crashing Vue 4, moves Vue4 closer & closer to that stack of AOL CD's.

hein, you don't want to classify your Vue 4 along with the freebie AOL CD's for two very good reasons. 1, you paid for it, and 2, unlike AOL, E-on will fix this problem. :) Now, having said that, what the hell was E-on thinking as they advertised a new version with this Poser import thing, yet it's not working. At first I was kind of annoyed that Bill was poking fun at the whole issue, but maybe he had a very good point after all.......

You're right Mike, those AOL Cd's sure were a lot cheaper. It's not the Poser stuff that really matters (hype), it's the fact that I can't trust Vue 4 to run without crashing that bugs me, ofcourse that boudoir interface doesn't really put me in a favorable mood either. :)

Thanks for your comments, everyone. I think for the price it's probably worth the risk of buying an upgrade from verion 2 (3d World freebie) to 4.

yeah, there's always gonna be negative stuff about all software. The only program I have which I can honestly say is crash-free and completely stable is Rhinoceros 3D. Hey, at least E-on isn't Micro$oft though! Can you just imagine what it (Vue 4) would have been like? ;-0

I have to say Vue 4 is crashing quite a bit on me, I've even had it totally reset the computer a few times, however, these things can happen and my past experience with E-On has been very good, so therefore I am willing to put up with teething troubles without whinging too much at this stage. I have to say I'm enjoying all the feedback this forum has been giving on this new program, both positive and negative. Jody

Putting up with "teething", I wonder why I got the idea that this is supposed to be a finished product. Why is it always OK to release half finished software as a full product and only supply those that complain hard enough with bugfixes, just because it's software and not a physical product. The fact that we put up with it says a lot about our gullibility factor, I can't remember ever seeing a software company that tells me I could pay with practice cash.

Hein I work in IT as a network administrator. I have 100 computers under my authority, these computers span 5 years of designs, software builds and random user configurations. How on earth can a software company (even large ones like Microsoft) factor ALL of these variables and test against them all? Answer, they can't. E-On Software have another problem, there are literally hundreds of Poser figures, props and textures which could be imported into Poser. How can they foresee problems, they cannot test Vue with every Poser figure. Jody

On the record: If this E-on bashing continues I wil have to move all these related threads to C&D, or lock them. Why? Simply because it doesn't look good, and I respect E-on's integrity and don't want newcomers to think less. OFF the record: Yes, it sucks to be paying for "testing" software that was supposedly finished. We are here to discuss VUE though, which also includes any problems, but we're not here to pass judgements on E-on Software as a company. There is the C&D forum here for that, if anyone wants to go that route.

Jody as I said a few message ago, the Poser import isn't that important, the crashes are.

Mike, I'll be a good boy and stop voicing my opinion about Vue 4. I'll be even better and stay out of the Vue forum to make sure I won't be tempted to change my mind about that voicing.

hein, I sure as hell don't want you to leave. Surely you can see my position? I don't like it any more than you do, but what else can I say? Please don't leave. Please stay, Also, please, if you want to post negative comments regarding E-on, go ahead, but, please don't act as if it were some kind of evil conspiracy. I'm actually on your side. I also have to be on E-on's side, as well as Renderosity's. Ah, hell, I knew I shouldn't have said what I did. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. :(

Hein, that wasn't what was meant. Please stay with us. You are right that Vue 4 is supposed to be a finished product, but I think we need to keep this problem in perspective with E-on's history. They are probably just as surprised as we are to have such problems appearing. I can't believe they would release the product thinking "we know people will have problems with the PZ3 import." That just isn't how E-on works. Because of how E-on has worked in the past, I think it is no mistake for anyone to have purchased v.4. The problem with the PZ3 import will be fixed soon, I have faith. E-on is not "deaf to users" the way some other companies seem to be.

I appreciate the "heads up" on the Poser import problem. I have a collection of PZ3's waiting on Vue4 and that was the main reason I've been so anxious for it's release. If you read my post earlier, I had problems with my Vue4 preorder form E-On. I was intending on reordering a copy from DVDirect this weekend, but perhaps I should wait till the poser import probelms are ironed out. I'll agree that broken poser import is not good for E-On's rep. I'm sure I'm not the only Poser user attracted by that new feature alone and I would be quite disheartened had I bought my copy and discovered it not working. On the other hand, I'll be first in line for a copy when it's fixed. :)

OK, well, this subject won't die, and I'm too nice to toss y'all to the sharks who swim the waters of C&D. :) So, I'll even go so far as to add that evident;y E-on didn't test it well enough. It's my understanding that the people who beta tested it did so by invitation from E-on, most likely because the PTB at E-on liked the artwork they saw from certain people. Don't blame E-on, and don't balme the beta testers. Everyone's setup is different, after all, and there are never any real gurantees. But, they WILL fix it, and fix it for free. Otherwise even I will have to get mean....... ;)

I have to say that aside from the bum file problem, I've had no problems & I love this new version, of course I do have the problem of spending far too much time playing around in front of my screen but I'll live with that :O)

:)

OK, smoke has cleared and we know where we stand. I'll do the rest of my yelling where it should be heard, not that haven't done that there in the last few days.

Well I guess I get to say I told you so. I tried to alert people to this problem but only got blasted for it. This is not an isolated problem or an abberation. It doesn't matter what your computer is or isn't. Its a legitimate bug. Instead of alerting others to the problem...openly and honestly discussing the problems...trying to find solutions or workarounds...there is only defensive denial. Eon knew of these issues before they released Vue 4. They know of them now, but they continue to ship it anyway with the attitude they will issue patches whenever. If criticism is banned here then this forum loses most of its constructive value. It becomes nothing more then an ongoing infomercial. We as consumers can only voice our displeasure at this type of thing and hopefully if the company is as the moderators here keep saying they are, responsive and honest they will not do this sort of thing again. Ok that being said, I'm concerned about the posts that say Vue 4 has difficulty in importing even some simple obj's and their maps, not just the Poser scenes. I have found in Vue 3.1 that by simply leaving out the bump map it resolved most of the importation problems. I also found that the renderings were still great. Also, I noticed at least Vue 3.1 had problems in dealing with a Poser obj if more then one map was assigned. If what I'm hearing is correct it means something has radically changed between Vue 3.1 and Vue 4 making the newer one less Poser compatible not more. This is valuable and important information. But if we cannot openly share this stuff and only get a flood of defensive denials how can we as users find solutions and workarounds?

Okay, I haven't gotten my Vue4 yet and my wife won't tell me if she ordered (see earlier thread for relevance), but I have and continue to salivate over the "...import Poser scenes ..." issue. That got my attention immediately the first time I read it. Before that happens, though, and what I've done since I first got Vue (3 - never bothered with the previous versions) is import objects/models one at a time, which, as far as I know still works. I won't go near that "practice software" issue, as it has been covered ad nauseum here and elsewhee (hell, I'm a long time and avid user of Imagine and 'nuff said on that) but I think both predominant points of view have their merits - as a user/buyer I certainly want my $oftware to be what I THINK I'm buying -- but I can well imagine how the company must feel about the release of new product in such a competitive and swiftly moving field. Goodness, I would think that if they waited until it wsa "perfect", well, it probably wouldn't be by the time it came out. One could argue that even dissatisfied customers will continue on the same path, rather than relinquish their investments of money, but time, effort, committment, etc. Reading all this stuff hasn't dampened my enthusiasm. Certainly not before I get the proggy. And I do still like 3.X. Just wish I could get the wife to break her word .. this once. Larry F

Just keep taking deep breaths, Larry! :) I was able to try out the PZ3 import today at last with my new Vue 4, and imported three PZ3 files, starting with a New Vue file each time. All three imported very smoothly, no crashes or glitches. Rendering was also quite fine on two of the three. On the third, one part of the Poser figure became invisible (although it displays in preview). As Larry mentioned, the previous method for importing still works as always, and this same figure imports and renders perfectly with that method. E-on has added a FAQ to their website for Vue 4 issues, which explains the import problems among others. http://www.e-onsoftware.com/Support/Vue4FAQ.htm Clearly, they are working on it. I must say that the PZ3 import (when it works as it did for me) is totally awesome! It takes about the same amount of time to make the import, maybe a smidge longer, and once it's in, it's all in. No more fiddling with finding textures and applying maps; they're all there already in one smooth motion. Really quite cool! :)

"No more fiddling with finding textures and applying maps; they're all there already in one smooth motion. Really quite cool! :)" This is what VueMaster does. Places all maps, MTL, OBJ in one folder, converts BUM maps to greyscaled BMP files, inverts trans maps and flips maps (if they aren't too big) Bugfix(gasp!) update due out in a day or so. Has successfully handled scenes with 30MB OBJ, 4 characters and multiple textures. Dan http://www.neca.com/~dwilmes/cr2edit.html Sorry Win only for software http://www.zenwareonline.com for ZenPaint, ZenTile, ZenGrid and VueMaster