Quote - Yeah, uh, good luck with that...

hehehe

Quote - If you're counting on that you're going to be very disappointed. While Poser's manual has improved over the years, it still remains... shall I say... lacking.

Ah.  I figured as much.

Quote - But really, software manuals are typically vague and incomplete...

Good point.

Quote - What it does basically, is it explains - in minimal detail - every feature in Poser.

So, I get the very basics of what I need to know about each feature, but I'm on my own in terms of figuring out how to use those features to create something.

Quote - I just spent some time reading through it for the first time in a long time, and have to say that I couldn't find many features that were explained enough in the manual to enable a n00b to actually create anything worthwhile.

Peachy.

Quote - Mostly you'll learn about Poser by using it and asking specific questions.

Sounds like what I've been doing with DAZ for the last three years, though I've nothing to show for it.  I've just noodled around with it.  I only recently began really doing anything with it.

Quote - The manual is not your friend. It's more like an older sibling or a workmate who has been forced to accommodate you, but does so only grudgingly and sparingly.

Right... lol

Quote - The people who make great Poser images using only Poser are able to do so because they implicitly understand these things about lights and cameras, and the technical aspects of rendering and surfacing/shading.

Sounds like I've got a lot more to learn about modeling than I thought.  Wow... I had no idea...

Quote - So the best thing you can do is just plunge right in, and  ask technical questions as you see a need to.

(nod)

Quote - But if you want some "how to" books for Poser, I suppose they're out there. Better yet, find some books or tutorials on general photography and lighting and scene composition, preferably as to how it's done in 3D computer graphics. THAT is what will make you a good Poser artist...

Well, now I find myself in a conundrum...

As I mentioned earlier, I only recently started really doing anything with DAZ..  I had a major breakthrough, last week, in terms of understanding how Runtimes are structured, and figuring out how to organize content.  Content organization has been the single biggest hurdle that's kept me from making any real headway toward becoming an artist in my own right, as I didn't want to risk finding myself with a hard drive full of content that I didn't know what to do with.  Now that I've figured that part out, I feel like I'm ready to get serious and actually start learning how to create, but I'd rather start with everything I need to do what I want now, rather than try to find ways to work around DAZ's limitations.

For example, at some point I want to be able to create my own hair styles, work with dynamic clothing, and HDR lighting - three things I know DAZ can't do, but Poser can.

Based on what I've observed of the community during the last three years, there's a lot more I'll be able to do with even just Poser than I will with DAZ, not to mention Poser's community support.

Quote - ... provided you can learn how to coerce Poser into cooperating, that is. Which, I might add, Poser does try to fight you every step of the way...

Is it any more trying than DAZ?