Fair enough.  Well, I think I'm out of steam here. 

If I accomplished anything in this thread, I hope it's to alert hair-makers that we ARE watching, and we're taking notes.  How about something new/different? 

Also, the idea of "Exclusivity" and the ways in which people might technically get around the issue to exploit the rules...I think the respective sites might want to take a look at their loopholes and tighten them up....twofold results being: 1.  Protect the consumer and 2.  Prevent their market from being filled with redundant items or being laughible for calling something "Exclusive!" when examined, isn't.

Quote - Fair enough.  Well, I think I'm out of steam here. 

If I accomplished anything in this thread, I hope it's to alert hair-makers that we ARE watching, and we're taking notes.  How about something new/different? 

I think you raised a pertinent point:  The concept of "Protected Territories" and/or "Exclusive Distributor Rights" have to be seriously considered from the point of view of the customer base.

Quote - Also, the idea of "Exclusivity" and the ways in which people might technically get around the issue to exploit the rules...I think the respective sites might want to take a look at their loopholes and tighten them up....twofold results being: 1.  Protect the consumer and 2.  Prevent their market from being filled with redundant items or being laughible for calling something "Exclusive!" when examined, isn't.

I agree completely.

The problem, as I see it, from an "ethical" point of view is that the customer base for Poser items is WAY to small to subject them to these types of distribution concepts.  Originally, protecting product distribution rights by changing model numbers "worked" because there was actual "physical space" involved.  In order to be confronted with the exact same product, just repackaged, a consumer would have to move to another physical location, sometimes hundreds of miles away.  As mass distribution and huge chain stores have further impacted the market, the consumer base is frequently confronted with these issues.  How many times have you gone to one electronics store and seen a marketing sign which say's "Price Matching!"  Well, they price-match by model number...  and, since they're the only ones authorized to distribute that model number... uh.. there's not a lot of worries of someone coming in and demanding they match a price, is there? :)

But, there are no physical territories involved here except moving one's fingers to a different location on the keyboard.  So, the idea of  "repacking" products moves out of the realm of a solid business/distribution practice to one that has much more serious implications regarding the customer's perceptions.  Poser marketing sites don't give you hardly any information regarding the "Real" product - NO WIREFRAMES.  All you see is a derived image.  As a consumer, it is simply NOT possible to accurately judge whether or not a product is the "same" as a repackaged one.  That places more ethical responsibility, in my opinion, on the producer of the product .

You raised a good point and one I think producers need to be aware of.  Nobody wants to see a Poser marketplace flooded with repackaged goods.

Thank you all for your thoughtful and extremely satisfying comments :)  It's been a long time since anyone online has agreed with me about anything

Quote - Thank you all for your thoughtful and extremely satisfying comments :)  It's been a long time since anyone online has agreed with me about anything

Well, don't go around making it a habit, k?  If you do it for too long, then you'll just be guilty of perpetuating "repackaged opinions" and that's not good for anyone! ;)

lol

I know my comment was OT but still... the lack of everyday styles makes me nuts. I can't find any hair since P4 and Kozoburo that I have ever seen anywhere but on the 'red carpet'. I wish I could start a petition thread or something to demonstrate there is a market for realistic styles so that some vendors might take a stab at it.

I am sick of hand painting appropriate office and casual style hair. For commercial work I have to use those Poser 4 hairs and post-work them! Yes there are ordinary style dynamic hairs but my computer isn't up to the simulations and I have seen only one artist who can get dynamic hair materialed and lit so it doesn't look composited into the render.

I actually find my texture based hairs a lot more useful than the mesh hair around when it comes to non-fantasy renders. It isn't like I see real world style being released and failing... I just don't see them being released :(

Quote - ..."Hey, here's my new hair...I've taken my last model and de-centered the part and lengthened the back 2 clicks and given it a new name!" ...

Don't know which models you specifically mean, but I've seen many variations of your scenario. Not only with hair. My goodness, if I see another structure using the same textures as those in packages the merchant created back in '04, I'm gonna lose it.

Regarding hair: sometimes, creative transmapping produces just as desirable results as the 'new', altered packages. If the mesh is truly unique enough to merit purchasing, I purchase. If not, there's always transmap editing.  ;)

Quote - Realmling, I got both of those from uh... gosh. Years ago. I think I used them once, because they just looked... crap.
Might have been me, but the textures are stringy and just looked off (to me).
Maybe I give them another shot and see if my perception improves.

Urgh...no say that - there are no other decent MALE ONLY longish hairs aside from the few I already have that don't work with the characters I have sitting in my brain - and my texture skills suck even if I end up modeling something worthwhile. (I'm still practicing...but man making non toon hair is a PITA).

/no more off topicness from me...promise...

Actually, now that you've brought up those plastic helmets for Poser 4. I'd love to see some decent textures and transmaps for the ones that KOZ didn't do like the child's hair, Female Hairs 1,3 & 5, Male Hair 2 & 4 and those Poser 2 hairs as well.