Sorry, been offline doing mundane things like laundry and a grocery run. Okay, I had not thought of looking at the libraryprefs.xml. I have edited a libraryprefs file before.  Just not sure where that little beastie of a file is located.

Okay, found library prefs in my documents and settings folder. There were actually two separate sets in there and I believe that's because I initially tried to install Poser8 into my external drive because I had more room there. When that install didn't work. I uninstalled and reinstalled into C drive. Apparently, the preference folder for the first install was not removed from Documents and Settings. I'll be looking at the actually libraryprefs.xml now. Wish me luck.

Arrrrrrgh! Yes, two entries were pointing toward Documents and Settings, and my Poser content is not there. I corrected the entries to the new path for my Poser installed. I booted up Poser, but the library palette is still empty.

There was another xml file in that folder and I decided to open and view that to see what it said and I got this when I opened it in IE. Is there something wrong with this file?????

Hi skylab3D! Nice to see you in the forums late night (or at least for me it's late night). We feel each other's pain about this issue. I'm not giving up on it and I'm glad that BB is stopping in and making suggestions. I am disappointed that Tech Support hasn't responded to my last two messages, although they could be busy due to volume.

Hi LL...seems you are making progress of some sort.   You have much more knowledge of the program than I do so you might be able to help them solve the issue.   I'm seeing other threads popping up with similar disappearing library issues.   I'm sitting back and watching now since there was little I could do once I shared the screen captures.    I did notice a thread today discussing XL Library here:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2778635
...so I tried it and it is working beautifully for me.   I'm not a content creator, just a hobbyist, so it will meet my needs.  Guess I'll be out of the loop for future Poser upgrades, but that's the way things go.  

Yes, it's hard to say whether this is late night or early morning...haha.   I'm east coast US so it's a little past  5 a.m. here.  

I'll be stopping in to check on progress, I still may learn something from all this.   Have a good evening/early morning, whichever, and I'll check back tomorrow evening.

~skylab  : )

waving I've used Poser since version 3 and I've learned a lot about Poser's file structure. I've edited things like libraryprefs files before. And way back when the concept of a MAT file was new I was taught how to edit and make a MAT file by hand using a Pose file and Word. I'm not an expert but I like to say that I know enough about Poser to be extremely dangerous.

I am considering this XL Library thing but I'd rather not shell out more money. I'd like the product I bought work right for me. But, in truth, I bought Poser 8 to be a render engine. I wasn't planning on moving my existing library from Poser Pro into Poser 8. I just really wanted to see and use GI lighting. But a functional library palette would be a darn good thing to have.

I'm here on the west coast. I'm a native of Dallas, Texas who finds herself now living in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. It's usually quite nice weather wise here, but we just lived through an extreme weather event with temperatures up to the equivalent of 100 degrees F. This has only happened on the West Coast of Canada 3 times in a 130 years. Since this area of the country is so temperate, hardly anyone has air conditioning. For two weeks was living with fans going full blast. And there are wild fires all over the province.Hope your area is more normal.

Keeping checking back here, I'll still be plugging away with this because I really, really don't want to have to ask for a refund on my product.

Well hi....you're still on.   I pop back and forward....working on putting up a little cartoon website for the fun of it ( 3dtoonz.net ) ....so I work on it awhile, then check back over here, then sometimes check over at DAZ since I started with Studio before graduating to Poser....but the DAZ forums right now are not the place to discuss these issues.   I prefer the more mature approach over here at Rendo.  

Would love to have your knowledge.   You mentioned two areas I need much improvement.....the whole business of MAT files in order to create a few free textures and such....and lighting.   Lighting  often makes or fails to make the picture.    My favorite part of 3D is posing, expression, and animation...but even the best of these can be ruined by poor lighting....so I have much to learn, and had looked forward to better lighting capabilities in Poser 8.   I didn't realize I'd be tipping through a technical mine field to get there....haha....oh well.  

I started out using mostly DAZ human models, but am moving more toward comic characters that animate more freely.   I guess my high aim for the future would be learning to use lip sync for realistic human animations, but must crawl before I can walk....haha.    So....my TOONZ site is a place to crawl for now.

The weather is due to jump to 100 here by Monday....so whatever hit you is probably heading eventually to us.   Not looking forward to it at all, but hopefully it will pass after about three days.

Signing off for now, will be back on tomorrow evening.

~skylab    : )

Quote - Is there something wrong with this file?????

Technically yes, the version attribute should be "1.0", but IE is far too exacting, and this isn't as terrible as it's making out.

If you need to view an XML file you think might be faulty, use a text editor, e.g. Wordpad.

Quote - There was another xml file in that folder and I decided to open and view that to see what it said and I got this when I opened it in IE. Is there something wrong with this file?????

No, IE doesn't like it but that file is not for IE. IE wants the version to be filled it, which is irrelevent and really really stupid.

Anyway, you said it didn't work. Show me what you entered. Show me what the GUI shows on hovering. Show me the correct paths. I'm operating blind here.

Either you entered everything correctly or you didn't. That is truth. :-)

Okay, let me get some screenshots going here. What I saw was a LibraryState.xml. When I opened this in word pad, it turned out to be a history of activity I had done with Poser that day. When I read through the entries, I recognized actions I had done with Poser. This probably isn't meant to display in IE so I paniced over nothing. After editing the Libraryprefs.xml which had two wrong paths in it, the Library palette displays in Firefox correctly. But of course since I added the Poser 8 directory again manually, I have two entries for Poser 8 and I don't know how to delete on of them. I have only gotten the library palette to display under IE once.

For giggles I tried right clicking on LSMGUI.swf an launching it in IE. I got a Windows page giving me an attempt to define what kind of file it was and links to two programs which would display it. One of which was the Flash 10 install page (which I thought I had already installed). So I went there again and installed through IE. This time it installed, and gave me a pop up screen with some demo image on it and text saying that if you can see the movie then Flash has been installed properly.  However just a second before that screen popped up, there was one that said that Flash 10 had failed to register.  I did get the screen where the flash movie was playing properly so I thought maybe it was okay. However the palette is still in its blank state and LSMGU.html still won't display under IE.

Support hours at SM are normal Business hours, so normally you would not hear from them on weekends, unless some fool was actually working..

For those with this issue, based on some reports from users, feedback from Bagginsbill, and others. There are some things to try. Most that have tried, reported they now have Library.

First.. make sure you OS and Browser are up to date.

Second, make sure you do have Flash 10 installed. Go to the Adobe Site and download the uninstaller and then run the installer for your OS and all Browsers installed (to be safe).

Reboot after this and see if you have Libraries...

If not, check your permissions for your Browser and for your Firewall. Make sure that Poser.exe and your Browser are not limited or blocked in anyway.

Change your Scripts from block to Prompt in the settings. I am not sure which one here is the culprit yet, but you may then get a prompt about any Script Blocking.

For those that Firefox is showing 0 Content, you need to delete your Preferences and you need to make sure your Poser 8 Content is installed. There is a Script you can run in the Scripts that will find the Libraries for you on your system.(I can not get that to work across the Network yet.)

If you still have issues, please contact Support. If any of this works, please contact support and let them know what worked.

Okay, let me see if I can describe some things I just did. I opened IE. I went into Tools, Internet Options, Security. I went into Advanced and very slowly scanned down things. There's an option about allowing Scriptlets. I enabled that. I turned a lot of options under ActiveX controls to Prompt. Then I said Okay, and hit Apply.  Then I tried opening LSMGUI.html under IE.  I got the screen I'm going to post now. It wanted me to install Flash again.  When I clicked the link for Flash I got a prompt telling me that something within Poser 8 was trying to access my Intranet and should I allow it. I hit Allow.  Went and downloaded and installed Flash 10 yet again. Spybot popped up this time asking if I wanted to allow a Registry change for Flash and I hit Allow. Flash 10 appears to have now loaded successfully.  I shut everything down and restarted my computer.

More....

Once the computer had rebooted. I opened IE and Poser 8 (no palette by the way). But when I right clicked on LSMGUI.html, and selected launch with IE, this time, it is now displaying the Poser 8 Library palette.  At least that seems to be a little bit of progress.

I changed security setting under Intranet also. But Poser's palette is sitll empty. sigh

Just curious about something...

Does one have to have the Flash player? Or can one just suffer along with the same libraries as I have in P7?

I'm sure it's a nifty look, folks, but it really does seem like a lot of work for not much final result. And reading through this thread... god I feel like such a luddite. I have no idea what some of you are talking about, and I try to stay on top of all this.

Hate to say it, but I think I'm giving P8 a bye for now.

I am trying not to get frustrated, but I am getting there. I tried once again on the Security Section of Windows Control panel. I don't know why it didn't click before when I looked the first time, I suppose it was because I know I don't use Windows built in Firewall, but it said that a firewall was active. I clicked it and it said that Norton's Worm protection was active. I opened Norton, found the Worm protection and added Poser 8's exe as a permitted program. I rebooted the computer. Opened Poser 8, and the palette is still dead, dead, dead. I can't think of where to go next.

Yes, you have to use Flash Player 10. With regards to the Runtimes/Libraries, the actual Files have not changed, but the way Poser accesses them has changed. If you use a third party product, it may work with Poser 8.

I am now considering XL Library. I'm extremely unhappy to have to pay some extra bucks because Poser 8 won't work properly.

Quote - I am trying not to get frustrated, but I am getting there. I tried once again on the Security Section of Windows Control panel. I don't know why it didn't click before when I looked the first time, I suppose it was because I know I don't use Windows built in Firewall, but it said that a firewall was active. I clicked it and it said that Norton's Worm protection was active. I opened Norton, found the Worm protection and added Poser 8's exe as a permitted program. I rebooted the computer. Opened Poser 8, and the palette is still dead, dead, dead. I can't think of where to go next.

Send where you are, back to Support.. might be tomorrow before I get a chance to respond to you, but I think you are very close... it looks like it is still a permission issue, but at least we have gotten it displaying correctly in IE, so we know those permissions are correct.

(btw.. I am the John that you have been dealing with from SM Tech Support...)

By the way I did get a new email from Tech Support. There is only one thing in his suggestions that I don't understand how to do.

The other issue encountered is one of Permissions for Folder Access. Installation should be as Administrator for all aspects (Poser and Flash) The Runtimes need to be available to all users. (This can be an issue even if you are the only user on some systems) Remember to Reboot your system after you make any changes to your Firewall or User Accounts access.

When I checked the Documents and Settings folder, All Users, Application Data, there is a folder for Poser 8 with a couple of data files in it.

Can someone explain what the tech is trying to say to me????

Hi, ratscloset! So you have been the one trying to help me. I must have been typing when you were posting. I was going to respond to the Tech email and add the link to this forum discussion because of all that I've said here and the images I've posted.

heavy sigh Guess what? IE is not displaying the palette again.

Hi LL....well....from the looks of things, time for a little tradition vs tech humor.     You might be interested to know, I've worked XL Library hard today, loading ga-zillions of props and figures, and it's been working fine with no disappearing acts.   I've shut down numerous times, rebooted, done all sorts of things to try to make it misbehave, and so far it's working fine.  To tell you the truth, I have to say I like it better because it can remain minimized on the task bar when not in use, so it gives me more room for control dials where the Library would normally be....and because of the larger icons and the search feature, I'm even finding long lost props.   So....don't give up... this might work for you if all else fails.   After thinking it through, I just couldn't see relaxing all the security on my computer just to get a hard to read menu to show.   Hang in there, you're giving it a good run.  

I won't be on as late tonight, tomorrow is a work day.   Will check back tomorrow evening.

~skylab  : )

LL I am not going to reply to your response until Monday sometime.. (It is actually Monday where I am already~!) I am off to bed, but you have shown that it is more than one thing often, and that is the difficulty of this issue... I think you fixed some of the issues, so hopefully we can figure out the rest quickly.

Forgot to mention, about XL Library, some in this thread link below expressed difficulty getting XL to recognize Poser 8 runtime at first.   I think this was painless for me because I had already run the ShaderWorks script which searched and found all my runtimes.    Worth checking this thread one more time just to make sure, if you've made changes to your system since you used the ShaderWorks method:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2778635

Wanted to make sure I posted this for you so that you didn't encounter any more messes.   The only issue some may have with XL is that it only shows PNG, not other images, but if you know your runtime fairly well, you can select things with missing icons simply by the name that shows.

Signing off now...have a good evening.

~skylab    : )

Quote - Yes, you have to use Flash Player 10. With regards to the Runtimes/Libraries, the actual Files have not changed, but the way Poser accesses them has changed. If you use a third party product, it may work with Poser 8.

Well, hate to say it, but that seems a bit silly. I"m sure it looks fabulous, but if it's getting in the way of working with the program, then it's borderline unnecessary. Really, why cant things like this be made into an option instead of a requirement?

Sean,

It's because this entire UI was built from nothing, using new technology. The option to keep the old library is not an option unless the old library exists. It doesn't. For it to exist under the new system would require writing it under the new system, not simply switching it on.

I wonder if new technology is sometimes everything it's cracked up to be. And after reading this thread, I really have to wonder. Sometimes it feels like we "innovate" to satisfy the geek fringe of the user base, the folks who arent happy unless they can really get in there and muck around with the deepest levels of a computer system. I just want to install the program, turn it on, and have it work. That's all. No fancy bells and whistles: just a simple, straightforward interface that takes me where I want to go without my having to check to make sure that all my internet permissions to properly set, that my folders are "deep", or that my "scripts" are correct.  I just want it to run. Why does that seem like such a difficult thing to ask?

:: sigh :: Maybe it's time to just get out of this altogether. I was only partially laughing when I commented about Miss Nancy's post about lighting, but let's face it: that's where you guys want this to go, off into some weird little world where, to be frightfully blunt, a lot of the fun of this program is being stripped away. Still, who am I to stand in the way of "progress"?

Wow that is one of the most unnecessarily fatalistic posts I've ever seen, Sean. Perhaps you could watch some Sponge Bob for a bit. ;-) I'll try to convince you that things aren't so bad, but to fully do so would require I bring you completely in the loop on SM's product strategies. Clearly I can't do that.

There are some people who have configuration problems. In comparison, there are a far larger (far larger) number of people with no problems at all. FYI, those add-on libraries built in other tech are failing for some people, too. No matter what tech you use, it will fail for some people. That is the nature of PC software. Whether its drivers, players, firewall, whatever, there is always something that gets in the way for some people. We would be having this conversation no matter what it was built in. It will be sorted out, and this conversation will become dust.

The technology was not chosen to satisfy geeks. You made that up. As I said in another thread, the technical decisions were driven by a set of requirements that are not public knowledge. Were I to share them with you, you would probably accept the decision. Instead you have no knowledge whatsoever about the requirements, and so you speculate about why it was made. Since the requirements are private knowledge, there isn't much I can say to get you to stand for the integrity of the decision.

All I can say is that assuming the worst of people is usually a mistake. Why is it so hard to surmise that the decision was made with a lot more information that you don't have? Why is it so easy to assume, instead, that the decision makers are simply in love with dangerous new technology, or that they are simply stupid?

You're making a gross mistake by associating the decisions with your parochial view of the requirements. Being able to imagine more complex motives and hidden opportunities is the hallmark of both grandmaster chess players and great product marketing people. Unless you are one of these, both can appear inscrutable, and in extreme cases, downright foolish. Ever watch a Grand Master chess player lose a few pieces, following a few moves later with an inescapable checkmate? But before the coup-de-grace, how does the tyro know that the GM is brilliant or a fool? Not knowing what the GM knows, the tyro sees only chaos, failure, and believes the GM is confused and lost. The tyro is wrong.

I don't get how a few people with config problems convinces you that the program is going into some weird little world.  I've already discussed this a lot. There are hundreds upon hundreds of people who have enormous runtimes and are quite happy with the new Library, perhaps with the caveat that they want bigger thumbnails. That last part is easily fixed. I already fixed it, but SM wants to test the modification and release it along with other fixes in SR1. So we lost a rook here, big deal, the checkmate is still coming and you haven't a clue what it is.

What do you mean about the fun being stripped away? Really, these statements are inexplicable to me.

Here's another tidbit. The checkmate that is invisible to you? SM has been discussing it with Daz, and they are 100% in favor of it and will be working with SM, not against, to make it happen.

>> " The technology was not chosen to satisfy geeks. You made that up."

If you wish to see it that, be my guest.

>> "your parochial view"

Again, if you wish to see it that, so be it. But y'know, there's a reason why Adobe hasnt changed its core GUI in over a decade. Yeah, they move things around here and there, but the tool box is pretty much the same as it's always been. I can look at Photoshop 5 and at Photoshop CS4 and still have a pretty good idea where I'm at.

But now apparently all that's changed, and we have to look like something out of the Matrix.

>> What do you mean about the fun being stripped away? Really, these statements are inexplicable to me.

Because the bells and whistles you guys have put in here will be useful pretty much only to the people who get off on the very things Miss Nancy pointed out in his/her (I never know for sure anymore) post: the minutae of things that now seem to command all the workings of Poser. Tell me: how much development time went into this sci-fi-like interface with its flashy windows popping  all over the place? How much time was put into the long-dreaded memory leak? Can I now remove no longer used textures from the list, or are they still there until I close the project and reopen it ot get them out? This just strikes me as much the same as the latest Mac OS upgrade -- lots of really cool stuff that only a few people will find useful, while the rest of us just want to turn on our computers and have them run while we do what we want to do. I dont need glitz, BB. I need a solid program that works and works consistently, right out of the box... especially for what SM is asking for it. The very fact that now, less than a week after release, there's already a SR tells me things I really dont want to know.

And if all this makes me parochial, well, I guess I am. After all, one does not question what one is given. Carry on.

What is sci-fi about a tree control and some buttons? You've lost me.

What windows are popping?

Remember, I may have an opportunity to change the GUI, perhaps make more options.

Of course, a GUI that is completely tailored by the end user is sci-fi, so maybe you don't want any options. :)

Also, the word parochial is always a pejorative, nor did I say that you were parochial, but rather that your list of requirements was. I'm using it in the correct original sense, which is "concerned with ones own Parish", or in other words, only aware of your own needs, not that of the world as a whole.

>> " What windows are popping?

Tiny icons blowing up to big mages? Isnt that why Flash Player is needed? Isnt that why the old library is not an option?

>> maybe you don't want any options.

Well, the option I want isnt an option, BB. What's that say? And please note: I asked for it as an option, not a requirement.

>> "nor did I say that you were parochial, but rather that your list of requirements was"

Hmm. That seems to belie: "You're making a gross mistake by associating the decisions with your parochial view of the requirements."

>> I'm using it in the correct original sense, which is "concerned with ones own Parish", or in other words, only aware of your own needs, not that of the world as a whole.

Well, thanks for putting me in my world place. So what about that ability to remove textures when they're no longe needed? Can I do that now?

bagginsbill, Would it be possible to make the main window remember its place on the desktop and also save the x,y coordinates? Or is that something SM are in control of?
I never work in Poser with maximized window, and it has become a big problem the way it is made in Poser8 now.

Quote - >> " What windows are popping?

Tiny icons blowing up to big mages? Isnt that why Flash Player is needed? Isnt that why the old library is not an option?

>> maybe you don't want any options.

Well, the option I want isnt an option, BB. What's that say? And please note: I asked for it as an option, not a requirement.

>> "nor did I say that you were parochial, but rather that your list of requirements was"

Hmm. That seems to belie: "You're making a gross mistake by associating the decisions with your parochial view of the requirements."

>> I'm using it in the correct original sense, which is "concerned with ones own Parish", or in other words, only aware of your own needs, not that of the world as a whole.

Well, thanks for putting me in my world place. So what about that ability to remove textures when they're no longe needed? Can I do that now?

Sean, I'm trying to be helpful.  I have to ask you again what exactly do you want, both in the larger sense, and specifically. In the larger sense, do you want to influence the design process or not? Because if you do, the way you're going about it doesn't serve you very well.

The ability to dynamically scale images is a technology issue, but there are many technologies besides Flex that can do that. That isn't the reason it is built in Flex. Choosing to make them tiny or medium is a usability decision, not a technology decision. I already said I made them medium (original Poser) sized and fixed in size, and the new version will be tested. I can make options for all sorts of sizing schemes, but more options means more coding and more testing. I've said all these things already. Is there a reason you're ignoring things I've said in your responses?

If the growable thumbnail is really what you meant by windows popping all over the place, I have to conclude that you're really looking for an argument, instead of looking for a way to communicate with the design team to deliver feedback to get a solution that works for you.

My question about what options you wanted was sincere. I can influence what is chosen, and I can build things. I can assure you that if you just keep sniping, instead of offering specifics, and using inaccurate inflammatory phrases like "windows popping all over the place" then you're not going to make progress towards your own needs.

You're still wrapped around the word parochial. I said I it was not a pejorative, but your response again seems to be emotionally charged.

Look again. Nothing is belied. I said it is a mistake to associate the decisions with your parochial views. Since you continue to misunderstand me, and that's my fault, I conclude I cannot be succinct.

Let me be more explicit then:

You have certain views about requirements.

Others have certain views about requirements.

Collectively, all these requirements are the "world" view. In contrast, the requirements stated by any individual represent a "parochial" view. The word means narrowed in scope. It does not mean "stupid", "ignorant", or "misguided".

You have evaluated SM's decisions, and come to the conclusion SM made one or more mistakes.

I have tried to point out that SM's decisions were based on a requirements document that captured the predominant world view, not any single parochial view.

You do not have access to the world view requirements. You have no data, no requirements documents, nothing that was used to make the decisions.

When you ask "what were they thinking", the answer is they were thinking about the world view.

But your evaluation and condemnation is based on the incorrect assumption that the world view is identical to your parochial view.

I hope this is clear now.

If you want changes, speak of the changes. You may or may not get specific features in, but I can assure you that you will NOT be able to convince SM that your requirements are the only ones that should be addressed.

Quote - bagginsbill, Would it be possible to make the main window remember its place on the desktop and also save the x,y coordinates? Or is that something SM are in control of?
I never work in Poser with maximized window, and it has become a big problem the way it is made in Poser8 now.

I noticed that not only does it forget size and position, but it comes in shrunken to unusability.

My contribution has no control of this. The only part I wrote is the Library/Search/Favorites panel.

Overall control of keystrokes, panel layout, main window position and size, etc. all are SM software.

I agree with what you want, I just can't do anything about it. You should post this at support.smithmicro.com.

You guys need to understand, I have no access to the Poser source code, nor have I even seen it. I wrote my tiny little part, and they integrated it into the larger context.

Parameter dials, animation controls, I can't see or control any of those things.

I do not work for SM. I am a contractor, hired to do one tiny thing.

>> "Is there a reason you're ignoring things I've said in your responses?"

I'm not ignoring your responses. I'm getting frustrated by my own apparent inability to say what I'm trying to say, and getting nowhere in the process. As I wade through the lines and lines of computer jargon that's been thrown around here like rice at a Presbyterian wedding, it makes me realize that I'm not the target market for this version. So be it. 

I had the prob with the empty lib window too and I found out it was caused by the firewall socheck the blocked apps not only towards the internet also towards 127.0.0.1

Change the Poser app to trust always or something like this, depending on your firewall, open the LSMGUI.html and it will work.

I'm a late sleeper, I haven't gotten my head quite unclouded yet. When I do, I'm going to have phone communication with the Tech who is patiently trying to figure out what my particular problem is. At this point, I have tried everything that I can think of to get the Library running on my machine.

But I'll say this, I'm likening this problem to ones seen some some recent video game releases. At our house, we bought the game Fallout 3 for the PS3. We're playing it and enjoying the heck out of this game. We decided to restart the game and go different directions but when we did, the camera position seemed out of whack so we decided to go find the website for Fallout3 to see if we could find information on what we thought was a software bug. We get to the tech forums and see gobs of people complaining about freezes, crashes, characters getting stuck in rooms and unable to open doors to get out, and one guy claiming that the game destroyed his PS3. We happened to be one of that silent group of users who were having practically no difficulty with our copy of the game and the camera position problem wasn't a problem. It was called Over The Shoulder View, and someone explained how to straighten out the camera view. If we had read those forums as part of our research on the game before buying (we research games before plunking down the money for them because video games aren't cheap). We might have decided not to get the game. But for those who are having no problem with a game they have no reason to talk in tech forums.

I am sure that a majority of the purchasers of Poser 8 downloaded their product, installed, and had absolutely no problems whatsoever. You don't hear from them because they have no reason to complain. This time, I fell into the small group that had a problem on install. My system configuration is probably different enough that I've got problems.  I use Firefox instead of IE (If I could uninstall IE and erase it, I would!!!).  I use Norton because it came with the laptop. I didn't have the newest version of Flash, ect. Something inside my Toshiba is still putting a stop sign in front of the operation of my Library palette. I am sincerely hoping that we'll find out what that is.

If anything, the main gripe I've got is about the Windows operating system itself. This thing has been a mess since Windows95. I haven't migrated to a Mac yet because those are more expensive machines.  Actually, having started out in computing as an Atarian, I wish that the Atari platform had continued and evolved and still be a player in the field.  I use Windows because a majority of people use it, because it came to dominate and I was a writer and publishers wanted the writers' material to be submitted as a Word document, therefore I had to migrate to the Windows world. Been in the Windows world ever since, and bitching about it the whole way.

Even though this has been a major headache for me and other who have been speaking in this thread, just maybe people reading it and SM tech, can learn from these trials and tribulations. Will I ever get my Library palette working? I don't know. But I'll try until we've reached the end of any options to look at. At that point, I'll hope for a serial fix. I went and got the XL Library python script last night, and it sort of works and a substitute. But I'll say again, I didn't intend on moving all my content into this program. I've got content spread out in Runtimes going all the way back to the majority of my content which is still inside of Poser 4 on my external drive. I was going to use Poser 8 as a render engine because, gosh darn it, I wanted to play with GI.

So please, lets not have any arguements in this thread. Let this thread be an informative one. Thanks. Putting soap box away now.

Hi LL, wondered how things were going.   Noticed you mentioned getting XL and something about not wanting to load everything into Poser 8.   Here's a screen capture of mine, I put red arrows to indicate how, when pressing the yellow magnifying glass icon, the box pops up that picks up all the runtimes....and I placed arrows indicating the various runtimes scattered around my drive.  I didn't do anything to get it to function this way, it just did it upon installation.   I don't know if the ShaderWorks thing helped the recognition of these runtimes, or if it would have done it anyway.   If you haven't tried the yellow magnifiying glass icon, give it a try....and if it does work, just pick a runtime, and then for example if you want a prop, click on Prop and hit the Search button at the bottom.   If you have large runtimes, give it a few seconds to populate.   So far so good for me.   I'm like you, I just want to enjoy the program I purchased...and even though you are much more advanced than I am, I think we share that common interest at least.   And considering I'm probably old enough to be mother to some of these guys....well....pictures speak a thousand words....haha.

~skylab   : )

I'm still finding my way around using the XL library browser. I've noticed that some things don't display in it. I saved collections of VSS shaders for various V4 characters that I have and those don't display in XL.  However there was something within Poser 8 that I wanted to ask about. I have found the studio backdrop prop that is in the Primitives folder. There are materials for that backdrop in the Materials folder, however they do not load. They even have a different extension. I'll give a screen shot. I just don't know if this is a bad install thing or what.

P.S. skylab, I'm not a spring chicken either. wink

mcz files are compressed material collections (mc6 files).

Perhaps XL isn't aware of them.

Okay, that explains it, because XL couldn't see the VSS collections I had saved into Poser Pro. I'd thought maybe they were corrupted files or something.  Okay. Thanks, BB!

Hi LL....I checked the PDF that came with XL, and page 4 mentions a few limitations, and page 3 addresses navigation.   I remember seeing on the CP site that XL would only show PNG, no RSR files.   I did notice a free RSR to PNG converter in Rendo free stuff....has worked it's way to near the bottom of page 2 by now.   I think one of the more pricier managers like PzDB here at Rendo is one that will do everything...but costs plenty.   I've got a coupon that I'm considering using on it....which would bring it way down in price, but that would be about the only way.   It does have a 30 day trial, which might help you in what you are trying to do, to get organized.   Product is here:
http://market.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=72733&keyword=pzdb
...and free trial is here:   http://www.rocketshiptechnologies.com/software/pzdb/Free1.asp

I'm at the stage where some things that are yet over my head, I wouldn't even know how to go about looking for them.   But, am also aware that a year from now, I probably will know.  .First time I opened Poser I nearly fainted...I got past that and learned the basics, so the rest will come in time.   So, the things that are missing for you, I probably have never searched them before....but will look and see what I can find.

~skylab    : )

I started with Poser 3 and no manual. I just clicked on stuff to see what it did and asked a lot of questions of people I saw in the forums. I also learned quite quickly by picking apart other artists pz3. Back then people would load full pz3 scene to the freestuff because we all were using Posette and Dork. Daz hadn't been born yet, it was still called Zygote, and Vickie hadn't come along yet. Actually I still learn best by picking apart a pz3 file. I can look at camera settings, lights. material settings....but it's rare to see someone give away a simple pz3 file. I'd like to pick apart one of bagginsbill's simple pz3s--look at the camera settings, light settings, render settings....

Skylab, thanks so much for looking up things like that! If I can help you with anything just let me know!

Know what you mean....when I opened the scene file included with this set, I was amazed, and it made me hungry to learn more:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=60203

Wasn't sure how to do this, but will try.   This screen capture came from the XL Library P8 Mat Collection folder.

This capture is from the P8 Materials folder.    Have no idea what I'm looking for, but did recognize the backdrops in the Mat Collection in first capture.   Showing this capture in Materials in case the information helps in any way in terms of file types.   I went ahead and loaded all the P8 content, had left it out thinking I'd not be able to use it.   Figures and such are all there now. 

Going off for the night.

~skylab    : )