Hey, everybody!!

Long time no post. I have been very busy with health and professional issues, mine as well as others, and just haven't had the time or energy to participate.

But maybe I will be able to get back into the swing of things someday soon! Hope so.

And -- and here's the immediate point of this post -- I may finally be in a position to be able to afford a few Poser utilities, and I'm wondering if I can get this nearly always helpful community to suggest a few, i.e., the ones that are "must haves" from your point of view.

I know this subject, or something very similar, comes up from time to time, but products and opinions evolve, too, so...

Still, if you'd rather just point me to another thread you consider authoritative, that will be fine, too.

Otherwise, although I'd be interested in hearing about other products in addition to utilities if that's where your interest or expertise lies, I'm primarily interested in the type of thing that makes Posering easier and/or faster. Please also, keep in mind that I'm probably going to be the most interested in Poser 8 compatibility or at least products that one can reasonably expect will soon support Poser 8.

Please, everybody, stay within the TOS and do not get yourself in any trouble. I'd suggest no one recommend their own or their friends' products as I am less likely to consider such posts anyway, and if the product is really good, it should get a suggestion or two in any case, i.e., without having to promote it yourself.

Also, even if you have no real interest in helping me out (and/or others who may read this thread), I think it might be worthwhile to consider this a good opportunity to put in another kind word for those vendors you have been impressed with and/or who have gone beyond your expectations, either in terms of the product or the service.

Thanks!!!

I can highly recommend PhilC's Wardrobe Wizard 2. Reasonably intuitive to use & his customer support puts large companies to shame. I'd also look into getting some of Dimension3D's python scripts,

Anything by Dimension3D...it's all you'll need.

Quote - Anything by Dimension3D...it's all you'll need.

Ditto :o)

And CrossDresser is an option too for fitting clothes to different characters. It differs from Wardrobe Wizard in that you can buy just the licenses you need and ignore the ones you don't (the base program is free and you buy only the licenses for the figure you want to convert to). If you don't have a lot to pay at first, it can keep the cost down, especially if you tend to use just one or two figures. As for functionality between the two, I think the end results are about the same.

Notepad++ is a free program that's great for editing any of Poser's files, such as .cr2's, pz2's, etc. It lays the text out nicely so that it's not all a jumbled mess and has a search and replace fuction.

Laurie

"Anything by Dimension3D...it's all you'll need" 3rding that........Steve

 Make that 4th 8-)

lol.... Make that 5th :))

(Maybe we should start a fan club ;)..)

Morcloth,  by........................yep, Dimension 3D......wouldn't be without it!

I think Dimension3D is a general consensus then....lol.

Laurie

P3do by Yarp from Senosoft. Unless P8 has the ability to browse better than the earlier versions, I find it the fastest way to see what item 'x' looks like without having to scroll, and scroll, and...;)

If anybody has more to add that'll be great, but thanks everybody for all the feedback so far!!!

Apparently, Dimension3D rules.

I will definitely have to check it out.

Another endorsement for D3D stuff and add Poser Physics to the list, also following someone else's recent recommendation I'm seriously considering Particles 3 
http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/particles-3-pz?item=4912&_m=d).

Worked with Ralf aka D3D aka Dimension3D via email on getting XL up and running on a Mac. The guy is a pleasure to work with and all his stuff rocks. No offense to BB. But wish SM would open up Poser a little more so Ralf could add more features to XL. Ralf is limited to the python hooks the P8 developers make available.

Dimension3D's XA (the toolbar) is a must have.
I'm not as taken with XL.

Particles 3 (Poser plug-in) creates animated fire, chaotic water, pixie dust.  I use it a lot!

Phil Cooke's AllTiedUp, Clothing Designer/Scissors/OBJ-CR2, Poser Toolbox & Poser Pocketknife add-on (Poser plug-ins)

XD (CrossDresser) from EvilInnocence (standalone)
http://www.evilinnocence.com/crossdresser?SID=4127a29256390f128f83780d1323ce10

Elefont extrudes text & webdings into 3D objects - it often has a few vertices misplaced, and the mesh exports in .dxf format, so it's good to have a modeler program to adjust if needed and to re-export in .obj format.  (standalone)
http://www.armanisoft.ch/webdesign/FrmDownloads.html

Ivy Generator grows ivy on your mesh object;  it exports as an .obj and texture images are included.  (standalone)

PartnersInRhyme has a lot of free sound effects MIDI music tracks
http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/midi/index.shtml

UVMapper (free) or UVMapper Pro
http://uvmapper.com/
http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/PIRsfx.shtml

What's It Use? drag-n-drop your CR2 onto the icon, and it tells you what meshes and textures the CR2 calls for.
http://faeriewylde.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=16218

a brickwall.

(for smacking the head into)

Link for Ivy Generator:  http://graphics.uni-konstanz.de/~luft/ivy_generator/

Link for Particles 3:   http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/particles-3-pz?item=4912&_m=d

Link for PhilC utilities:  http://www.philc.net/index.php

Examples of ivy can be seen in the cottage, fortress, and gazebo images in my gallery.
Examples of Elefont's extruded text can be seen in the fortress and drive-in cafe' images.
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/member.php

Examples of Particles (the waterfall and the pixie dust) can be seen here (4.75Mb, so it may take a while to download):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/seachnasaigh/TinkerBell_fish_school_swf65pc.swf

Oooops.   My gallery:  http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/browse.php?username=seachnasaigh

I probably don't have the money to buy, or the time to learn, all of 'em right now, but I'm sure going to check 'em all out.

Thanks some more everybody!

Well if you have Poser 8 there's really no need to buy Wardrobe Wizard 2 since the one included with Poser 8 is identical. I reccommend getting Correct Reference Pro for fixing poser content that has been moved around and needs to be mass edited to find it's textures and stuff..

Elefont, Ivy Generator, UVMapper Classic, What's It Use?, and the PartnersInRhyme MIDIs are free. :D

Quote - Another endorsement for D3D stuff and add Poser Physics to the list, also following someone else's recent recommendation I'm seriously considering Particles 3 
http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/particles-3-pz?item=4912&_m=d).

Anyone know if this works with version 8  SR1? Thanks

If you are at all interested in making your own stuff , the 3 workhorses on my computer are the following.

A good 2D program (I use PaintShop Pro XII), if you don't have one already. There are alot of reasonably priced ones.

QuickMAT by hogwarden

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=32964&vendor=43898

and INJection Pose Builder from DAZ

http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/3rd-party-products/injection-pose-builder?item=1225&cat=362&_m=d

INJection Pose Builder is only $1.99 if you are a Platinum Club member and QuickMAT is only $14.99.

Quote - > Quote - Particles 3 

http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/particles-3-pz?item=4912&_m=d).

Anyone know if this works with version 8  SR1? Thanks

I'll run a few tests and post results when I get time - I'm busy finishing a Ghostbuster trap model right now. =0

I couldn´t be without PoseMagic by William_the_Bloody.  It makes you able to fully pose your character from on place.

http://market.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?vendor=38802

Because of the testimonials for D3D, I just did a search for Dimension3D.  Ooooh, there are several shiny python utilities I will get.

I also like the idea of the finger grasp dials in William_the_Bloody's Grasp This! and the full-doll pose control of his PoseMagic.  I never knew these things were available.

Thanks, everybody! :D

A guy can learn a lot here in the forum. ^_^

Juggernutz, I ran some pixie dust animations using Particles 3 in Poser 8 SR1 on a 64bit Vista laptop, and didn't encounter any problems.

Something I could not live with out is puppet master and Life forms for editing BVH's  outside of Poser.

oh. and the other must have. Patience.

Quote - Juggernutz, I ran some pixie dust animations using Particles 3 in Poser 8 SR1 on a 64bit Vista laptop, and didn't encounter any problems.

Thanks, looks like something else to buy. :)

Quote - I couldn´t be without PoseMagic by William_the_Bloody.  It makes you able to fully pose your character from on place.

http://market.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?vendor=38802

Yes, PoseMagic is, without a doubt, the plug-in I use most of all. Pretty much every scene I make uses PoseMagic. Not only does it give one one easy control for posing, it also gives you smart posing! If you want someone to twist to look behind them, normally, you'd have to twist all the parts one by one, but PoseMagic twists all the body parts for you and twists them pretty naturally as well.

You can also use it to tweak poses, even animated ones, without needing to add a new layer or to edit the actual pose/animation. I use it to fine tune imported BVH motions.

Poser Physics is another I use constantly.

Quote - Because of the testimonials for D3D, I just did a search for Dimension3D.  Ooooh, there are several shiny python utilities I will get.

I also like the idea of the finger grasp dials in William_the_Bloody's Grasp This! and the full-doll pose control of his PoseMagic.  I never knew these things were available.

Thanks, everybody! :D

A guy can learn a lot here in the forum. ^_^

Please note that Grasp This! is a part of PoseMagic so if you buy PoseMagic there is no need to buy Grasp This.

A stress ball couldn't hurt.

A 3d modeler for building basic items you might not be able to find.

As mentioned earlier a photo manipulation package of some sort (needs to be able to handle .tga files and convert them to .jpeg format).

Wow. The good suggestions just keep on coming! Thanks some more everyone!

I strongly recommend checking out the Render Studio suite of goodies, sold at RDNA. It is a light set, a couple of props and some python scripts, which together help you to create realistic renders almost effortlessly.

Universal Texture Convertor V1, Particles 2, and MK Particles, PowerDials, and Radiosity scripts are a few I can't live without. (still on Poser 6 here)

Caro's free light set and Merchant utilities are a must-have as well (you can get them here, but I don't recall if it's for Renderosity merchants only - anyone know for sure?)

Ockham's Python scripts - gotta have 'em. :)

SkinShader is another one I use all the time, and RDNA's HDRI lights.

Perhaps it's because I'm a propeller-head or something, but Bagginsbill's matmatic (along with that recent run-external-py-modules feature he just gave us) is to me one of the all-time greatest tools for shader work, and it's free. As is VSS, which is also free.
Bantha's GC utility downloadable from this forum brings my materials to life quickly and easily and then there are so many other Python scripts (like Ockham's texture filter thingie) I use daily: hard to say which of those I like the best.

Pay stuff?
Poser File Editor by Dimension3D, QuickMAT by Hogsoft, Obj2Cr2 by PhilC and Morph Clothes by Dimension3D should be an essential PART of a serious Poser user's library of tools.

And Patience. And a stress-ball. Oh, most importantly, this forum! But I guess that's not software, like a stress-ball is, I guess.

Thanks again everybody!!

But sadly, now my money is no more...