I downloaded some free Ryan hairstyle and saved them to a folder called POSER RUNTIMES on my desktop. I should correctthat in say I saved them to a runtime folder insider the POSER runtimes folder. Now ehn I tried to add the library inside of Poser, it adds a folder with the PSOER RUNTIME name, but none of teh content.

I even tried importing the hairstyles, but there were no OBJ files. I tried opening straight from Poser...no luck.

I know I am doing something wrong here, but I followed someone's advice on how to set up the runtime folders....

jelp?

do you have a link to the free hair ?
of you open the zip file with winzip does it show the folder path beginning with runtime ?

It does shoe the path beginning with runtime. I renamed it and put it under the other runtime folder I had. Is this how I screwed it up?

From what you say, yes you screwed it up. You now have one (renamed) runtime folder within another runtime folder. Poser can only see the contents of the original runtime.

The contents of the new runtime have to be merged into the existing runtime. On a PC you can do this simply by dragging and dropping one onto the other, and clicking OK to the message that follows. Are you on PC?

I have a mac. OK - so I shouldn't set up a sepaarte folder for Poser runtimes? I should drag the runtime folder from the download to the application Poser's runtime folder?

I am such a fidiot....lol

No, that won't work on a Mac (I have a Mac too).
On a Mac, this won't merge the runtime, but it will ask you if you want to replace the runtime with the new one. Of course, you don't!

I use a utility called dittoGui to merge a new runtime into an existing library.

Is this the only way to add to the runtime? I can't just copy it there?

To answer your question - I recommend you do create a new library for your content.
The best place for this is in your Users / folder, so that it's easy to include it in a backup routine. I have all my libraries in my Users / folder under a folder called 3D Libraries, each library with a parent folder (which in Poser will be the Library name) and then the Runtime folders within each of those.

By the way, what version of Poser are you using?

Quote - Is this the only way to add to the runtime? I can't just copy it there?

Mac will not merge folders the same way that PCs do. If you try to do this it will ask if you want to replace the folder.

You can, however, manually copy the folders and files from the new runtime into their proper location in the target runtime folder.

I have Poser 8.

I guess this is what I thought I was doing.

I did a POSER RUNTIME folder
then Runtime folder
Then a RYAN HAIR FITS folder

When I added the library, I picked the runtime folder under my POSER runtime folder. Obviousy this doesn't work and I am o confused now.......

You were okay with the first two folders. But the content of the RYAN HAIR FITS runtime folder has to be put into its proper locations in the Runtime folder you created.

But hang on, if you have Poser 8 there's another thing....

When you installed Poser 8, you chose where your main content library would be. That's where you should be installing any new content you get. 

So I should copy it to the main runtime folder...right?

It depends what you mean by "main runtime folder". This usually means the Poser 8 application Runtime folder.

But if you chose a separate location (the recommended action) when you installed Poser 8, this is not the right place. The right place is the Library you chose at that point.

I just added everything to the applications folder and that is where the runtime folder that came with the install exists.

Should I reinstall and pull the runtime folder to somewhere else?

Quote - > Quote - Is this the only way to add to the runtime? I can't just copy it there?

Mac will not merge folders the same way that PCs do. If you try to do this it will ask if you want to replace the folder.

I had no idea! I'm going to update my readmes to reflect this (for Mac users)... thank you, IsaoShi.

Quote - I just added everything to the applications folder and that is where the runtime folder that came with the install exists.

There is always a Runtime folder in the Applications / Poser 8 folder, even if you chose to locate your main content library somewhere else. This Runtime contains Poser program files and must not be changed.
If this really is your main content folder, you will be able to see the product in your library. If you can't see it, hover over one of the folders in the Library and it will tell you the actual folder location.

Quote - Should I reinstall and pull the runtime folder to somewhere else?

There is no need to re-install if you don't want to. You can just link to another Library in Poser.

Quote -
There is no need to re-install if you don't want to. You can just link to another Library in Poser.

OK, how do I do that?

This is standard Poser Library usage. Click the Add Library button on the top right of the Poser Library, and select a Runtime folder. The name of this Library in Poser will be the name of the parent folder of the Runtime folder.

If what you've got are "hair fits" then those will be just poses for a hair prop or figure (which is why there is no geometry).

They are for fitting other hairs to Ryan (judging by the list the hairs are all from 3Dreams store here).

I must be a total dumb a**. I tried this and the content is empty.

I click on the add runtime icon at the top right of my Poser library, then go to the Runtime folder add it (it's the subfolder below my POSER RUNTIME folder in my user account on my Mac) and nothing.

NOW I added the runtime folder into the library which is empty and it won't let me delete it.

I am gonna freakin'  &^(&%^(&^%$^%EU^%EDJYKHGVWDLKJNF{PE(UF})E(RYP&RTOI&^R

Quote - If what you've got are "hair fits" then those will be just poses for a hair prop or figure (which is why there is no geometry).

They are for fitting other hairs to Ryan (judging by the list the hairs are all from 3Dreams store here).

How do I tell the difference?

WAIT!!!!!

I figured it out!

NOW....how do I delete the empty libraires?

Just drag the empty library to the trash.

Quote - Just drag the empty library to the trash.

Umm, I tried that. It doesn't "drag" anywhere. And yes these are hair fits and I don't know how to putthem on Ryan's head. Anyone wanna buy a cheap, slightly used  Poser 8 program?

OK, figured out how to delete the library.

Now about these files I DL....how the hell do I use them?

Okay, hold on a minute and get a grip before you give yourself a stroke.  Let's back up a few steps so we may understand your dilemma and help you more thoroughly. 

Have you read the manual that comes with P8?  Very important because it will give you a concise overview of the software.

What exactly did you download for Poser?  We know you d/led hair fits for Ryan but that is useless unless you own the hair props the fits are meant for.

Try to be as thorough with your details so we may help.

Uggghhhh....ok.

I haven't read the manual. It gave me a headache when I tried. But then again, a headache is better than the stroke I am about to have. I just wante dto play around and give Ryan some hair...I thought I was capable of that much.

I have been messing with adding hair to my Ryan for weeks. I can't get it to work. I add hair but I can't get it parented correctly so when I pose him it acts all weird. I have tried several bits of advice from that thread I started. I was using Simon hair on Ryan and it never worked....

So I went to the free stuff section and DL'd the Ryan hair fits from 3Dream Poser 8 Hair fits. I assumed it was hair that I would add to the hair library and fit onto Ryan using the xyz dials and parent to his head using the hierarchy editor. (I watched the geeksatplay tutorial and thought I understood what to do.)

Well, they are hair-fits. I guess that means they are not the same as "hair." I don't know how to use them apparently, but I did manage to get them into my content library.

Give me a sec.  I have to crack open my Poser and look at the items you just described.

Quote - Give me a sec.  I have to crack open my Poser and look at the items you just described.

Bless you.

Okay, I just looked at Ryan's and Simon's items as installed from the legacy content disk and I see why you are having problems with the hair.  In both cases, we are dealing with dynamic hair, a prop hair which response to the character's movements and gravity or wind force.  And usually dynamic hair is smartpropped, meaning when you load it into the scene with your model, it immediately affixes itself to the head it was made for.

The other type of hair is conforming hair, which is rigged to fit particular models and have morph dials built in to change its appearance or style.  These are commonly found under the Figures category of your Poser Library.  Unfortunately, neither Ryan nor Simon have conforming hair as legacy content.  But there are work arounds.

Edit: Give me another sec.  I'm setting up screencaps.

OK. I tried to fix Simon hair to fit Ryan. I morphed and brought back in and tried to parent to Ryan as well as change the hierarchy. But since it was a smart prop - I was told this on another thread - it had a weired Hierarchy and would not go under the head of Ryan. And the parenting to the head and the figure didn't work at all.

Besides, the hair there isn't what I wanted. I even tried to add hair to the skull cap for Ryan and managed to get 4' nose hairs....

I just double checked and, to my surprise, there are 2 Simon hair fits rigged specifically for Ryan.  I don't know which style you wanted to try out, but these are available if you are inclined to try and play with these.  Illustrations to follow.

The image above shows you how to locate the hair fits.  Load Ryan into your scene, navigate to the designated folder shown in the image above and click a selection to load.

Quote - How do I tell the difference?

The description on the FreeStuff detail page begins :-

Quote - P8 Ryan - Hair Fit poses for:

and then lists the hairs for which there are poses.

Actual hairs will be either figures or props not poses.
For FreeStuff items the category and/or the description should be enough to distinguish between acutal hairs and texture sets or poses.
File size is also often a good indicator (poses are generally tiny compared to texture sets or geometry).

Forgive the red wireframe in the hair, it is selected and it is only in Preview.  To lazy to go for a straight render.

How do I do that?  Look at the illustration above.  You have a pull down menu under Figure in the taskbar, and if you follow that menu down, you see conform to...  You must have the hairpiece selected for this next trick to happen.

Any questions?

 I did what you showed and it worked. Thank you.

Now...Can I morph this hair at all? I don't see any morphs on the dials. Can I do anything with the hair in the hair room?

BTW - thanks again, I appreciate you sticking with me :)

Unfortunately, there are not morphs available for this particular style.  Remember, these are essentially legacy content and are there to just get you off the ground.  The Hair room is reserved for dynamic hair, or strand hair, which are made up of polygons.  There is an app around that can convert Transmap hair to dynamic but it is not free.  I would suggest to read several tutorials before setting foot into the hair room.  Best that you learn the basics first before really getting frustrated.

You are welcome.