Is it worth getting Poser PRO 2012 instead of Poser 9 for the newbie? Is it worth the extra money?  Need suggestions fast.  Thanks in advance.

If your interest is realism, PP2012. If your interest is content creation, PP2012.

Almost everything can be done with P9, but only with compromises and only by doing a lot of things manually. Ironically, the experienced "pro" can do the same with either. The noob actually needs the "pro" version to help them do the things they don't know how to do otherwise.

Quote - ...The noob actually needs the "pro" version to help them do the things they don't know how to do otherwise.

I totally agree. Especially you want the gamma correction feature that only the pro version has. It essentially allows you to use your images as textures, and use the render in a painting program without any further manipulation. Without that, things can get easily get complicated (just search for "gamma correction" in the threads).

One tends to go from newbie to something much more reasonably quickly if you spend any time with this and come in here often to get questions answered which will flatten that learning curve considerably. In terms of content creation, you'll find yourself quickly wishing you'd invested in 2012 if you've ever had any desire ever (for other things, not necessarily art) to DIY. If all you really want to do is use Poser as a means to just make pretty pictures, then Poser 9 will more than adequately serve your needs.

Remember, never say never.

thanks everyone for the advice. I really do appreciate it.

For me personally I'm going for Poser Pro 2012.  The differences between Poser 9 and Poser Pro 2012 seem to be significant enough for me not to even think about Poser 9.   Out of the many years that I've been using Poser This is the only time I have recommended to anyone to just go for the Pro version.  In the past for the majority of Poser users, a person could create the same with the regular version as they could with the Pro version.  But this time is different.

The difference with this is that you won't need to be a hardcore 3d tech head in order to get great results.  From what I've read about Poser Pro 2012, I'll be able to create quality renders without having to know all of the knowledge to do so. This in my opinion is the user friendliness that Poser has lacked in the past.  It's truly becoming an software that everyone can use regardless of skill level.  If a person lacks the skills to create a certain material effect, then Poser Pro 2012 will provide the necessary information so that someone with less skill can create better renders.

Smith Micro seems to be developing a more accessible program with Poser Pro 2012, in the same manner that website design has been made more accessible to people who lack the knowledge to design a site from "scratch." 

Poser Pro 2012 will probably seem like a Pocket size bagginsbill built into the program where if you don't understand how to create what you need, the software will provide you a way to do that without having the same knowledge of bagginsbill.

The other benefit of Poser Pro 2012 seems that it reduces your "cost of time."  What would it actually cost in terms of time spent for a person to learn the knowledge that the "experienced pro" knows?  How long would it take for even the "experienced pro" to configure all of the necessary setting to create complex materials settings from scratch?  Having a software that allows you to spend less time configuring and more time creating art will always be a plus in my book.  The best thing is that it still allows people to create settings and configurations from scratch which is still important in terms of flexibility and user control.

I'm expecting great things from this version and I have already pre-ordered it. The only thing that would disappointment at this point is if the released version is full of bugs and bad programming because everything is what it needs to be.

Buying Poser 9 should be one of those decisions made because of not being able to afford the Pro version.  If you can afford the Pro Version then that should be the purchase goal.

Just my thoughts and I guess my money since I have already paid for the upgrade to Poser Pro 2012

Just a quick note on user's - can one purchase a multi user licence? and if so where can I find more information .

Thanks guys

Pro 2010 and presumably 2012 has 10 render nodes available to the user.

If you want a site license, you will have to contact SMS's sales directly to find out if they are now offering one.  I don't believe CL or EF offered that option.

All our copies come from single licenses and our upgrades are generated from those.

One dates back to P3, a couple come EF's free P5 giveaway, and a couple more from EF's P6 Leap Year special (Passport members could buy P6 for $2.29).

Quote - (Passport members could buy P6 for $2.29).

I missed those Passport Days.  That was the only time where I actually purchased more 3D content from Renderosity, Smith Micro, and RuntimeDNA.  When the Passport Membership ended I started buying more from Daz3d.  That was back during my Poser Junkie days.

Poser 9: 32 bit. Poser Pro 2012: 64 bit.

Wow - lots of good advice.  I decided to pre-order PRO 2012 based on what you you've said and what I've read.  I am a newbie and can use all the help I can get, so if Pro 2012 can help do that better than Poser 9, that is well worth the investment. 

Thanks everyone for your insights. I'm anxious to get my hands on it to begin playing with it. I hope its not full of bugs.

It'll have bugs, but I'm sure it wont be "full" of them. Poser Pro 2010 is very very stable for me, much more than any competing application.

I got Poser 9 as did not have quite enough for Poser Pro 2012 before the pre order special ran out. And well I will get PP2012 at a later date but for the moment Poser 9 is great out of the box unlike Poser 8 which had so many glaring bugs in it at release.

 Main thing is what you can afford at the time but if saving up wait and go PP2012 with so many features including HDRI all a case of up to you really. 

I chose pro because it had some features that I'm hoping will let me keep using my old content and not have to rely on buying into a whole new set of figures. As long as we can get weight mapped versions of our favorite figures, PP12 should let us convert all of the previous clothes to work with those new joints...which seems like it is well worth the difference in price. 

Quote - Ironically, the experienced "pro" can do the same with either. The noob actually needs the "pro" version to help them do the things they don't know how to do otherwise.

Well, except for creating weight mapping while rigging.  Poser 9 can read in weight mapped content that was done in PPro2012, but doesn't have tools to create it.  Note you can still rig old-style falloff-based figures (which includes conformers) in P9 just fine.

Quote - > Quote - Ironically, the experienced "pro" can do the same with either. The noob actually needs the "pro" version to help them do the things they don't know how to do otherwise.

Well, except for creating weight mapping while rigging.  Poser 9 can read in weight mapped content that was done in PPro2012, but doesn't have tools to create it.  Note you can still rig old-style falloff-based figures (which includes conformers) in P9 just fine.

True - I didn't include that difference in my assessment. I was thinking only about rendering.

If you're going to make an original figure, conforming clothing, or an original full body morph, I don't think there is any choice really. You have to have Pro.

Quote - Poser Pro 2012 will probably seem like a Pocket size bagginsbill built into the program

Well, that's enough of a reason for me.....

I've pre-purchased 2012, now I just need a few hours to download it - probably this weekend...

I've been using P8 for a couple years now, and I can't wait to start playing with 2012!