Last May I exported all my Bryce .mat and .bsk files and burned them onto a cd for backup. Now, 4 months later, Bryce refuses to let me import any of them back in. Can anybody explain to me what I did?? TIA. Pat

I really need a little more info, but here are somethings to look at. 1. Are the images and files there on the disk, you can see individual items? 2. Did you use Adaptec software to burn?? Adaptec loves to make images out of everything. 3. If you can see the items, did you copy them to you harddrive first before you tried to use them? If you did make sure the archive, and read only is not checked. That is about all I can think of right now, hope that helps you.

ok... explain to me where I would check to see if the archimve and read only would be checked at?

All I can offer is advice: backup your backups. I bought Bryce and Poser both at the beginning of the year. After I got the feel of them, I spent a couple weeks intensely scouring the net for freestuff and put all my finds on CD. Fine. Except no more did I get a disc fairly well filled when all of a sudden...I couldn't access most of it! It denied the existence of most of my stuff. Oh, it admitted that 400 megs were filled, and yet most of my folders just didn't show up. So, after a whole day of screaming, kicking, and hair pulling, trying ever approach I could think of, I chucked the disk and started over. Now I have two identical disks of everything, just in case. Of course, now that I'm prepared, I've never had any more problems, although switching brands may have helped, too. I use Fujifilm, now, with great results. It was Memorex that gave me all the trouble. Maybe I got the one bum disk they ever made, I don't know, but when I use a dozen Fujifilm disks extensively with no trouble, and lost a whole lot of work with one of the only two Memorex discs I ever bought, I'm not going back! Even if all your files show up when you go in through My Computer or whatever, maybe the disc is screwed up and has corrupted the files somehow?

Whoops, we must have been writing at the same time. Right-click on the file and choose "Properties" from the pop-up. "Archive" should be checked. If not, check it. I had a problem like that with a texture I downloaded. Wouldn't let me move to the disc (or anywhere else for that matter). If that's the problem, you'll have to change every file one by one.

ok... found the read only and archive... read only was checked archive was not... checked them both and still couldn't import... checked archive only and still couldn't import... are my files corrupted?? This really stinks as all my Poser files on the same disk are fine!!

it's a fujifilm cd-rw disc too... big sigh

First make certain that your system can actually read the cd. I guess the easiest way to do this would simply be to copy the files into a directory on your hard disk. If you succeed you might then try importing them into Bryce from the new hard disk copies. As Bryce doesn't modify the files during installation the read/only file attribute probably won't matter. (BTW, if you select all the files you should be able to change this attribute for all of them at once- at least under Windows.) If you can't read them it is possible that you set up multiple sessions on the cd and you're in the wrong session. I don't know too much about this as I never use multiple sessions. It might also be that you didn't close the cd when you burned it. Sometimes this means you can see the directory structure but can't get at the files. Check your cd burning software to learn more about this. As a side note I do not recommend RWs for long term storage as they are not as reliable as CDRs. I tend to be somewhat sloppy except when it comes to computers wherein I become positively anal. After burning a cd I immediately do a byte by byte file comparison between the cd and source files. (you can find such programs on the web) If there is a problem I want to know immediately so I can solve it- not a few months later when I will be screwed. I also make duplicate cds and keep one of premise- if I have a fire the cost of replacing my software and data is far greater than that of the hardware.

Try copying all the files you want to your harddrive first and then try and import them.. Make sure archive and read only don't show up on the harddrive copies.

Once you've checked Archive (and ONLY Archive), try taking the disk out and popping it back in. I don't know why, but that works sometimes. I use RW's and have had no problems (other than the Memorex episode, and that was a new disk). I had the same problem with that texture I mentioned. At first the Archive move didn't seem to work, but I went back and voila, no problem. Weird, but true. Don't give up quite yet :)

Just had another thought- does the computer that you are trying to install the mats from use a dvd drive instead of an actual cd drive? My wife's notebook has a dvd drive and it cannot always read everything on a cd that I've burned. But it has no problems with commercial cds. I speculate that commercial cds might somehow produce a stronger data "signal" on the cd than our home units. (Home units don't actually "burn"- they colour... I think...) I solve the problem with her machine just by hooking up my portable burner and using it instead.

here's more stuff to check. 1.check the website of your CD burning software, see if newer versions of window files have conflicts with your software(some programs overwrite dll files without asking). If you need a specific file for this try www.windrivers.com 2.Are you using B4 and if so have you had the B5 demo installed? If so scan your registry for B5 entry's and delte them. 3.Do you a zip-folder utility intstalled? In certain conditions these can casuse an 'insufficient permissions' type error. the easiest way round this is to COPY a file to a new location. If you UNZIP a backup to a new location, some progams won't be able to use it. That's all I can think of for now!