Questions:

What is EZSkin2?

What will it do to my characters?

And how do I apply it?

EZSkin is a python script for Poser 9 and Poser Pro 2012 written by Snarleygribbley that automates setting up nodes in the material room to implement the latest advances in Poser's render system.

It takes any existing skin texture and replaces the shaders with new ones designed to set gamma correction correctly, add sub-surface scattering, and optimize other facets of the way skin is represented in Poser. It does all of this without the user needing to know what the material room is all about.

The program is based on techniques and concepts by several Poser gurus, most notably Bagginsbill, and is Snarley's attempt to bring these very technical and (for many of us) hard to understand concepts to the masses.

The program is free, and can be downloaded at: http://www.snarlygribbly.org/3d/forum/

The users manual (which I wrote a large portion of) should give you everything you need to know about installing and using the program. In a nutshell, you load the character, call the python script, select any options you want, click the "Do it" button, and the new shaders are created and automatically loaded into your character. From there, all you need do is render.

Thank you basicwiz. So it doesn't work in Poser 8?

No. It is only for Poser 9 and above.

does it set up the the shader to conform to the scene,eg lighting etc. or does it create a material that is for any scenario?

Any

ok I went there but I don't see any way to register is there a special link or what? I'm always looking for ways to make things look more realistic.

You do not have to register. EZSkin is, I believe, the second or third entry in the menu, and the download link is ibn a message on the next page.

can it also intergrate another material into it ie i have a mud shader and would want that in the skin shader as well?

No.  But if you contact Snarly, he could probably add it on as a special effect.

I made a face in faceshop put it on Michael 4 but it's black and white bela lugosi will ezskin make everthing look normal? or do I need to do something special?

EZskin dosn't change the diffuse map, so if yours is black and white, it will stay this way.

drat where is Ted Turner when you need him for some colorization. guess I need to play with photoshop

Bad info there. EZSkin will let you colorize the shader so monochrome becomes color.

However, it will do this for every zone. You'll need to run it twice and then mix and match the head/face zones. It's not hard.

Also, you could do this yourself in two seconds.

Any node plugged into a color parameter is multiplied with the value in that color chip. We usually use white, because white is 1, and 1 times x gives x. This means white color chips do not change what is plugged in.

But any other color will change it.

PS: In this forum, there are lots of people who, trying to be helpful, will tell you something is not possible. Usually, this actually means they don't know how. If you want to know how to do something with a material and somebody says it can't be done, just wait for me to notice before you react and seek alternatives.

Making a demo - please wait.

You can set S (saturation) to 0 and the skin will be shades of gray only.

Set the Col: value. Duh.

All of these parameters are of the HSV node. If you don't know what the HSV node does, do not answer questions about color in Poser.

PS - I mean no offense and speak briefly and rudely only because I have no time. I am paid by the hour.

thanks that will help a lot I want to create model of some of the old actors their all in black and white and there are some other people from the past I'd like to make as well but I wantthem to look natural. I'm getting my handle on how to use zbrush so I'll be able to make them later but this will work for now thanks

Thank you for your demo. It shows clearly that my answer was not "bad info". 

@ Radar_Foxbat

You state that you made a face in faceshop for M4 and that it shows in Poser all BLACK.
Is that correct? Or did I misunderstand?

If so, are you sure you did not losse the uvmapping?
Check and compare "your" face and M4's original face in uvpmapper free.

Question?
What happens if you connect M4"s texture to "your faceshop" face?

How did you load your face in Poser?
As a morph?

BB's info is correct, but nobody asked the question;
=>  How come your faceshop face is BLACK?

BLACK faces have been an issue in the past when textures where in the wrong place also.
The cr2 looking for them in one path, and the textures being in another.

It is a drawing.

Quote - ok I went there but I don't see any way to register is there a special link or what? I'm always looking for ways to make things look more realistic.

I have had to switch off registrations because the site was getting on average about 50 to 60 fake account registrations per day, even with anti-spam bot measures in place.

If you'd like to register please PM me and I'll make special arrangements.

Quote - Bad info there. EZSkin will let you colorize the shader so monochrome becomes color.

However, it will do this for every zone. You'll need to run it twice and then mix and match the head/face zones. It's not hard.

By the way, you can make EZSkin v2 ignore zones by temporarily setting the shader for them to 'ignore' on the 'Editor' tab.