can i have 2 separate PP12 installs on the same pc?

i'd like to do a separate install of PP12 to try the SR3 and Snarly's morphtool stick.

but without doing any damage or changes to my existing PP12 install or to my existing Que Manager install.

err.  i don't want SR3 to make any changes to my apps/poser folder either. separate apps/poser folders somehow?  
i don't remember the install asking me where i want my app folder.

i just backed myself into a logic corner.

is it better to just wait til i can pick up a cheap 64 bit pc for SR3?

You can have two. I have three.

Make a backup of your preference files (or let the installer do this). Both installs will use the same preferences

Everytime a new sr comes out, I just copy the Poser folder as a backup and then apply the sr to the original Poser. I now have a vanilla PPro2012, PPro2012 sr1, PPro2012 sr2, PPro2012 sr2.1 and now PPro2012 sr3. I never install a new sr pack on my only install in case of a fubar event :)

If you have a fast system, reinstalling the original and applying an older service release takes only a few minutes. So you don't need to keep all the copies. The easiest way is then to uninstall Poser, install the original release (use compact), then apply the service release you want. The uninstall does not remove new items from the library, so they are all still there

For me it's easier just to backup the folder as then I don't have to bother reinstalling my main Python scripts each time, plus it's also handy just in case some scripts need updating due to the sr packs, as I can still use the prior versions if I need to. Each to their own though.

If your concern is keeping your custom preferences, just select the last option, keep your prferences,

Quote - If your concern is keeping your custom preferences, just select the last option, keep your prferences,

If you want to roll back completely, you have to make a backup of the preferences. If you want to keep them in the new install and also have a backup, do it manually. The preferences are shared, so if the new install corrupts it or makes changes to them, they will also be applied to the other install. If you want to avoid that, make a copy.

Copying the complete folder to another location to keep old installs has the same problem - the same preferences are used.

Thanks everyone!

i was hoping to keep the installs completely separate, including profile folders.  oh, the dilemma

Have you got an external hard drive? Because I've done it that way and it worked out very well.

Quote - Have you got an external hard drive? Because I've done it that way and it worked out very well.

I'm sure it worked well, but that has absolutely nothing to do with external hard drive.

I have all my Poser installs right next to each other and it also worked out very well. It has for 7 years.

The issue of the conflated preferences, however, is not addressed with or without external hard drive. You don't get to say where your preferences are.

Same here, but I've never tried doing two versions of the same Poser install with different service packs on the same drive before. Not sure how -- or if -- that'd work.

Quote - Not sure how -- or if -- that'd work.

I'm at a loss for words why you're expressing your doubt. I have now said 3 times that's exactly what I've been doing for years.

By the way - look on the about box of Poser - my name is on it. Perhaps that will help you stop being unsure if that'd work.

Hm, I learn something new every day. Been fighting with Windows 7 all week, finally had to give up and reinstall it, so now I am busy putting everything back. Except whatever bug that borked it for me, I hope. So far I have managed to get Poser 8 & 9 working to my satisfaction, though I have noticed one of my favorite light sets -- a freebie by Daio -- does not look at all good in P9. Too many shadows in all the wrong places. And I am not too fond of the base Poser lights that load up when you open it. Recommendations? 

Recommendations for lighting? One infinite light plus my EnvSphere, and turn on IDL.

That's like 90% of my images. Another 9% use no lights - just IDL and the EnvSphere.

About 1% use more than one light.

I don't believe in "buying" lights. I don't have a "favorite" light set, although as I said I do have a favorite scenario.

Darn, but that looks good. Gotta try it out -- tomorrow when my brain is working again. Think I'm gonna like Poser 9 a lot if it can do tricks like that. 

Poser 8 can do that. IDL was introduced in Poser 8. Inverse square falloff was introduced in Poser 8.

Poser 9's main visual improvement is subsurface scattering, something I did not use in any of the images above.

Is invesre square falloff a default setting or is it something you have to set up mathmatically?  I remember there was a mathnode version, but can't remember if there is an intergraded one or not.

Your scene will not move at all with or without the sphere.

The sphere is just a BIG BALL surrounding your present scene. => see the documentation.

I think you messed up your camera's positions.
Just put them back to normal distances and angles.

No lights. (Mostly) There is one small spotlight. Can you find it?

 

I'm guessing it's attached to the actual spot light prop, second from the left?

I was going to comment that one could create a Windows batch file to rename separate preferences directories and load a particular Poser SR, and realized this thread was from 2012... :D