@EClark: let me try. When you copy an object in your scene, all those copies have properties of their own, so any adjustment have to be made multiple times. In material, pose, anything. When you "instance" an object instead, then all instances follow the leading object and you have to alter properties, pose, ... only once; the rest will follow.

The downside is that objects will look (too) similar and the result will look as computer generated. So Vue takes serious efforts to make variances when instancing trees into a wood.

Edit: Xpost with WandW. But in addition: the memory-save is in scene-building only. At rendering, all the surface elements need to be there... Watch Vue when rendering out a 1000 tree wood (or the 10.000 plant meadows as in my galleries at the moment).

Personally, I prefer Poser to be good at its own portion of the workflow, instead of doing all the jobs (poorly). When I need instancing, I use Vue. Like I use all the other tools for the trade. But that's me.

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Usually I'm wrong. But to be effective and efficient, I don't need to be correct or accurate.

visit www.aRtBeeWeb.nl (works) or Missing Manuals (tutorials & reviews) - both need an update though