I thought it would be interesting to ask people about the free items for Poser that they actually use. I think one should confine the discussion to items that are still available for free. That would exclude the DAZ base figures that were free for quite a long time, but are not free any more. Also Adorana's dynamic hair and hair shaders.

When I look at how I use my huge collection of Poser content, a number of items come to mind:

Bagginsbill's Envirosphere, and SnarlyGribbly's EZskin. Used in almost every render.

The street construction set by mbhdesign which I downloaded from ShareCG about a year ago. It is a base set and a number of add-ons, all free. I even made dirt road textures for it, because it works so well. 

Ockham's period houses, cottages, kitchen stuff and other old things like telephones and so on. I often change the textures on these, but they are extremely useful to me, and I often use them. Greybeard's cottages and village buildings as well. 

Various trees from FreeFashion, d-jpp and others. I appreciate trees and plants. They get used.

FloorsNwalls by Richabri, from the Freestuff here. So simple, so useful.

Hobobo's nature scenes. Mostly used in promo renders for my own freestuff items.

I have masses of freestuff items downloaded, and I am always grateful for them. But it seems that some things get used much more than others, and others are still waiting for the opportunity to get used.

My "most used" is certainly Snarly's EZSkin.  That is a Poser must-have, and should be included by default with every future release of the software.  Baggins doesn't have many free items, but they are among the most useful I own.  The EnvSphere is my second most-used item, when rendering with Poser.

I don't always look for utilities either.  I also sometimes need objects, even though I model my own usually.  Whenever I look for free items to use in my scenes, I am often disappointed by the quality of either the mesh or the textures.  This isn't only an issue with Freestuff, it's sometimes an issue with paid items as well.  The quality can't always be trusted, just because you paid for it.

That said, there are a few people I know, when they release items, the quality is going to be high, so I always download their stuff.  LaurieA has some great freebies, which I always know are going to be modeled and textured very well.  I have almost all her freebies.  Luxxeon is another name I trust will provide incredibly high quality free objects, both in the geometry and the texturing.  The latter usually provides all texture maps that you seldom find in free items, like specular, bump, reflection, and translucency.  Very useful.  Also PhilC has some of the best freebies around, and always has.

There's a bunch of great freebies I've acquired on other sites too.  ShareCG has some quality stuff if you look around hard enough, and Turbosquid has tons, but most aren't intended for use directly in Poser. 

Rikugame's "Kona" figure has been the main character in my blog for 9 years, and she's been joined recently by MrSparky's Danbo figure.  (Both are somewhat modified and re-rigged.)

EZSkin

Scene Fixer

V4WM

BB Envirosphere

I don't do much rendering these days except for promo pics, but Snarly's EZskin and Baggins envirosphere.

Though it gets used in just about every render, I haven't used EZskin on the scene I'm working on currently: no skin in it. But Scenefixer is getting used, over and over. I can't imagine Poser without it. The fact that every other newbie problem can be solved by downloading and using one or the other of these utilities suggests that SM should send Mr. Gribbly a case of champagne, at the very least. 

Some of BB's shaders, posted in threads here. 

Most of all,while these things cannot be downloaded as such, the advice and assistance, discussions, and information that I've received in these forums have been irreplaceable, and get used in every single render I make.

The freestuff I  use most is a set of scene fillers. Things like ashtrays, boxes,  pizza boxes,  waste baskets, floor mats, chairs, phones, tvs etc.  Also some things like light switches for sets that dont have them.

There is a basement set I have used in a lot of renders, and several generic room sets.

Quote - I don't do much rendering these days except for promo pics, but Snarly's EZskin and Baggins envirosphere.

Okay, something makes my Poser 2014 crash when ever I try to use EZSkin on Roxie now, so that's gonna cut down the use a bit.

I use BB's envirosphere in most of my renders.

Scene Fixer gets a lot of use as well.

As far as characters, many of the ones I use the most are modified versions of V3. Rigging, UV's, and skeletal changes such as additional bones. I have a few versions of many of them. I still use other characters such as V4WM, Antonia, Roxie, and the other Poser characters.

I don't use Ezskin much, many of my renders have mixed/blended textures and Ezskin won't process those.

Scene Fixer and BB's envirosphere will probably top many peoples lists.

As above:

• BB 's sphere is default in my default scene.
• Scenefixer is mandatory.

Free stuff.
Long time ago, I used to be a colletor. LONG time ago, around the years 2000-2005.
Then I realised; What am I gonna do with all this stuff? ? ? ?
99% of what I collected was never used.
Most of it is on some lost CD or forgotten HD.

Do I wanna cook? Or go to Mc Donalds?
At Mc Donalds, you can eat, but is it exactly what you wanted?
So, I learned to model, first in anim8or, then in Hexagon, and now in Blender.

I still download stuff, from time to time when I realy like it, or see something I can learn something from.
Over the years, free stuff became less and less important, but I apreciate the effort as I understand the long hrs it takes to make, and am gratefull for each item.

Lately I have been uploading "end user friendly, one click drag-drop-conformed-themed-dressed items" myself, and more are to come for Rex and Roxie.

Why?
1; To thank the community for what Poser has given me over the years.
2; When making stuff, it makes you think harder and discover solutions.
3; You come in area's of the softwares you normally never use.
4; Somewhere out there, someone could perhaps find a use for it, as I did many-many moons ago.
5: And if I can share any of my knowledge, and someone, somwhere learns something from it? What more can you ask for?

Buy?
Sorry, I will never buy content again.
I bought 3 times in the past, (also a long- long time ago), and all 3 where way below any standard, and some of the free stuff available was WAY -  better quality.

Now, I build what I need or wanna share.
 
Happy Posering you all, and many thanks for all the great free-stuff out there.
Tony
 

BB's environ sphere is part of my start up scene. I have Snarrly's Scene fixer and Ezskin which get used regularly. D3d's figure to prop is another biggy as it helps me make more clothing dynamic. Most of my runtime is made up of freebies. I can't model much and my texturing is for crap. I also can't afford to buy much. I've had things on my wish list so long I've forgotten what I wanted them for.

Clothing for Rex, Roxie, Antonia.  And of course, my own structures, but that's what I made them for anyhow.

Wishlist would start with some formal clothing for the abive figures, suits, shoes, (something sensible, not six inch ankle busters) not enough casual wear either, some of which I'll probably never use.

Doric

Quote - I use BB's envirosphere in most of my renders.

Scene Fixer gets a lot of use as well.

Do you have links to BB's envirosphere and Scene Fixer?  I've been using indirect lighting a lot lately and the envirosphere sounds like a great tool.   Thanks!

This is a tough question. Since I started rendering in LuxRender, I've stopped using the two most used freebies that I couldn't live without for the longest time. 1: BB Sphere because Reality has its own props for that. 2: EZ Skin I don't use anymore also because Reality doesn't like the advanced materials it produces.

I think that everything I'm using now on a constant basis have been purchases and I seldom use freebies atm.

I render in Firefly these days because Reality doesn't support Poser dynamic hair. When it does, I'll go back to it.

I agree with Vilters about the reasons for making and sharing free stuff. In most cases, what I share is what I have made for myself to use.

Taking note of the need for clothes for Rex, Roxie and Antonia!

Skydome from glasseye (available at shareCG). 

It has some addtional extra texture sets as well producing a wide variety of skies. It can also be used when rendering in Octane and in combination with daylight gives a great result

(Quickly runs off to get that skydome)!

My most frequently used "Free" item for poser is DAZ Studio 2.3

it's Animate+ nonlinear motion clip system
is crucial to my animation work as I can quickly combine  character motions
(ala Autodesk$$ motionbuilder$$) and  export to animated pose files (PZ2) that I can use in poser and C4D with IPP.

Seconded by a batch obj import python script
( creator unknown to me)
that allows me to import hundreds of pieces of pre-fractured geometry from C4D to use with poser physics.

bill's envsphere. sine qua non