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New Poser Users Help F.A.Q (Last Updated: 2025 Jan 04 2:41 pm)
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@skipdouglas: you did not specify which base model you own. Poser does come with some legacy models. Explore those first before investing money into models which may not suit your needs. DAZ still offer the older generation 4 models like Victoria 4 and Michael 4. Given your lack of expertise, I would stay away from the Genesis models entirely until you've gained some experience with the software and manipulating models. There are other sites that offer different base models, and some for free. Your reference to characters pertain to specific morphs created to change the base model to something else entirely different. But for those to work correctly, you must have the base model and, perhaps, additional morph packages.
Hi< I've only been using poser for about 18 months, so I remember lots of things people take for granted that you know but you don't so I hope I can be of some help. When I first used poser I assumed I would need different figures for every different character I wanted, I didn't understand morphs and character packs. Basically, you have the base figure upon which you can add morphs, which change the figure shape, and textures, which change the look of the skin. The best way I can think of illustrating this is if you load Alyson 2 into a scene. In the dials you will find fbm dials .This stands for full body morphs, and allows you to make her fatter, thinner, more muscular, pregnant etc. In the materials library you will find different textures for Alyson which change her skin. Alyson has the morphs built in. But some figures, such as Victoria 4 from DAZ have very few morphs built in and you can buy morph packs which add these to the figure. You can also get character sets for figures. These often come with morphs and textures. The morphs can be "custom morphs" which work on the base figure, or dialled morphs which essentially change the values of the morph dials to get the desired shape, and usually require you to have the relevant morph packs. Textures will normally work on the base figure. Using poser 10 you will at some time almost certainly want to get Victoria 4 from DAZ and probably Michael 4 as well. These figures work exactly the same as the poser figures, but have morph packages instead of many built in morphs. Victoria 4 is probably the most supported 3d figure in terms of clothing and character sets in the world, and Michael 4 the most widely supported male figure. You will also need the morphs ++ sets for these figures. But don't rush out ot buy these, that can work out very expensive. DAZ has plenty of sales, and at times has given them away free. Keep an eye on what is happening at DAz, and definitely don't buy them at full price. Look out for discounted bundles including them. In the mean time, there are character sets available for the figures included in poser. In my opinion the best is Anastasia for Alyson 2 available here and Rendo. This also includes Tyler for Ryan 2 as a bonus. Also there are a couple of sets available here for Rex and Roxie, just use the search market place. At Content Paradise you can find character sets for Sydney and Simon (look under G2 male and female, Smith micro G2 refers to these figures, which is not the same as G2 referring to DAZ genesis 2 figures.} Note check which G2 figure character sets are for, there are additional SM G2 figures, JessiG2, Olivia, Jamesg2, Koji and Kelvin, which can be bought at CP. Clothing for SM G2 figs will fit any SM G2 of same sex, but textures and morphs are character specific. You can also find some for other figures supplied with poser. If you want to buy new base figures, consider the Miki figures from SM at CP. Miki 4 is the latest, and there are quite a few character sets available for her, especially some lovely ones from Tempesta. Hope this has been some help, and sorry if I've rambled on, just got back from the pub!
Ok. First I would set up a new library in Poser. As you get more content you will need to keep it organised so it's best to start that way. Assuming you are using a windows machine (I've never used a Mac) in your public documents create a folder called "Victoria 4" or whatever you want to call it. In this folder create another folder called runtime. Now open Poser. At the top right hand corner or the library window is an icon with of a folder with a plus sign onit. Click on this and it will open an explorer window. Navigate to the new folder called runtime you created in the Victoria folder and select this and click on the open button at the bottom of the explorer window. Poser should now add a library called Victoria 4 to your library window. At present this will be empty. At DAZ you have the option of a manual download and download the files, or you can search where the DAZ install manager has saved your files it has downloaded. These will be zip files. Unzip the files and copy the folder called runtime to your Victoria 4 folder, this will add all the files . If poser is still open you will have to refresh the poser library (A little round circle thingy which you will see if you have folder selected, or just close and reopen Poser) and your files will be there. For other vendors the process is easier, provided when you look into the zip files you get runtime as the first folder you come to. With these just download the zip files and in poser 10 go to the content tab and it gives you an option to install from zip file and lets you select which library to put it in. I would advise against putting anything you buy or download as freebies into your poser 10 folder, as if you upgrade poser at some time in the future you get a runtime with all the current content plus some new content, so you don't want to have to go back to your poser 10 library. I also wish I hadn't used the default Downloads library as this also has problems when upgrading. One other thing, I don't know DAZ install manager does if you don't have DAZ studio installed, if it's created a folder called MY DAZ 3d library, you can use the procedure above to just add that library to poser.
DIM works regardless whether or not DAZStudio is installed. Under settings, you need to add the newly created external runtime and have the app directly point to that runtime. DIM will automatically install all the necessary files from within the content folder of the DAZ zip. Just be aware, DIM will only work with DAZ-centric zip files. Content from any other site will not work in DIM. Your other alternatives are clearly posted above.
Thanks for all the help. I've spent an hour and a half trying to do this. I finally got the victoria folder in my poser library, but am struggling to get the victoria 4 figure loaded. I tried both a manual download of the daz figure and unzipping the other way. I just can't figure it out yet. Sheesh! The first time is always the hardest with something new. I want to use the victoria character in a short animation to show my wife for our wedding anniversary (41 years) next monday.
Check that Poser has added the needed folders to the runtime folder in the Victoria folder. In the runtime folder there should be folders called libraries, textures and geometries. In the libraries folder there should be folders character, pose props. face, hair, hands, camera scene, Don't worry if there are extra folders (and I might have got some of the names wrong). If they are there then it is just a matter of getting the files from the v4 zip file to the right folders.
The issue at this particular instance, is the way DAZ has repackaged it's content. In the past, DAZ used executable installers to load content into the runtimes. Now, the new zip format has an additional folder in which the Poser runtime is nested within. This is where manual extraction gets tricky. Straight file decompression into your chosen runtime folder will only disorganize the folder hierarchy order, or if you manually move files from a temp folder, or within the zip program itself, you will need to disregard the Content folder and only move those files within to their new location. That is why it is easier to use DIM with the DS zips, provided that you already have an established external runtime ready to accept them.
Thanks you guys! You are so much help. I got victoria loaded. Sheesh! Still having trouble loading the dress, but it will come. I appreciate you putting your help in plain english. Others have spoken in in a techno language I don't yet understand. I don't know protocols here yet, but Nails, I would like to be able to stay in touch with you from time to time. You keep things simple and easy to understand. Thanks again for all your wonderful help!
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I feel like I'm the only guy who has lots of questions! Sheesh! So, I want to add a second character to my scene. I've looked at a number of tutorials on this. The just do it or make it happen, but skip how they separated them as the second loads over the top of the first. Again, it's probably something simple. Help! Thanks everyone for all your expertise! One sidebar question. In purchasing new male and female characters, do I go to DAZ for them? Do they work perfectly with Poser 10? This is all new but so fun!