EClark1894 posted at 1:37PM Tue, 06 August 2019 - #4358761

cobalt posted at 4:46AM Mon, 05 August 2019 - #4358742

Animation layers have never been fully utilized within Poser. It's nice that you can create them, but it would be far better if you could create animation sequences on layers and set them to loop, or drag them around the timeline like clips in after effects.

Poser desperately needs a glow/lightbloom effect, too. This falls once again under the heading of "Why can Source FilmMaker do this but Poser can't?"

Additionally, I would like to see the following controls added to the image and movie texture shader components: Flip Horizontal, Flip Vertical, Invert, Rotate (by degrees)

Seriously, this needs to stop. It's okay to wish that certain features existed in Poser that aren't there now, but we've got to stop wishing that Poser can do everything any other app can do. The answer is quite simple. If you need something done that Poser doesn't do, make that app a part of your tool workflow. Otherwise, Poser will become prohibitively expensive. I remember when I first got into Poser, there were other apps that were more feature robust, like Maya, Lightwave, and 3DS Max. Lightwave, the most popular, was also the most expensive. A thousand dollars, if IRC. Even today, Maya is basically a subscription service. $195 a year, or 4 years for $4000 dollars.

Here's a video I found on Youtube about what happened to Lightwave. I think there's lesson in there somewhere. What Killed Lightwave?

OK, I knew I shouldn't look at the Poser forum, especially this thread, but curiosity got the better of me, and now I just have to say something. Sorry in advance for interrupting everyone's bliss.

Interesting that you post a link to a video that highlights what you seem to be doing here. I think it's also interesting that throughout most of the video, you could substitute "Poser" for "Lightwave", and it fits amazingly well.

Before I go any further though, I just wanted to mention that the features Cobalt mentioned aren't asking for the sun, but just asking for what other 3D software already has that she feels makes her life better. Also, I just have to add a minor correction (probably just a typo on your part?), Lightwave was not the most expensive, and in fact among the big names (at the time it's popularity started to wane), it was the cheapest. Making it's demise even more instructive.

Now for a few direct quotes from the video you linked:

"Lightwave became irrelevant due to an inability to change, a loss of key talent, and an actively hostile user community"

Maybe from where you, and other Poser faithful are sitting, this doesn't sound like what has happened to Poser. But for those who have moved on, and especially for those who have asked for Poser to have features and content available in DS also in Poser, it probably sounds quite familiar!

"There was incredible resistance to change in the Lightwave community."

Does this sound familiar? Even though some of the remaining faithful say poser needs to move forward, when someone posts about features they would like to see in Poser to help it compete with the competition (yes, DS/Iray has bloom), they get told to "stop it". Really????

"The final nail in the coffin of Lightwave was the user community, as previously stated, the users helped to retard the development of Lightwave at a crucial time, as many users left for other platforms. The only ones on the forums were the Lightwave hipsters. If you didn't like the way Lightwave was set up, or you found the software killing bug, the problems was you, never Lightwave."

This seems just like here (and the now defunct SM Poser forum), the Lightwave Community wasn't interested in knowing why people were leaving. Which is just insane, no business can ever succeed if they don't understand what their customers want. Keep in mind, with Lightwave they were leaving to use more expensive software. However, with Poser, many have left to use free software (though some have moved on to the "Big Boys").

"It became one of the most toxic groups I've ever encountered"

The exact reason I quit the SM Poser forum, and why I quit visiting this forum until Rendo bought Poser. Unfortunately their buying Poser didn't remove the toxic environment. If you really want to know how to improve Poser, and make it attractive for people again, you need to be better than the competition (assuming it remains a "paid for" product). You can't know what the competition does better by sticking your heads in the sand, plugging your ears, and going continually "nanananananana".

OK, now the Poser faithful can flame at will .... like they always do. I'll check back sometime to see if anyone really want's to have a real conversation about what I think Poser needs to become successful again. But my guess is like on the Lightwave forums, the Poser faithful really don't want my opinion, unless it's to say how great Poser is.

Peace out!

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