hornet3d posted at 3:37PM Tue, 28 April 2020 - #4387603

While I admire the effort that Renderosity are putting into Poser all I basically want to do is to use Poser to create art. After 11.2 was launched I was constantly being told there was an update available but 11.2 was working fine for me so I just turned off the update notifications. It remains the same in 11.3 so I can continue to play with Poser without having to constantly update. I trust that Renderosity will inform me when there is an update I really need to install.

See, there are different levels existing, where "update" is only a vague overall expression. In Poser 11.3.816 ,

11 is the version number, so Poser 12 would be called a new version. A new main version is usually called "upgrade", not "update", and usually for most existing softwares you pay for a new version, because the implemented new functionallity needs funding.

The second number, 3., is called a "minor release", it usually contains new functionallity but not to the extent of a new version. So the "minor release" offers you whatever new functionallity the developers offer, without asking you for a payment. In the latest minor update to 11.3. the main issue was the cut in the license support from Smith Micro side, which forced the new owner to release a minor update with a new licensing functionallity, so Poser wouldn't stop working only because Smith Micro had shut down their licensing server.

The third number, which was the topic of this thread (and which has, in my oppinion as OP, been fixed in the mean time) is the "build" number, also called "patch" number or "hotfix". This is a new status where the developers have not added new functionallity, but have fixed bugs. They are constantly working on solving reported issues, and when things get important enough to make a new build available quickly to those who suffer from problems, then a new build is being released. This can happen even after only a month or so, which is good, because the new builds are being done for reasons, there are customers who have problems and want them solved, while other customers may not even be aware, because they don't use elaborated functionality or they are on different operating systems or hardware or drivers. So basically, new builds are always a good and recommendable thing. Programmers don't do them just because they are nasty or feel bored, after all... However, like Tim mentioned above, if your system is running well, and you never encountered problems or reasons the way it works, then you can easily skip a build and just keep using the recent minor release. In this case, forget about the third decimal number. Only if you contact customer care and complain about a malfunction, these will most likely ask you to first try the latest build, because the malfunction mentioned may have been fixed already before with another build.

Skipping a minor release is a little different. Sure, if your system works well and you are satisfied with everything, you can skip it. But the latest Poser minor release 3 was done (and luckily early enough) to avoid shut downs of Poser due to server shut downs at Smith Micro. So in my oppinion: much recommendable. Otherwise you could just wait if a breakdown of Poser happens, then still do the minor update. In other cases, if you skip a minor update, you may be missing new functionallity which the developers have added, sometimes in advance for a new major version, when marketing department wants to add value to the running version and not wait for the full new release. So in my personal oppinion, also a "minor update release" in very most cases is recommendable to do. The new library function is an example for such an added functionallity free of charge, which people didn't want to delay until a new "major version" (which would be Poser 12) comes out. So they included it in a minor update, which was needed anyway to replace the dying Smith Micro licensing servers.

When it comes to cumulative software release notes, these are meant for customers to inform themselves about what has changed when, and which is the latest of them all, and such things. This way, every customer can read the history since his personla last update, and can judge and decide on his/her own, if they want to do the listed "minor" or "hotfix" update, or not. Like Tim mentioned above, the hotfix builds somehow cause problems for technical reasons to be included in the release notes. This is why he chose to now indicate the latest build number at least on the download page, so clients can verify which is the latest available and compare to their own installed build numer and decide whether or not to use the latest build. Now in this case, the improvement with hotfixes are not contained in the release notes. However, now you can at least check and verify on the download page, what is the latest status, and if you really want to check what has been improved with hotfixes, you can still ask in the forums or customer care. At least, you KNOW and can monitor the hotfix/patch builds, and maybe after a while decide to use a new build after numbers have gone high.

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Don't render faster than your artistic Guardian Angel can fly... ;-)

Poser 5 to Poser Pro 11, Lightwave 11.6.3, Substance Painter, Substance Designer, Substance B2M, Filter Forge 9, Blacksmith3D 6 Pro, Easy Pose 2, UV-Layout Pro, UVMapper Pro, Paintshop Pro 2019, Python, Pz3editor, PHI Hierarchy Builder, Headshop 12, Lux-Render, Reality3D, numerous utility programs