There is a test image of using, bump maps , texture maps and shine maps9 reflections. I folow exact the instruction to create the texture maps exactly how they made by Final fantasy. I know that poser don't render to good but look on this image it is very simple painthing texture and how realistic it looks. Without the reflection map poser models will never looks real and if you ad reflection to the texture it will looks not good. We must talking with Cl about this setting in Poser5, what you think?

OOOOOOHHHHH ! ! ! very realistic ! ! ! impressive ! ! ! hope you are right with P5

i like the shine and the,ummm....,the other thing down there but the bump maybe should come down a hair or two,did i say 'hair'?a smigged,a little less bump map,looks good.....

If you use the setting of bump maps that I use by rendering of smal image you will get very sharp effect of the render like this one on the right side. I include the big image to show you the effect. I try to make this effect with Poser4 and I get not bad resultat. I will show you later the effect.

Poser's current reflection map ability is something that needs SERIOUS help. It really seems only good for trying to fake a generic shine for metal, etc. Poser's overwhelming strength lies in it's ability to manipulate figures, NO other 3D application does it as well, or extensively. BUT...Poser cannot render as well as those other programs, part of that is beacause we cannot correctly apply Reflection maps. If Curious Labs were to make the Reflection Map (also known as Specularity) attributes work like the other Poser maps's (Texture, Bump) we could render MUCH better skin. I would love to see Poser compete with much more expensive 3D programs by; 1.(At least)Fixing the Reflection Map, so one could correctly apply it to a model in the same way a Texture or Bump Map is applied. (with accuracy) 2.Giving the Transparency Map a slider value, such as the Bump Map has. 3.And, if they REALLY want to go further...Give Poser the ability to apply Diffuse Maps to a model. This is a much more subtle map, but can make a big difference in skin textures. This would make Poser 5 an even stronger contender with way more expensive programs. And, a better companion to your Deep Paint 3D... Agent Smith

Well I image the new rendering engine in Poser5 will have specularity mapping, maybe even diffuse mapping, since its going to be a raytrace capable one. ML

Agent Smith, you have whole right, but we can only hope that the Poser5 will include the all new maps settings. I test the reflection map with Poser and I get not the effect :-(

Yeah...I also have tried to making a Reflection map for use in Poser using the figures template, it just does not work. One can always take the figure into Bryce where you can apply a reflection map, but the point is to have Poser...self-sufficient. Does Curious Labs really have plans to make Poser 5 a raytracer? Is this for sure? (I hope hope) Agent Smith

if it is the case, hem, you may wait some patches to be released before buying it ! the first Poser 5 may have some bugs :-( !

"One can always take the figure into Bryce where you can apply a reflection map, but the point is to have Poser...self-sufficient." well, i don't know. as you stated rightly, poser is just best for, well, posing figures, and i'll be happy if it stays (and improve) that way. there are lots of things that could be improved there. i don't want to copy my poser5 wish list here, but i'd like to see asap that conformed clothes take in concern the morphs of the figure they are conformed to. or, vertex editing and keeping the changes as morphs. poser will never achieve the results of "pro" renders just because it isn't supposed to cost that much. it renders good enough for hobby users (and they make the vast majority, imo) and the pros can export the figures via ppp to their favorite application. one thing: reflection maps and specularity maps are not quite the same. reflection describes what light bounces off the surface, specularity describes how the light bounces off. just for the record ;-)

Actually, I never stated that "poser is just best for, well posing figures". I definitely don't believe that. ;o) Oh, the improvements that could be made in Poser 5 that doesn't have to do with Maps or the rendering engine can be lengthy. And, I would love those issues to be dealt with (improved) as much as possible to help make Poser the figure/character king. Poser is, I believe, unique...I would like it to stay that way. Poser doesn't always render good enough for some hobby users. More and more users want better results because Poser is the only 3D program they own. I run into them all the time in the forum's. Yeah, I know Reflection & Specularity are different, I should completely read my own stuff before I hit "post reply"...lol. That actually is Catharina's point here, Poser's "reflection" does not equal specularity. I mostly want Poser (and Bryce (and myself)) to be better and better so I can compete with (thumb my nose at) high-end jockey's that vilify Poser as a 3D program. A long time ago I remember seeing Catharina's "Cathy" at www.raph.com, she got some harsh comments for even using Poser at all. I also have butted some high-end heads that see Poser (and Bryce) as just toys. I intend to show otherwise. Agent Smith

The image above show , texture maps bump maps and specularity maps and that is not render only Open GL. If Deep Paint can have it why not Poser5? I think it is not big problem.

Catharina besides the banter about what Poser can or can't do, I for one would like to learn how you got your results. You've created some fantastic work.

Director, that is why speak about what Poser can or not. For profesional work we need more. If you render the texture above in Poser4 you will never get this effect. That is only simple painthing texture but using the shine map you will get the realistic effect. What I can do if the software is not good for the best effect, there my work for Poser4 will stop if CL do anything more for the new Poser5. I go with the future and wish to have the best effect.

Catharina, I do use other apps besides Poser for rendering and post work. Frankly Deep Paint is one of my favorite ways to build texture maps. Just wanted to hear how you did it. Besides hey new things are discovered in poser all the time. Like how to fake global lighting with a quality similar to Lightwave's radiosity.

catharina, i admire your work and it would be really a loss for poser community if you stop producing. :-) but, as i said earlier, why not use poser as a posing platform and make your final scenes somewhere else? i'm working with p4&ppp and max3.1 and the results are really good. good enough to sell those illustrations. so i'd say, stick to what you can do best, i.e. poser for posing and max for rendering. i'd hate to shell out another bucks-pack for a professional renderer for poser.

DIRECTOR. I WILL GLAD MAKE A TUTORIAL BUT I NEED SOMEBODY TO HELP ME WITH MY ENGLISH TO CORRECT TUTORIAL WITHOUT MISTAKE. ALEKS I WILL NOT STOP WITH MY WORK, I DO MY WORK FOR LIFE AND NOT ONLY USING POSER4! I HAVE ALL SOFTWARES FROM MAX3.1 TO MAYA AND LIGHTWAVE6. WHAT I SPEAK IS ABOUT MY WORK FOR POSER USERS. THEY WILL NEVER GET THAT SELF EFFECT OF WORK WHAT I DO IF THEY DON'T HAVE BETTER VERSION OF POSER4. THERE ARE ALSO MY 3 YEARS EXPERIENTS WITH TEXTURING AND IT IS NOT SIMPLE TO TELL YOU ABOUT IN ONE LETTER WHAT I LEARN ABOUT 2.5 YEARS. I WILL TO GLAD HELP AND MADE THE TUTORIAL BUT IF SOMEBODY HELP ME AND I HAVE MORE TIME IN THE NEXT TIME.

:: ears ringing :: :-) catharina, i meant poser users...

I think it will be difficult for Curious Labs to implement reflection, because it means to add Ray Tracing in the Poser Rendering Machine.

Poser already has reflection. It is Specularity that is being shown here, and probably Diffusion. Curious Labs wouldn't implement it to the current version, it would be in Poser 5. MallenLane up there said Poser 5 will be a ray tracer...would love to be able to confrim that...

Catharina-- Since nobody else seems to have picked up on your comment about the tutorial idea and your limited English skills, I would love to help you put one together. Sooooo, I offer my services as your proofreader! (Of course qualifications available upon request...mine that is, everybody here knows yours!) David

I am just learning Poser. I was disapointed to learn that it did not ray trace. I have been working in 3D for about 11 years. I used to do wireframes and paint them manually. I began raytracing with Autocad 14 for doing manufacturing plant interiors. I would like to use Poser characters in Autocad

Hi Catharina, I would be more than happy to help with this after the new year. Thanks, Brandon "magnet" Bye the way, where did you find the instructions on creating textures like final fantasy? I would be very interested in lookin at them.