I was wondering if I could get some opinions on which of these 2 products might be better for post-rendering work on Poser images. I'm familiar with Painter, but a lot of you make references to Photoshop and was wondering if there are advantages to using one vs the other (aside from the fact that recent changes at MetaCreations might make Painter obsolete). Thanks! Jeff

Go for Photoshop, Painter is being sold off. If you're short of money go for Corel Photopaint 8 or 9. -JH.

I agree with JeffH. PhotoShop is one of the best progs to work with. Much people are working with Paint Shop Pro which is a very powerfull tool too (and its much cheeper than PhotoShop). I think there is a demo for it but don't know where. Someone out there who knows? Don't know anything about Corel Photopaint because I never used it but as I heard it is a very good program too. Chris

Here is the link for Paint Shop Pro: http://www.jasc.com/download.html Chris

I have been using Photoshop since v 3.0. Coulden't do 3-D stuff without it. The layers and transparency/blending modes are the handiest thing in the world for making composite images from different renders. -Trav

I have both photoshop 5.5 and Painter 6 and also have photopaint9...also pp8...all of them part of my slow brain absorbtion rate....each has features that make them useful, all do the basic stuff. Until painter6, the layering aspect of photoshop made it easier to develop complex images, the floater approach not quite as easy to get the hang of. I started with 0 zero experience with these and first got corel photopaint 5. I think that the lighting in Painter 6 is far better and easier to use than that in either photoshop or photopaint, even pp8. Smudge and smear in photoshop and photopaint easier than painter6. The main advantage to painter 6 lies in the ease of use for nozzles and image pens, I find the gradient choices larger, and most mostly are the brushes. Wonderful real-like brushes. PP8 has the neatest lens flare effect; photoshop is very expensive and needs a lot more investment in plug ins; photopaint is less expensive and it has a lot of stuff if you have old versions by the way of extra stuff on the cd. I basically learned first with pp8 (easiest to use) then with the abilty to understand the concepts moved to photopaint then on to photoshop which to me is very powerful and quite stable. Painter6 is a bit cranky but I think they have most of the problems which seem to be related to the wacom or other tablet drivers. painter 6 is my favorite general graphic program, but when I have a more specific bit of work to do I go to Photoshop then to photopaint (except for the nozzle or image brush stuff).... long winded I guess.....hope it helps....

Hi Folks! Deciding between Painter and Photoshop (dismissing for the moment current MetaC issues) also involves deciding the ultimate path for your 3D graphic endeavors. As a desktop publisher, multimedia producer (including animation), and emerging web page designer, most of my images are designed for commercial or proprietary purposes (hence, why none have been seen here yet). Photoshop is great for me because I can use its tools so well with many other applications, especially those from Adobe. I've had a lot of success creating patterns in PageMaker (!), importing and processing them in Photoshop, and then exporting them to Poser and Infini-D as texture maps! Currently I'm experimenting with backgrounds and patterns that I edit in Photoshop and then animate using Premiere and/or After Effects. However, I have begun to take a liking to the Painter3D application that's bundled with the Poser4 CD. And its natural brushes seem to complement Photoshop's tools very nicely. All that being said, I'd like to suggest to you what I tell my students frequently:use the tools that work best for you. And if you can find a way to be eligible for the academic discounts that are available to teachers and students thru many software producers or resellers, use as many as you can afford to purchase. Hope this helps. Peter (Dr Zik)

heya; in my opinion, whichever one you work best with is the best one for you. i started with photoshop, so i know that best and can make it jump through just about any hoop. painter can do all or most of that, plus some special stuff 'shop can't do. but i never got the hang of painter the way i do 'shop, so i can't work it as well, and tend to fall back on my main graphics prog. so, i would say, do all your current stuff in your current prog (painter), and if there are things you find it difficult and impossible to do with that, then look into getting another one. otherwise, don't worry about it. ;)

Photoshop gets all the plug-ins made for it, but it's over-priced (unless you elect to shop at softlist.com ((which might be a good idea!)) Someone mentioned Picture Publisher which I think for price can't be beat, it's by MicroGraphx. I use photoshop and it gets my vote.

Don't forget to check the Used/outdated software outlets. You can often pickup outdated versions of high dollar software REALLY cheap. There is a place in my town called software outlet. They specilize in used, returned, open box, and NOS software.

The old software debate... (under the influence of the MetaC decision) I have both PS and Painter 6 and honestly I like them both for different reasons. The difference between the two for me has always been PS is more photo manipulation and Painter is a virtual artist's tool box. Both can do simular things, both can use 'plug-ins' and both are used by artists and non-artists. PS is expensive. Painter is relatively cheap in comparison. I like them both but in light of MetaC's decisions lately MetaC can kiss my ass. ;) ~DerekG