Going through 60 odd disks of poser stuff to get disks that make sense.. meaning i am going through every zip file.. and exe to see what goes where and to whom... ran into a snag.. Well a couple of them first snag.. morphs.. I love morphs but i have downloaded sooo many and placed them in a folder called morph expecting to know who it belongs to.. but noo i can't remember with filenames like fembreastuplift.zip which fem? Vicky? posette? and lo and behold noooo readme.. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Please please please include a readme in the morph packs so that people can tell which figure it goes too.. it would help when people download. second snag.. clothing.. characters.. okay everything but props.. same problem as above really filenames like whispertex.zip but nothing (even if there is a readme) as to what it goes to.. a cloak a prop.. a figure.. nothing.. i am as bad as anyone about this... but please a request.. in the readme's please add what the thing is and who it belongs to.. so that stupid people like me.. can figure it out when they start going through disks.. Please? pitiful puppy dog eyes Storm

ohh and props... can you at least include something about what it is.. Filenames like decal1 doesn't tell me what it is.. especially 2 years later when i can't even remember the prop itself.. Storm who is scratching her head trying to figure out how many tables and chairs and sofa's she really honestly needs.. looking at about 50 different files of them and a folder called whatthe.. with about 3oo files she will have to load into poser to figure out what theheck it is..

Storm, I was thinking about this the other day except I thought if the Poser community had standard naming conventions, everybody could figure out what was what by just the name. HOWEVER, the readme files are still useful when you're tracking down other info.

And I thought I was bad Storm! lol Marque, who is DREADING going through these drives.

I've gotten to where I put it in a folder that tells who it's for, under what it is. like P4fem under morphs. But still have tons of stuffage to go through before I started doing that...lol Marque

and I also save the pictures of the downloads, most you can tell for what it is when you look at the pictures. It is more work but I can work perfect with it...

Yup, everything in a folder right away, a folder with a relevant name like 'Vicki T'Pol Face Morph' and save the thumb. Then I use P3D0Explorer to page thru it all and see by the name of the folder and by the thumb what's what. So that means I create hundreds and hundreds of new folders every month, just for Poser freebies. But it's the only way. But in your case Storm, it's too late already :o[ :] FishNose

When I download stuff, I rename the zip files immediately, organizing them into categories like clothing, props, poses, weapons, vehicles, etc. I also make note in the filename as to which figure the download utilizes. And if there is no readme to identify the author, I add that information to the filename also. It often makes for some long filenames, but I can find anything in my collection in seconds with a simple filename search.

With you all the way on this one. I just downloaded a file from poserstyle, super dress, but no readme at all. Guessed it would unzip to the poser directory and it did. BUT how much help is this to a newbie? I try to label my readme files to give some idea. And on my pc I have started a folder called readme and guess what I store in there, renamed if necessary. It doesn't take up too much room, and is very helpful.

I've found a really easy way to keep track of all the downloads. 1.) Make folders according to major categories. Examples: Vicky, Mike, P4, Poses, Props, Scenes. 2.) In each major category, subdivide: a.) Clothes b.) Hair c.) Textures etc. 3.) Always download thumbs whenever they are available. You're looking at them when you download the file! If a "thumbnail size" picture isn't available, download the one you found anyway. You can always reduce it later or create a thumb of your own. 4.) Always save the original zip file. It is your salvation if your copy gets corrupted or lost. The original zip file should include a readme file. My system is very easy to maintain. You don't need to go through all the extra work that many people have described here. Yes, you need to go over the stuff you've already collected to setup the system. But people were ready to do that anyway! *** I agree that people should include readme files in Free Stuff and Merchandise. Readme files should contain 1.) The identity of the creator, including an email address, and the real name (unless the creator only wants to be known by an alias.) 2.) A clue as to where the download came from. (in case someone else wants to know where to get it.) 3.) Information on the item itself. Is it a shirt for Vicky or Mike? Is it a sword for Conan, or for Blibo Baggins. 4.) Licensing information. Is this for commercial or non-commercial use? Do we need your permission to use for commercial use? Will you make it possible for us to contact you? That's a start, anyway. Ron 

Same thing I do here too, but then again, I also have a folder called WTF hehe EA

I do exactly what Little Dragon does. I rename the file at the time I download it, and I go a step further and add the name of the person who created it to the file name. I also save them into cagegory folders, and when they gets full enough, I burn them to a CD and delete from the hard drive, then start over. I even do this with DAZ and PWFW items. I add DAZ or PWFW to the beginning of the file names so I can spot them quickly in my lengthy list of downloads so I can sort them into their folders. As for the readme files, that's been one of my biggest annoyances. I've found so many old downloads that have absolutely no readme file. Just a 3DS file or a CR2 and rsr but nothing else. No identification or contact info in case there's a problem or if I want to get permission to use it for a possible commercial project. Nothing. I know that this does not change the copyright law and the creator of the item still holds the copyright, but I really do think that, due to this carelessness on the creator's part, he/she has no right to complain if they discover their items being used improperly. It doesn't mean the item becomes public domain in any way, and the person using it improperly is not excused because of the absence of a readme, but if someone uses it wrong, the creator of the item only has him/herself to blame for incorrect usage. Please, artists, protect yourself if nothing else. Be sure to put in that all important readme file with appropriate information. Melanie

About a year ago I was trying to render all the Super Hero figures I'd downloaded at 3D Comic Collective. I'd lost track of the credits, and posted a request that the artists visit my site to let me know who did what characters. I couldn't believe that the majority response refused to visit my site and look through the renders in order to receive proper credit. Instead, they said I should do the homework. So I did.. Then I started a text file with the credits listed. I've since dumped the list. If the artists want credit, it should be in the readme files. I manage to keep them now. I've since moved to "real people" as the main emphasis, and sometimes do super heros... It's easier to keep track now.

Well When I started downloading stuff, CDRW's were verrrrrrrrrrrrrry expensive so all i could do to save things was save them on floppy, mannnny floppys over a 100 of them. then I got a CD-RW and wow I could keep more. I tried 2 different systems at first.. doing them by catagory then by artist.. now going through them I am finding that didn't work ow I am doing it by catagory and item like mike/hair/beard or whatever and saving thumbs and renaming what i download but that doesn't solve the problem of my older cd's which i am trying to conform to this new system I have soo much, things I bet people won't even remember unless I do renders with it. by people that aren't around anymore (or at least by usernames that aren't being used anymore) remember JJ and his photorealistic textures for P3 males and females? Or the anus prop. or textures for poser3 stuff.. i have so much it isn't funny and still daily i download at least 10-15 items.. Sheesh

Oh, yeah! I have several old boxes with floppies filled with downloads. That's when they would actually fit onto a floppy. A lot of the new downloads are so huge, you can't get even one onto a floppy anymore. I had to get a CDRW. There was no way around it. Melanie

And please don't just call it "readme" cause that is almost as bad :) .. call it something descriptive please ... like "blue smurf readme"

Definately Melanie. I remember when four or five things would fit on a floppy sometimes more.. now.. forget it L Ghost.. Definately.. like something stormrage_fantasy armor_readme DESCRIPTIVE!!

What a relief to learn it's not just a newbie thing to have archives stuffed with mystery stuff! Has anyone ever written an app for generating thumbnails directly from a 3D file??? (without us having to prerender) I'm dreamin' aren't I?! Did a search on MSN, but no luck......sigh.

P3DOExplorer will peek at your thumbs before you open the folders.

hauksdottir as far as i am able to see the p3doexplorer will show rsr's and maybe some png's but that's it.. and therein lies another problem/complaint.. some people don't include the RSR's AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKK!

Oh gods... my empathies. I'm still trying to sort out 8 gigs of stuff into categories of: Clothes, props, guns, tables, chairs, hats, Posette, Vicki... I may be finished sometime next year, and then I can burn it all to CD. ;]

next year for only 8 gigs??? looking at 60 cd's.. 700 mb each.. each full.. 700x60=42000 divide that by 1024;...awwwwwwshit.. 41 gigs.. one year for each 8 gigs.. 5 YEARS!!!!!! ohhhh no sound of weeping

Storm, I have one really freaky floppy disk that somehow I had managed to get 6 megs onto!!! Don't ask me what in the heck I did to achieve that fantastic feat. It was a compressed floppy, but I've never seen anything like that. It's so weird. I've never deleted that one, just because it was so funny. Melanie

60CD's, stormrage????!!!! you're trying to drive the broadband revolution your self lol

Heh heh. I'm lazy - I put off sorting crap out until I positively have to. ;]

Stormrage, it might be time to upgrade to a DVD burner. And possibly therapy. :)

Ironbear, I am one of the laziest people you would ever meet. My wife loves to tell me so! I discovered a decade ago that a good organization plan is the best friend of lazy folks like myself. If you begin with the plan in action, you do far less work than you would weeks or months later. Oh, but you know I'm never consistent even with my own wisdom. I'm on my 4th or 5th revision of my collection. This time around I've discovered a great program called Offline CD Browser. This program will read your cd's and create catalogs. You can find something! I've recently reinstalled everything on my computer, and got a new job. Things are a bit hectic now, so my reoganizing project is on hold once again!

Flak.. S Actually more like 65 disks..but that isn't just Poser stuff.. it also includes obj's and max files and such i know i can use in poser later.. things that caught my eye.... Little Dragon.. Don't I know it S Ron.. L I have a catalogue program but it just doesn't help with my current order... so i am fixing it.. will take.. five years but... It will be done! LOL

I'd planned on joing the "Procrastinator's Club," but I keep putting it off.

I realized some time back that I better add "v_,P4,etc," to the file names when I download 'em. I also save the thumnails..or make one if I need to. Still try putting them into folders...tyring to reorganize now. Thank goodness for P3DOExplorer too. Now to go through all these damn cds....eeeeww. Beav

Thanks, but prolly won't help. I begin with a plan, but I detest organising files and drive sorting... so I work at it for a bit, then open up a graphics prog and start putzing around with something else. Or I find a zip I didn't realise I had, go "What's this? and fire up poser to check it out.... And that derails any file organising for the night. ;]

Well I sort 'em as I download. (clothes & textures, clothing props, props, characters, Mike & Vic, etc.) Most of the major categories has subcategories - props has about 30. I'm just sorting the clothing/clothing textures into subcategories now because it has finally overflowed one CD. sigh (male, female, SergeMarck, poser orig, other figure, and armor) And then when I run out of space on the scratch drive (or hit 1200 megs) I combine the new stuff with the old and reburn my entire poser library. That way everything of a type is together. Doing it right now in fact. Now I'm up to 9 CD's (including my own stuff, purchased stuff and PWFW subscription stuff) It's a little annoying sometimes - especially now that I'm burning 9 CD's - but I can find anything very very quickly. THank god. Lyrra

I used to put everything in a big archive, to sort it out weekly. This worked fine, but stopped working once I got my Millenium People - since then, I have a file structure for organizing the zips. I but it in the right folder when downloading, so I have not much work afterwards.

I just spent a few hours at a friend's house, trying to help sort files and figure out what she had and where she had it. Yes, my download and categorization method takes a bit of time... but without a system? That way lies frustration and despair! It doesn't really matter how you organize, but organization is essential. Carolly

As I said, I'm a lazy guy. I see no need to rename anything as long as I use a folder structure, and thumbnails, which help me know what I have.

Ironbear, you sound like me when I'm cleanout out a cupboard or something. I'll discover a bunch of letters from an old friend, or some old family pictures, and I'll get sidetracked looking through those things instead of getting on with the job. LOL Melanie

Heh heh. Yeppers, Melanie. I hate drugework, I'm easily amused, and easily distracted - bad combination for getting files sorted, working in autoCad or anything else my mind classifies as BORING!. ;]