Hello my name is Ben and I have just started using version Poser 4.0..I have downloaded some hair,clothing,etc..For figures and since I am new I don't know anything about downloads about Poser 4.0..So here's the thing,I download the file,open the .zip,then get a file with the windows picture on it and it asks "Open with.."..I put Poser but it still doesn't open it up..I mean the Poser opens but not the hair..Can someone please explain what they usually do,even if it's not related at some times..I need help.Thank you for reading.

The types of files that Poser reads directly are *.pz3. These are the actual scenes that you create. All the other files -- *.cr2 (character), *.hr2 (hair), and so on -- are loaded INTO a *.pz3 file. They're not opened by Poser directly, but loaded into a scene file IN Poser. So, what you're supposed to do is start up Poser, then load your other files, like hair and props, from the menu bar on the right side. Hope this helps :-)

You may even need WinZip program to open the .zip file.

Ok, the files you download for poser do not have an icon of their own, and don't need to be opened with a particular program, even Poser, which is normal ;) If you look at the files you'll see that they have their own extensions, like "rsr", or "cr2" or "pp2" or "hr2", etc. What Poser does is have these files inserted in specific folders in your Poser 4 folder, and when you load Poser, it will "know" where everything is, and load it whenever you wish. To explain: RSR and CR2 go into your Poser4/Runtime/libraries folder (and sub folders if you create your own) OBJ files go into the Poser4/Runtime/Geometeries folder (and any sub folders) PP2 & RSR files go into the Poser/Runtime/libraries/props folder (Props) (and any sub folders) HR2 files go into Poser4/Runtime/libraries/hair folder (Hair) (and any sub folders) FC2 & RSR files go into the Poser4/Runtime/libraries/faces folder (Face) (and any sub folders) CM2 & RSR files go into Poser4/Runtime/libraries/camera folder (Camera) (and any sub folders) LT2 & RSR go into Poser/Runtime/libraries/lights folder (Lights) (and any sub folders) HD2 & RSR files go into Poser/Runtime/libraries/hand folder (Hands)(and any sub folders) Actually, the RSR files shown above are sometimes created automatically by Poser, or they are included with the thing you have downloaded. To illustrate: if you downloaded a prop file, for example, you will get two files: PP2 and RSR, and you would put them in the Poser4/Runtime/libraries/props folder (or a folder within this which you created yourself). When in Poser, you'd go to the Props library (on the right of the screen in Poser), and click the prop. It'll then be loaded into the scene. Hope that's helped you, I was doing it from memory so if anyone points out an error in my instructions, I apologise, and it'd be great if they added a correction ;) Good luck, and welcome to Poser :) JoeBlack

Actually, in that last example, I forgot to mention that you'd also get an OBJ file which would need to be put into the Poser4/Runtime/Geometries/props folder - this OBJ is the actual 3D object itself to be loaded, and must be present for it to work. Joeblack

Attached Link: http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=winzip&tg=dl-2001

I think you find if you do a search for WINZIP then download and install that you will be able to open the zipped poser files. .zip files are files containing other files in a compressed format (in this case the poser files) If i did it right clicking the link will take you to a download for it. Good Luck!

Not too sound harsh...but did you bother to read the manual? That would be the first place to start :) ~EA

That was my first thought, seems like that would be the first thing you would open up, at least that's what I went for first. Course, didn't stay with it for long, but it does give you the basics. Marque

But then again, one must admit that there's a certain rush when you first get it home and installed on your computer! You know, you just can't wait to start it up and set up a scene - and the manual seems so big at that moment. Once the "OH COOL!" rush wears off, the manual will be there. Best thing I found to do was pull in a character or two and then as I read the manual, I'd try the things as I read them. My .02 worth. -Viper1

I read the manual only after everything else has failed. In this case, though, I don't think he really opened up the zip file yet ... with winzip.

Right... because if he had opened the zipped file, there is a good chance that a readme file would be there next to a runtime folder, and that the readme would mention what was included and where it should go.

Windows or Mac? (bellonicovix never said which)

Attached Link: http://www.powerarchiver.com

As far as I could make out, bellonicovix said he tried to click the poser-type files (cr2, pp2, etc) and got the "open with" dialog - "then get a file with the windows picture on it" - so evidently he already has a zip program ;) He was mainly asking about the actual file types that go into the libraries for things to be loaded, not necessarily the pz3 files, the scene files. Downloads for poser in the freestuff galleries are mainly clothing, hair, props, lights, and so on - not always complete pz3 files. BTW: Powerarchiver will open the SAME types of zips WinZip will open, and it's free ;) JoeBlack

Well, at least when I got powerarchiver it was free - now it appears its all gone shareware. Typical :( Sorry JoeBlack

Stuffit Expander is still free and will work for both Macs and PCs. :)

I use Pinstall it does all the work for you :)