I'd like to see the ability to render only a section of an image. Like say I'm working on the lighting for a prop in the background or something - If I could draw a bounding-box around it and then just render that portion, I think that would be a neat feature (especially if there's a transparancy applied to the prop for example). And I think it would save time in developing images. Just an idea.

Truespace has that feature. "render portion of screen" drag a rectangle around the area you want to render, this would be very nifty for Poser 5, I agree. Alex

If it's not there already it probably won't get in there. If you'd make the suggestion more formal go to CL's website. They have a wish list there. Most likely, your best bet is to wait for the P6 wish list.

I'd like to have a THE DEFINITIVE, comprehensive step-by-step manual/book for us budding custom model creators on how to fully import & setup our character designs into the program. (Something like that new Lightwave Character Animation book)

I'd also like a plug-in or two for Lightwave, so I can make morph targets for the existing characters without the computer telling me that the point count is wrong. I would prefer to avoid using Ray Dream if I can...

Looks like Poser 5 is going to have built-in morph making. Look at the Putty Tool in one of the screen shots Kupa posted in the California Dreaming thread :-b (tongue hanging out) Anthony at Curious Labs is going to give us a first-rate user manual. And I think Bloodsong has said she is working on a book - bound to have lots for modelers. Won't see the "definitive" book, 'cause folks here will immediately start experimenting and inventing with the new goodies, and we'll be off and running all over again...

Man, I'd kill for that selective rendering. Most of the time I spend rendering is just checking one or two things, but I have to wait for all of it, and when I have some intense lighting going on, it means either ditching the lighting and doing it later, or keeping it and slowing everything down for the lights. Ooof!

selective rendering is one of my favorite features in bryce especialy after I've spent hours rendering the whole scene only to find out one small item is out of place. render the section save the image and cut and paste the section into the original scene in PaintShopPro if you render the images the same size you don't even have to reposition your selection. I've saved tons of rendering time with that feature. seems like common sense and probably everyone is doing it, but boy did I hit my head when I figured out that one. 13cents, 14cents, 15cents....

"Selective rendering"? Couldn't you get pretty much the same results if you set up or added a special camera for zooming in on the area you're interested in, and switching to that camera for test-renders? Or even easier, just storing a preferred camera position in a dot so you can switch back after zooming it in for a quick render? If you set render options to a relatively small render, it wouldn't take very long. ...Or perhaps I'm just not viaualizing the problem properly....

no zooming in does not as significantly shorten render times as rendering small selections, the other issue is that you are changing perspective with a zoom which can significantly change the composition, therefore negateing my favorite cut and paste trick.

Bryce has the spray can that will render only the section you point it at. I would love to see this in Poser. I've occasionally mistakenly gone to reach for it, and remember it's over in Bryce. Phooey! :) Melanie

As far as rendering it would also be nice to see radiosity caustics at a 'very' photorealistic level too. Like light refracting throughout a cracked peice of thick glass. Alex

I was looking at the screen shot of the Materials page, and one thing I didn't see was an IOR control. Index Of Refraction defines how transparent materials bend light, and it's absence in Poser 4 is why we can't make realistic water and glass. I hope the boys at CL plan to include IOR in Poser 5's otherwise excellent looking materials editor.

Not having selective rendering in P5, would be almost as unforgiveable as the length of time it's taken to get P5 to the market. Let's hope it's there...