I had assumed that "forceLimits" was a Boolean on/off switch with values of 0 or 1, recently I have noticed the line "forceLimits 4" quite often. Can someone shed some light? What values does it take, and what do they mean?

Another one I saw recently, and can't find now, was something like "ik_channels". What does that mean?

I really must have a shot at Curious Labs over this, they produce a manual that is full of useless information, and in a style that is practically unreadable, and don't tell you any of the stuff you really need to know, like the structure and syntax of Poser files :(

The difference between ForceLimits 1 and 4 is roughly this: ForceLimits 1 on a parameter can be overridden by the main "UseLimits" switch on the figure. ForceLimits 4 says "I really mean it this time!" and can't be overridden. (Since 1,2, and 4 are the values of the lowest three bits in a binary number, there must have been an intended meaning for ForceLimits 2 in some programmer's mind; but I've looked through the Poser code and I see only file-reading actions for 0,1,4.)

Also, I vehemently agree with your comments about the Poser manual. It's better than most for getting beginners started; I actually used it a few times when I was starting out. (And should have used it more.) But its advanced material is way out of phase, as you say: lots of info on things that nobody uses, and no info on the interesting parts.

Thanks ockham - that's a real useful bit of info. I too thought it was just a binary switch!

Well, I don't know if 'forceLimits' 1 or 'forceLimits' 4 makes any difference. I think 'forceLimits' is a flag, which can be 0 (off) or any other value (on). If you choose for example a 'forceLimits' 1, 4, 32, or -100 in the library code, Poser sets the flag always to 4. That's why I'm using 4, because this is the 'correct' value. But you can choose 1, -100, 666, or something else, if you like. All values force the channel to the 'min' and 'max' limits. BTW, if you activate the 'Use Limits' menu command, the 'useLimits' flag in the 'doc' clause is set to 1, which forces all channels to the 'min' and 'max' limits (including the channels of cameras, lights, etc.). The 'useLimits' flag doesn't lock the dial itself (the slider in the dial palette), whereas the 'forceLimits' flag forces the channel values and the dial to the 'min' and 'max' limits. I guess the 'forceLimits' flag is stored in the third bit of a binary value, which is the integer value 4. The 'customMaterial' flag is stored as 0 (off) or 32 (on), for example. This could be the sixth bit of a binary value.

VK is right, and I was wrong. I thought that I had observed this difference between 1 and 4.... and there's a tutorial on PP2 files elsewhere on the web that makes the same claim. But I just now tried hand-editing Forcelimits 4 and 1 on two different parameters in a very simple prop, and the effect is identical. Both settings force the limits regardless of the menu UseLimits choice.

Thanks folk's!