Hi everyone I am planing to make a WWW page for the Poser user. I want to write some user guide, like the handbook, and put them on my page. I have to make sure that if I need to get the promise or credit from Metacreation? I am thinking about the problem of copyright. Give me some suggestion please. Thanks a lot! Sincerely, Rino

Hi Rino :) This totally depends on what the content of the user guide is. If you are lifting verbatim from the Poser4 Handbook, or are rewriting it by substituting your own words for theirs - you will run into problems with copyright. You'll need to get permission from MetaC to do this. If, however, your content is 100% new material written by yourself - there is absolutely no problem with copyright: you are the copyright owner. Hope this helps Paul

I would ask anyways, to cover your back so to speak. I hate to see lots of work be wasted because you did a copyright violation. -Colt

I think you really need to define what you mean by user guide. If you're really referring to tutorials on how to do things in Poser, then there's no problem. Those are just your own little training guides and there are loads of those here and elsewhere. If, as Paul said above, you are just scanning text from the already published books, that would be a violation. I suppose, if you were to completely compose your own text with step-by-step instructions on how to use Poser, you could just refer to that as a detailed tutorial. It's a gray area, there. Check the tutorials here in Renderosity and see how they're written. If that's all you mean, then by all means, go ahead, as there are folks out there who will always need a good comprehensive and user friendly tutorial on how to do certain things. I think a complete how-to guide on the entire program might be a little risky. Then you might want to check with MC and get their blessings first. Melanie

Thanks for your suggestions all. In fact, I have some friends wnat to learn how to use Poser. I am thinking about that maybe I can make some pages and simply show how to use some main tools in Poser by myself. I am sure that I will not translate them from any handbook or user guid else. Anyway, I am appreciative of your helps and opinions. Thanks again! Sincerely, Rino

Rhino, just write it!! here are some suggestions from users WHO bought the Poser 4 handbook: 1. AVOID (DO NOT Include) Any of the ugly, deformed, sick imaginated pictures of the existing zygote and original poser characters. they suck and also occupiy much space and are not informative at all. 2. Have a Complete step-by step (for stupids, or those who are unable to do it by themsleves..no offence to anyone of us) section on tutorials: a) character mapping b) character bumping c) character creating i.e. no need to make a chapter on HOW to Model the head for example, but how to correctly convert your existing character into poser. d) animating mulitiple charters a) animating single charcter b) animating several charcters using: 1) walk path 2) BVH 3) custom created motion e) a special section on step by step use of 1) Phi builder 2) Phi Factory 3) Pz3tocr2 converter 4) UVmapper f) Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro techniques g) VERY IMPORTANT Joint Parameters And do not worry about re-writing some words, just do't copy them. After all if your language is better than the one which is in the Shamms Mortier book, we will buy it (download it)

Mr. Mortier's book was well intentioned, but I have to agree about the images he used (with the exception of the few he got from some our friends here) the ones he created were simplistic and sort of weird. His examples of making facial expressions was entertaining, but who would ever do those expressions on their characters? His people looked plastic and very stock due to the standard taxture maps he used. Why didn't he go more into depth on creating custom texture maps, for instance, and how how photorealistic they can become? I think, if you have a better way of communicating the information, then go for it. You see all sorts of third-party books in the stores on how to use computer programs, like Microsoft Word and others (the Dummy books are an example). If someone has a better way to say it, then please do. But, as stated above, just be careful of your wording, so it can't be taken as plegarism. I would think any original instructional guide would be welcome and perfectly legal, as long as you use your own illustrations and wording. And it would be great to see some info on how to use the little programs that have been offered here, like UV Mapper, etc., as dunga mentioned. Best of luck, Melanie