Attached Link: SR-2 Beta Page

The Poser community has a vast amount of resources and many diverse systems running Poser 5. Because of this, we feel that a public beta program will provide far better results than an internally controlled testing program. Poser 5 was tested by both our internal QA department and over 80 beta testers, and we found and eliminated many critical bugs. However, despite this testing, the community found some issues not found during our testing. Curious Labs stands behind our testing methods, however no internal testing program can possibly replicate the diverse hardware and use cases offered by the community.

Curious Labs is partnering with Renderosity to offer a new Poser 5 forum that will go live when we release Service Release 2. This new Renderosity forum is called the Poser 5 SR-2 beta forum and will be a great location for posting bug reports and findings. As always, we will be paying very close attention to the threads in this forum and will address issues in future Service Releases and other updates. Service Release 2 will be formally released once the community has had a chance to thoroughly test it. Until its formal release, Curious Labs plans to release SR-2 updates weekly or as circumstances warrant. We believe that SR-2 beta 1 already contains a significant improvement over SR-1 thanks to added stability and bug fixes.

We welcome everyone comfortable working with a beta updater to participate in this program, thus helping us create a better Service Release and, ultimately, a more stable and productive Poser 5. Service Release 2 will work whether or not you have Service Release 1. Please refer to our Web site for full instructions. If you requested a copy of Service Release 1 on CD, we will include the beta version of Service Release 2 on that CD for your use if desired. We will be mailing CDs within a week.

Curious Labs remains committed to continually improving and supporting our products through extensive testing and releasing updaters as issues arise. We are absolutely dedicated to all of our customers and want their experience with all of our products to be both positive and productive. We value the community and everyone's comments, feedback, bug reports, and patience.

Also: Check out the Material room's OBJECT menu for a new atmospheric/volumetric root node (documented in the SR-2 readme)!

The following excerpt from the Service Release 2 readme lists the fixes included in this version:

• Fixed forced power of 2 texture scaling and improved other texture scaling functions for improved image quality when rendering.
• Fixed several large memory allocations during rendering and when looking for missing textures.
• Updated default Face room textures to better match the figure texture.
• Ray traced shadows now properly appear in reflections.
• Objects set to not cast shadows no longer cast shadows in ray tracing.
• Activated Depth Cue and Atmospheric rendering capabilities as a new object selection in the material room.
• Speeded up checking for possibility of transparency in ray traced shadows.
• Further speed improvements when rendering.
• 0 length hairs are no longer generated into the rendering engine, eliminating a crash.
• Poser will no longer incorrectly detect an insufficient disk space situation.
• Resizing the render window while rendering no longer causes application/window errors.
• Fixed crashes with textures larger than 4K by automatically scaling them down to 4K.
• Importing 3DS models with 0 length polygons no longer causes a crash.
• Vertex groups now display correctly in orthogonal cameras.
• Fixed possible divide by zero error (renderer)
• Fixed crashes when reading empty shader trees in material libraries.
• Fixed an XML problem in the Render Options dialog where the Render Now button wasn't the right size.
• Fixed a crash that occurred when users reduced the number of frames in an animation using the Render Options dialog.
• The Render To New Window option now appears at either its set size or slightly smaller than the user's screen space (whichever is smaller) instead
  of defaulting to the Document window size.
• Fixed a render crash caused by improper data culling and added extra data checks.
• Improved ear morphs in the Face room.
• Improved zoom handling in the Face room (vertical mouse motion now supported).
• Renderer default no longer culls back-facing polygons.
• Clicking the CLOSE (X) button in the render window no longer causes a false crash report.
• Deactivated menus while simulating cloth & hair.
• Fixed Library window height problem.
• Text visibility issue in the Hierarchy editor is fixed.

Steve Cooper
Curious Labs

Attached Link: Poser_5_SR-2 Beta_Forum

Attached Link: Reiss Studio, home of the Maya Poser plugin

Click the FORUMS link on the top of the page and it's right under the "Poser" listing. ;-) Anthony Hernandez Curious Labs

Id like to know, BEFORE I install this beta patch if you tried to fix the "Caught C exception access_violation trapped at 1b:54e02e" error? The reason I ask is, Ive had to completely uninstall P5 with all patches & reinstall it without any patches just so I can do renders. Renders that take forever on this new comp. The same error happens when I use lights also, but not being able to render was really the my biggest issue, besides the fact that I dont really appreciate spending my or my husbands hard earned money to beta test your prog for you or for your company. I dont buy clothing half stitched & I dont go to a restruant to order dinner that is half served or cooked. I recommemnded your product, thinking it was good, to many ppl that purchased it from you, but really I'm extremely dissatisfied in what I paid for, on top of the fact I recommended it. ~Tamela

There are many possible reasons for a C exception error and we are constantly trying to track down and fix them as they occur. Will SR-2 solve your specific problem? I don't know. Do I think it's a significant improvement over SR-1? Yes. In either case, you have absolutely nothing to lose by trying SR-2.

"Caught C exception access_violation trapped at 1b:54e02e" you should post on the beta forum, and ask if it's fixed, the programmers are going to be reviewing there! also it could help to say when it happens. Ie. when you render, after you render, when you render with certain lights, when you use lights by moving them? cheers, -J

snicker Er... I mean "Bookmark". ;]

Having started one of the Beta test threads, and cringing as it turned into a battle zone, I applaud CL for stepping up to the beta-plate. I see this as the most positive direction for the entire community. I now envision P5 stabilizing across the boards. Once again, thanks to all who are putting forth the effort to make Poser what we have all dreamed it can be. Visque

I agree visque, I think it's great. Marque

well, when you guys 'n dolls are all done testing it, and, when cl has dealt with the eula questions...and, when i can just walk into compusa and buy it in the box for way less than the original price....i will just watch...and, comment. i have used beta versions of other software....only, i did not have to pay for them. i hope paying to beta test does not become the new trend. on the upside...sounds like alot of problems were fixed with the new patch.

Count me in! Ron

lol@Ironbear

snicker? Does a bear sh*t in the woods? No, only here in the forum. :) love the goofy ones

I would like to thank all those who are willing to betatest Poser5 and it's patches. I fear to install betastuff since my system is running smooth now so I will not participate in this bughunt-program. I'll wait with patience for the ultimate and final patch for P5 that will make P5 a stable software and hopefully implements improvements for much faster workflow and rendering. Mr.Cooper, thank you for listening.

I don't want to be annoying, but....any news regarding the mac version of Poser5?

Well, we've all been beta testing right along, may as well keep it up 'til it's finished. "This new Renderosity forum is called the Poser 5 SR-2 beta forum and will be a great location for posting bug reports and findings" Teehee! It's also a great location for hiding said bug reports so the mainstream won't see 'em.

Since I paid for a "full" version of the program, can I get my money back since I'm using a "beta" version? In fact, if I'm "beta-testing" the program, I would like to be compensated for the time it takes me to find bug not found by the CL "testing" and "Quality Assurance" departments (if they even have those, which I doubt they do). Doesn't anyone else feel that this is wrong. CL is saying, "Here's our software. Please buy the full version for $350.00. Thank you for your purchase. Now, test it for us. If it crashes, you can't get your money back because your opened the seal. We may fix your issues in a future Service Patch (that may or may not need testing of its own). Or we may add new features instead of fixing bugs. Normally, companies pay people to test their software, but since we need the money, we need you to pay us for the "priviledge" of testing Poser 5. Neat, huh?" I guess I missed the fine print on the back of the CD: "By installing this software, you agree to be a tester for us. We don't know if this software will actually work on your machine or not. We think it will, but since we really didn't it test it that well, we honestly don't know. We wanted to test it more, really we did, but we needed the money, so we didn't." I agree with Poppi- Poser 5 is going on the shelves until this bulls---t is over.

Yup Hawk, gotta love it: The exclusive P5 Patch Beta - entry fee $349.00. Discounts available if upgrading. ;] Ya'll gonna offer a rebated membership to the people who were unwittingly beta testing from the pre-orders? Don't sweat it Poppi, Jackson, JohnRender - Kupa's just working off of the old adage that no one ever went broke overestimating the gullibility of the American consumer. Wrong place vitzer - it's "only in the Labs". ;]

Low and nasty there IB. -Jeff

Hey IB thats a low entry fee compared to Windows, Maya, Max, Truespace or LightWave who seem to suffer from the same problems on new releases. Actually I couldnt even get Maya to work until they came out with thier first patch on 4. Ron

"Don't sweat it Poppi, Jackson, JohnRender - Kupa's just working off of the old adage that no one ever went broke overestimating the gullibility of the American consumer." So, jsut to be curious, which part makes me "gullible"? * The part that uses the new Poser5 features daily as part of my production stream? * The part that has already landed enough new business to cover the price of Poser5? * The part that hasn't had a crash or bluescreen or C error? Let me tell you, if using Poser5 and being happy about what it has given me so far makes me gullible, I don;t wanna be right :)

i will just watch...and, comment. Why not just watch... after you Buy it, comment... till then, why not just SHUT UP! Snickerrrrrrrr

No thank you, I think not. On both.

"No thank you, I think not. On both. " Heya all, IB finally admit's he thinks not! ;) wow that's a relief. (sorry IB, couldn't resist ;] )

Doan sweat it. I already knew you were sorry. ;]

Niles, dear.... instead of screaming "SHUT UP" to folks in the forum...which is very rude....why don't you go work on some renders for your gallery or something. i comment because i care. i would love to see p5 all fixed and dandy and rendering nicely on my computer. of course, that is because i actually use my software to make renders... and, you're interested in this thread, why?

:)

instead of screaming "SHUT UP" to folks in the forum correction, my dear, "not folks" in the forum... just you, it just kinda burns my ass to hear people make comments on something that they do not even own. and, you're interested in this thread, why? I bought it, and any news related to I have an "paying interset".....and that is more than your 2 cent comments.

you bought it, why? to make renders for your gallery? on the upside...i saw a very wonderful...well, real nice, anyway, render in poser forum, earlier....the new beta has some pretty cool looking volumetric lighting. i will end up buying this program...but, only when it is working properly. and, then, hopefully, i will use it, like my other tools...and, love it, and make wonderful stuff with it. until then, i don't need the frustration.

Poppi I agree with you on so many points. Niles is some how blind to the fact that any of us who use Poser as a tool have a "vested interest" in P5 running correctly. "Caveat Emptor" or pay the price, Visque

Oh, excuse me... I did not you had to post a gallery here.

Visque (and Poppi), I agree with you're last post too. there is a vested interest in P5 running correctly, and it's good to hear it put that way. I think that a lot of people did not have faith that CL would make the patches quickly to clear up the issues, so they were just blasting off.

As far as I can tell Niles there is some sort of common last ditch thing that happens here at r'osity: When all else fails, attack the gallery (or lack there of) of your opponent. I am not sure what difference it is supposed to make most of the time, but some folks sure do feel better when they do it :)