Brilliant work!

OK, BB, I finally got the anistropic render, and yes, far, far better. It took me a while because, suddenly and inexplicably, my Poser Pro 2010 refused to render it--or any other complex figure. It would render simpler things, like the base V4 or some buildings, but when I tried rendering my character, or  any of my other characters, it would start to load textures and then lock up my computer. I'd have to force the computer to shut down, reboot, try again, same result. I finally used my old Poser 7--which worked perfectly. So the problem isnt the computer, or the character, or the various bits of clothing or props--but something screwy in PP 10 itself. Got any ideas?

But meanwhile--I love the glossy look!

Wow...lots of fascinating information here! I'll have to start experimenting....

Thanks, BB...I know I have a lot to learn, and I am happy to start off with some basic, less than perfect set-ups. I'll be playing around with these nodes while youre off sailing the seven seas...enjoy!

I'm on Poser Pro 2010 -- I thought EZ Skin only worked with PP2012?

That's a pretty ambitious project. I'm impressed, and glad to see someone else working like this in Poser: I've been creating my own movie for a couple years, with bits and pieces of it also at YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/dnstuefloten?feature=mhee), and even using some of the same cityscapes. I admire what your work...will be looking for the next chapters...

One of the frustrations in dealing with internet delivery of your work--is that you cant really control how it looks on other monitors. They are different sizes, with different levels of contrast, different shades of colors. I figure you just got to calibrate your own monitor and then hope that your viewers calibrate also...and like you are doing, ask questions, get opinions....

Gosh, she's sweet...after rushing to the medicine cabinent and injesting every drug I could find ! (I think my brain just got morphed...)

Trisha looks charming. I can see though where copyright issues can be complicated. In general you simply cant use another person's work as your own. I'm a writer, and someone else cant copy a paragraph from my novel and pretend it's his own work. On the other hand, he could quote my work in an essay, or even in his own novel, if it isnt extensive and has attribution. Plotlines, character quirks, literary tricks are wide open--just dont borrow my language. But in these characters? I often flip a texture map from one character to another. Eyes, too. Or I will alter the color of the map, or some details. I'm sure I can use this for my eyes only--I sit here at the computer gloating over my work, no one cares but me--but can I toss the video up to YouTube? With different body and face textures, her original waist morphed into a tiny circle, legs lengthened, etc--the original purchased figure so modified that the original creator probably wouldnt recognize it--is that still legal? And what if I charge for views? I've been presuming I can buy a figure and modify it any way I wish--this goes for props too--and use it freely in my own published videos. But is this acceptible? I understand I cant sell or give away the figure itself, or its texture maps, I cant modify a texture map and give it away, I cant make a Trisha figure like charlie43 has done, using someone else's texture maps, and offer it around--but if I put together such a figure, could I use her in a video, or illustration, and sell that?

Well, the result is spectacular. I'll start trying to unravel the instructions (youre talking to someone who knows nothing of these nodes) and see if I can get it to work. Quite fascinating, these techniques. Thanks for all your time and knowledge, Bagginsbill....and enjoy your trip....Don

Yeah, I use Photoshop. Right now on this project I have twelve layers--different ones for different parts (heel treatment, welts, seam, etc). But when I turned the psd (after saving it) into a jpg, merging it all down, I'd forgotten to make the template invisible, so I erased the arms and other stuff there, leaving just the legs. Sometimes my mind gets a little foggy. I'm working on the sole and toes of the stocking/foot at the moment, now there is a tangle of lines, and I'm trying to cover the toes exactly at the point the shoe hits them...going back and forth, Poser to Photoshop...and the fog is creeping in....

Thanks, WandW...that will help a lot!

I've got the V4 templates, thanks, WandW. And BB, now I've uploaded the masks. This time I used the DAZ V4 template, and built the mask over it. Then I erased all the template, so there is just the mask of the two legs. I used a smooth gray color, too, instead of skin. Youll see it here again--

http://evidenceofalostcity.com/stockingtest/stockingtest.html

I presume the copyright issue is that the templates/skin maps cant be reproduced and placed anywhere available to anyone else? I've removed them from that page (not that anyone would ever stumble onto them, except from here). The mask now on the page, although "derived" from the template, is okay, right? Or should I jerk it off the page after you get it?

Anyway, there is more to be done, of course. I'll experiment with levels of grayness--the heel indeed should be a lighter shade. I want to finish the under-foot, tho that looks complicated--the underside of the foot seems to twist around in strange ways. And I havent added the wrinkles yet. And then I want to make different heel and welt treatments. And then a garterbelt, a girdle, a corset, which means fooling around with the torso and lining up straps and creating all sorts of new textures, although they probably wouldnt need a shader like the nylon stockings. But I can do all the experimenting with the shader in place, right? It will adapt to the different shades of gray as I change them? 

Well, BB, I look forward to experimenting and playing with all these things, especially the nodes in the Material Room. Thanks again for all your help!

OK, I'll get back at it tomorrow...

Meanwhile, I saw that I'd forgotten to remove the gray at the top for the complete image...did a quick change, re-uploaded it. But it's just for one leg--I'll have to do the other too.

And I'll paint a smooth color over the texture map?

The texture map is for a figure I bought and am using--I cant alter the texture map? I can just use the original DAZ V4 map, I suppose--it wont  matter since it'll be covered with a smooth layer. Again, I'll do it tomorrow. Sorry--I just assumed since I'd bought the figure I could use the texture map as I wished...

The stockings look great in your quick rendering. Wow. What a difference...Don