I've been using multiple external runtimes for 8 years without a problem.

Any clothing item that comes with files that can be used on other figures, gets installed into the specific clothing runtime for the figures in question.  A dress that can fit A3, V3 and SP3, gets installed 3 times....with the files not meant for the figure in question, deleted from the runtime.

Quote - Acadia - about moving folders around in the library: You have to be careful and check if any of the use PMD files. If they do, then you have to either modify the CR2 file to the correct new location of the PMD file - or - Keep the PMD file in its original location and move only the CR2 files/folder (which is what I ususally do).

Poser might find the PMD files on the first try (depending on the search setting), but after being saved back to the library or to a scene may not find them again if the PMD files have been moved from the original location.

And another thing: the items which can be used on multiple figures is a problem in a single runtime, but also when you use multiple runtimes. So that makes no change. But your argument of not being able to easily save to CD/DVD is a valid one. I use removable drives to back stuff up (and replacing them every year)

 

ORGANIZATION

Never install anything directly to your runtime. Always unzip / install to a folder on your desk top so you can see what is in side and what the folder structure is.

Organization in Poser is very important.  Libraries grow quickly and it soon gets to a point where you can't find anything.

So far as organization goes...

You have 2 options that can help you with organizing and being able to find things:

1.  Create sub folders inside the library folders.

This is the preferred method for many. It uses one single runtime with lots and lots of sub folders within the main library folders, in order to organize the content.  The learning curve is minimal. If you can right click and create a new folder and drag and drop, you can do this.  The learning curve is knowing what folders you can move files around in and what folders not to touch.

You can move around the files inside the library sub folders. 

Don't move, touch or rename files or folders  in the top level of the library folder that carry the name of the merchants, or the "Morph" or the !DAZ  folder because those are morphs and need to stay where they are.

Just work with the standard ones inside the Library folder such as camera, faces, hand, pose, props, hair, lighting, character. 

Leave the files inside the geometries and texture folders alone.

Right now you have a hodge podge of files for various figures in each folder plus props, poses, lights etc.

Open the character folder and create sub folders for each of your figures IE: V3, V4, M3, D3, Aiko, Apollo etc.  Do the same for each of the other library sub folders.  You can also create other folders too, such as "Poses" or "Props" or "Backgrounds" or "Hair" etc.

Then go through your files in each of the library subfolders and move them into the appropriate folder for the figure they belong.

Things like lights, and poses and hair and props are universal items really, and can be used across figure, so I like to have those separated instead of filed by "figure" because I often use V3 poses on Aiko and hair for Posette on V3 etc.

You will run into a problem for items that are for more than one figure. Like where do you file those?  For exxample an outfit that is for V3 and M3 and Aiko and SP3: where do you file them? If you put them in the V3 folder, then you forget that they can be used for M3 and Aiko and SP3 too. It was this complication that prompted me to move onto using external runtimes (described below).

I did it this way at one time and it worked well enough,well except for items that could be used on a few figures like I described above.   I decided I wanted even more organization, and I didn't like having one huge runtime because it was impossible to really burn it to a CD/DVD without having to break it into bits and pieces.  Plus it took Poser forever to load because the runtime was so big.  So I tried option 2 below.

**2. Multiple External Runtimes
**

This is my choice for organizing my installed content.  I did the first method first and it worked for awhile, but as my content grew, it became cumbersome, so I switched to multiple external runtimes, which works out great.

 
It's really pretty easy.  The problem is that most people over think it.  

Just remember that an external runtime is exactly the same as the runtime in your Poser folder, only it's just sitting in a different location.  

It functions exactly the same way. 

And files are installed / added to them in exactly the same way. 

And they have the same folders in them as the main runtime does. Well almost the same folders.  Scripts for example have to be installed into the main Poser runtime and won't work from an external runtime.

Here is a sample of an external runtime.  Simply download it and unzip it. You will have a folder called "Runtime_Sample"

www.divshare.com/download/8531562-1f6

Find a place on your hard drive that you want to have your external runtimes living. For me it's on my partitioned drive D.

Make a folder called "Poser Runtimes"

s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii124/Acadia_ca/

Then simply copy that sample runtime you unzipped into that "Poser Runtimes" folder and make as many copies of it as you want to.  Change "Runtime_Sample" to whatever name you want.  Here is what I named some of mine:

s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii124/Acadia_ca/

Then all you do is simply install your content into whichever runtime you feel it fits best into.

Once you have finished installing your content look in the Runtimes where you have Daz characters such as V3 or V4 etc.  Go into the Library folder and look for the !DAZ folder.  Make a COPY of that folder and place the COPY in exactly the same place in the main Poser Runtime. 

Poser looks there first so by placing a copy of them in there, you are helping Poser out.  Don't delete the !DAZ folder from your other runtimes though. That defeats the purpose of having external runtimes, which is not only to allow Poser to work faster, organize your content better, but also to not lose your installed runtime content in the even of a crash because hopefully you have also saved your external runtimes to a couple other places for easy access in case of the need to reinstall.

Hope that helps.  If you have more questions, just ask.

Oh yeah, never install anything directly to your runtime. Always unzip / install to a folder on your desk top so you can see what is in side and what the folder structure is.

So far as organization inside the runtimes, continuity of naming goes a long long way.

Let's say for example that LaurieA gave me a beautiful clothing package for V4.  The package consisted of the following:

Dress
Shoes
Purse
Hair
Poses

When I get that file I will unzip it into a folder on my desk top in order to see what is inside.  Here is what I find

Dress inside a folder in the character folder aptly named "superstar dress"

Shoes inside a folder named "LaurieA" inside is another  folder named "V4" inside is another  folder named "props" inside are 2 more folders: 1  called "V4 Flats" and finally inside that folder are the shoe files, the other called "V4 Purse" with the purse file inside.

I find the hair  in the hair library, deep inside several folders as I did the props

And finally the poses for the figure are found in a folder in the Pose Library called "Gotta Have Fun" and another folder that simply said "dress textures"

Now if I were to install all of that into my runtime I wouldn't have a clue later on when I went to look for stuff to use from that one package, of what went with what!

Which is why it's important to open things onto your desktop and look through it and rename some of the folders that the vendor created.

The example of above is a very real nightmare that for some reason many vendors seem to do.  Another nightmare is using there real names as names for the folders instead of their vendor name.  That only adds to the confusion.

Here is how I would sort out the mess above while it was still on my desktop.

LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress

Yes, each folder in each libary is now called the same thing.  BUT I now have no doubt that when I do to use the superstar dress, that I will know what I'm looking at when I open up each library.

You can get even more organized.

For example under Poses, if you have found 5 new textures for that dress by 5 different artists, you can keep them all in one place. For example:

Artist 1 - (superstar dress) - sequins
Artist 2 - (superstar dress)  - dragon textures
Artist 3 - (superstar dress) - metalics
etc. etc. etc.

Just plunk those extra textures you found, as named above, inside the LaurieA - Superstar Dress  folder in the Pose Library.  Now when you want to use the superstar dress you have all of the textures at hand in one place.

It sounds like Poser Cross Talk.  Not sure of the solution.

Maybe try changing the order you are doing things.  Try loading the base figure, then the clothing, inject the clothing textures/morphs, and then inject the character morphs?

David, I'm sorry to hear this. My condolences to you and the rest of your family.

The link is still there for me when I do a google search for it.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/mandy-hair/51246

When a product is discontinued, the page is still there, just not accessible from within Renderosity's store anymore. 

You can search the forums at Daz to see if she's posted there and then send her a private mail there and ask if you can buy the product privately from her.

Try over at Daz. I think she sells there. Or at least she was at one point.  I haven't seen her here in years.

Cam a mod or admin add this to the Memorials area?

OMG! I'm speachless. I haven't been on the forums much and just saw this!

She was such a lovely woman. When I first came to these forums as a complete poser newbie, she was so helpful to me. I've never met her, but just the same I considered her to be a good friend.  My heart is so very sad :(

My condolences to her family and friends. 

I have this book.  I tried reading it but I was still very new to Poser and was so overwhelmed with learning the bare basics, that I set it aside with intentions of reading it when I had more Poser experience.  I should take a look at it again.

I put the link to the shader discussion in the Material Bookmarks thread.

Bagginsbill's Wax Candle Shader for Poser 9/2012

Why not use BagginsBill's candle shader for Matmatic?

http://www.runtimedna.com/forum/showthread.php?26869-Next-Challenge-Candles&p=277007

I used it in the following images:

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2247304&user_id=127942&np&np

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1780224&user_id=127942&np&np

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1548180&user_id=127942&np&np

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1543482&user_id=127942&np&np

Quote - Thanks, Niles.  That looks great.  I bookmarked for future reference.

Rainy day here today so the kids are stir crazy.  And driving us up the wall, too.  :) 

When I was growing up, rainy days weren't an excuse to stay inside.  Rain coat and rubber boots and we were pushed out the door!  lol

Download the trial of WinRar. You can use it free for 30 days.

You can also try 7-Zip which is free.

EDIT: You can also try this

http://www.izarc.org/

Get an NVIDIA with OpenGL.

No need to overshop for a card either.  For general 3D Graphic programs you don't need the biggest and most expensive card.  Pick a mid-range priced card and then look for a model that is a year or 2 old.  You'll get a good card for way less money than you would the current model of the same card.

If you are big into animation or those MMORPG games, then you will likely want a more expensive high end card.  But for Poser and modeling programs, you don't need to spend that much money.