I like the diversity, though it is difficult to find a lot of thing that are different since there is so much out there. I think the market will create changes in what the vendors provide, as with anything else that is why we continue to upgrade, come up with new characters, new models ....there is so much talent out there making products it is wonderful to find values and diversity ...there are innovations all the time... I just hope everyone continues to produce new stuff...the more the better...

what type of riding is needed?

Oh wow, poser 2, corel draw and bryce...and it took weeks...days and days of staring at the screen and wondering why I was trying to figure it all out...wow and the computers were sloooooow....graphic boards all that stuff you had to learn about only to find out that those figures feet did not move off the floor and the clothes flew off .....I agree with Phil...one had to be very stubborn to make it through the bonding process.....but with encouragement...here we all are...

congratulations....

P5, but I have pp-p4;

What a great idea for a contest. Your rules seem very fair to everyone, and your requirement for use of a specific product is clearly a condition of entry, no different than an entry fee or a deadline postmark. Publisher's Clearinghouse is a "no purchase necessary" contest which is mailed out on a order form for the purchase of magazines...it would be illegal for them to give an unfair advantage to those who purchase magazines where the contest is advertised "no purchase necessary". In this case the "entry" condition is the use of a product from Cimerone's store, and not a free item. These rules are extremely fair, and given the number of people who entered the last time, it seems if some people don't enter the odds go up for those who do!....off I go to see what I can see in Cimerone's store...I know I saw brushes I liked...

I think that is the veins on the horse, they also have bump maps for them to 'stand up" ...you can smooth them out in post work...or you can open the map, duplicate and make the changes to a personalized version of the map...

the double checks or "ticks" are at the bottom of the library pull out panel which on my version is on the left; follow the series of library images to the bottom of the list...there are symbols you want the second one over not the first one... Hey while you are at it don't forget to go to the top menu and under figure>Inverse K..uncheck the legs or they will get stuck to the floor...that one took me a little over a week to figure out... I agree keep plugging along you will be hooked before you know it...

I suppose one reason to categorize the galleries by the program is to cater to the people who sell, buy or use a particular program. When I first bought Poser (yikes Poser 2) I immediately looked for others who were using the same program to learn how they were getting results...mine at the time were ...well...sad...I was stuck for a week at least with the head and arms twisting up and the feet stuck to the floor...there are many levels of learning a particular program...and I have yet to wrap my poor brain around the modeling aspects.... It took a while to learn that I could move the poser stuff into Bryce to improve the "render" and to get more interesting backgrounds...or to make backgrounds that I could use as backgrounds in poser. The community has grown, there now are many more programs, but I suppose the community may have grown beyond the "wow look what this program can do" approach, we see more and more combinations of different programs. Including strictly 2d and photography. I like the idea of re-vamping the galleries to just allow us to browse through the results...but change is hard especially when there still are many who are finding the galleries a place to learn what they can accomplish with one program or the other or combinations of different programs. I see the entire experience in Renderosity evolve and grow in response to the community wants and needs. perhaps it is time to look at the gallery as a gallery of art and to use the forums as a means of finding those people who use the same program by artist search... But I still sometimes look at something and think wow, I wonder if I can re-create that in Poser...rendering is still variable to my view, some programs recreate reflections better than others...so we ship our figures into that program to take advantage of that improvement... I can see the point in terms of using a program without post work, it is sometimes a short cut or a crutch, but it also is a legitimate tool. There is a comment section where the artist can explain and often does explain that they did a lot of post or not so much... For me it may be a moronic way to organize the galleries but it is how it has evolved...from a group of enthusiasts who started with one program and shared techniques on how they expanded the one program to include other techniques... maybe it is time to change the organization...but we are thankful that the databases are set up at all allowing us to narrow down our "perusing" ...or not...

well I consider the 3d program or the 2d program as tools, just like a brush or pallete knife, they are to be mastered for what they add to the creation process. Each artist controls the "technique" they use, if one uses a fine brush to paint to look like the larger wash type brushes then they have applied one tool differently from the way others apply the same tool...the end result well that is what you are creating after all...so if one is wanting to use only one brush or one color to create their work it is a style, a technique they employ not any better or worse than any other technique or style available...in other words if I can achieve the "impressionistic" style with brushes, and oil paints or the same with 2d or 3d computer art programs ...I am still intending to create in that style. I am not sure we are able to call 3d a "style" or 3d with or without post work a style or technique... rendering is itself a variable in many programs...Poser has a sketch render choice of output...does that make a poser render using the sketch output 2d or 3d?.... This argument seems to make a lot of assumptions about "programs in general", without defining or separating the ability to model, to pose, to render ... what 3d computer programs and 2d computer programs require in my view are a series of artistic results...modeling like sculpturing within the 3d environment...texturing is a new thingy within a 3d environment using 2d techniques and some intermediate programs...texturing is almost an artform in its own right...projecting images onto shapes...atmosphere...all of these things are thought out differently in 3d/2d environments... all of these "tools" expand our ability to create...if it is not the end result it is the exploration of the technique...the bottom line is it should be what each individual expresses that is the end result, the steps, the tools, the techniques well those are extensions of the creative process....DaVinci had the right idea...

I am sorry I am not seeing the great faults as such "great" problems, the p4 horse just needs post work to look right...maybe it is the difference between personal preferences in horse confirmation.....Moonrose map on p4 fully loaded with morphs galloping next to mil horse...(re sized only)..

Daio, I know what you mean....those backward bent pasterns in some work are my pet peeve..grr it just a personal thing..:-)...

I am not sure that there can be "fixes" for the main issues with the conformation and anatomical workings of a horse in general and the "boning"/mesh issues relative to joints of the horse (my modeling skills are very minimum but I am understanding the modeling issues are very much a challenge). I fear that there is always going to be the need to morph or post around the shortcomings of the mesh...however, I would be happy if this is not so. Even bloodsong's heavy horse has many conformation problems...but the Mil horse seems to be a great addition ot the "horse" inventory available. I am impressed by the mapping and what they have provided, the foal, the maps, morphs etc for the price. For the general horse it has some nice extras, trans maps, details in the mesh and on the texture maps, as is usual I am sure there will be more to come. This community has many talented modelers, morph builders and texture artists... I feel my experience leaves me with the idea that it is relatively intangible aspects of the horse that the artist has to add from their own experience, you put it into your work as do others who have a special connection with horses due to experience. We used to only have the p4 horse, then we got the charger, the heavy horse and then great morphs and maps. The mil horse produces a great render in my view and will allow some great results for those who may not have a special connection with horses that years of experience provides. My personal experience includes about 40 years of horsey stuff, as substantial portion judging and training different breeds mostly specializing horse and riders in versatility, so I had horses of many different breeds who had to learn to maximize their anatomic resources to perform as western, english (hunter and saddle seat), halter/showmanship, trail, western riding, jumping and cart. From this background I am still finding that horses require some concentration to get the best out of them including the poser horses. As in real life the challange for the "perfect" body will go on, but it is the horseman who brings out the best with what we have to work with....and that is a challange for the artist as well. I think your comments are valid and will help the modelers create better and better models. Overall, though I think the mil horse is well worth the investment. Again no post example'

I like the new horse model. I think the mesh creation process is limited when it comes to the animals...but I have no morph creation talents so I have to rely on twisting the dials...but I found this new model great to work with. different breeds have different structural ratios...shorter cannon bones, longer gaskin, deeper hip, longer neck...there is a real potential in the new mesh...and the textures are great. extended and collected extremes are still going to take some twiddling of the dials and there is always going to be some post needed for the muscle tie-ins but overall this new horse is well worth the price. The textures are great...less post is needed... here is a no post work look...

The farrier/horseshoer usually bends a bit of the metal at the toe or along the sides of the shoe to create the clips. The clips, as far as my experience has been usually help take the pressure off the nails and keep the shoe secure; also a toe clip might be used in conjunction with "rolling the toes" to cause the horse to pick up the foot a little earlier than they might otherwise be inclinde to do; horses that clip (catch the back of the front foot with the rear toe) often have clips and rolled toes and squared toes...corrective work to try to keep them from pulling off those front shoes....