I recently got a Epson 3200 Photo scanner which really is amazing and a Canon S9000 tabloid-size printer which is equally amazing. I heartily recommend them both. Together they'll set you back about a grand, but you didn't seem to be too concerned about cost. Having said this I also strongly recommend you search the web for reviews of any gear you plan to buy -- I find lotsa them thru Google. Bill

Thanks for all the suggestions, ppl. Re the re-install questions, I uninstalled, rebooted and then re-installed. I'm a bit dubious about the gamma issue. If the monitor gamma were wrong, then how come the two color swatches in my second pix are different? To get that picture I used the color chooser to set a 50% gray, OKed it, then opened it again to take the screen shot and to show that the gray swatch in the color picker is correct, but the one in the tools palette is not. But, nevertheless, I fooled around with the RGB gammas using Adobe Gamma and sure enough, I can get the gray fill in my document and the tool palette color swatch to look gray. But then, all the other grays (e.g., inactive title bars) which looked correct before, now look wrong! This really has me baffled. I guess nobody from Adobe reads the forum, eh? Thanks again, Bill

That was the first thing I tried. Didn't clean the registry, tho -- you think I should?

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks, I really appreciate it. I am running full RGB, now web colors. In my original posting, both windows were filled with 50% gray. The only difference is that one of window is in RGB mode and the other is in Grayscale mode, as you see from the title bars. Yes, it happens with all shades of grey but not black. In the view menu, I've unchecked the Extras item and the little thingy in the upper right corner of the window disappears, but that's the only difference. I also turned off all extras (actually, none were on). Just to be sure I opened the Show Extras Options dialog (View/Show/Show Extras Options...) and unchecked everything (Selection Edges, Target Path, Annotations, Grid, Guides, Slices) but it makes no difference. I've found that if I choose "View/Proof Setup/Monitor RGB" then grayscale images loose the color cast and look correct, but the color swatch in the tools palette and the thumbnails in other palettes (layers, navigator, etc) still have that greenish cast. So I can work ok, but I just hate mysteries like this! - Bill

Sorry, GODspeed, I don't understand your post. According to the V7 ref card, Ctrl+H means "Shows/Hides selection on selected type". Tried it anyway, but made no difference. Thanks, Bill

Thanks for your suggestions, ppl. The pix above shows what I mean about the swatch in the tools window not matching the 50% gray that I choose in the color picker. I have color management turned off but I made sure that the correct monitor is selected in the Color Settings dialog anyway. No change. Also, Proof Colors on the View menu is unchecked, BUT if I make a custom Proof Setup and specify "Working RGB - NEC MultiSync FE2111SB" (my monitor) then turn proofing ON, the greyscale image looks correct, however, the color swatch in the tools window still looks like above, so I've a feeling that isn't quite the fix! Thanks again! - Bill Here's what I've found out

Hmm, I've got a Wacom tablet & have used it with PS 4, 6, & 7. They all just simply recognize that the tablet is there. You have to use the Wacom control panel to manipulate the driver settings -- there are no such controls in PS that I know of.

Here's my signature, too. I won't buy P5 while it has the current activation scheme. But to be honest, I wouldn't have bought it anyway until a year from now -- I like to stay a little behind the curve (you can always tell who are the pioneers: they're the ones with arrows in their backs :)

Josh, Just to set the record straight, I wrote "...you can only install Poser 5 three times IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE and after that you need special dispensation from their service department." I did not make this up. Here is the relevant portion of the FAQ from CL's web site: "How many times can I contact Curious Labs for a new Response Code? We currently permit three unique Response Code keys to be generated for your serial number of Poser 5. In most normal circumstances our service department will allow additional keys to be generated. You will need to contact our service department for additional keys. What happens if I need more than the allowed number of registrations? If you applying for a fourth or greater new Response Code key, you will be informed that you have exceeded the maximum number of allowed installations. If you need additional Response Code keys you should send your request to our service department via email or fax. It will be helpful for you to describe your reasons for requesting additional Response Code keys. It is Curious Labs policy to permit our legitimate customers to use our products to their full potential. You may be asked to confirm your registration information to confirm your identity." --- Also, I think, given the choice between the current protection scheme & a dongle, I would opt for the dongle. Easy to use & makes me feel comfortable, plus I'm not forced to give personal information to CL without compensation. Additional cost is worth the peace of mind. Animation Master insists that you insert the CD, like a game, and half of the time the program would say that the CD was not in when it was. Rebooting solved it, but what a pain, so I don't like the idea of CD keying.

What? You mean Poser 5 requires me to upgrade & use IE 6? !!

So this thread sent me to the CL web site in search of the EULA, the horse's mouth. Of course, I couldn't find it -- if it is there it is well hidden. But there is a large faq about the registration process and if I read it correctly it says you can only install Poser 5 three times IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE and after that you need special dispensation from their service department. It does not mention what you should do if that service department becomes extinct. BTW, in my browsing I also found that once you buy Poser you are stuck with it, assuming that you are an honest person and you adhere to the EULA you agreed to. Seems that the EULA prohibits you from ever selling your copy to someone else (or even giving it away, apparently). CL is agressive about enforcing it and if you try to sell it through an on-line auction site they will have your offer removed. Let me hasten to add that this is not something I experienced, just something I read on CL's web site -- I think I'll be happy playing with P4 at least until P5 SP1 arrives...

Very nice. But, do I notice that the dress is only one-sided? Shouldn't I be able to see the inside of the back as the front comes up?

If you're talking about the mastheads, I think you'll find these are all custom-made, not any particular font. I'd throw the mag on the scanner, load the pix in PS, draw paths & stroke 'em. (Sorry if this is a duplicate message -- I didn't think my first try actually posted.)

macmullin, I would be interested in hearing how you did these... maybe not a full tut, but just a few tips?

This is an interesting thread. I've held off ordering my P5 upgrade 'cause I just don't like buying a pig in a poke. After reading this thread I may never buy it because I sure don't like what I hear about this "protection" scheme. A simple unlock key that works over & over is OK, but I don't like what CL apparently plans to do. Don't forget, Poser is already a stepchild -- even its parent, MC, abandoned it so who can say what CL may decide to do?