Quote - Telehandler SkidSteer Loader on Daz Store

Wrong kind of elevator.  I'm looking for something to put in an office building.

Quote - I can make one in a week or two if you can wait.

That'd be great.  Thanks.

Quote - No longer available for purchase, but if you like it, I'd suggest you contact TheNess to see if it's available elsewhere.

That looks beautiful!  Unfortunately, it doesn't have a maintenance hatch, so I wouldn't have been able to use it anyway...

Excellent.  Thank you.

Quote - Another thing to keep in mind about the Space Navigator is that it is not a mouse replacement. The mouse is still being used to select things with one hand while the other hand moves the Navigator around inside the preview window.

Amazon has pics of both the Navigator and a traditional mouse being used in tandem.  Being able to move freely within a 3D space, while doing the actual posing and other work with a regular mouse, strongly appeals to me.  I just wanted to make sure the Navigator really works and isn't just another gadget to waste money on.

Quote - Make sure that you buy a 3D mouse that's supported in Poser. As far as I know, the Space Navigator is the only one that is directly supported.

I saw the Space Navigator at Amazon.com.  The product info is what prompted me to inquire further.

Thanks, to everyone, for your input.  I appreciate it.  I'll order a Space Navigator when I buy Poser 7.

Thanks for the info, everyone.  Much appreciated.

:)

Quote - Generally, start with the basics, create a few renders and analyse them.  See what are your strengths and weaknesses and come regularly to the forum to find solutions and answers.

(nod)

I'm basically taking baby steps, learning little pieces here and there, and building on them as I learn more.  I will no doubt need plenty of help as I progress.

Quote - Enjoy the hobby and don't let it stress you out.  It is suppose to be fun.

Absolutely!  :)

Quote - The Poser Tutorials, not the Manual, will walk you through the process of creating a Scene (both Still and an Animation)

You mean the tutorials at SmithMicro's site?

http://my.smithmicro.com/tutorials/index.html#poser

Quote - I never really messed with Daz Studio much. I just don't like it.

It's a nice little program for people who are curious about 3D modeling but don't want to pay a lot - or, in DAZ's case, anything - for software; and while it is quite powerful what it does, I think I'm going to be able to accomplish a lot more with Poser.

Quote - As for what you want to do with Poser, believe you me, there's no shortage of information out there, and you can count on getting good answers to technical questions, right here.

(nod)

Quote - Don't let what I said about the manual dissuade you though. It's all true, but I thought you ought to know, since you specifically asked about it.

 
Thanks.  I appreciate that.

Quote - Transmapped hair is a modelling task and is probably more popular than dynamic(strand) hair , its also less ressource intensive.

I'm not familiar with the term "transmapped", but will certainly read more about it.  Thanks for the tip.

Quote - Jump in with both feet and good luck.

Will do!  Thanks!  :)

Quote - Yeah, uh, good luck with that...

hehehe

Quote - If you're counting on that you're going to be very disappointed. While Poser's manual has improved over the years, it still remains... shall I say... lacking.

Ah.  I figured as much.

Quote - But really, software manuals are typically vague and incomplete...

Good point.

Quote - What it does basically, is it explains - in minimal detail - every feature in Poser.

So, I get the very basics of what I need to know about each feature, but I'm on my own in terms of figuring out how to use those features to create something.

Quote - I just spent some time reading through it for the first time in a long time, and have to say that I couldn't find many features that were explained enough in the manual to enable a n00b to actually create anything worthwhile.

Peachy.

Quote - Mostly you'll learn about Poser by using it and asking specific questions.

Sounds like what I've been doing with DAZ for the last three years, though I've nothing to show for it.  I've just noodled around with it.  I only recently began really doing anything with it.

Quote - The manual is not your friend. It's more like an older sibling or a workmate who has been forced to accommodate you, but does so only grudgingly and sparingly.

Right... lol

Quote - The people who make great Poser images using only Poser are able to do so because they implicitly understand these things about lights and cameras, and the technical aspects of rendering and surfacing/shading.

Sounds like I've got a lot more to learn about modeling than I thought.  Wow... I had no idea...

Quote - So the best thing you can do is just plunge right in, and  ask technical questions as you see a need to.

(nod)

Quote - But if you want some "how to" books for Poser, I suppose they're out there. Better yet, find some books or tutorials on general photography and lighting and scene composition, preferably as to how it's done in 3D computer graphics. THAT is what will make you a good Poser artist...

Well, now I find myself in a conundrum...

As I mentioned earlier, I only recently started really doing anything with DAZ..  I had a major breakthrough, last week, in terms of understanding how Runtimes are structured, and figuring out how to organize content.  Content organization has been the single biggest hurdle that's kept me from making any real headway toward becoming an artist in my own right, as I didn't want to risk finding myself with a hard drive full of content that I didn't know what to do with.  Now that I've figured that part out, I feel like I'm ready to get serious and actually start learning how to create, but I'd rather start with everything I need to do what I want now, rather than try to find ways to work around DAZ's limitations.

For example, at some point I want to be able to create my own hair styles, work with dynamic clothing, and HDR lighting - three things I know DAZ can't do, but Poser can.

Based on what I've observed of the community during the last three years, there's a lot more I'll be able to do with even just Poser than I will with DAZ, not to mention Poser's community support.

Quote - ... provided you can learn how to coerce Poser into cooperating, that is. Which, I might add, Poser does try to fight you every step of the way...

Is it any more trying than DAZ?

Quote - All versions...  (box and download) include the manual as a pdf file in the program folder, along with a python methods manual.

That'll work. 

Quote - There are lots of tutorials online from renderosity , daz3d and many other site.

Tutorials are good, but I'm looking for something that will teach me how to use Poser by walking me through the process of creating my first real scene, from understanding the UI, to rendering the final image.  I'm hoping the manual will do that.

Quote - I'd go with Poser Pro or Poser Pro Base if I were you.

Thanks for the tip.  I'll look into that.

Quote - If you already have Poser 6, Poser Pro Base is $149.

I currently don't have any version of Poser.  I've just been noodling around with DAZ, off and on, for the last three years.

Good deal.  Thanks.

Just read the article.

So, unless I plan on becoming a professional graphics artist - and I don't - then I'll be fine with a 6-bit display.

Thanks for the link.  It was very helpful.  I feel a lot better now.

:)

Quote - Understood, but tread warily... Some interesting links that you may not have come across that provide free stuff..

Good point - experiment with free content, and only start looking at premium content when I feel I'm ready.  Thank you for the links.