Quote - There is also the Python script builtin which does the conversion, single or batched.

What script is that in Poser Pro 2010? I did not know it had anything for this. Have you used it and if so, where do I find it and how does it work?

Quote - Ok I'm going to contradict most of what 3DNeo said just there... No disrespect intended 3DNeo..

I always import with Poser shader Tree selected, have never once had a missing texture message, nor have I had OOm's or incorrect scaling on import. From what I've read elsewhere the scaling issue can be attributed to the wrong setting in your options, [1 selected instead of 0.1]

As an aside and a need for more info, which version of Vue and Poser are you using?
Currently I'm using Poser 7 and Vue 8.4 Infinite, although I also have 8.5 which is still buggy.
Maybe 3DNeo is talking about 8.5 which is why I'm not seeing issues when using 8.4....
I don't use 8.5 all the time yet because of it's reliability issues..

Just to clarify so there is no false information, my info is 100% correct and comes straight from e-on technical support. As I stated, these are bugs that have been confirmed by e-on going all the way back to Vue 7. I worked with a tech personally at e-on with several issues regarding Poser import problems which was all well documented with several posts on their web site.

This has to do with the "Poser Shader Tree" having KNOWN issues due to the Smith Micro SDK as I discovered and e-on reported to Smith Micro. These are CONFIRMED and can NOT be disputed. Yes, they may appear to work OK, but I have proven to them several broken areas that are not correct with source files sent to them and they verified. In fact, I was the FIRST to report several of these issues and the tech said no one had reported these and few take the time to prove the results in a detailed reports like I did with e-on. One of the problems has to do with the way the SDK tries to read the shaders and translate them to Vue. It may seem OK on some figures imported, but can be seen on others, especially with darker skin tones that appear as blotches.

As I pointed out prior many times, other errors include OOM (Out of Memory) which they also confirmed. It happens at random times regardless of how much RAM you have. The size scale issue is also KNOWN and is a random happening as well. Sometimes it will scale properly, other times it will not. Both Lee Randall and the tech guy I worked with on these issues confirmed this too.

So, as I have reported on e-on, this is something KNOWN by e-on and I worked with them one-on-one for these issues with a tech guy. It goes all the way back to Vue 7 and is a problem with ALL versions they found up to present. It is the Smith Micro SDK they are blaming and not the code in Vue. I was told until Smith Micro releases a NEW SDK for them to try it will remain a problem on several levels. Also, they said the current SDK was going to fix the Poser Pro 2010 importing, but instead broke many things. According to e-on, there is "no official support for Poser Pro at this time" until resolved. Only Poser 7 and Poser 8 are officially supported.

Hope this clears everything up as this was already posted over at e-on months ago.

Also, don't forget the reported bugs that are still known to exist. I was working with a tech over at e-on on these early this year and the problem is still there with no word on when it will be fixed. Those bugs included: Poser texture issues on import, Out of Memory errors and import size errors. All of them were confirmed and reported which e-on said they reported to Smith Micro. The texture issues do NOT happen if you don't import with the "Poser Shader Tree" option. There are several known bugs that if that option is on causes problems with the skin texture.

One thing I learned is e-on does not write their own code for importing Poser models and instead it is an SDK that Smith Micro provides. This I found quite strange since all that is needed is for the code to be written properly by them. Also, other software like C4D does not have these issues with their Poser plug-in so it really is a problem that needs to get fixed by e-on. Please report all findings to them so this will hopefully be fixed at some point.

I have a 2008 Mac Pro, see specs in my signature below and everything works perfect for me. There is little technical information to go on and it could be a number of things causing your issues. As to steering clear of Apple/Macs that is a complete falsehood and it all comes down to simply computer hardware and software regardless of what you use. You can duel-boot your Mac Pro like I do and use a dedicated hard drive for each OS.

All the programs mentioned work just fine for me both on Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and Mac Snow Leopard 10.6.4 64 bit with no problems (except of course the reported bugs in software like Vue, C4D, etc.)

I use: Poser Pro 7, Poser Pro 2010, Vue 8.5 Windows, Vue 8.5 Mac 64 bit (not very stable at this point still beta), C4D and ZBrush 4.0 without trouble.

Hope things work out for you.

It really all depends on your budget and what you want to do with your computer. Personally, I am getting ready to build a high-end custom computer that was featured in the Sept 2010 Maximum PC issue. My Mac Pro will be made part of my render farm for me to use with other programs like Vue, C4D, etc.

In regard to what version of Windows 7, you will need "Pro" or "Ultimate" if you want to run more than one CPU. Also, you are limited to 16GB of RAM with Home but not the others. Certainly you want to be 64 bit all the way.

Besides CPUs, a very good graphics card, you will want at least 10GB of RAM or more. Also, I would suggest maybe looking into an SSD for the programs and a good hard drive like the WD Carvier "Black" for speed and mass storage. Your read/write speeds are VERY important and a good hard drive or SSD will be great for performance.

Also, if doing a render farm, I recommend to go with full CAT 6 (NOT 5e) hard wired solution for all the nodes that are part of your network.

Most of the other advice I think has been covered pretty well by others. Good luck and happy rendering.

My point has been made and remains valid on all counts. They can be verified by the references I have posted. Sorry, but the others posting about Facebook are the ones spreading the incorrect information and trying to give a false sense of security for those that have not read or heard the security bulletins or podcasts. If you have all the facts and still want to take the chance that is YOUR personal choice to make and I wish you the best.

However, Steve Gibson again which I referenced, is one of the top security experts in the USA. All you have to do is listen to Security Now or read his articles. His reputation speaks for itself and he has been in many court cases and used by the government in matters pertaining to his expertise. Personally speaking, I will take his word as a KNOWN expert over anyone else that simply claims they know better.

Best of luck to all, that's my final word on the subject.

Quote - Don't run any apps on Facebook.  They are mostly about getting your personal ID passwords so the bots there can get to your credit and bank accounts.

Avoid playing games that ask you for your first dog's name or the street you grew up on or the city you were born in or the name of your high school, etc.

Just post photos and comment.  You should be fine.  No one will see you though unless they become your friend first by default.  You can chose to show stuff on your page to non-friends later.

Again, this is only partially true regarding apps on Facebook and if you "just post photos and comment you should be fine". That is NOT the case as I have pointed out in the technical details of both TWIT, Security Now with Steve Gibson, etc. These issues have been discussed for some time and in great detail. Also, the "privacy" settings have come under fire because they either don't work like they say they should or not set properly on their end. They have had to correct at least 3 times this year so far some "issues" on their side regarding things not working as they have stated on their site. This is just one of the reasons why they were the "most hated web site" in a recent survey.

If you MUST use Facebook then at least do it on a different computer that is not your main system or connected to your home network (if you have one). Otherwise if you go to Facebook isolate it fully, such as a laptop. But any device you connect to your computer that is NOT fully isolated can be infected and then in turn infect any computer or network when syncing content.

Plus, some are overlooking a VERY important security issue by thinking they are somehow protected using an Anti Virus program. Most of these security flaws, virus, malware, etc. are "zero day exploits" and thus nothing can be done about them until it is patched in the OS or updated on the Anti Virus program (in which case it is most likely too late if you are infected). As I point out in my prior post, just look at the Microsoft link as this was a HOT topic at the recent hacker con 2010. I can point to others too, but my point has been made.

Quote - I practically live on Facebook these days. It's very friendly and you can block and ignore people you don't wish to deal with! Makes it ideal!

I think that is overlooking some of the confirmed problems for some time now with Facebook. All you have to do is listen to podcasts like TWIT (This Week in Tech), Engadget, etc. and they have covered this in depth throughout the year. Basically, Facebook is NOT to be trusted with anything. It does not matter what your settings are because they may not work the way you think or the way they have been described on the site. Also, some of those settings have been reported to not work even though it says so. That is on top of all the privacy issues and other matters like the many virus and malware that spreads there.

It has been documented you can get a virus simply by looking at a web page without clicking a link. Even if you don't click links that people post (which most people do) it can still spread. Plus there is the "white icon" fix that Microsoft has now that turns off all your fancy icons to be standard white. Why? Because there is a HUGE and I mean HUGE flaw in Windows that has gone unpatched for years. For details see this link:

support.microsoft.com/kb/2286198

This is just a sampling of what I mean and it can be even worse. Check out Steve Gibson and Security Now as he has been discussing a lot of these back doors, malware, hacks, etc. in Facebook and other places on the net like it.

Quote - I wasn't going to get involved with this "discussion" but some of the stuff I'm reading gives me little option than to have my say on the matter..
This may get me in hot water but what the hell..

1) Wabe was asked politely by me to provide new THUMBNAILS for some of his images because the thumbnails broke the rules on "nudity in thumbs"

2) Wabe was NOT asked to remove his images, as nudity is allowed in the galleries.

3) Because he didn't want to comply with my request in [1] above, the images in question were put in holding as all images in contravention of the thumbnail guidlines are.
In this he was not treated any differently to anyone else.

4) The rules are there, whether we agree with them or not, if we signed up for an account here, it means we accept them, even if we might not agree with some of them. In so doing we agree to abide by those rules.

5) If people really don't like the rules in a place, they always have an option to "not be there", this is a basic freedom we all enjoy

At the end of the day, Renderosity is owned by a group of people who have the final say on how it's run and what rules they want to apply, to argue about it isn't constructive and there are correct channels to go through if you don't agree with a rule or you would like to see a change somewhere, this would be the right way to go about it. These people are not monsters, they are more than capable of discussion and listening to poeple, and yes I have known them to change things if the points given are right and correct and done in a proper way.

I'm not here to argue with anyone, I'm putting my point across as the Vue coordinator, a job I took on for the good of the Community when the Vue forum was rudderless without a skipper. Sure I've made mistakes along the way, I've also done some good I believe. This particular issue was dealt with correctly in accordance with the rules we all agreed to abide by..

Not taking any sides, but I can understand the position of Renderosity. The Terms of Service are clearly defined and when you post images you are given specific direction on how t do so and what is or is not allowed. You can post a partial view of your whole image that does not contain any nudity or you can post any other for the preview thumbnail. It is only the thumbnail that can not contain any nudity according to what I read for the terms of posting to the gallery.

As this is a private web site, it is subject to use and agreement to those terms of service in whatever manor the owners choose. If a web site is located in the USA, then it must follow specific laws that govern the servers for said web site. I am somewhat surprised there is not a "USC 2257" declaration stating this site contains no real models as defined by that law. Everyone in the USA is subject to very strict rules for content such as this. So, I do not blame Renderosity for making sure those rules are followed.

Quote - Wabe
sorry bro you're a great artist/guy, sigh.:(
Fed the hell up with this crap myself. Mods are very nice about it, but it's RETARDED.
**You're stuff is obviously ASEXUAL, how the hell can a penis-less alien be "Nude and offensive"? It's like complaining Bugs Bunny's ass is on show!
**
Alas, Rendo's servers are in the USA, a large chunk of which is total bloody "LaLa Land" and at the root of this. half my family is American, and they know that, jeesh, nearly all of them have a specific faith but they ain't damn nuts about it and know the difference between "faith" and "religion". 
"Creationist Park"...OMG...

Attacking the USA, religion and ones personal beliefs is not the way to go and is very unprofessional to say the least. It is not like other countries don't have views or beliefs we would never agree with. I think it's a very poor response and character.

The laws here in the USA are clearly outlined and must be followed by those operating web sites here. Also, this is a PRIVATE web site and is only offered as a service under THEIR terms of use. If you want to come here then you are subject to them as they see fit, it is as simple as that.

Quote - I would suggest for future tutorials, that you include the materials and such in the tutorial package, instead of as an additonal thing to track down.  

I enjoy your tutorials very much.

Teque

I would second that so everything is in one neat package to download. Also, I see no need in posting them here as most people know your web site and you have a book out too which helps. So keep the videos and info on your site for one place that is organized I think is best.

If you are asking about new tutorials or subjects, you have not done any that REALLY show how to make Poser/Daz figures look their best inside Vue by tweaking the materials, making the hair look as good as it does in Poser, etc. In general, a really good tutorial on optimizing Poser imports for best appearance.

WCSally,

I think what you need to first do is to fully understand what sort of work flow you are going to need to achieve the results you want. From reading your posts, it seems somewhat haphazard in your approach and I would advise getting the workflow down first. It can take years to learn high-end 3D programs and you build on your skill level as you go along.

What you want to do sounds like a good combo of Vue Extreme and C4D is the best and what I would go with personally. When you start working with other software and importing your OBJs plus the Poser/Daz figures, you will see just how limited Poser is in comparison. Doing it all in Poser is no where remotely close to what you can achieve with something like C4D and Vue. Also, keep in mind there is a VAST difference in the Vue packages and you want either Vue Infinite or Extreme versions which cost at least $1-2K. Make sure to invest in their plans because the updates that come out are much cheaper that way and you will always be current.

As far as post work in Photoshop, keep in mind that programs like Vue and C4D have all kinds of options for rendering with maps that can be used in Photoshop and many other useful outputs. That is why I state you really need to understand most of these programs well because you can go about this different ways. One way is to render ZDepth, multi-masks, g buffers, etc for use in your renders. You can also create a map in Photoshop that you can use in another program like Vue to layout your areas where you want certain things to go, stop at, paths, etc. One thing too that is very important in Photoshop besides learning to use "Layers", "Selections", etc. is "Masks". They are very powerful and can be used to do a great number of things.

Regarding a new computer, for me, it is a MUST that I have a high-end system for the work I do. Most of these programs, especially high-end ones are 64bit and can eat as much power as you and throw at them. If you want to PM me about specs I can tell you what I did, but it does cost. A duel-Xeon 5580 with and EVGA SR2 Motherboard, 24GB of RAM is going to set you back quite a bit. But if you are a serious artist, it is the difference between night and day, especially when you get into heavy scenes and/or animations.**
**

I managed to replicate this effect in Vue Infinite using their custom advanced materials controls, along with creating some functions and filters. The basic spheres are there with a simple material mapped to them normally so you can have a reference. As you can tell, the objects and mats are clearly seen through the figure to a varying degree. On top, I noted where I set the functions to control where to stop the invisibility function on the end of the arms.

Mainly, I work a LOT with the high-end 3D software packages like Vue and C4D, using Poser Pro for setup of the characters only and then importing them into the other software. I do not know if this is possible or how complicated it would be to do in Poser alone as I do not use it that much for many reasons. One reason is when importing into these other programs there is usually no way to transfer the custom nodes or settings you have done as they typically only import the mats and shaders. The other reason is you have MUCH more control over things that simply can not be done in Poser alone. This is why you must decide if you want to do serious art work what programs to learn for the proper workflow.

Now, for this effect in Vue, I can also vary to degree of transparency and translucency as desired. Keep in mind though there is no way to keep a lot of detail the stronger you want the effect to be. When you see this done in movies, you are dealing with professional studios that have many people working on the FX and using software that generates special effects that are custom made. Having said that, I can get this effect working in C4D, but only to the level at which the program is capable.

I would suggest if this is something like you really want to consider learning on of those programs. The other choice is to simply convey what the effect is like in comic books and such by learning photoshop to do brush art on the rendered image. I would also recommend a graphics tablet if you do.

Hope things work out, good luck.

Quote - > Quote - very nice!

Thanks! This was my first serious model.

Hi,

Just wondering if you created the model entirely in Vue or if it was created in another program and imported into Vue as an OBJ? Any tips on how you got the details such as the rockets and other fine areas done would be nice to hear about.

It's a good model, looks really close to identical to me.

Quote - > Quote - Actually, you can re-work a Daz mesh in ZB quite a bit and get some great realism. Take a look at the "Fygomatic" images to see how V4 heads can be very realistic.

Is your point that if a morph doesn't look like Meagan Fox then it's not realistic?  You're mixing up aesthetics with realism.  What specific flaws are you talking about, aside from them not being pretty enough for you?  Please note, I wouldn't use any of those face morphs at 1.0 either, but then I wouldn't be interested in using ANYBODY ELSE'S face morph at 1.0 these days.

No, you are inserting inferences into what I said, read it word for word. I was not comparing realism in the manor you stated. If you like it that's great and all that matters in the end. My point has already been made and was clear. If you are a professional artist and use programs like ZB, Modo, etc. then it is VERY clear about all the issues Daz has with the mesh. The artists that worked on these 4th generation figures just did not do a very good sculpt.

Go over to CGSociety or in the Pixologic ZB official web site and ask for them to explain it since I am sure you will get MANY replies from those that sculpt their own models. The Daz models break down, have poor verticies in areas, not as poly around the eyes as it should be,, etc. If you look at a generation 4 mesh and ZOOM in a LOT in ZB you can see these verticies and the base sculpt they did. It is NOT good and requires a lot of work. That is why any professional artist would balk at saying this is a good enough design to be a professional sculpt. Its saving grace is the sheer amount of content that Daz has for it and the fact so many choose to use them instead.

Happy rendering.