I was going to post that I don't think the fighting has kept me away but it has. It has certainly forced me to post less because I simply don't feel welcome. Part of it is that this forum, specifically at this site, explodes when you mention just about anything that someone can get on the other side of and then it just spirals all out of control. The only times, recently, that I have posted is when I I've read things that I felt were dis-informative or "spun" in a certain direction or are imbalanced but I am not even going to do that anymore. It is simply not worth it. If I want my blood pressure to rise, I'd rather it be because I'm excited about something than to waste time arguing with people who are eternally cemented in one point of view or have all the answers or want to pit one side of "whatever" against the other. That aside, I am always open to anything, anywhere that can be done constructively and positively to make folks feel welcome on any site, to allow them to learn and to help them enjoy Poser and of course help them with issues when I feel that I have reasonable expertise to suggest a solution. My passion is to make things, all sorts of things, that I hope people enjoy using as much as I enjoy making them. Doing a wide range of different things has given me some insights into how things work, how they could work and I like to share that knowledge with folks. Plus, I'm always learning something, either discovered or through others, almost every single day. I still find Poser a thrill and a half to use and play with and I still wonder at it. I am eternally optimistic, disgustingly so, and the worst four-letter word you can say to me is "can't" because I'm going to do my best to turn that into a three-letter word. Those tangibles and ideas are why I enjoy being involved and it's who I am at the core of it all.

I'm jealous!  I've never been to one but always wanted to.

Huzzah!

Can you post the full error, code and whatnot?

I enjoy stylized art and surrealism.  Like toons too - suppose that might be obvious.  Photorealism is not my personal goal but I think it's a fine one to go after, if that's what you are looking for.

Quote - Personally, I always preferred Mary Tamm over Lalla Ward. I thought she was much better looking.

Completely agree plus I just liked her portrayal better.

I started with Tom Baker.  I watched some of the episodes with Davidson.

Generally, I like the new doctors.  Of the new ones, Tennant's character seemed more balanced to me. I didn't mind Smith's doctor and I like his energy but after a while it got a bit tiring - not because of the energy itself, but the "kid in a candy store", wahoo! kind of thing.

I like what I see so far with Capaldi's doctor.  I like the change of pace.  I like that he's not a doctor that runs around going "I'm so bloody awesome because I'm the doctor" - he can be awesome without telling the audience that every other episode.  He has some internal struggles that are going on and he is playing it distant but I think that makes him unpredictable, which is interesting to me.  I like that he's being painted with more shades of grey.

I think the only criticism I can place on the newer series, overall, is that the sonic screwdriver is too much of a "magic wand" that does everything.  I don't remember it being the ultimate device during the older series, where I felt they wrote more "thinking man's" episodes.

Even saying all of that, I still find it entertaining and smart sci-fi and can enjoy it for what it is worth.

Rokket, I don't know if you are looking for advice but I'd use a shot that was closer in for your bike.  Much closer in.  There is a bike, that's obvious.  But it's so far back you don't see any of the details.

Freebie or not, people want to see what they are getting.

If you are concerned folks will be put off by the polycount, just change the description and be honest about it.  :)

I am not trying to claim anything of the sort, but now that's getting into a new subject.  Python, as implemented in Poser is optional.  It is a separated component.  Poser has a core that is different from the python core and they have to provide methods by which Poser's python can communicate with Poser.

The entirety of DS, to the best of my knowledge is built upon a modification of Trolltech's QTScripting, so .ds, .dsa and upwards exists as fragments of the DAZ Studio core.  At one time I was doing some scripting for DS (3.1) and it seemed to be the case but feel free to make a correction here.

A cr2 and a py are totally different animals that live within the same Poser ecosystem but do different things.  Yes, you can call a .py from a cr2 or load a cr2 with a py but they still exist, as they are, differently.

Versions of python change according to python dll used by Poser not by the version of Poser.  Poser 9/10 same python core.  Poser 7/8 same core (but differences in optional modules are included, such as wxPython).  What criteria SM uses to raise the python core, I don't really know.

I didn't know that the rest was something I needed to address.  I was starting to kind of pull off from continuing to engage because this is feeling like more of a squabble rather than something constructive.  And while I have no problem with engaging, I feel that maybe I'm wearing out Shane's patience and it's time to just give this discussion a rest.  It comes up frequently too, perhaps monthly, same rhetoric from both sides, same folks being polarized (but all of us having a stake in whatever we are involved with, and honestly, I think that's understandable).

I agree with you that the entire Sub-D spec was not implemented.  I have been a Poser user and builder for almost 15 years, I've been scripting for many years.  I am a beta tester, enthusiast and ambassador.  By that, I mean that "I have a watch and I know what time it is".  However, what I like to do when I design my own things is look for solutions.

There are always several ways to solve something.  There are things that Poser is missing and I don't think that I've obscured (at any time, anywhere) those but the question that I weigh in is "how necessary are those things?".  You might feel that they are vital to have a complete experience.  I might feel that they are trivial because there are different key points that I feel are required to have a reasonable, well-working figure for Poser.

Also, I think of: "Do the hurdles we have to cross by implementing a solution worth the shortcomings that come with that solution?".  Again, we might feel very differently on what that answer is.

BTW, I have not had a similar experience of "issues" when using moving centers and end points, in terms of clothing not acting properly when the core figure that clothing is conformed to, has this feature.  Not something I'm writing about in theory, I have working example, which I cannot show and I have to honestly play an NDA card on (not a tease, I would need time to provide an example that I can post somewhere).  However, that may very well be something that doesn't work as well in Poser 9 versus Poser 10 - I'm usually on the latest version so it's not something I can verify.

Again, I want to indicate that I have no issue with the road that DAZ is taking and the one that SM is taking and if they are different roads, then they are different roads.  I think I understand that each wants to be in control of it's own tech and own destiny.  I'm not really DS-hostile at all, I'm just pro-Poser.  And I have hardcore DSer friends and I enjoy seeing their renders, it's not a issue for me.  Maybe that makes me an odd fellow. :)

P.S.: Some editing for clarity.

That's not what I meant.  The cr2 is altered to accomodate additions to Poser but it is not "re-structured".  You would know that since DSON for Poser uses the customData declaration.

Obviously, if you try to use technology made for Poser 9 in Poser 4 it isn't going to work.  But chances are that something will still load because Poser is designed to ignore what it doesn't understand.  You'll get a Roxie but it's not really going to bend correctly because that tech isn't available in that version.  That was a bit silly, honestly.

If you rig a dress for V4 in Poser Pro 2014, it still works in Poser 4 or whatever, as long as you design using the tech that Poser 4 understands.  Just because the cr2 was made in Pro 2014 is irrelevant.  The only thing that needs to be changed is the version number of the cr2.

However, for example, you decide to put everything on .duf and remove the capability to produce a .dsa (or the number of variants .dsb, dse, whatnot), you've lost those using DS 3.1 (for whatever reason they still might be using it).  Sort of would force you to stay on the current version, wouldn't it? ;)

Cr2 Format: How so?  It's sufficient enough to translate into a Poser native figure via DSON Importer for Poser (building one on the fly via GUID created assets).

The cr2 format has only been changed to accomodate new settings.  The spec, it itself, hasn't been depreciated and its still backwards compatible because the structure hasn't changed.  There's a difference between adding something within the existing structure and re-writing how the code works.

Just saying... not intending to nitpick.  I support both platforms going down different paths, if that's what each company feels like it needs to do.  There certainly is a bigger picture here.

SM's WM approach is not built on an "industry standard" but it is built on the idea of progression from what already existed in traditional rigging (spheres and whatnot).

Unlike DS, which holds two dissimilar systems (traditional versus triaX) but does allow conversion in one direction (traditional to triaX), Poser allows easier hybridization and doing things like using traditional rigged objects on a weight-mapped figure or the other way around and mixing traditional and weighted in the same figure or articulate object.  I find that beneficial in Poser's case, others may have a different opinion on that.

DS supported the cr2 (etc) format because it was initially designed as a Poser alternative.  So without that support, at the time, you'd have a Poser customer base and a competing "clone" without content.  Cr2 was supported out of necessity, don't you think?  The analogy really has nothing to do with two different approaches to weight mapping in two different programs.

By Poser adding the code, it still means SM adopting the DAZ way of doing it, while both have their own systems.  Regarless if it has happened or not, keeping up with TriaX doing this in 4.1 or that in 4.3 or the other in 5.0 still means that there is pressure to keep up with production cycles of a different, competing company.

You could always offer a Poser-native version of your figures (out of the box), but I would guess (and would find it reasonable) that it doesn't really fit into long term plans.  You have goals and a focus.  Same exists on the other side of the coin, I would expect.

Yeah, on the cloud thing, I think when it all starts going cloud, I'm out at as well and will be seriously considering (meaning very prone to) move onto other things.  If anything I hope there's a choice.  Here's a cloud sub and over here is a one time version-based price.

To start with, there's only so many services you can pay for before it whittles you down to nothing because eventually it all adds up.

I don't mind subscription based software as much when you get to keep what you paid for and can decide during the course of the "year of upgrades" or whatnot that you are entitled to have, if those updates have brought value to your software.  But those that simply shut off when you stop paying, I'm less prone to even give 5 seconds on thought over.

And that's just one aspect of it.  There are, of course, the other things you all have cited like security, always online and so on, that I'm not too keen on.

As far as standards go, in terms of what specific software is expected.  I do understand that but if I have to go GIMP or paint shop pro versus Photoshop or go Open Office/Libre Office versus Microsoft Office 360, that's simply what I'm going to do.  I don't really care if that labels me as unprofessional or not.  We all know, or I hope we know, that creativity doesn't lie in the brand that you use, but how you use the tools themselves.  If client X feels differently, based on just branding, then that gets too close to elitism to me.

I do realize there's a portability factor (in terms of formats) but thats why there has been a trend to move to open standards rather than used proprietary formats.  I don't really envision Poser going to a sub only format (plus or not plus cloud) and if they were to really entertain it, I would do what I can to be a constructive voice of dissent.

Want to sell something ordinary?  Model a hammer and nestle it between a pair of boobs in the ads.  Instant win! :)

Of course the user base is shrinking.  After a certain age, we are all getting bit shorter due to osteoporosis or sarcopenia :)

However, for a serious answer, I just feel that less are socially active or have different social outlets, so lack of participation might be a caution but doesn't necessarily mean that users are dying out.  Anything we can do, as a collective all over the poserverse, to interact in a postive way with newcomers, will sow seeds for an active community.