I have used 1and1 for years without problems.  I used several others prior to 1and1 and would never want to go back.  I have never had to use tech assistance - their tools for self service are excellent.  I manage multiple domains and mailboxes from the admin panel.  It's fairly intuitive.  In my experience their pricing is very competitive (if not the cheapest available).

Klebnor

For short V4 styles, Tequila and/or Chocolate.

For long V4, I generally use Quarkers Sapphire Fox.  Versatile and realistic.

Rievel is good for both V4 and M3 and Portia is also great for V4 (both by April YSH ).

Klebnor

In Carrara one can specify what objects a light hits, and does not hit.  This can be done as "Only light specified objects" or "Light all objects except".  Very useful.

I'm just sayin'.

Klebnor

Personally, ratscloset has always been very helpful when things went sideways for me at CP.  The lightbox (I assume that's what it's called because any time you mouse over it, it says "Lightbox Disabled") is sometimes incredibly slow when moving through multiple images.  This seems quicker since the recent changes.

I also find that CP seems to accept pretty sketchy info from vendors - if I can't figure out what's on offer, I just move along.  I think their search is one of the best, although I also like the rendo results from multiple areas approach.  I used to spend much more there (time and $) but I tend to keep coming back to rendo.

Oh and one other thing, I think it was great that CP and rendo were able to play nice and get the list of rendo items purchased at CP updated on the rendo site.  I'm afraid that just reinforced rendo as a favorite, since so many of my CP purchases were really rendo product.  I think they (rendo) came out ahead on that decision.

I use Carrara, so the poser-centric universe there is not always useful to me.  Given the differences in lights, the landscapes, and phenominally faster render times, I could never go back.  I still look now and then though.  I even picked up Poser 7 Pro on sale a while back - still haven't installed it.  I never use the forums there - these seem more responsive.

Klebnor

If you pose a figure (especially if you apply a full pose to the entire figure somewhere along the timeline) then every body part which is different from the original pose will gradually morph from the first position to the next.  If using a character, be sure the character is fully open in the sequencer (use the navigation on the left to open it if not) so you can see all individual parts which move.  If you want something (hip, right shoulder, etc) not to move to the second pose, scrub to the second position (you will see this clearly as there will be several to many keyframe marks at that point in the timeline) and simply delete the second keyframe for the part.  This eliminates the change at that point in time.  If it moves further along the timeline, be aware that you will still see the morphing - it is now going from the original position to the later - over a longer period of time.  If you want the part frozen to the second movement, copy the first position (keyframe for that part at the beginning of the timeline) by using alt + left mouse button to grab the key (it will turn yellow when you grab it with the mouse) then slide the copy to the second position.  You have now indicated that the position should be the same at both times, meaning it will stay motionless up to the second instance of the key frame.  Play around, and you'll catch on quickly.

Klebnor

Make sure you have the version 7 guide.  For whatever reason, the old version 6 guide was distributed with early downloads of C7 (this may be updated by now).  To get the new guide, you have to go to DAZ3d.com > Support > DAZ Wiki > Software Guides > Carrara.   Scroll down to Carrara 7 Userguide.  This is the new, re-written version.

Klebnor

It was a joke started by Larry Flynt and the guy from "Girls gone wild".  They are putting everyone on, and it shot around the interweb.  They have as much right to a bailout as most of those currently in line - that's their point.

Klebnor

There is another link on this issue where it was stated that accepting the prompt to turn off limits will turn off all limits, translation as well as  rotation constraints.  This yields some odd results - see thread:

http://market.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2759165

Is it really safe to answer this prompt "turn off".  I usually reply "leave on" to ensure translational deformation of the model does not result.

Klebnor

If you look through the vue department, you will find that a lot of the "vue" content is poser content, which will import into vue.  By that definition, pretty much all DAZ content (and poser as well) could be cross referenced in the Carrara department.  I think people don't bother because most Carrara users know they can use such content and don't need to find it in a separate department.

From my perspective there is a chicken and egg problem as well.  Some Carrara only content is priced pretty high, no doubt due to the low volume.  But the high prices result in continued low volume of sales, so there seems to be a non-virtuous cycle underway.

Klebnor

I got out yesterday with the 4 wheeler and plowed the drive.  Yeeeeeeha!  Now that's some winter fun!  Have to get some heated hand grips, though ... nearly froze my fingers off.  Its snowing again now, but with the air temp up to 34, I don't think it'll accumulate.  Nice rendering weather.

Oops, just looked again, 33F and dropping.  Maybe we'll catch some more white today.

Good points, Philebus.  In the US, physical delivery is a given.  I will never forget going to the Zollamt at the Franfurt airport several years ago to pick up a graphics card ordered from a US vendor which was being held for ransom.  They advised me that the duty was 400 DM (yes, there were still DM then).  The card cost about 500 DM.  lol.

Klebnor von der zollabteilung

The below table is from the Microsoft Developers Network website.  Windows XP can address 4 GB of RAM.  Beware that this limits total usable RAM to 4 GB (including RAM reserved for Video on your video card, as this must be addressed by the OS).  32 bit XP Home will use about 3.2 GB, but can load memory resident executables and video ram above this limit.  Again, the sweet spot is 4 GB installed as, while it will not all be used, you will have the maximum available before inevitable swaps to the page file begin.

Physical Memory Limits: Windows XP

The following table specifies the limits on physical memory for Windows XP.

Version Limit in 32-bit Windows      Limit in 64-bit Windows Windows XP 4 GB                                                       128 GB

Cool.  If you wanted a more detailed texture, is there an easy way to tile the shader (ie make it appear more than once on the object) without individual zones?

Klebnor

Brian:

Very interesting.   Is the pattern on the dress (cloak?) a procedural shader or a texture?

Klebnor

With 4 GB of system RAM currently going for about $50, go to 4 if your motherboard will handle it.  XP is limited to using a bit over 3 GB, but some system overhead will load first.  32 bit XP cannot address space above 4 GB, so that's the real barrier.  You may not be able to use all 4 GB, but you will give your system as much as it can use.

Klebnor