Posted 2 weeks ago.
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=3256747

Hope it helps

Hand can be parented only when you turn on IK. So when you off IK hand will follow forearm.
Moreover you must turn off IK before you save bvh or pose. Another way bvh or pose will have false parameters - hand position related to not existing prop.

I'm not sure if I understand clear.
I imagine your animation:
*Figure moves/fencing right hand parented to the sword (hands is translated along the sword moves). In one moment for example frame X figure is taking sword to left hand and fence with sword in left hand.

*-Make your animation from 0 to X frame with right hand parented to sword 1.
-At frame X pose left hand holding sword.
-select sword 1 on properties window, click copy (ctrlC) and make sword 1 unvisible
-seclect sword 2 make it visible, on properties window, paste (ctrlV) and parent left hand to sword 2
-Animate sword 2 in next frames. Left hand should go follow it. Of course forearm, arm etc should move follow.

When you finish your animation turn off IK. Check animation again what is broken. Most often you must change 1st frame only changing twist or bend or side-side parameters adding/removing 360. For example if twist param=210 change it for -150 (210 - 360 = -150). Hand should stay in the same position.
When your animation work correct with IK off it is ready to be saved or exported.

1. I have no experience with reading pz3 files and cannot open your scene without your character props and textures. Refering to real life I think that sword should be parented to hand ;)
   As was metioned above you can parent object to object for whole scenes. Parents cannot be changed during animation.

Quote -

1. I attempt to save the current pose to the library, as it's one of the ones I want.. At this point, my figure's neck stretches stupidly long, the left arm goes into a straight out pose, and the sheath on the back falls to the floor. What the hell is going on ?

Your pose cannot be saved correct, because some body parts are animated refering to prop. For example transfering X unparented hand you move it along body X ax. Parented hand moves along prop ax - if you rotate prop along Y ax X ax is completly different.
Ref neck behavior

• you could generate some bug. Sometimes, when I calculate cloth dynamic, head of figure explodes or hairs fly away :D It happend in complicated scenes.
• you can set IK for head or neck, when you changed IK chains.
  Open again your scene and check what body parts you checked saving pose.

1. If you want to change parents during scene you can use 2 swords (with dummy props). Check prop/sword properties - "visible" option can be animated. Animate swords together setting 2nd sword unvisible, when you are in desired frame, partent hand to 2nd sword, make unvisible 1st sword and 2nd visible.

Anyway you are trying to make something very complicated. Remember that you can make 2 scenes and later join avi files in 1 movie.

If you change obz extension you can easy extract obj with winrar (or zip - do not remember atm). I really do not know why Poser use this option. Obj files are usually small and compressing them does not save much HD space.

Carps,
Imo choosing program because "render options" are easier to find is not best idea ;)

Anyway your pictures are great especially: hmmm1.png where Vicky is faster then light. Shadow is calculated according to standing figure, when she lays on ground :)

Good luck

Fun of programs which are not mentioned below please remember:
This is my private opinion. I can be wrong. ;)

MODELING
Wings3d is best subdivision software to create low poly models. If you are not going to make Victoria5 Wings will be good.

1 - it is free. 3Dmax is expensive, too expensive concerning that you can say "it is not for me" after few weeks. Moreover expensive professional programs have "professional" interface either.
2 - very very easy interface (Win3.1 style). After few hours you know all commands and can create first model, after few days you can create your first model which is worth of saving. In Blender you will be able to open and save model after few weeks of reading manuals (anywhere Blender is great software)
3 - it is quite stable. Of course I had few crashes, but comparing to another software, crashes are rare.

Daz made very similar software Pegazus. The same options and command, Interface XP style, many bugs, crash every half hours and 40$ for models in Poser scale (wings default model size is much bigger then poser figure).

UV MAP
UVmapping in wings is not the best imo (depends of preferences of course). UVmapper is free and easier

ANIMATION
If you made correct material groups in wings, they will be expored as a group on obj file to poser without any material. It is very important, because poser grouping tool is for very patient people. Making bones and fixing joints in poser is quite easy, althought human have too many fingers. I think that God never worked with Poser, if he did he would create man with 1 or 2 fingers.

TEXTURE
Photoshop would be the best, because you can find many textures in PSP format, but to be honest, processing texture is easier then making basic texture for example good photo. Paint Shop Pro is cheaper and deffinitelly sufficient.

"Bend" off?

Quote - I have always assumed that the centre of mass is for the autobalance feature that no one seems to use .

I know but only possibilty for using it is human walking againd the wing. Have you any other idea (sample) why this irritating, bugged tool is still avaliable in Poser?
I thought about human supported against wall or table but it is easier to transverse hip (when IK legs and hand are on) then finding where center of mass should be placed.

Quote - Click the Selection Arrow on your viewing Window. Go to Props and select the highest numbered extra CenterOfMass or GoalCenterOfMass prop. Hit the Delete Key. When the popup comes up asking to delete the "Figure" hit Cancel. A Second Popup will come up asking if you want to delete the "Object". Click OK. Extra Prop is now gone. Continue doing this until all extra props are gone. When you get to the one that is not deletable you'll only get the "Figure" deletion Popup. Hit Cancel! You're done.

This is answer for my questions! Stupid me - most obvious solution is the best solution. I did not ask clear - I wanted to know WHICH center should I delete. Thanks for answers and interesting.
BTW does somebody use mass center option in his/her scenes? I did not noticed tutorial.

I never use it and do not really care how many centers or how many masses my figures have, but in the future I'm going to post some freebies or maybe place something on the marketplace. I do not want offer bugged figure, because bugs or misstakes are usually most interesting things for users ;)

Quote -
It's also possible to make conforming clothing into dynamic clothing:

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/tutorial/index.php?tutorial_id=868

I think 99% of skirts should be dynamic, but you can either fit conforming shirts or pants this way if they are made with 1 piece mesh - may have some small adds as a buttons, pockets etc, but main cloth must be 1 piece.

• Import cloth obj preserving groups
  - Pose your figure to fit cloth as well as it possible. You can use scale whole body, body part, morphs etc.
• If your cloth fited quite good set your simulation few frames only 3-5, if your figure is very different then default conforming figure make simulation longer. In most cases 15 frames are sufficient.
• If some parts (buttons, pockets) fell down during simulation, check them as a rigid or soft decorated groups in clothing room.
• In last simulation frame edit => restore your figure and add desired morphs. Calculate simulation.
• On last simulation frame "spawn morph target" on your cloth. Set dynamic = 0 and new morph = 1.
• Export morphed cloth as an obj. REMEBER check "save groups names".
• Import saved obj (DO NOT CHECK "make polygon normal...") and convert it to figure in set up room.

If you used used conforming clothes which need morphs only, you can use bone from this clothes. If you used clothes, which should be conformed to different figure (for you wanted to make Vicky wearing Michaels pants) use bone of figure which is being weared. Optionally you can later delete useles bones as fingers etc.

This is free version of "Wardrobe Wizzard" ;) This way you can convert almost all clothes. Using constrained and choreographed groups you can fit either few meshes props, but it is more complicated. Only armors and fantasy clothes are very difficult but real armors did not changed theirs shapes too ;) Poor knights must keep theirs shapes.

If it happens with all figures/clothes, you have problemn with poser (maybe reinstall).
If it happens with particular figure/cloth

I had problem with AbysalQueen shirt. But my Poser simply diapear :D. In windows error list I found message that it was caused by PMD error.
I think you can find answer clicking RMB on "my computer", choosing "manage" and checking error reports.

Answer can be here:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=3233145&ebot_calc_page#message_3233145

or ... hundreds another reasons ;)

Your scene is quite big. Most of mine "big" scenes were less then 10MB pz3 + 30-40MB pmd.
Search forum for pz3 viewer/editor. Maybe it help either.

I never try with combination foot against ground, but "make colision" should work.

Check collision "on" on main posing screen, foot option and ground option. If ground has not this option (do not remeber and cannot check atm) use transparent "phantom" ;)

I had similar problems few times. What I did wrong:

• in scenes where were more then 1 figure I set collide against wrong figure (often happend when you have "Figure1 and Figure2"

• default/dynamic group was not corerrect. Add all verts to default group.

• Poser 5 did not react for checking/unchecking "ignore hands/feet" collision. P5 always ignored them.

Maybe you did one of above misstakes?