Thanks, 12rounds,  I'm gonna keep that message and give it a shot once I finish a couple of my current projects.

A functional Poser running in Linux would really be a dream come true - though it's a bit of a bummer that Windows (virtual or otherwise) is still needed for those Daz installers (which I've always hated, even using windows).

Thankfully these days it's possible to survive quite happily without Daz!

And just a quickie PS to other Linux users here:  Have you written politely to Smith Micro to ask about the future availability of a native Linux version of Poser?  True, you know the answer in advance, but if enough of us ask, eventually we'll be less 'invisible' to these companies.

Quote - P7 works with minor quirks in Ubuntu.... In fact I'm rendering a scene RIGHT NOW in another virtual desktop

I'd be very interested in knowing the extent of the 'quirks'.  I've been hoping for Poser to run in Ubuntu (or any other Linux) for years now.  I kept hearing that someone here or there had succeeded, but always found that it was the same as Samuel Johnston said about the dog that could walk on its hind legs - that everybody got excited, not because it did it well, but because it could do it at all.

In other words, it was a 'technical' exercise, and never produced any setup that could seriously be used for actual production.

If you've got it working well, you could do a massive MASSIVE service for all us other Linux guys if you could post a tutorial somewhere.

Poser is now the only piece of software that makes me keep Windows on one of my computers.  If there was a way to cut that link entirely, I'd be VERY happy!

Sorry about that - I tried about a month ago, and they were fine.  Here's another page of .pdf files by the same guy.  They're not as good as the videos, but still not bad.

http://ocw.tufts.edu/Content/28/supplementarymaterial/366744

Quote -  OK  I keep trying and trying to learn blender... the interface is just way to much to take in in one shot...

I feel your pain!  For several years now (on and off, but mostly off) I've been having shots at learning Blender.  Usually they've ended dismally - but now I think I'm finally getting somewhere.  I'm trying to make, texture, and animate a human figure, and I'm quite pleased with the results.

For me, this series of video tutorials was a major turning point:
http://ocw.tufts.edu/Content/28/supplementarymaterial/366743

They're all in very short, bite-sized pieces, but each one builds on the previous, and it all slowly begins to make sense.

Like you, I find the manual way too detailed for my present level.  If you don't mind spending a bit, THE ESSENTIAL BLENDER is a great intro to various sections of Blender.

But I think you'll find those vid tutorials helpful.

PS - if anybody wants to see my attempts to make a character, I'm keeping a daily log in words, pics, and vids in a Yahoo group.  You'll find my 'Project Frankenstein' at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/morphys_madlab

But I'm very new to this stuff, so my log might be more useful for learning from my mistakes!

That's a really nice desk - good work!

Um - sorry, I didn't mean to sound so much like a Linux evangelist!  Linux has its down sides.  I had a few weeks of computer hell until I started to get the hang of it

But in general, I love it, and I get a bit over-enthusiastic sometimes when describing it.  :)

Ubuntu is what led me back to Blender.  I tried Blender in the past and couldn't get the hang of it.

In March this year I downloaded Ubuntu (free, BTW) and liked it so much that I have it on 2 of my PCs and on my laptop.  I've only kept Windows on one machine, and only because of Poser, which doesn't run well under Linux (for me, anyway).

But I've decided that I like Ubuntu so much that I'm going to ditch Windows altogether. That means no more Poser, so I've been forced to try a bit harder to learn Blender.  And so far, I'm loving it.

I've found that Ubuntu is faster on a slow machine than XP on my fast machine.  When I go back to my Windows computer, it feels slow and clunky now, just as Poser feels slow and clunky compared to Blender.

For me, Ubuntu and Blender are going to be the way forward, so far as any 3D work is concerned.

PS - the Linux licence means that that it's available free, but it's not illegal for people to sell it (if they can find anyone willing to pay for what they could get for free!)

In free/Open Source software, the 'free' is generally taken to mean 'free as in free speech, rather than free as in free beer.'  But it does generally tend to be free as in free beer too.

You'll find the best definition of 'Free' software at the website of the Free Software Federation, HERE.

Hi, Archdruid.

I'm determined  to 'get' Blender this time round.  I think the difference is, I'm seriously motivated this time.  I'm in the process of switching to Linux, which means I'll have to say goodbye to Poser - which up to now has been the only 3D app I've really known my way around.

In the past, I've dabbled with stuff like Shade and Amapi, and got absolutely nowhere.  I couldin't model for peanuts...  It's a totally new skill for me to learn-  the thought of having to MAKE my models, instead of just buying them at R'osity makes me wonder if the whole thing is feasible.

But I love 3D stuff, and the switch to Linux pretty much means it's got to be Blender for my future 3D work.

You're totally right about 'what does that do...  Aaaw, bugger!'
In the past I've been afraid to touch any Blender button unless I knew exactly what would happen, but now I'm experimenting, and it's fun.  I've just completed a figure, and decided to hit the SSS button to see what would happen.  I have to say, I'm pleased with the results!

Thanks Doomsdayrenderer.

I already knew about your second 2 links - in fact, they're how I figured how to unwrap and texture my head.

The first link will be VERY useful, thanks.  I've bookmarked it.  I'll need to read it a bit more carefully, because I would have sworn I HAD done what it says for multiple UV layouts... but when I export one, they all come out superimposed on top of each other in the one image.  I need to go through it more carefully.

I think this time I'm going to stick with Blender and not quit after a week or two...

Thanks again!

Quote - I was hesitating on Linux because of Poser and Carrara. Now that Carrara is no longer an option, I'm switching to Blender, but I can't work without Poser.

That's pretty much my position.  I've been using Blender on my windows machine for a while now anyway, and Wings3D, both of which are a) available in Linux and b) free!!

Blender really takes a bit of getting used to - at first the interface will drive you really, really crazy.  But if you stick with it, you'll find that what all the Blender users say is true:  Once you get used to it, you can really zoom along.

As for anyone wanting to switch to Linux - I would encourage them but offer a bit of warning: Don't believe it when people tell you that it's just like Windows, but better, and that there's equivalent software for anything you can get on a MS system, and that everything just works out of the box.  If you believe that hype, you could face frustration.

It can take a bit of effort to get a system going, but I've personally found Ubuntu linux to be the easiest and most painless I've tried. 

Plus it's free - If you can't download a disk, you can even ask and they'll post you one, gratis!

Also they have a HECK of a user community.  I'm in lots of forums all over the web, and the Ubuntu community are the most friendly and helpful people I've found since..  well, since Renderosity!

Wow - that sounds like good news!  For about two years now, Poser has been the only program keeping me chained to the Windows operating system

Time for me to do some serious WINE research, I think!

Thanks!

Sigh...  I know it's just a dream and it will never, ever happen... but OH for a Linux version of Poser!

It's the only piece of software that keeps me tied to Microsoft. I'm running Ubuntu Linux on my other machines, and loving it.

Doh! Just found it on the back of the 'content' CD which I haven't yet installed....sheepish grin....<<

LOL!  That happened to me too!

Ziggie,
Despite your 'oops' moment, I think you're right overall about the poor state of P7.  I have to admit that when I was installing it and found that even the 'install progress' bar didn't work, I started to get a bad feeling. (I mean, if they didn't take the trouble to fix something so glaringly obvious, what did it say about attention to detail?)

 I've been using the program for a few days now, and the feeling has only got worse.

Sometimes it's impossible to delete an item from a scene. Bad.
So far, I've had 3 or 4 total crashes. Bad - P6 never ever crashed on me.

I'm sure there are other problems, but these are the ones I keep hitting.  I guess it's back to P6 until the service release comes out, and this is definitely the last time I buy Poser as soon as it's released.

Just so you don't feel like a lone voice in the wilderness, I'll chip in and say that I was a bit surprised that loyal customers weren't offered a slightly better deal.  Yes, as a P6 user, I was a bit miffed that I'm treated just like a P4 user, and I would have expected that they would have had a slightly more refined pricing structure.  It's the first time I've ever upgraded a piece of software and been given the same deal as someone several versions 'behind.'

It's certainly not in the same league as having to live in a cardboard box (not that anyone ever said it was), but it's a minor annoyance.

I've pre-ordered anyway, but if P7 turns out to be a bit of a dog, it will feel a bit like adding injury to insult.

I'm patiently(?) waiting to see.