:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Reading for comprehension is definitely a dying skill.

Nothing I can say in reply to the blatant misrepresentation of what I've posted that won't violate the TOS so I'm out.

Dang! I missed the line saying that! Sorry.

Looks like it has migrated to the other main Poser/DS store.

I second Blender 2.49b as an option (it's what I use for most of my texturing) but you may want to take a look at Decal Master. It's simpler out of the box because of the way the DAz figures are mapped.

Quote - Reading this, I realise I have no clue about multi-pass rendering. I'll dig out that Kerkythea manual and have a read first thing in the morning (it's almost two in the wee hours here, now). Thanks for the enlightenment, Lisa - now if I can just stop blushing long enough to get to sleep....

Got that Advanced Render Settings tool, btw... currently at half price at RDNA.

Great way to confirm to people I'm a fool: ask a stoopid question. lol

Nah, not a "stoopid question", you're just so focused that you don't look at things from other angles sometimes so stop with the blushing already.:biggrin:

The documentation with the Advanced Render Settings tool are pretty informative too and I think there are some tuts here on Rendo concerning the matter, if not "Google is your friend."

Quote - > Quote - Someone wanted shadows..?

Hey, now you've got shadows happening. And the pose is looking more animated.

I'm thinking she pulled the blade cause she saw the rat's shadow first. The pose looks like she's decided to just step on the vermin instead.:lol:

@Noel

See how adding the shadows affected the interpretation of the scene and along with the posing made it more dynamic? Because of this I was able to imagine the above scenario and have a chuckle....even though it's a simple picture it engaged me as the viewer, without the lighting and pose I would have passed right by it....and what separates art from Art is viewer involvement.

Just to visually enforce the difference for yourself render the same scene without the shadows and compare the two.

My gallery post that asks for suggestions is suffering from bad lighting, I have everything lit but it just doesn't work. Several of the suggestions given pointed out ideas that I was blocked on in this picture so are helpful and exactly what I needed to get over the hump. I haven't reposted because I'm working some of the suggestions into the scene and modeling some additional props but those suggestions that work will be included in the final  render.

It also suffers from the ground and background not blending well that I spotted in several of your images so note that it's a fairly common problem. Part of what I have going on is a matter of perspective. The main figures are supposed to be looking out across a desert valley from a cliff edge at sort of noonish during the day and I'm just not getting that separation that shows the effect.

Since I know what's wrong with the picture but am looking for ideas to fix the issues "Great picture" type comments are absolutely nonessential to my goals. I mean wonderful that someone likes the concept but not relevant to agenda. (Yeah, I know, after baldly saying that I'll never get another good comment on any render I post here. Yep, positively blew any chance of being part of the clique.:biggrin:)

Quote - Took that layered concept to heart, Lisa: great idea. So, what? hide (make invisible) certain objects and render other ones, so the lighting remains the same? Poser 7 spat the dummy (Aussie-ism, Anthanasius, means: didn't like it and kicked up a fuss) when I added plants and stuff to the foreground. So, I'll be rendering them separately, I guess.

Dig out your Kerkythea manual and read over the layer masking section. The concept is pretty well covered and applies to just about any render engine including FF and 3Delight.

For Poser FF this helps with multiple render passes: Advanced Render Settings , does the grunt work for you.

There used to be something comparable for DS but I don't know if it has been updated for DS3.

Let me repeat though, "Multi-pass rendering is not something that has to be done." Anyone can render a scene, call it a day and sometimes have very good results. However if you want ultimate control over the end result multi-pass rendering + postwork simply can't be beat.

Render in passes and save the generated masks. The masks are very useful for postworking the scene and can be useful in shader building.

Examples:

Decided you want to change the lip color on V4 after all? Are you going to re-render the entire scene or just replace the color on the rendered lip layer in post?

Want to use a mask in the lip shader? Multi-pass render a front orthographic view and use the generated mask as the base to create the shader mask.

Want to change the background? Switch it out in an image editor or re-render the background and just the parts that cast shadows on the background, remix with the original render parts.

Want to have re-lighting available? Add a normal pass then re-light at will in post.

Got a hot spot that you can't fix and keep the the scene integrity in render? Use dodge tool in image editing on the blown out render result or re-render that portion at a lower light intensity and composite in post to balance with the rest of the scene.

Like those tinted B&W pictures? Very easy to do if you render in passes as it significantly simplifies the selection of the area you wish to tint.

The point is to do as much as feasible for any given project in the render engine but create the option to expand the artist interpretation of the piece after rendering the meshes.

I do a lot of archvis at work so I have to retain the flexibility to switch out components quickly at client request. If I had to rely on rendering the scene again every time there was a miniscule change I would get very little done. By rendering in passes I can make changes efficiently.

Granted I don't use Poser or DS for anything important but the concept is the same in any render engine that supports multiple passes. Not using that capability is akin to having a 4-wheel drive vehicle and only driving it on the street. Yeah it works but you're not getting the full utilization of the equipment.

LOL Robyn, I think it would be about like the existing critique forum based on the accurate observations you've already made about the general Poser/DS user.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showforum.php?forum_id=12474

Quote - The problem is that a lot of the time artist don't include any sort of information about their images so you don't know how much work has gone into the image or what they're trying to achieve.  When I first starting posting I liked getting criticism because usually it would teach me something.  And of course a few praises encourages you to go on.

I'm going to pick on you now.:biggrin:

Ya don't have to know squat about the artist or the tools they are using to recognize lighting failures, composition failures, posing disasters, character floating an inch above the ground, etc.

I am with you on the usefulness of critique though. Too bad it only works for those that want to grow and learn.

Quote - All of the comments so far have mentioned "lighting" or lack thereof.  I am using Poser8 IDL which leaves almost no visible shadow.  So I need to insert an extra light to create shadow.!
Isn't this defeating the purpose of IDL.?

Basically, "Yeah." Try working with the light probes over adding lights though. Baggins Bill has some good points on the lighting in P8 in some of the threads here.

Don't think I'm just being critical, lighting is my nemesis also.

Quote - I dont know how to translate this ... ' c'est en faisant des erreurs qu'on apprend "

Been awhile since high school French but it's roughly that "you learn the most from your mistakes."

Google translator would probably give better results than me.:biggrin:

On topic to the other posts:

Postwork is not always necessary but if you render with postwork in mind then you can fix, adjust, use creative options not available in rendering, etc. where needed.

Another reason to render for postwork is time. There are instance where an effect can be accomplished in image editing much faster than by rendering with comparable results. Two minutes in Photoshop or an hour rendering....

Rendering for postwork doesn't mean you have to postwork just gives the flexibility.

Global Illumination....if you aren't getting any shadows you're doing it wrong.

Quote - Hah. Anthanasius, you are fascinating. Are you motivated to beat back the mediocrity with me? Heheheh.

Masochist, just sit around and shove splinters under your fingernails instead.....it's more productive and less painful.

I'm starting to think one of those biblical quotes, "The meek shall inherit the earth.", has come true.....and they are effing it up with mediocrity as the new standard of achievement and the "it's somebody else's responsibility to take care of me." mentality.

Quote - I don't do post work because I do not have the software..  Photoshop is way out of My price bracket.
Painter X by Corel is all I have..

I take on board all you have to say about lighting,  but,  like i said above My Post work facilities are limited to say the least..

Corel painter X works quite well for post work and The GIMP is getting very close to Photoshop in available features.

Photoshop Elements 8 is currently $80 US and does pretty much anything you would need in the area of postwork. Elements 6 or 7 should be available for less at electronics stores, both are still viable.

Quote -
The arm will go to the Most constructive post that points Me in the right direction  (Like this one)..

Always a catch to any offer.:lol:

Quote -
BTW if I stroke Your ego enough,  do You PURRRRR??

More likely to snarl, touch my ego and you're likely to draw back a nub instead of a hand!:lol:

Quote - I would give My left arm to get meaningful and constructive criticism,  I have had little formal arts training but I believe I can learn..

On the other (missing) hand,  there are Many individuals using the gallery as a social network.
Perhaps these people should be using chat instead..    That opens another door,  whenever I go into CHAT there is never anyone there..

If One wants comment One must comment,  seems to be an unwritten rule here at Renderosity..

Oh for the love of all that is holy, I see what you mean! You're getting the same comments for the WIPs as for the Finals regardless of any changes you've made! I didn't spot anything constructive. Remembering why I don't post often to the gallery here.

Since you asked for it....Lighting, lighting, lighting.....then there's the posing....then there's the inadequate blending of ground and background in most of the renders.....and don't be reluctant to engage in postwork, all the good artists are doing it.

I highly recommend Digital Lighting & Rendering, 2nd Edition by Jeremy Birn

Critically study the lighting and composition of pictures that you find appealing and figure out how to replicate the effect. Hell, COPY the piece exactly for your own benefit while learning then apply the techniques you discover to your own original works. Perfectly legit so long as you don't post the copy.

Most of the Andrew Loomis books on drawing are in the public domain now and are a very good source for instruction on pose dynamics. By reducing the subject to sketches you can more easily see how the pose balances then you can apply the knowledge to 3d poses.

Develop a consistency of style within any individual work then you can break the rules; think Picasso, Dali, Monet, Van Gogh for examples all highly skilled at "traditional" styles before creating their individual styles.

Render in passes then composite the results in an image editing program. This gives more control over your postwork options and simplifies blending the background into the render.

Also do not post an image "hot off the presses", wait a few days and look at it again....you'll nearly always see things that you could do better and if you don't....that's when you post it as a WIP for other people to critique. (somewhere that you can get an honest reply)

I'll want that arm properly preserved and mounted if you don't mind.:biggrin:

Probably a registry error caused during an install or uninstall of software. MSVCR71.dll is associated with drawing drop down boxes so if it's registry entry gets corrupted you lose function for anything that calls it.

1.  Scan for malware and virus infection, if your .DLL was compromised go to step 6.

2.  Download CCleaner and run the registry tool to cleanup your registry. Use the option to make a backup of the current registry in case you need to restore.

1. Check in the C:Windows System32 folder for the MSVCR71.dll, If it is there you will need to update the registry entry. Make note of the date on the file for later reference.

4.  Start>Run> type " regsvr32 MSVCR71**.dll**  "  minus the quotes

(Don't be nervous, nothing is being added to your system at this point simply forcing a refresh of an existing registry entry.)

5.  Try the script again. 

6.  If this does not work then check if there is a newer version of the .DLL available.

7.  Unzip the newer  .DLL to the correct location (Still no need to worry as this is something that is supposed to be installed already)

8.  Repeat steps 4 and 5

Post back with results

The d3d script is working fine in PoserPro here.

Do you have it installed to the  :Smith Micro:Poser Pro:runtime:python:poserscripts folder?

If it is in the correct location then open PPro and load the figure that has the dials you want to hide or unhide.

Press SHIFT>CTRL>O to open the Python Scripts window

Select an open slot in the dialog and navigate to the location of the UnHide Dials.py to load it for use.

Select the actor containing the dial you wish to hide or unhide then click the UnHide Dials button in the Python Scripts window.

This opens a dialog that has hidden dials in the left column and visible dials in the right column.

Select the parameters you want to manipulate using standard selection methods and click the appropriate button SHOW or HIDE depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

Save a new CR2 with the changes to the dial visibility.

If you have followed all of the above steps exactly and it still doesn't work then you have some other issue occurring.

Please post any error msgs that pop up if the problem continues.