Hi, I would just like to know certain information about Poser users in general.

1. How many of you are still using Poser version 4. Not Pro Pack or Poser 5?

2. How many of you are using Poser Pro Pack?

3. How many of you understand the difference between .bum and .jpg format and how to convert the former to the other?

Thanks in advance.

Poser 5+

Poser 5 only.

P4.....but then, I'm still using Win98.....:/

I use Poser 4 still, but own have have used PoserPro, Poser 5 and just bought Poser 6. Also, I understand the difference between bum and jpg Sharen

Message edited on: 02/22/2005 06:28

Message edited on: 02/22/2005 06:28

ProPack on the Mac and Poser 5 on the PC.

Yes, I know the difference in bump maps and formats, but why convert unless you enjoy jumping through hoops or need to use an older item?

Message edited on: 02/22/2005 06:44

Yes. No. Yes.

No No Yes

Poser 5 only. Yes, I know the difference and how to convert, but as P5 doesn't use .bum files neither do I :-)

Poser 4 Pro and Poser 5....whatever does the job easiest

Yes. Yes. Yes.

1. Yes. 2. No. 3. Yes.

Yes No Yes

P5 only Never bothered with ProPack Yes, can convert .bum files

P5 and hopefully P6 soon. Yes...I can convert -jay

I use propack and poser 5.

P5 only. Understand the concept of bum vs jpg, but never needed to convert.

1-heck no. 2-yes 3-absolutely Sounds like your considering dropping "direct" p4 support. I've thought about it too.

P4 and P5, just ordered P6. I know the difference and for what it's worth, I've gone through my entire runtime changing ALL my .bum to .bmp files, then compressed them into .jpg's and use them with MAT poses for P4 because .bum files take up too much space. Unfortunately I cannot apply them manually in P4 so that's a pain because some items I have to edit (props, cr2's etc.)

P5 Only. If anyone is using mPower Tools (or the earlier Picaview) from ACDSee, you can just right-click a BUM file and convert to JPG.

Hey Thank you all for participating. I am considering of dropping support for .bum files. Just as Kalypso mention they are large thus translates to bigger archives and longer downloads.

The problem with .bum file size is that they are uncompressed .bmp files. But, the other problem is that compressing .bum files (normal map) is not a good thing. At least lossy compression compromises data integrity in this case (remember these aren't 'images' per se, but data maps). I agree, though, that .bum files should become extinct. The issue here is that support must remain as long as they exist in content. What should be done is a permanent conversion to height map (bump map) with links fixed in the Poser file.

I use Poser4 and I do know the difference and know how to convert them. I very seldom use bump maps though (I take them out) because they slow down render time.

Pro Pack (have p5, rarely use it - won't be able to use p6, I have win me) I know how to convert .bum files.

It would be sweet if an update was made for P4 to allow it to use jpegs instead of those .bum files. That would make product development a ton easier too.

I use Poser 4 or ProPack (which ever I can get to run) most of the time because of the quick start up and ease in applying textures. I use Poser 5 for major pieces of work for the nodes and the Face Room mainly but often even there I render in Poser 4 using Poser 5 since I don't like the Firefly render and use it only when I need special node stuff. My other problems with Poser 5 are the instablity and the hassle of doing simple texture stuff using the Materials Room. So there, despite my basic preferance for P4 I have gone ahead and pre-ordered P6 blind. Why can't they stop being coy and show us what we are actually buying??! If you are vending stuff can't you just package both .jpg and .bum for textures given that everyone around here but me has a buttload of memory.

pardon me if i oversimplify things but given the choice between letting out bits of positive information vs. letting out all the postive information at onece and listening to all the negative feedback (i.e. "thats crap, why didn't you include ______? ", "I'm not buying if cuz you didnt include _____?") I wouldn't tell all until I had to either.

If you are vending stuff can't you just package both .jpg and .bum for textures given that everyone around here but me has a buttload of memory. BUM textures are enormously HUGE and don't compress well. They add a great deal to the file size and increase download times exponentially. It's best all the way around to not include BUM files in the product package.

P5 going on P6 I prefer JPG bumps since they are smaller in file size. I definitely also want them plugged into the right node...

P4... got P5, use it as a bookend... won't get P6 until it's proved to work and do all it says it will. Jack

1. I use P4 because some of my favourite figures cannot be loaded on P5 and the P5 to Vue4Pro exports do not work on my PC. 2) Only P4, no Pro Pack. 3) I understand the difference between jpg and bum.

1. P5, waiting for P6 2) never bothered 3) I know the difference, haven't done conversions in ages.

Poser 5 .....will be using Poser 6 once I get it :)

1. Still Poser4 (the render time ) got just P5/P6
2. Never used
3. Yes
   IMHO merchants should still support P4 but include only the .jpg insted for .bum and a tought for the .png preview images, why include them on packages as both propack and P5 reads .rsr.

1. no 2. yes 3. yes

P4 only. Might upgrade to 6 when all the reports/complaints are in!

No pro pack

I do convert the .bums but it's a tedious and annoying job! Glad you are considering dropping them!!!

Message edited on: 02/22/2005 11:29

1. No 2. Yes - P4Pro only (6 ordered) 3. Yes

Poser 5 only, soon to be 6 and as P5 doesn't bother with BUM's [I think], I never bothered finding out about them!

P4, with Propack, heck P3 as well..;) know there's a difference, but haven't played with it. No plans to even go to 5, much less 6..;)

No.
No.
Yes.

P6 as soon as it arrives in my mailbox.

Feel free to drop support for .bum files. At some point, everyone should stop using Windows 3.1, too.

It'll taper off with time.

I'm still using Poser 4 for creating Free Stuff (like MORs and seam guides), but I use DAZ Studio for everything else. I hope merchants will start supporting D|S when it reaches 1.0. I might upgrade to Poser 6 after seeing what others think of it. No, I never used PP. Yes, I have used and converted BUMs in the past, but they got so large that I only use them when absolutely necessary. D|S uses JPGs like PP and P5, so I prefer using them there. Thanks, SnowS

I use ProPack, have P5 - didn't reinstall it after the last HD crash, no intention of ever getting P6 - don't need all those bells and whistles for what I do, ProPack works fine for me and doesn't require a screen resolution that I can't read. Yes, I know how to convert bump maps, but I seldom use them since I don't render in Poser to begin with.

I use both 4 and 5, and I understand the concept of bum vs jp

Poser 5 only

YES NO YES

Poser 4 No Pro Pack Know the difference...just a pain to find the jpegs to convert to bums with all the stuff that I tend to buy.

Poser5 only here, it's so long since I had to convert a jpg I've forgotten how :D

P5, only use P4 to test what I make. No, jumped right to P5. Yes. I too have toasted all the .bum in all my files. As a dial-up user, I hate those unneeded file types.

wusamah, in that case you only have to include the .jpgs and leave .bum-version references in the P4 version of the files. If you give all of your bumpmaps the same suffix (like "BUM" in caps), before using your package the customers would only need to load each of those to the ground plane once to convert to bum files.

Poser 4, Poser 4 pro pack, Poser 5 and just ordered Poser 6, and yes I understand the difference and know how to convert. Marque

I use poser 4 with PP, I dont understand poser 5.... sad but true. I wouldnt know a bum if he came up to me on the street!