Do very many people actually read them?
I gather that some places have a rule that they must be in a plain text format?

Personally I prefer a PDF with some pictures, or an html format with pictures.

I thought about a short instructional video too, but that one has a fair amount of cons to it. For the creator the additional time and effort it takes, for users and the creators the file size may be an issue? 
Honestly, I only tinkered with the instructional video programs that capture what is going on on the screen, and a soundtract, so I'm not sure it it a lot more effort then writing a meaningful readme.
Thoughts? Opinions?

Readme's are like instruction manuals, there to be ignored!!!  

We can include a .pdf in the product itself but Readmes, especially for Rederosity, MUST be in .txt format and have to follow a specific structure.

The problem with including a .pdf is that they can be rather large and we have a 52 Mb limit on product size split into 2 files.

Quote - Readme's are like instruction manuals, there to be ignored!!!  

LOL, so true, and I'm the worst offender. I think the first readme I actually read a few was when I realized I have to write one myself.

But, but. I have a good excuse:tt2: I'm an engineer and have to be able to reverse engineer things without a manual... it's the matter of pr.... um, stubbornes? :tt2:
It's like a crossword puzzle, turning to the solution page before trying to solve it on your own.
....Glances at her Poser 4, 5 and 6 manuals in MINT condition...  Guess they're not going to become a collectible, ay?

Quote - We can include a .pdf in the product itself but Readmes, especially for Rederosity, MUST be in .txt format and have to follow a specific structure.

The problem with including a .pdf is that they can be rather large and we have a 52 Mb limit on product size split into 2 files.

I take it this is true for both, marketplace and freebie items?

*But, but. I have a good excuse I'm an engineer
*Ditto, so am I     [Electronics]

But, but... that's what the tech is for........ isn't it? :laugh:  Lou.

I read them at first.

the only info i ever saw in the readmes is if it can be used commercialy, freely distributed, the creators e-mail and a list of files that should be in the zip.

I dont do commercial work and i don't really care what is in the zip as long as it works. I'll occationaly check to see about distribution if i'm asked where something came from and i have had a couple of occations where i searched the readme for the creators e-mail so i could contact them but that is really the only time the readme has been usefull to me.

@thefixer:  LOL, that would explain it! Civil Engineering here.   
I couldn't sell you a bridge, that's structural engineer's domain, but should you buy one, I'll sell you a road up to it ;)

@Tyger_purr: So, I take it if there are instructions for use and contact info in the readme, it would bve rather useful if they're at the top... and the legaleese and the packing list at the bottom :)

Quote - @Tyger_purr: So, I take it if there are instructions for use and contact info in the readme, it would bve rather useful if they're at the top... and the legaleese and the packing list at the bottom :)

If there are instructions for use, it would be better served (in my opinion) in a separate file called instructions.

if it must be in the readme, i would not say it must be first, however it should be clearly visable without scrolling. that is to say the "instructions" title should appear in the window when it is first opened and not require searching.

Quote - > Quote - We can include a .pdf in the product itself but Readmes, especially for Rederosity, MUST be in .txt format and have to follow a specific structure.

The problem with including a .pdf is that they can be rather large and we have a 52 Mb limit on product size split into 2 files.

 

I take it this is true for both, marketplace and freebie items?

I don't think so for freebies.  The readme has to be in txt format but there's no specific structure.  I don't know about file size because they're not hosted by Renderosity.  We have to host our own freebies.

Now I wonder if a python script or something couldn't be made so that when someone clicks on a character to import, it could call a page of instructions.

Well maybe not when the character itself imports, but have a square (button) just above it, that will open an html file with instructions from within poser, instead of the user having to fish for the instructions in Poser's already convoluted file structure.

Is it possible to make a call for a python script load from within a CR2 file? Anyone?  Or perhaps it doesn't have to be a script, maybe just an 'application open' call from within cr2? Maybe this should go into Poser technical forum...

Quote - Is it possible to make a call for a python script load from within a CR2 file? Anyone?  Or perhaps it doesn't have to be a script, maybe just an 'application open' call from within cr2? Maybe this should go into Poser technical forum...

Posework's Particles has a CR2 that launches a python script that launches the poseworks website for online tutorials.

only problem i see is that the python would have to know exactly where the instructions are so if the user put them in a diffrent runtime, it wouldnt work

Quote - only problem i see is that the python would have to know exactly where the instructions are so if the user put them in a diffrent runtime, it wouldnt work

Hmmm... I'm thinking, knowing that CR2 already handles the relative paths, there must be some sort of a variable in Poser that points to the current runtime path.... Knowing that, Cr2 would have to be able to pass that variable to Python, or have python read it...
If my assumption above is true, then as long as the directory structure below runtime is intact, relative pathing should work.

Or if I'm hosting the files anyway, I may just put the instructions html online...

I dunno about the python stuff, but I find I usually hafta open the readme files. the zip files usually come with confusing, non-descriptive names, which means that 6 months from now, I won't recall what they contain. hence, when I get something, I usually gotta open the readme just to rename the zip file with some descriptive name.

Quote - I read them at first.

the only info i ever saw in the readmes is if it can be used commercialy, freely distributed, the creators e-mail and a list of files that should be in the zip.

I dont do commercial work and i don't really care what is in the zip as long as it works. I'll occationaly check to see about distribution if i'm asked where something came from and i have had a couple of occations where i searched the readme for the creators e-mail so i could contact them but that is really the only time the readme has been usefull to me.

Ditto that!

I also will look at them if the item is a complicated one (such as some hair or clothing items) to see if there are any tips on how to work with the product.  But other than that since I don't do commercial work, I save them but I don't read them.

I always save ReadMe files, because all the structure of the downloaded product is written here (RuntimeLibraryPose...). Especially for the Texture files, cause sometimes i try to manually browse until i find the texture files, and am simply not able to remember under what name they are saved...!!

So the ReadMe (that i always save in the same folder than the product, character or pose folder) is a sort of "reminder" of the structure.

If you're going to zip up your product, perhaps you could add any earth-shattering instructions to the comment field within the zip file-- you run out of room (I don't know the maximum size of the comment field-- I've seen some pretty wordy ones though) -- you can refer them to the correctly named readme file for further information.

Unless you're planning to rename everything in sight, the Readme tells you what the installed files are called (not necessarily where they are, since you may decide to retain the supplied folder names, while placing them in a different run-time).   Sometimes, what is on offer is not obvious from the sales blurb.   The images may look impressive, but there is some doubt as to how much of what is illustrated is actually included in the product, so the product-list in the Readme provides that information.   Special installation instructions, e.g. for parenting one figure to another, may be included in the Readme.  The Readme should also detail clearly the prerequisites of a product:   P6 and P7, but not P5, perhaps;  Miki 2, but not Miki 1020, or V4.1, not V4.   That stuff will pretty well always be displayed in the basic product promo, but the Readme presents it in stark black and white.

It's not my favourite reading matter, but it's useful.   If I install a DAZ product, I never select "Display Readme", because that never works.   I know where to find the DAZ readme files (at least they don't overwrite each other) but a simple text file seems just as informative as a file in PDF or HTML.

There are some very good super-readme files for dynamic clothing.   If the subject matter justifies that kind of treatment, I'm all in favour, but that kind of thing is not needed for most products.

My readme files always tell where everything is located but only from the Runtime (eg: Runtime/libraries/pose/files or Runtime/Textures/~DI~/textures) so that if you install to an external runtime the strcture is still the same.  Also, my readme files include the product name and are located in the DI_Readme folder as well as being title with the product name.