Ok here is the problem that is currently confounding me. I have a set of spotlights called "posing lights 01" (a fill, backlight and mainlight) that I use on characters. When I load them the default Poser lights (infinite lights) go out, but are still there just turned off. Now to the problem, I want to load a second figure into the scene and use a second instance of the same set of spotlights on it. (BTW I always use a null-loader for scenes with multiple figures). The moment I load the second instance of my "posing lights 01" set the first set vanish from the scene. I have tried renaming them before loading the second figure and lights set, parenting them to the head of the first figure and moving them back along the z-axis. Nothing seems to work each time the second instance kills the first. I know it would be simple to just make a second set within the scene but I want to be able to load a second set from the library. It struck me that this might be a bug or crosstalk problem. I have never really questioned it before in the (nearly) 3 years I have been using Poser but now it is annoying me and I am very interested in finding out if there is a workaround. I could export the scene as a Pz3 and edit it, but that is much more work than manually creating a second instance of my light sets. Anyone have any answers or ideas? Regards STORM

If only the Poser programmers had paid to same attention to lights and other things as they did to figures..... The solution is simple. When Poser saves a set of lights like mine to the library it numbers them sequentially 1, 2, 3. So when you load a second instance of the same set the lights are also numbered 1, 2, 3, and this wipes out the first set, unlike with figures during which Poser changes the numbers when a second figure or second instance of the first figure is loaded. I used Edit Pad to open up my light set and renumbered the lights to 4, 5, and 6. There are 2 instances of each light in the file that need renumbering, at the top of the file and in the body of the file. (light spotLight1 became light spotLight 4 for instance). I did not change the name of the lights e.g. Fill to Fill 01, but left them as they were. I then saved the file back to the library as "Posing lights 02.lt2" Then I loaded up the P4 woman and loaded up my first light set "Posing lights 01.lt2". Then I parented the lights to her head and clicked "inherit bends of parent." I then moved the P4 woman back along the z-axis in the scene and the lights went with her. I next loaded up the P4 Dork and clicked on my new set "Posing lights 02.lt2" (note there is no rsr file so you have a shrugging man) and voila it worked, two sets of the same lights in one scene. Incidentally Poser did implement a numbering change in the light names e.g. there were two instances of the light named Fill, Fill and Fill 1. So it is possible, and very useful for prop creation such as lamps in scenes where you can bring in a lamp and load up a special light set for it without erasing you existing scene lights, so long as you change the numbers of the second lt2 file to the ones already being used. Maybe this is old stuff, but I am really pleased with this (for me) new discovery. Hope this helps others. Regards STORM

"light spotLight1 became light spotLight 4 for instance" Should read "light spotLight1 became light spotLight4 for instance" BTW the changes took about 30 seconds to do in Edit Pad much faster than manually creating a second set of lights in the scene. Regards STORM

When you load the second set of lights Poser turns the first set off. Just click on the lights from the first set, bring up Object Properties and turn them back on. Regards STORM

thanks for the post. i'm glad you had enough problems to start the post. equally glad you found a quick fix. 18:01 to 20:47 to fix the problem and thoughtfully provide the answer.

Thanks jamball77, yeah it was quick (for a change! ;0) ). Walked away from the 'puter for a while, did something else, and a little voice in my head said check the numbers....check the numbers. Sometimes it works easily like that! Regards STORM

"I have never really questioned it before in the (nearly) 3 years I have been using Poser but now it is annoying me" I dont use poser much but I just gotta say that you are VERY patient... :)