Okay, I've only been toying with Poser 5 for a couple of days, so I'm not even going to begin an attempt at evaluating the changes.......but does anyone mind if I complain about what hasn't changed?

Firstly, the library is only a little more manageable than before. I expected more. If Curious Labs could see half of our libraries, they'd realize just how much 3rd party product we add to Poser.

But my biggest shock involves the simple things. I have been programming professionally for 16 years, and I cannot believe that we are on version 5 and Poser still blows-up when it can't find an OBJ, and the app still ignores you for at least 5 minutes when you attempt to cancel a render in progress. Error checking is Software Development 101. What gives here, CL?

Compiling my own list of bugs, interface issues, and a review, but don't forget these killers...

(Sorry CL, some of these are real pet-peeves of mine)

• Still no hardware OpenGL support for the interface (all modern 3D apps have this, even Cool3D has it for pete's sake.)
• Apparently no MOUSE WHEEL support (arrg!) (ditto)
• Still no REAL undo, let alone multiple levels of undo (double-arrg!) (again, all apps have this critical feature)
• No render button! (I know, I'm lazy, but come on, that's an easy one to implement. Every 3D app has it.)
• No change to the animation interface. (too many issues to list here.)
• Lights remain the same. No volumetric lights (I think), no Omni lights, etc.

I must say, I find the library interface a huge improvement. Perfect? NO. But now at least sub-folders are a reality as well as easier navigating.

Am I happy with P5 ... for the most part. The new features make up for a lot, but it still is very frustrating to use, mostly because of the oversites mentioned above.

No Omni lights ???, very very bad !!!!!

Stupidity also evolves!

doesn't CTRL+R work anymore?

Yes, it sure does. But a render button (like in every other 3D app I own) would be nice and not at all hard to implement. While we're at it, I mentioned this a long tmie ago, but plop-rendering (like in Bryce) would be a God-send. That'll have to wait for P6 I imagine.

I bet you can't change the text color/font either :( No mousewheel nor right button support and here we're at the end of 2002!!!!!!!! Ridiculous. Those little teeeeeny menu arrows are too hard to hit on today's bigger screens. Drives me nuts in Bryce too. :(

Thanks! I totally forgot about no right-mouse button support ... it's like being on a Mac! AHHHH! Add that to the list.

Isn't it strange that CL insists on developing for the Mac, limits the use of the MS UI (right mouse, wheel, etc) and then delays the Mac release while releasing the MS version?

Ironic and frustrating to say the least. I have been saying in a lot of posts, but they really need to adopt a standard Windows GUI. (I'm not talking about the posing, camera, etc. controls -- I like those.) The Windows interface is, and has been, lightyears ahead of the Mac OS in functionality and efficiency. I hope the Poser interface is not based on a Crapintosh interface ... I'd have even more disrespect for that laughable OS (although I must admit OSX is a huge improvement) than I already do. -Tim

Actually the underpinnings of Poser's interface is based on the Apple II I believe. That's where it originated...even before the Mac.

Ok, so there's the problem. It's been a few years since I've used the Mac OS ... and while it annoyed the crap out of me with its weak functionality, I knew it wasn't this bad. Thanks for the insight.