Poser 7 Problems
- Poser 7, as the name implies, had several predecessors before it. The original Poser was intended to be little more than an aid to artists trying to draw people in various poses. But it quickly evolved beyond that use, propelled by a rapidly growing hobbyist community that used Poser to create their own CGI renders. One consequence of this evolution is that the libraries in which items are stored in Poser 7 make almost no sense to anyone first using the program. An example of this is that you can find hair in both the "Figures" library, the "Hair" library and even (occasionally) in the "Props" library.
- All the items you have installed in Poser are in a folder called "Runtime." Unfortunately, because of the way the files from each product are distributed across the various "Runtime" sub-folders, unless from the start you create separate a "Runtime" folder for each product you install, you will find that items that you think should be in the same folder, such as clothing for a particular figure, will instead be found in a totally separate folder. In addition, there are some things that should have their own library in Poser but do not. Textures are an example of this. If you want to add a texture to a character, you have to look in the "Pose" library.
- Another problem with Poser 7 is (in a way) related to its appearance. The interface controls look so basic and even childish when compared to the complex functions of Maya or 3Dmax, and yet Poser does in fact have a fairly steep learning curve, in no small part due to the way it is organized. For instance, in other programs (such as Daz Studio) when you add a clothing item to a figure, the program automatically knows that it is supposed to stay with the figure. But in Poser 7, you have to go into the menu and click on "Conform to Figure," since there is not even an icon on the interface to perform this function.
- One significant problem with Poser 7, if you are accustomed to working in other 3D programs, is that the tools are fairly awkward and hard to use. For instance, in most 3D programs, there is a universal manipulator tool that can be used to do things like move objects directly along the X, Y and Z axes. Poser 7 does not have that capability.
- One thing that most people would like to be able to do when they are working in 3D is to create realistic 3D models of themselves or others. On the surface, Poser 7 seems to have this in the "Face Room." Unfortunately, this room does not live up to expectations. The tools for importing photos and applying them to a model are inadequate. In addition, the resolution of the final applied texture is much less than the one you bring in. Finally, you are forced to use Posers more limited models since the "Face Room" cannot apply textures to other models like Daz3ds Victoria 4.
