poser

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Poser is a 3D rendering and animation software program optimized for models that depict the human figure in three-dimensional form, mostly used to pose and animate the figures in a similar way as a mannequin. The program has become very popular due to its ease of use, which allows beginners to produce basic animations and digital images, and the extensive availability of third-party digital models.

Overview

"Dharma Juggler", by Gunther Berkus, 1997. Early Poser 1 / Bryce composite image. The original Poser wireframe image has been enhanced using Adobe Photoshop.

Poser is a 3D rendering software package for the posing, animating and rendering of 3D polymesh human and animal figures. Akin to a virtual photography studio, Poser allows the user to load actors, props, lighting and cameras for still and animated renderings.

Natively using a subset of the Alias object (OBJ) file format and a text-based markup for content files, Poser comes with a basic library of human, animal, robotic, and cartoon figures. The package also includes poses, hair pieces, props, textures, hand gestures and facial expressions. As Poser itself does not allow for original modeling of objects, a large community market of merchants and artists creating, selling and marketing third-party Poser content emerged, but this new models are usually crafted in Maya or 3DSMax.

Poser is available in English, Japanese, German and French for both Windows and Macintosh platforms. However, after a series of owners changes, the program has become a bit outdated and it's main interface lacks many features present in newest 3D programs. Poser can re-modelate already existing figures, almost as if you were working with clay, which allows you to create completely new characters, but always using a previously existing one as a basis, since it's modeling tools and capabilities cannot be used to create new figures form scratch. For this same reason, clothes and props can be retooled if necessary, but they must be created in a different program too and then imported into Poser.

On the other hand, Poser can export to any other 3D program with no problem at all. The latest versions even includes direct export plug ins to directly open Poser characters into Maya, Carrara, 3DS Max and even Adobe Photoshop, to paint the models.

Features

Poser comes with a host of features, such as the inclusion of "Primitive" zygotes; spheres, cubes and other shapes at both low and high resolution. As with Poser 5.0, it is compatible with 3ds Max, LightWave and Maya, which enables Poser version 6.0 and higher to render more than simply people. Indeed, Poser has become almost limitless in the characters it can render. As a result of its huge third-party community, many models are available, such as spaceships, aliens, weapons, scenes, buidlings, and other such props.

Usage

Poser has become a popular tool for digital artists creating original images featuring human figures. It is used for both individual images ("pin-ups") and comics. While Poser has animation capability, this use is less common. However, Poser animation can be seen in industrial applications, such as the animated instructions for checkout machines in Albertsons, Save-On stores and Wal-Mart. Poser figures and animations have been seen in some computer games from budding game creators (Desert Rifle-Qi games and Cake shop-Elefun games). Several Poser figures and animations have been used on different Discovery channel documentaries as a way to explain how a human or animal moves. Infography present in several science and technology magazines around the world is often Poser retouched or postworked models.

In addition, an aftermarket has grown up around the trade and sales of ready-made Poser content. Individuals produce models and textures for human figures, props, scenes, animals, etc.

Library

The Poser package comes with many already-installed features that do not have to be purchased at an online store. These are stored in the "Library." The Library includes:

• Figures, which contains human, animal, cartoon, dinosaur, insect, wildlife, and many other poser figures that have a multitude of animation tools to work with.
• Poses, There are poses for almost every figure, and there are many human poses from sleeping to picking something up to fighting.
• Expressions, which contains any expression imaginable, or close to it.
• Hair, which has many types of hairstyles to place on the characters.
• Props, which contains objects like clothes and chairs.
• Lights, which contains many ways to light your scene.
• Cameras, which contains many camera angles.

Program history

Poser was created by artist and programmer Larry Weinberg, as a software replacement for artist's mannequins. Versions 1.0 and 2.0 were published by Fractal Design; in 1997, Fractal Design was acquired by MetaCreations, and Poser's interface was redesigned by MetaCreations' Phil Clevenger for release as Poser 3 in 1998. This interface has remained as the basis for all subsequent versions. In 1999, MetaCreations sold Poser to egi.sys AG, which established the subsidiary Curious Labs, with Larry Weinberg as CEO, to handle Poser development and publication. Curious Labs and Poser were sold to the publisher e frontier, in 2003. On 15 November 2007, Smith Micro Software announced the purchase of Poser, Anime Studio and Manga Studio from e frontier.^[1]

See also

• Poser figures
• MakeHuman
• Avimator
• QAvimator
• Renderosity
• Poserpedia
• Digital art

References

External links

• Poser Official Site
• Poser at the Open Directory Project

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