Poser
Encyclopedia
Poser is a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 CGI rendering
Rendering (computer graphics)
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene...

 and animation
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....

 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 gained popularity due to allowing beginners to produce basic animations and digital images, and the extensive availability of third-party digital models.

Overview

Poser is a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 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 figures, props, lighting and cameras for still and animated renderings.

Natively using a subset of the Alias
Alias Systems Corporation
Alias Systems Corporation , headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was a software company that produced high-end 3D graphics software. The company was formed in 1995 when Silicon Graphics bought Alias Research, which was founded in 1983, and Wavefront Technologies, founded in 1984, then merged...

 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 these new models are usually crafted in Maya or 3DS Max.

Poser is available in English, Japanese, German and French for both Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

 and Macintosh platforms. However, after a series of owner changes, the program has become a bit outdated and its main interface lacks many features present in the 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 its modeling tools and capabilities cannot be used to create new figures from scratch. For this same reason, clothes and props can be retooled if necessary, but they must be created in a different program and then imported into Poser.

Most Poser figures can be used with DAZ Studio
DAZ Studio
DAZ Studio is a 3D figure illustration/animation application released by DAZ 3D Inc. It is compatible with most files intended for use by Poser. It is available free of charge . Version 1.0 was released in Fall 2005. Version 4.0.0.335 is the current release as of June 29, 2011...

, which is designed to be compatible with the changing Poser file formats. Compatibility also exists with Carrara
Carrara (software)
Carrara is a general purpose 3D figure posing, modeling, landscape design, rigid and soft-body dynamics, animation and rendering application. Carrara is now owned and developed by DAZ 3D...

, Bryce
Bryce (software)
Bryce is a 3D modeling, rendering and animation program specializing in fractal landscapes. The name is taken from Bryce Canyon—a rugged region with many of the same landscapes that were first simulated with the software.- History :...

 (via DAZ Studio), Shade
Shade 3D
Shade is a 3D modeling, rendering, and animation software program developed by E Frontier Japan and published by Mirye Software.-History:Shade was first published in Japan in the late 1980s, making it one of the oldest 3D applications on Mac OS and Windows. E Frontier, a Japanese software company...

 and Vue. Shade and Vue use PoserFusion, a file hosting system.

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
LightWave
LightWave 3D is a high end computer graphics program developed by NewTek. The latest release of LightWave runs on Windows and Mac OS X.- Overview:...

 and Maya
Maya (software)
Autodesk Maya , commonly shortened to Maya, is 3D computer graphics software that runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video...

, which enables Poser version 6.0 and higher to render more than simply people. As a result of its huge third-party community, many models are available, such as spaceships, aliens, weapons, scenes, buildings, and other such props.

Usage

Poser is a popular tool for home artists creating original images featuring human figures. They use Poser for both human rendering "pin-ups" and comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...

. Poser has limited animation capability. However, Poser animation can be seen in industry applications, such as the animated instructions for checkout automated machines in Albertson city`s, Save-On stores and Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

, and at least one full-length Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...

 fan-film, Star Trek: Aurora. Poser characters and animations were used for early computer games from buddies game creators ("Desert Rifle" games and "Cake shop" from Qi and ELEFUN(TM) game developers). Several Poser characters and 'several animated actions' have been used on different Discovery channel documentaries to graphically render human body working, without intrusion. Humanoids printed in several science and technology magazines around the US are often Poser rendered and postworked models.

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:
  • Humanoids, which contains people characters and human
    Human
    Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

  • animals, marvel character BatBoy
    Cartoon
    A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...

    , dinosaur
    Dinosaur
    Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...

    , bug life
    Insect
    Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

    s
  • wildlife surroundings
    Wildlife
    Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....

    , including soja
  • plenty of animation
    Animation
    Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...

    s tool to work on the characters, include built-in actions for run and duck.
  • Posery and countenance
    Countenance
    Countenance may refer to:* Human physical appearance* Countenance divine, or divine countenance, a reference to the literal or metaphorical face of God...

     for almost every figure, from sleeping, picking up, fighting and fly.
  • A Mien of anatomy Library, contain any expression imaginable, or close to it.
  • Anatomy Hair Library, which has many types of hairstyle
    Hairstyle
    A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...

    s to assign to character.
  • 'Props', which contains objects like coat
    Coat
    Coat can refer to any one of the following: *Coat, a layer of a certain substance, usually paint.*Coat , the natural fur coat of an animal.*Coat , an article of clothing for humans.*Coat , the natural fur coat of a dog....

    s, clothes, skirts, trousers, hats, make-ups, shadow, skin colouring, scenery elements, plenty of wardrobes and chair
    Chair
    A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...

    s.
  • Illuminiscence props, to enlight any surrounding;
  • Lights Library, contain many objects for light in scenery;
  • Cameras, camera
    Camera
    A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...

     angles, and 3D vieports

Family of characters

Millennium Figures (Generation 4) Primarily realistic human DAZ 3D Core Figures: Victoria
Victoria (3D figure)
A female articulated 3D figure developed and sold by DAZ 3D. There have been four "generations" of the figure, all bearing the same name. Victoria is claimed by DAZ to be "the most popular 3D figure on the planet."...

 4, Michael 4, Kids 4; Morphs of Victoria 4: Aiko 4, Girl 4, She Freak 4, Stephanie 4 (Elite Body Shape), Reby Sky
Reby Sky
Rebecca Victoria Reyes , professionally known as Reby Sky , is an American glamour model, radio and television personality, photographer, dancer and professional wrestler.-Early life:...

; Morphs of Michael 4: Hiro 4, Freak 4. These morphs are injectable. This makes it easier to make clothing usable across multiple figures. Reported intention to have been a David 4, but was left unfulfilled. The Kids 4 figure represents a pre-teen child and it has been stated that no specific teenage figure is under development, with the adult figures meant to be morphable into teens.
DAZ 3D
Millennium Figures (Generation 3) Primarily realistic human DAZ 3D Victoria
Victoria (3D figure)
A female articulated 3D figure developed and sold by DAZ 3D. There have been four "generations" of the figure, all bearing the same name. Victoria is claimed by DAZ to be "the most popular 3D figure on the planet."...

 3, Michael 3, Aiko 3, Hiro 3, Stephanie Petite 3, David 3, the Girl, The FREAK, She Freak 2, Millennium Kids - Young Teens (aka Luke & Laura), Millennium Kids- Preschoolers (aka Matt & Maddie), Millenium Baby 3, Troll. The Girl', a stylized female figure, was developed by Kim Goossens in conjunction with Daz, but is marketed as and technologically indistinguishable from the other third generation Millennium figures.
DAZ 3D
Millennium Figures (Generation 2) Primarily realistic human DAZ 3D Victoria
Victoria (3D figure)
A female articulated 3D figure developed and sold by DAZ 3D. There have been four "generations" of the figure, all bearing the same name. Victoria is claimed by DAZ to be "the most popular 3D figure on the planet."...

 2, Michael 2, Aiko, Stephanie, Millennium Girls, Millennium Boys, Millennium Baby. These Victoria and Michael figures keep the mesh shapes of Generation 1, but add morphs and are an unusual case of some add-on compatibility being maintained across generations.
DAZ 3D
Millennium Figures (Generation 1) Realistic human DAZ 3D Victoria
Victoria (3D figure)
A female articulated 3D figure developed and sold by DAZ 3D. There have been four "generations" of the figure, all bearing the same name. Victoria is claimed by DAZ to be "the most popular 3D figure on the planet."...

, Michael. Victoria 1 was originally released as 'The Millennium Woman', but common colloquial shortening to "Millie" led to DAZ 3D renaming her as Victoria.
DAZ 3D

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
MetaCreations
MetaCreations was a computer software company founded in 1997 by the mergers of MetaTools, Fractal Design Corporation, Ray Dream, Specular, and RTG...

, 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
E Frontier
was founded in 1999 and is a major developer and publisher of graphic design and consumer entertainment titles. E Frontier is based in Tokyo, Japan. E Frontier develops Shade 3D, a modeling, rendering and animation software on Windows and Mac OS X....

, in 2003. On 15 November 2007, Smith Micro Software
Smith Micro Software
Smith Micro Software, Inc. , founded in 1983 by William W. Smith, Jr., is a diversified developer and marketer of both enterprise and consumer-level software solutions and services...

 announced the purchase of Poser, Anime Studio
Anime Studio
Anime Studio is a proprietary vector-based 2D animation software for animators originally distributed by LostMarble, later by e frontier. Since November 2007, Smith Micro Software has distributed Anime Studio...

 and Manga Studio
Manga Studio
Manga Studio is a software application for Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows used for the digital creation of comics. It has been developed since 2001 by the Japanese graphics software company Celsys. It was originally distributed in the West by e frontier; since 2007 it is distributed by Smith...

 from e-frontier.

Early versions of Poser were bundled with fully clothed humanoid figures specifically designed for the then-current version of Poser. Next, add-on packages of human figures were sold by the manufacturer of Poser. Soon, third party companies began creating figures which work with Poser. As clothing became separate from the humanoid figure, collections of 3D garments were created for specific models which conform to the shape and pose of the Poser figure. 'Poses' for figures were packaged and sold by the software vendor and by third parties. 'Morphs' allowing customization of body or face shape or other features are also for sale. Different skin textures, frequently combined with settings for morph technology, are marketed to allow one base model to be customized into many different 'characters'; similar 'texture' packages allow one garment to take on many different appearances, an animal to represent different breeds of the same species, or a vehicle to show many different colour schemes.

Each major release of Poser has come with a new generation of figures for use with the tool, however separate figures rapidly became available as the content market developed. Notably Zygote
Zygote Media Group
Zygote Media Group is a developer company for computer-generated 3D graphical software. The company was formed in 1994, with initial emphase on models targetting the usage in the records industry product releases...

 (later DAZ 3D
DAZ 3D
DAZ 3D Inc. is a developer and broker of 3D graphics software and content. DAZ is most known for its popular line of articulated 3D figures and the large, enthusiastic community that has developed around them.DAZ is notable for its business model of giving away a product and generating...

) made a Poser model of a young woman, higher-resolution than Posette, and called her "the Millennium Girl". Poser users often colloquially shortened this name to "Millie
Millie
Millie may refer to:* A diminutive of the female given names "Emily", "Millicent", "Mildred", "Camilla" or sometimes "Amelia"* millie, an affectionate or pejorative term for a young working-class womanMillie may specifically refer to:...

". Zygote, disliking this name, officially named her Victoria, which is often colloquially shortened to Vicky. Victoria then became the initial member of a large family of figures which has developed across four generations of technology. Following their merger with Gizmoz in late 2009, DAZ 3D released all of their poser figures (except the original Millennium Man/Millennium Woman) as free downloads.
Version Release date Publisher Improvements / Notes
1.0 1995 Fractal Design
Fractal Design
Fractal Design was a US software company, originally known as Fractal Software and founded in 1985. It merged into MetaCreations in 1997. It was initially known as Fractal Technology, and produced several best-selling creative software packages for the PC and Macintosh platforms. Its initial...

  • First release
2.0 1996 Fractal Design
  • Ability to add props
  • Animation
  • High resolution models
  • 3.0 1998 MetaCreations developer
    MetaCreations
    MetaCreations was a computer software company founded in 1997 by the mergers of MetaTools, Fractal Design Corporation, Ray Dream, Specular, and RTG...

  • New user interface
  • Facial posing and animation
  • Human figures with jointed fingers.
  • 4.0 1999 MetaCreations
  • Natural-media sketch renderer
  • Figure sculpting via deformers
  • Transparent mode for materials
  • Conforming Clothes
  • Transparency (which lead up to TransHair that increased the quality of hair sold today)
  • 4.0.3 September 1999 Curious Labs
  • Markup path names made to use relative paths
  • Currently sold as entry level Poser Artist
  • Pro Pack February 2000 Curious Labs
  • Add on pack for Poser 4
  • Implementation of Python
    Python (programming language)
    Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...

     scripting,
  • Custom figure rigging
  • Ability to host Poser scenes in 3ds max
    3D Studio Max
    Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio MAX, is for making 3D animations. It was developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabilities, a flexible plugin architecture and can be used on the Microsoft Windows platform. It's frequently used by video game developers, TV...

    , Lightwave 3d
    LightWave
    LightWave 3D is a high end computer graphics program developed by NewTek. The latest release of LightWave runs on Windows and Mac OS X.- Overview:...

    , and Cinema 4D
    Cinema 4D
    CINEMA 4D is a 3D modeling, animation and rendering application developed by MAXON Computer GmbH of Friedrichsdorf, Germany. It is capable of procedural and polygonal/subd modeling, animating, lighting, texturing, rendering, and common features found in 3d modelling applications.- Overview:The...

    .
  • No longer available
  • 5.0 2003 Curious Labs
  • FireFly Reyes
    Reyes rendering
    Reyes rendering is a computer software architecture used in 3D computer graphics to render photo-realistic images. It was developed in the mid-1980s by Loren Carpenter and Robert L. Cook at Lucasfilm's Computer Graphics Research Group, which is now Pixar. It was first used in 1982 to render images...

    /ray tracing renderer
  • Dynamic hair and cloth
  • Collision detection
  • 6.0 March 2005 Curious Labs ; e-frontier
  • OpenGL
    OpenGL
    OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...

     Hardware acceleration
  • Image-based lighting, Ambient Occlusion
  • Cartoon outline rendering effects
  • Inclusion of "Primitives" Zygote Props
  • Binary Morphs (allows you to load the morphs for a characters in a separate file linked to Cr2 resulting in faster load time in Poser)
  • Inclusion of male and female genitalia
  • 7.0 December 2006 e-frontier
    E Frontier
    was founded in 1999 and is a major developer and publisher of graphic design and consumer entertainment titles. E Frontier is based in Tokyo, Japan. E Frontier develops Shade 3D, a modeling, rendering and animation software on Windows and Mac OS X....

  • Simon and Sydney (new AdultG2 male and female figures)
  • Wildlife
    Wildlife
    Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....

     including eagle
    Eagle
    Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

     and wolf
  • Updates to Ben and Kate the Poser Child figures with new morphs, textures and rigging
  • New motion capture data, light sets, poses, and materials
  • Talk Designer for lip-sync animation
  • Multiple Undo/Redo
  • Multithreaded
    Thread (computer science)
    In computer science, a thread of execution is the smallest unit of processing that can be scheduled by an operating system. The implementation of threads and processes differs from one operating system to another, but in most cases, a thread is contained inside a process...

     rendering
  • High dynamic range imaging
    High dynamic range imaging
    In image processing, computer graphics, and photography, high dynamic range imaging is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods...

  • Brush morphing
  • Animation Layers
  • Universal Poses for bipedal figures, with automatic conversion of Poser 1-6 poses
  • Streamlined access to Runtime libraries
  • Universal Binary
    Universal binary
    A universal binary is, in Apple parlance, an executable file or application bundle that runs natively on either PowerPC or Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers; it is an implementation of the concept more generally known as a fat binary.With the release of Mac OS X Snow...

  • Poser Pro May 2008 Smith Micro Software
    Smith Micro Software
    Smith Micro Software, Inc. , founded in 1983 by William W. Smith, Jr., is a diversified developer and marketer of both enterprise and consumer-level software solutions and services...

  • Poser Pro was released adding COLLADA
    COLLADA
    COLLADA is a COLLAborative Design Activity for establishing an interchange file format for interactive 3D applications. COLLADA is managed by the nonprofit technology consortium, the Khronos Group....

     support and plug in support for Cinema C4d and Maya.
  • Poser 8 August 4, 2009 Smith Micro Software
    Smith Micro Software
    Smith Micro Software, Inc. , founded in 1983 by William W. Smith, Jr., is a diversified developer and marketer of both enterprise and consumer-level software solutions and services...

  • 8 new characters
  • New User Interface
    User interface
    The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...

  • New Content Management System
  • Cross body morph tool
  • Global illumination
    Global illumination
    Global illumination is a general name for a group of algorithms used in 3D computer graphics that are meant to add more realistic lighting to 3D scenes...

  • Improved OpenGL
    OpenGL
    OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...

     performance
  • Tone Mapping and exposure control
  • Normal Mapping
  • Wardrobe Wizard
  • Performance optimisations
  • wxPython
    WxPython
    -External links:* * at showmedo...

     support
  • Poser Pro 2010 March 10, 2010 Smith Micro Software
    Smith Micro Software
    Smith Micro Software, Inc. , founded in 1983 by William W. Smith, Jr., is a diversified developer and marketer of both enterprise and consumer-level software solutions and services...

  • Enhanced User Interface
    • 8 new human figures with advanced rigging
    • Full set of legacy figures
    • Over 2.5 GB included content
    • Keyword and online content search
    • Parameter change indicator
    • Joint strength indicator
    • Recent render palette
    • StuffIt Connect image export
    • Facebook image export

    • Professional Art and Animation Tools
      • Full body part morph import
      • Auto-conform drag and drop
      • Conform with scaling
      • Updated PoserFusion Hosting plug-ins
      • Dynamic cloth and strand based hair
      • Improved OpenGL real-time scene preview
      • Face Room
      • WalkDesigner and TalkDesigner
      • Dependent Parameters Tool
      • Improved joint rigging system
      • Cross Body Part Morph Tool
      • Wardrobe Wizard Tool
      • wxPython support

    • Refined Lighting and Rendering Tools
      • HDRI Export
      • Gamma correction for linear rendering
      • Normal mapping
      • PSD layer rendering
      • Network rendering
      • 64 bit render engine
      • Indirect Lighting for Global Illumination
      • Physically correct light falloff
      • Tone mapping and exposure

    External links

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