Poser
Poser is a 3D computer graphics program distributed by . Poser is optimized for the 3D modeling of human figures, and has gained popularity due to beginners being able to produce basic animations and digital images, as well as the extensive availability of third-party digital 3D models.
Overview
Poser is a 3D rendering software package for the posing, animating and rendering of 3D poly-mesh human and animal figures. Similar to a virtual photography studio, Poser allows the user to load figures, props, lighting and cameras for both still and animated renderings.Using a subset of the Alias object file format and a text-based markup for content files, Poser comes with a large library of pre-rigged human, animal, robotic, and cartoon figures. The package also includes poses, hairpieces, props, textures, hand gestures and facial expressions. As Poser itself does not allow for original modeling of objects, a large community market of artists has emerged, in which Poser content is created and sold through various third party channels.
Poser is available in multiple languages including English, Japanese, German and French. Poser is available for both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. While Poser's interface has evolved since the product's introduction in 1995, the current Poser 11 and Poser Pro 11 preserve many of the application's original interface elements so that legacy users can move into the newest version and navigate without relearning the program's controls.
Features
Poser includes a library of pre-built, ready-to-use content including body and hand poses, materials, props, facial expressions, hairpieces, lights, cameras and scenes, and a Reyes-based render engine called Firefly which supports nodes for the creation of complex materials. Furthermore, it provides import of sound, image, and video files, motion capture data and 3D content for the creation of scenes or the addition of new library items. Poser exports content in many 3D formats. Poser is capable of material editing, facial photo matching, dynamic hair, dynamic cloth and new figure rigging. Online content is also available. Python enables third-party developers to create additional features ranging from custom libraries, rendering engine control panels, metadata editors and utility scripts.Usage
Poser is a digital stage that gives the user total control. Poser is used to create original images ranging from human figures, human renderings of medical and industrial design illustrations, editorial illustrations, informational graphics, graphic novel illustrations, comics, and much more.Poser contains many animation capabilities and is regularly employed by broadcast professionals including animation staff at Fox Bones, Colbert Report and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as well as in industry applications, such as in the animated instructions for automated checkout machines at Albertsons, Save-On stores and Wal-Mart, and in at least a few full-length films including Star Trek fan-film, ''' , and . Poser characters and animations were used for early computer games from 'buddies' game creators.
Standard Poser characters have been extensively used by European and US-based documentary production teams to graphically render the human body or virtual actors in digital scenes. Humanoids printed in several science and technology magazines around the US are often Poser-rendered and post-worked models.
Library
Poser is packaged with ready-to-use 3D content that allows new users to get started without immediately needing to purchase additional content. Items are stored in Poser's drag-and-drop-enabled Library and are organized by type and name, e.g. People/Ryan2. Users can save customized figures or objects into the Library in order to reuse those items at a later point in time. The Library also supports adding in additional "Runtimes" which are collections of content that legacy users have assembled from third party providers.The Library includes a configurable, keyword-based Search function that locates content in the Library or connected Runtimes. Content can also be added to the Library's Favorites for quick access.
The Library is set-up with categories that each include collections of similar content items:
- Character: pre-rigged figures including anatomically accurate humans, mannikins, animals, insects, dinosaurs, cartoon characters, human anatomies such as skeletons and musculature and mechanical figures such as vehicles
- Pose: animated and static poses for human and animals covering day-to-day activities, dancing, walking, standing and sitting, as well as action and sport poses
- Face: includes full and partial facial expressions
- Hair: includes prop-based transparency-mapped hairpieces, dynamic hairpieces and hair props such as mustaches or sideburns.
- Hand: hand poses of various types such as action poses and gestures, signals, counting and American Sign Language
- Props: includes primitives such as spheres and cylinders, clothing items grouped by character, scene props, furniture, rooms, vehicles, plants and cartoon elements
- Lights: includes animated or static pre-set lights consisting of spotlights, infinite lights, point lights, diffuse IBL lights.
- Cameras: includes animated or static cameras
- Materials: includes simple and complex node-based materials
- Scenes: full Poser scenes including a Factory, Crime Scene Lab and a modern Apartment.
History
Early versions of Poser were bundled with fully clothed humanoid figures specifically designed for Poser. As the program evolved, add-on packages of human figures were sold by the manufacturer of Poser, and eventually, 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 sold. Different skin textures, frequently combined with settings for morph technology, are marketed to allow one base model to be customized into many different 'characters'. Similarly '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 color schemes.
On July 2, 2009 Smith Micro Software announced the creation of a new platform for distribution of assets for use in Poser called .
On November 9, 2018 Smith Micro Software announced the closure of Content Paradise on December 3, 2018., the content moved to Renderosity.
On June 20, 2019, Smith Micro Software announced they sold the product line of its Poser software to Bondware, Inc., owner of the popular online marketplace, Renderosity.com, and longtime Smith Micro resale partner.
| Version | Release date | Publisher | Improvements / Notes |
| 1.0 | Fractal Design Corporation |
| |
| 2.0 | Fractal Design | ||
| 3.0 | MetaCreations | ||
| 4.0 | MetaCreations | ||
| 4.0.3 | Curious Labs | ||
| Pro Pack | Curious Labs | ||
| 5.0 | Curious Labs | ||
| 6.0 | Curious Labs; e-frontier | ||
| 7.0 | e-frontier | ||
| Poser Pro | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser 8 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser Pro 2010 | Smith Micro Software | Enhanced User Interface
| |
| Poser Debut | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser 9 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser Pro 2012 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser 10 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser Pro 2014 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser Pro Game Dev | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser 11 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser Pro 11 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser Update 11.1 | Smith Micro Software | ||
| Poser Update 11.2 | Bondware Inc. |
Poser figures
Poser's specially designed figures are commonly known as Poser Figures, Poser Models, Poser Content, Digital Actors, or Digital Puppets. 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. Skin textures, frequently combined with settings for morph technology, are marketed to allow one base model to be customized into many 'characters'; similar 'texture' packages allow one garment to take on many appearances, an animal to represent different breeds of the same species, or a vehicle to show many colour schemes.Development of figures
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 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". 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 multiple generations of technology. After they merged with Gizmoz in late 2009, DAZ 3D released all their Poser figures as free downloads, but withdrew the free versions of their pre-Genesis figures when Genesis was released.Content market
Because Poser figures are very inexpensive and useful for commercial illustrators, an entire cottage industry has developed to create and market Poser figures and other content. The market is a combination of several large distributors, who often also develop products, and of individual artists who often use one or more of the larger distributors to handle the sale of their products. Both the distributors and individual artists are involved in the creation of Poser figures, clothing, poses, morphs, textures and characters.Figure families
Rather than unconnected single figures, Poser figures are now generally produced as families of models linked by technology generation and creator. Certain add-on products, most often poses and skin textures, but including some clothing models, may be usable across more than one model within a family, but in general are not usable across different generations of the same model. Examples of notable families of models are:| Family | Category | Designer | Names | Notes | Distributor |
| Poser 11.1 | Realistic Human | Smith Micro Software | Paul 2, Pauline 2 | Included with Poser | |
| Poser 11 | Realistic Human | Smith Micro Software | Paul, Pauline | Paul released in content update 1 | Included with Poser |
| Poser 10 | Realistic Human | Smith Micro Software | Rex, Roxie | Included with Poser | |
| Poser 9 | Realistic Human | Smith Micro Software | Ryan 2, Alyson 2 | Weight-mapped update of Poser 8 figures. | Included with Poser |
| Miki 4 | Realistic human | Smith Micro Software | Miki 4 | Weight-mapped update of Miki 3. | Content Paradise |
| Miki 3 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Miki 3 | Content Paradise | |
| G2 | Realistic human | eFrontier | James G2, Jessi G2, Koji G2, Kelvin G2, Simon G2, Sydney G2, Olivia G2 | G2 male figures were partially cross-compatible, as were the G2 females. | Content Paradise |
| Dawn | Realistic human | HiveWire | Dawn | Weight-mapped female figure for Poser 9 and DazStudio 4.5 | HiveWire store |
| Dusk | Realistic human | HiveWire | Dusk | Weight-mapped male figure for Poser 9 and DazStudio 4.5 | HiveWire store |
| adanimals | Realistic animals | adh3d | adHorse | A new horse bundle for poser | adh3d poser models |
| adtoons | Toon anthro figures | adh3d | Joe the bear | A new toon figure for Poser 9+ | adh3d poser models |
| adHuman | Realistic human | adh3d | adMan v2 | The next genetation male for Poser 9+ | adh3d poser models |
| adHuman | Realistic human | adh3d | adMAn | A free realistic male figure | adh3d poser models |
| adHuman | Realistic human | adh3d | adMan/adWoman WM | A free realistic human figure with a complete female morph pack and weight map rigging. | adh3d poser models |
| Miki 2.0 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Miki 2.0 | Often mistakenly included within the G2 family. She was created by eFrontier and represents a similar generation of technology, but is an upgraded version of Miki 1.0 | Content Paradise |
| Miki 1.0 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Miki 1.0 | Content Paradise | |
| Koji | Realistic human | eFrontier | Koji | Content Paradise | |
| Poser 8 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Ryan, Alyson | Content Paradise | |
| Poser 7 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Simon G2, Sydney G2, Ben 2, Kate 2 | Included in Poser 7. The adult figures are the G2 figures listed above. | Content Paradise |
| Poser 6 | Realistic human | eFrontier | James, Jessi, Ben, Kate | Included in Poser 6. The Poser 6 James and Jessi are distinct figures from the G2 James and Jessi; the G2 figures are a later generation of technology. | Content Paradise |
| Poser 5 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Don, Judy, Will, Penny. | included in Poser 5 | Content Paradise |
| Poser 4 | Realistic human | eFrontier | High-Resolution Man, High Resolution Woman. | Included in Poser 4. The names Dork and Posette remained in unofficial use. | Content Paradise |
| Poser 3 | Realistic human | eFrontier | High-Resolution Man, High Resolution Woman. | Included in Poser 3. Over time the unofficial names 'Dork' and 'Posette' were adopted by the user community. | Content Paradise |
| Poser 2 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Names not yet given to figures | Included in Poser 2 | Content Paradise |
| Poser 1 | Realistic human | eFrontier | Names not yet given to figures | Included in Poser 1 | Content Paradise |
| Genesis 3 | Primarily realistic human | DAZ originals | Core Figures: Genesis 3 Male; Genesis 3 Female | Weight-mapped figure with posable facial expressions and toes. | DAZ store |
| Genesis 2 | Primarily realistic human | DAZ originals | Core Figures: Genesis 2 Male; Genesis 2 Female | Weight-mapped figure, usable in Poser with the DSON plugin available form DAZ3D. Restores the male/female split that was removed in the Genesis figure. | DAZ store |
| Genesis | Primarily realistic human | DAZ originals | Core Figures: Genesis | Weight-mapped figure, usable in Poser with the DSON plugin available form DAZ3D. Morphable into male, female, and humanoid characters. | DAZ store |
| Millennium Figures | Primarily realistic human | DAZ originals | Core Figures: Victoria 4, Michael 4, Kids 4; Morphs of Victoria 4: Aiko 4, Girl 4, She Freak 4; Stephanie 4; Morphs of Michael 4: Hiro 4, Freak 4 | These morphs are injectable. This makes it easier to make clothing usable across multiple figures. 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 store |
| Millennium Figures | Primarily realistic human | DAZ originals | Victoria 3, Michael 3, Aiko 3, Hiro 3, Stephanie Petite 3, David 3, the Girl, She Freak 2, Millennium Kids - Young Teens, Millennium Kids- Preschoolers, Millenium Baby 3.0, 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 store |
| Millennium Figures | Primarily realistic human | DAZ originals | Victoria 2, Michael 2, Aiko 1, Stephanie 1, 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 store |
| Millennium Figures | Realistic human | DAZ originals | Victoria 1, Michael 1. | Victoria 1 was originally released as 'The Millennium Woman', but common colloquial shortening to "Millie" led to DAZ 3D renaming her as Victoria. | DAZ store |
| ChibiBel | Stylized human | Yamato and BILLY-T | Anime-style preteen girl | PoserPros store | |
| Terai Yuki 2 | Stylized human | eFrontier | Terai Yuki 2 | Content Paradise | |
| Terai Yuki | Stylized human | eFrontier | Terai Yuki | Content Paradise | |
| NearMe | Stylized human | eFrontier | Anime-style preteen girl | Content Paradise | |
| Phoebe | cartoon humanoid | Netherworks | Included in Poser | ||
| LaRoo | cartoon humanoid | RuntimeDNA | Laroo 1 and 2 also included as lite version in Poser since V6 | DAZ Store | |
| Star | Cartoon humanoid | Lady Littlefox | Weight-mapped female toon figure for Poser 9 and DazStudio 4.5 | DAZ Store | |
| Cookie! and Chip! | Cartoon humanoid | Lady Littlefox | Gumdrops figures remade as young adults. | DAZ Store | |
| Koshini and friends | Cartoon humanoid | Lady Littlefox | Koshini, Ichiro, Koshini 2, Ichiro 2, Krystal, Kiki, Kit | DAZ Store | |
| Plushies | Cartoon animals | Lady Littlefox | Rufus | DAZ Store | |
| Wacky World | Cartoon animals | 3D Universe | Sal A. Manda, The Heavies Rhino, 3D Universe Toon Baby, Toon Croc, Toon Squirrel, Toon Dragon, Toon Penguin, Eggbert the toon Duckling, Jacko Lantern | DAZ store | |
| Staci | Cartoon human | 3D Universe | DAZ Store | ||
| Gumdrops | Stylized human children | Littlefox | DAZ Store | ||
| Project Human | Open-source realistic human | Sixus1 | Project Human Male /Project Human Female, HIM | Sixus1, Content Paradise | |
| HER | Stylized human | Pascal Blanche | Though often mistakenly included in the Open Source Project Human family, HER is the poserized version of a figure by Pascal Blanche, who has given permission to distribute this version of the figure free of charge. | Sixus1, Content Paradise | |
| Apollo Maximus | Realistic human | Anton Kisiel | Anton Kisiel Designs | ||
| Polymage | realistic human, cartoon humanoid | Mychelle-Anne Daigle | Elle, Esmeralda, Unity, NeftOoN Gal, NeftOoN Pal | Neftis3D | |
| Cartoon humanoid | various | Meshbox Design | , Mrs Toon Santa, Taika the Elf Girl, Teppo the Elf Boy, Toon Bunny |