Poser 4 is a tool for anyone involved in computer-generated character animation. This text provides information on Poser 4's features, including multiple lighting tools, morphing choices, clothing options, animating imported models, and increased mapping capabilities. All of these features are explained and illustrated with hands-on tutorials. The companion CD-ROM includes project files, animations, Poser Image Maps, backgrounds, 3D prop objects and ready-to-use characters and poses. It provides a detailed overview of all the new features of Poser 4 including creating ethnic features, and interchangeable 3D clothing. It looks at morphing and clothing animation options using detailed tutorials and teaches users to animate imported models from other high-end 3D software. It also explains the new mapping capabilities, lighting, morphing, animating, and prop attributes. The book and CD are filled with illustrations, tutorial/project files, ready-to-use animations and textures.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
KEY FEATURES:
* Provides a detailed overview of all the new features of Poser 4 including creating ethnic features, and interchangable 3D clothing
* First book to cover Poser 4
* Looks at morphing and clothing animation options using detailed tutorials
* Teaches users to animate imported modesl from other high-end 3D software
* Explains the new mapping capabilites, lighting, morphing, animating, and prop attribute
* The book and CD are filled with new illustrations, tutorial/project files, ready-to-use aniamtions and textures, and QuickTime movies
About the Author
R. Shamms Mortier has written a number of successful books including hte Bryce 3D Handbook and contributes to a variety of industry magazines.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Really too bad,
By Doctor Dave "Mister Fix It" (The Entertainment Capitol of the Universe - So. California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Poser 4 Handbook (Graphics Series) (Paperback)
I waited for this to arrive via special order at a local book store. It's really too bad this is the only book available for such a great piece of software. The front and back covers state, "Comprehensive/Complete Guide for Poser Users" - not even close. The other reviewers have summed this book up by stating how dysfunctional it is. I got the impression that the author sat around and played with a few dials, took screen shots, and pasted this mess together for an ignorant publisher to sell to unsuspecting buyers. Amazingly there is more reference to older versions of the software than to ver 4 which is the cover title for this book! And I do have to repeat this from the other reviewers since it frustrated me so much - there is soooo much reference to Zygote that they must have compensated the author. It's unbelievable. Poser already comes with a great wealth of props, clothing, and poses that it was incredible to see the author using Zygote models and props in the books tutorials. And then arrogantly suggesting that the reader purchase these models from Zygote to use in the books tutorials! Amazing. Spend $200 on the software, $50 on the book, and about $30 per model at Zygote.Just by human nature we are curious about things, but please don't let your curiousity get the better of you when deciding to purchase this book. If you are fortunate enough to find a copy at a book store, spend just fifteen minutes browsing through 550 pages of wasted time. Luckily I didn't open the CD and returned it a week later....
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
At _least_ include what you say you include...,
By Mike Morrison (Kings Park, New York USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Poser 4 Handbook (Graphics Series) (Paperback)
I'll steer my review away from the text itself, since the other reviewers have already touched on its strengths and weaknesses. I must point out, however, that the cover of the book proudly announces the inclusion of a CD "packed with over 500MB of Animations, Images, Sounds, BVH Motion Files, 3D Props, and Demos". With the cost of motion captured BVH running into the tens of dollars _per frame_, and the considerable amount of time required to keyframe animations by hand, I was eager to see what was offered. Alas, this book has a blatant lie on the front and back covers.There are, in fact, _no_ BVH Motion Files anywhere on the CD. Instead, the animation directories are filled with rendered Quicktime movies -- a fairly useless inclusion, since anyone who already owns Poser 4 need not be sold on its animation capabilities. As for the "Sounds" they mention, don't go looking for those, either. There aren't any. Additionally, The Motion Factory Demo directories on the CD contain files with truncated 8.3 file names, so you won't have much luck loading any of their HTML files. The installer still seems to work, but it's name was also changed, and doesn't match what's referred to in the 'readme' file. There are a few morph targets, a demo of Media Cleaner, and some props, but the entire CD weighs in at a meager 283MB, a far cry from the promised "Over 500MB". Incidentally, when I contacted Charles River Media about this, and asked if I had a defective disc, they informed me via email that the "other 200 MB are on the Macintosh side of the CD. It's a hybrid." Unfortunately, this is also not the case. I've since tested it on 2 different Macs, and there is no additional content on the disc. For those who don't already know, there _are_ an additional 3.7 MB of files for downloading on the Charles River site, but they don't contain any of the missing file types either. While I appreciate the effort to make some additional files available, they're going to have to do a lot more before they'll come close to keeping the promises they make on the cover of this book. Of course, a sticker on the CD sleeve declares, "If the seal on this pouch is broken, product cannot be returned." Let the buyer beware! Mike Morrison (mike@singleflame.com)
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A real disappointment, too much advertising,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Poser 4 Handbook (Graphics Series) (Paperback)
While I'm not necessarily sorry I bought this book, it is disappointing in many ways. It is poorly organized, carries a lot of hash from previous editions that's poorly integrated with the new material, and worst of all the tutorials require you to buy models from a third party vendor, rather than being supplied on the CD as the promotional copy leads one to believe. By the time I finished it, I felt like model supplier Zygote should have subsidized the healthy price tag, given the books total reliance on their expensive models. To make matters even worse, the included CD is poorly matched with the book, and doesn't contain what the books says it does. There aren't many alternatives to this book for the poser student, but ... I expected better.
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