Poser 8: Review

Poser 8
The latest version of this 3D character modelling software is a great resource for Photoshop portraitists

Poser is traditionally thought of as 3D animation and rendering software, but for advanced Photoshop users it packs much more of a punch. The trend for rendered portraits as opposed to digitally painted ones has made it a part of the workflow of many digital portraitists, particularly those whose requirements can’t be filled by either stock photos or shooting their own references. Whether you’re creating concept art for a 3D film or game or whether you want to create a figure that’s more otherworldly than a standard human model, then Poser is an excellent resource.

The latest iteration of the software is Poser 8 and this sports quite a few advantages over its predecessors. Eight new figures are featured, including males and females that tick all the basic boxes for natural skin colour and physical build. Asian models have suitably lidded eyes while Hispanic ones have a subtle skin tone to set them apart from darker and lighter shades. The way these figures are represented in the interface has changed as well – they’re tighter, smoother and we found them easier to manoeuvre. The improved user interface means that we can grab an arm or leg and manipulate it more accurately, thanks to clear highlighting that shows exactly which body part is under your control. Of course, it is still possible to bend these mannequins, as they’re now called, into unrealistic contortions, but you run less risk of doing it accidentally. Bodily creases and joints such as knees, elbows and so on have been smoothed for ease of use, which also makes manipulation easier. Facial morph points are also more intuitive and easier to use. Despite the program’s size, we found that it didn’t suffer from the same memory overload and lag problems as previous iterations, allowing us to make minute changes to facial models in real-time, such as tweaking the size of noses, altering the expression around eyes and narrowing or widening chins and cheeks.

To use Poser 8 to its full potential, you’ll need all of its default content installed, and this process unfortunately hasn’t changed from the last version. In digital downloads, they’re still separated into several files: the install client, weighing in at nearly 700MB, over a gigabyte of separate content specifically for Poser 8, and that amount again in legacy models from older versions of the software. There are also plenty of excellent Poser resources on www.contentparadise.com for you to fritter away your download limit on, and we found a great range of models and scripts that allow users to create realistic or cartoonish creatures and figures.

Smith Micro, the company behind Poser, is well aware of its utility to digital artists. For Photoshop users the primary focus is on lighting and texture, and these have been improved a great deal in Poser 8. Up to eight configurable light sources can be utilised in order to illuminate your model, while a wide range of textures can be applied to a figure’s skin or the material it’s wearing.