How-to: Beginner's Guide - The Drawingboard

Section Map:
1. Introduction to 3D / 2. Using Poser prt.1 / 3. Using Poser prt.2 / 4. 3D Glossary

Using Poser: Part 1
by Dudley Bryan Jr.

Why not use some other slick 3-D package to put together some snazzy graphics for your new game? Well, the special thing about Poser, is that it is a program specially made to help artists and non-artists alike, pose and render 3-D figures into beautiful 2-D artwork. Because Poser was made specifically for this purpose, you'll quickly find yourself up and posing seconds after launching the program. Whether you're creating big bad sumo wrestlers, super hoeroes, super models, horses, or skeleton warriors, Poser's chock full of options for getting the results you want. A lot about the figures in Poser are made for you ahead of time, and the software allows you to change the proportions them to more closely resemble what you're trying to create. You can change the lighting, the color of objects, and even their textures. Poser also allows you to bring in 3-D objects made in other programs to use with its figures.

The first thing to understand about using Poser, is how to use its controls. Poser has a very cool looking interface (see glossary if you don't know what an interface is).

Below is a list of many of the important controls, and a quick description of what they do. When controls refer to X, Y, and Z, they a refering to the established axes of 3-D space. X measures distance left and right your computer screen, Y measures distance up and down, and the Z axis measures depth into the computer.

A. Rotate -- Rotate selected body parts vertically
B. Twist -- Twist selected body part horizontally
C. Translate Pull -- Pull the selected body's parts around freely.
D. Translate (In/Out) -- Push selected body parts forward and back.

E. Scale -- Shrink or enlarge selected parts of the body
F. Taper -- Skew the size of a selected body part
G. Chain Break -- Break a selected body part off from its "parent" part
H. Color -- Change colors of skin, hair, clothes, etc...

Editing Tools -- Use these to move and alter your models within the 3D environment

A. Rotation Trackball -- Rotate your scene in any direction.
B. Move X and Z -- Move your scene along the XZ plane.
C. Move Y and Z -- Move your scene along the YX plane.
D. Select Camera -- Choose a camera to view your scene through.
E. Animation On/Off
F. Right Hand Cam. -- Set Camera to Face of figure.
G. Face Cam.
H. Left Hand Cam. -- Set Camera to Face of figure. -- Set Camera to Face of figure.
I. Fly Around View -- Rotates your scene around automatically.
J. Move X and Y -- Move your scene along the XY plane.

Camera Controls -- Let's you control how you view your scenes. Like taking a picture, you compose your shot in a way the creates the scene you want to capture.