Review of Poser Pro 2010

About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Poser Pro 2010 is such a cool program that if we didn't have a legitimate use for it (besides testing and reviewing it), we'd do whatever it took to find one. There are many uses for Poser Pro 2010; the most obvious are 3D figure design and animation, but you can also use it to create figure models for drawing, painting, illustration, and sculpture.

Poser Pro 2010 ships with more than 2.5 GB of ready-to-use content.

The new content management system makes it easy to search your local library of content as well as Smith Micro's Content Paradise online.

Pros

New rendering features and image controls.
Enhanced interface.
Improved rigging system.
Includes extensive and well-written user and tutorial manuals.
64-bit rendering on Macs that support it.

Cons

Steep learning curve if you're new to 3D modeling.

Description

Available in Mac and Windows versions (digital hybrid or physical hybrid).
Includes more than 2.5 GB of ready-to-use content.
Content management system lets you search your local library and Smith Micro's Content Paradise online.
Wardrobe Wizard lets you repurpose clothing assets.
Tone Mapping and Exposure tools.
Multiple camera and lighting options.
Light Falloff and Attenuation creates more realistic point and spot lights.
Includes a library of human and animal figures.

Guide Review - Review of Poser Pro 2010

Poser Pro 2010 is a 3D software package for creating 3D human and animal figures, real or imagined, both still and animated.

You can also use it to create figure models for drawing, painting, illustration, and sculpture. Poser Pro 2010 has a pretty steep learning curve, so if you're new to 3D modeling, Poser 8 may be a better choice for creating figure models for art. It's more affordable, and easier to learn. A demo version of Poser 8 is available from the Smith Micro web site. You can try out the demo, and then use the Product Features Comparison chart on the Smith Micro web site to decide which product is best for you.

Improved Interface

An enhanced user interface offers better organization of tools, and palettes that you can choose to dock or float. The improved rigging system provides better bending of figures, so characters can look more realistic, if that's the goal, and better control of joint rotations. The improved lighting system lets you create more realistic light falloff in scenes.

New Features

New features in Poser Pro 2010 include Tone Mapping and Exposure, which let you control bright and dark areas in an image for better contrast; the ability to render PSD layers for using Poser Content in Photoshop or After Effects; a Cross-Body Part Morph Tools that makes it easier to create physical effects across multiple body parts; a Wardrobe Wizard that lets you reuse clothing assets; indirect lighting; and eight new figures.

Also new in Poser Pro 2010 is the ability to upload images directly to StuffIt Connect and Facebook for easy distribution to clients and colleagues.

Supported File Formats

Poser Pro 2010 can import movies and a wide variety of image file formats, including SGI, GIF, HDR, JPG, PNG, PSD, TIFF, BMP, DDS, EXR, TGA, and WBMP. It can export images and 3D Objects in a variety of common formats, BVH Motion files, Painter Scripts, and Flash files for video, print, and web use.

Poser Pro 2010 ships with more than 1 GB of new ready-to-use content, and more than 1.5 GB of previously released ready-to-use content. The new content management system lets you search your local library and Smith Micro's Content Paradise, an online collection of free and paid content.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.