Because they’re new to the world of digital art creation, most users start without knowing what their software should do. Since they lack expertise, the most important consideration for them will be how easy the software is to use. This feature can be the determining factor on whether users stay with a software, or look somewhere else. 

This was the case for Poser’s Product Manager Charles Taylor. Long before joining the team, Charles was an admirer of Poser’s functionality.

“I’ve used Poser since Poser 3,” he shares. “I formally joined the team around the time they were developing Poser 6.”

Charles’ interest in Poser was piqued after exploring other compatible programs claiming to do what Poser actually did. He’s been creating commercial content through Poser since 1999 and has been witness to the vast changes Poser has seen. And while he considers himself a seasoned Poser user, his favorite thing about the software is how simple it is to use. 

“One of Poser’s many many benefits is how easy it is to use compared to other programs,” Charles says. “For any of the other 3D applications, you’re going to have to start learning at the modeling level. You’re going to have to build your figure before you can animate it. Of course, you might be able to buy an off-the-shelf, already rigged, ready to animate figure, but you’re not going to be familiar with how it works. Poser figures are more of a generic build that are ready to go. And when you buy Poser, you get dozens of figures that are all ready to use. You’re ready to drop them in your machine, you’re ready to render, and you’re ready to animate from the first day. Not six months from now.”

Through the baseline knowledge of working in Poser, Charles was able to come to other programs with a strong knowledge of 3D composition and animation. Poser is now one of several tools at his disposal. 

“I use Blender… we’re trying to emulate some of the features in Blender in Poser. Anyone who’s worked with Blender knows that it’s not the most friendly thing to work with. It’s an open source program… What we’re doing in Poser is taking those scattered controls of Blender’s user interface, and consolidating them into a more Poser-like framework for the users. This lets them do things that might not be so easy or intuitive with other programs.”

In his early days of using Poser, Charles would occasionally find himself stuck with a particular question. That’s when he turned to Poser users on the Renderosity platform for support. Now, he gets to be part of the more experienced, wiser group of users who can help those new to Poser get started quickly. 

“There’s a huge, friendly user community built around Poser. They support each other.  That’s one of the things that makes it possible for people to get started without floundering for months or years using just Blender.”

Joking that “there’s a million years of knowledge and know-how” in the forums, Charles shares that there are a lot of pros creating in Renderosity who are regularly tapped for answers. Some of these creators are known for particular specialties.  

“Going back 20 years, some of the Poser experts have developed a following through their community tutorials and Renderosity products. They have ‘recipes’ to make certain items or textures—like sparkling car paint—that users don’t have to reinvent. If Renderosity users know to ask these gurus, they can get an educated response on how to achieve the right result,” Charles says.

While noting that it is his job to answer user questions, Charles says that he’s not always the best resource. He says, “ When doing some technical support tickets, I will tell the user ‘Go post this question in the forum… You’re going to get a faster answer.’”