Poser sold to Rendo

[Miss B]

Well, I just tried (twice) to install the update I downloaded last night, and it's not doing anything. It starts up, tells me it's going to uninstall before installing, but it's now been 20 minutes since I clicked the "Yes" button, and nothing is happening. ~shakes head~ Until now, I've had no problems updating, so I don't know what the heck is going on. I may have to re-download to make sure I didn't get a corrupted file.

I also wish they would update the date/time stamp on the download page so we know we're DEFINITELY getting an update from the last one we downloaded.

 

[RobZhena]

Rob I downloaded the first Mac stuff but though I downloaded it several times i can not find any of them on my computer. Where does it install these Mac installer files? I have my system download stuff to a folder on the desktop or set the browser preferences to ask where I want the stuff I get off the net to be installed. None of these downlads is in any of those designated places on my computer.

The files should be in your downloads folder, but probably not next to each other. I’m not at my computer, but I believe they’re called Install Poser 11 Pkg and Support Files Pkg. Double click on them.

 

[Ken1171]

Well, I just tried (twice) to install the update I downloaded last night, and it's not doing anything. It starts up, tells me it's going to uninstall before installing, but it's now been 20 minutes since I clicked the "Yes" button, and nothing is happening.

Remember you only need to uninstall Poser if you want to. It's not necessary. The updater will ask you if you want to, and I always say no.

 

[Semicharm]

The installer _suggests_ uninstalling Poser, but you don't have to. I didn't, and it went all fine. There was another update yesterday, and this time I tried uninstalling Poser to see what happens. It preserves all my customizations - even when it claims it will uninstall ALL parts, it doesn't. After uninstalling and installing the update, all of my customizations were still there - nothing was lost. So it seems it makes no difference whether you uninstall or not. It's up to you.

In addition, it asks where you want to install Poser, so you could have more than one, just not the SAME version probably. I have Poser 7, 10 and 11 installed here, and they work fine even when installed in the same hard drive. I don't think you can have more than one Poser 11 installation, though. I have never tried, so I am assuming we can't because [I assume] the configuration will always point to the last installation.

I never said it removes my configuration. I've been using the same setup I've had since I moved to PP11 years ago. Like any competent installer, it only removes the files it installed in the first place. The install cycle with Poser isn't so much a headache as it is time consuming. All of those tiny files even slows down my SSD. And if the beta breaks something, I'd have to report it, then either twiddle my thumbs till the next update or wait around to reinstall the old version. Being able to do concurrent installs is a must in beta testing if you actually use the app on a daily basis. You don't have any downtime if something breaks and can crosscheck minor bugs against the previous working build. I might try installing the next beta to another another location just to see what happens. I won't run both at the same time of course. Last thing I need is to muck up my registration.

 

[Miss B]

Remember you only need to uninstall Poser if you want to. It's not necessary. The updater will ask you if you want to, and I always say no.

From what I understand, you say No, and it stops the installation. I updated to the original 11.2 without that option because I had the earlier 11.1 installed. Since the updates have been for 11.2, I've gotten the option to choose to uninstall, or not.

In any case, why would clicking Yes stop the installation process altogether. It should continue to do so in either case.

I'll try clicking No, but I suspect it won't install anyway.

Edited to Add: Well, that must've been changed with this last update, because I've had to click Yes in order to get the installer to work with the 2 prior updates. I wish they would announce that sort of change, or any change for that matter. We desperately need a changelog on the Poser Software site.

 

[Hornet3d]

I think the plan is to have updates on a almost daily basis and I really have better things to do with my time than continuous updates. If you are a beta tester or vendor that is another case entirely and I fully understand. For me, I have a working copy of Poser 11.2 with Bondware branding and with 'check for updates on launch' switched off. I intend to stick with this install until the powers that be tell me I have to install an update on convince me it is worth my efforts to do so.

 

[Hornet3d]

Yes it is annoying Hornet. I've had to put up with it since I bought Poser 11 on initial release and I was delighted that Rendo made a point of correcting that with this update after I took the step of upgrading to Poser 11 Pro. Or at least they claimed to have! I must admit I was delighted to see Poser under new management and was eager to see the direction Poser was taking with Rendo, especially when they claimed to have dealt with a very sore sticking point like SM's sneaky license 'phone home' system. I regret that that new-found confidence has just taken an almighty dent on realising that the 'new' is nothing more than the old system which seemingly lays waste to Rendo's claims of having dealt with it when the truth is they haven't! Now it appears that the only way to deal with it is to open a request ticket with Rendo support to sort out something they claim to have already dealt with. OK! It's one thing to make an announcement on the official Poser Forum but, in all honesty, how many Poser users are actually going to read it given the comparatively small number of people who visit the forum on a regular basis. Not a lot I should think and we should be grateful to people like RobZhena for keeping us informed. However, that is not his job. That lies with Rendo who should be making sure that everyone who has paid their money and made the upgrade is informed. Unless they do so, I suspect there are going to be a lot of very angry people looking for compensation pretty soon!

I guess a lot depends on your starting point, my heart sank slightly when Rendo purchased Poser and I knew I would have to deal with a company I had stopped dealing with three years ago for various reasons but of this evil licensing process would force my hand. So from the start my expectations were low. Decisions, like including some of the HiveWire 3D figures, made me change my mind slightly and I returned to the Rendo forums to find much had changed in three years. For me the upgrade was possible the simplest upgrade I had ever done and I was quite surprised at the added content, over and above the HiveWire 3D content. Long before the new release I think it was always in their mind that there would be an option for permanent activation, even SM provided the ability if some what belatedly. It clearly gets around any 'phone home' problems but I don't think it was the original intent more a method to allow Poser users who do not have the system connected to the Internet on a daily basis to bypass the issue.

Time will tell how this all pans out but for me at least, I have been impressed with Rendo up until this point.

 

[Miss B]

I think the plan is to have updates on a almost daily basis and I really have better things to do with my time than continuous updates.

Jenn Blake had mentioned, when I asked her about a few update options, that they were hoping for once a week for a while. The fact they're coming in more often means, at least to my way of thinking, things were found not to be as well set up with the first couple of updates. Not surprising since they had to get the first one out quickly to offset SM's closing down of their download server.

I'm thinking of unchecking the update option in Poser as well, as I have been regularly checking the Download page. Now if they would just update the date/time stamps, folks would more readily know if there's a new update, or not.

 

[Ken1171]

I'll try clicking No, but I suspect it won't install anyway.

When Rendo released the very first 11.2 update, I had it installed over my 11.1, and it did ask if I wanted to uninstall. I clicked NO, and it proceeded with the installation normally. With last night's update, the installer now explicitly tells me that it will proceed with the installation whether or not I opt for uninstalling Poser. That wasn't clear before, but it was this time.

With the first 11.2 installer, it didn't say what would happen if I opted for NOT uninstalling Poser 11.1. I just assumed it would continue, and clicked "no" (meaning I will not uninstall 11.1). To my surprise, it just went ahead and installed the 11.2 on top of 11.1 anyway. Maybe what happened was that people _assumed_ it wouldn't continue if we said "no", but it wasn't the case.

The bottom line was that none of these installers [so far] have refused to proceed if I tell it NOT to uninstall Poser. This last one told me explicitly that it would continue no matter which option I chose. I think it's pretty clear by now that this is the way it works.

I guess a lot depends on your starting point, my heart sank slightly when Rendo purchased Poser and I knew I would have to deal with a company I had stopped dealing with three years ago for various reasons but of this evil licensing process would force my hand. So from the start my expectations were low.

I understand that it's SMS who is shutting down their Poser licensing servers, which would cause Poser 11 and Poser Pro 2014 Game Dev to stop working. All I see is Rendo trying to make sure we get an update that stops that from happening. I see no evil on that for the Rendo side. They are just trying to protect our SMS licenses from voiding out, and I appreciate that they did it before the SMS servers went down, so we had no down time.

I am not trying to take sides here, but it was SMS who started the home calling thing - not Rendo. They just transferred the SMS licenses to their own servers to keep them alive. I think that's fair and square.

 

[willyb53]

At the bottom of the list there is now a change log

Bill

 

[Miss B]

On which page Willy? I'm not seeing it on the page where the software installer download links are, or on the page where the content download zips are.

 

[Faery_Light]

I had no issues on my update.
But it is 11.2.5 so not current I guess, tried to download the one posted on 09/26/19 but some server error did not let it download.
Will there be a final update before the next version comes out?

 

[willyb53]

Hmmmm should be testers notes, but it is possible that I have access that you do not


Bill

 

[Miss B]

If you're an Early Adopter or Beta Tester, yes that means you have access we don't, and that's not a changelog so much as comments about what needs to be changed, rather than what has actually been changed, unless they're keeping those groups up-to-date with what they've found that's been updated.

 

[willyb53]

It does include notes on what is changed and how to check so those items should be in the latest

 

[Miss B]

Then those included notes should be available to all, not just the Early Adopters and Beta Testers.

 

[eclark1894]

I think it's important to give Rendo/Bondware a little latitude with Poser. They put out the update in a couple of months after acquiring the Software, and putting together a development team. So I give them props , even though at times, I'm quite frustrated.

 

[Glitterati3D]

Then those included notes should be available to all, not just the Early Adopters and Beta Testers.

The thing is that those files shouldn't be downloaded and installed by the casual user. They are beta files and could be unreliable.

They will send out a notice when a stable update is ready for the end user.

In the meantime, you should stay with the stable release issued on the 19th.

 

[Miss B]

I haven't been downloading the beta installers. I want to see a changelog, and Willy said there are some notes as to what's been updated, but only those in the Early Adopter and Beta Testers teams can see them. I haven't downloaded the beta installers, and have no intentions of downloading them, but there have been updates to the installers for the general public, but no notice WHAT has been updated. I didn't install everything, and I want to know what exactly I need to reinstall. I don't think that's such an unusual request.

 

[Miss B]

As far as the "stable release on the 19th", those installers have been updated. If they were only for the beta testers, they shouldn't have been posted on the main Downloads page. The beta downloads are on the bottom of the Content downloads page.