• Poser 2 Scene Files. Saved with the .PZR file extension used for the second edition of Poser.

 The File, Revert menu command throws away any current changes and reverts to the last saved state of the file. Poser allows only one file to be open at a time.

The File, Close button closes all interface elements and presents an empty interface with only the menus visible.

Saving Files
The File, Save menu command saves the current scene file using the same file name. The File, Save As command lets you rename the current scene file. Files saved in Poser 8 are saved by default using the Poser 3 file format with the .PZ3 extension. You can also save them as compressed scene files with the .PZZ file extension if the Use File Compression option is enabled in the Misc panel of the General Preferences dialog box.

You can select to compress all saved files using the General Preferences dialog box.

Accessing Recent Files
The File, Recent Files menu lets you access the most recently opened files. The running list keeps track of the 10 most recently opened files with the newest files at the top of the list. This list only includes files with the PZ3 and PZZ extension and doesn’t remember any imported files.

Using File Preferences
The Misc panel of the General Preferences (Ctrl/Cmd+K) dialog box, shown in Figure 4-2, includes an option to save files in a compressed format. When this option is enabled, all scene files and runtime library files are saved using a compressed file format. Compressed files save disk space, but require time for the file to be uncompressed before it can be opened. All default Poser 8 content is compressed.

Saved Poser files are text-based and can be edited using a standard text editor. One of the drawbacks of a compressed file is that it cannot be edited in a text editor.

You can also enable the Use External Binary Morph Targets option, which saves morph targets as a separate file with the .PMD extension. This results in smaller scene files that load quicker. Several scene files with the same figure can access the same .PMD file if the morph targets haven’t been changed.

The Misc panel in the General Preferences dialog box also includes a path for temporary files. These temp files include cached rendered images, cached textures, and undos.

Load and Save a Scene File
1.       Click File on the menu bar, click Open, navigate to the drive and folder where your data files are stored, click Raised arms.pz3, and then click Open.

A scene file containing the default figure with raised arms is loaded.

2.    Select and lower the figure’s arms.

3.    Save the file as Lowered arms.pz3.

The modified scene file is saved using the new name, as shown in Figure 4-3.

IMPORT 3D OBJECTS INTO POSER
The File, Import menu includes multiple different options for importing different types of content, including 3D models, backgrounds, sounds, and even motion capture data. This provides the means for bringing in external files to the current scene.

Importing 3D Models
Several formats are available for importing 3D objects. All imported models appear as props. The available 3D formats include the following:

• QuickDraw 3DMF. Imports geometry objects using the QuickDraw 3DMF file format (available for Macintosh systems only).