By Bruce Bicknell

I’ve been reviewing and using Poser for many years now and have to say that Poser 8 is one of the most significant upgrades to date. The folks at Smith Micro (http://www.smithmicro.com) really raised the bar this time. Two key improvements are the new interface and the much-improved OpenGL features.

Poser 8 provides users with an improved interface with a cleaner design that’s easier on the eyes. The tool palettes are arranged to allow for a much larger preview window, and the tools feel more responsive. The OpenGL improvements have really enhanced the preview capabilities by giving users a more accurate scene preview when setting up lights, etc. These improvements alone make working in the program much more manageable and responsive.

The other key updated feature I think users will love is the expanded library. In Poser 8, there’s an abundance of content. With eight new figures that are ready to take into the Face Room, Walk Designer, and Talk Designer, you can have a fully controlled model in no time! Also, with 2.5 GB of content, you’ll have more than enough to get you started with making magic right out of the box.

There are other new features that are just as impressive, such as content management system, improved rigging, and tone mapping and exposure, but there’s not enough room to go into depth on each one. This upgrade is definitely worth it for the improvements to the interface and OpenGL alone. The price is US$249.99 for new users and $129.99 for upgrades.

Rating: 9 out of 10

(This review is brought to you courtesy of "Layers Magazine": http://www.layersmagazine.com ).