If anyone else runs in to this issue this is how you fix it.

1. Run carrara in W7 compatability mode plus run as admin.

2. Uncheck misc. visability not the general visibility option on the section. Unchecking the misc. one did nothing till I ran in W7 compatability as admin; I hate W8.

That is a screen cap of a crowd set up stage. It's a piece of Jack Tomelin's park tube. Previously I had set it up by unchecking the general visibility; top pic. This doesn't work in W8.