to the forum mods:  as this post is more about seeking user experiences rather than anything technical in terms of scripting, i've opted to post my topic here rather than in the Python Forum as i feel i will possibly have potential for wider feedback...

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a while back, i purchased the DUF Convertor from Ken -  the thought process being that i could see what i could potentially do with clothing conversions of Daz characters since there is a huge gap in the Poser market in terms of clothing...

i have P12, and i use it for part of my conversion process these days as about a year or so ago, my beloved PP2014 went wonky on me for reasons i could not identify.  i lost all my preferences, the Set-up room groups strangely if i use Auto-group or do my grouping by hand, the morph brush can cause my PC to lock up depending on how i'm using it and certain types of meshes, etc.  point blank, i can only use PP2014 nowadays for about roughly 50% of my conversion process, so i bounce between PP2014 and P12.  and that is really the only use i have for P12 at this point for reasons that are not pertinent to this post...

anyway, after purchasing, i had minor issues with installing, NOT because of the script or anything, but because of my own shortcomings... i finally opted to connect to Rendo and my purchase history to install and things went extremely well, so yea, good, great.  i had never connected to Rendo for purchases prior to this as i install everything manually in a highly overly organised and customised Runtime. but ok... however, i felt extremely uncomfortable about doing so as i have no idea what things are being extracted from my PC to identify me to Rendo.  nor do i know if that 'open line' is safe from anything that may be third party oriented, like say a hacker or something... but again, ok, i move on...

i'm curious about the script, yea? so i run it... but wait, there's a dialogue box that says it wants to connect yet again to verify my purchase.  now i'm feeling both a little frustrated as well as insecure about this process, so i just close the box out and i've not touched it since.

now before anyone goes into trying to explain to me WHY that dialogue box popped up, let me state i *KNOW* and *UNDERSTAND* the rationale behind it.  my late husband wrote python, tested Poser software for Bondware, etc. so i'm well aware of things.  plus, i have no problem with Ken and Rendo trying to protect Ken from theft.  i think it is wonderful, actually...

my concern is what is going on behind the scenes with these connections... just how safe is it really?  what are other user experiences from those that have bought a script from Ken and have given permission for connection? what is actually happening during these processes? after verification, does the connection release and close, or is there now a wormhole potential that could end up harming my PC?  do i need to verify every single time i use the script, or is it a one-off check?

i've put in a Support Ticket asking for Rendo's knowledge and info about these things, but that would be only one side of a coin.  i like big pictured things, so i'm asking here too because i'm seeking other's thoughts and actual experiences...

it seems like a script with so much potential for what i would like to experiment with, and i'm glad to have it in my Library :))

i'm just feeling insecure, justified or no... shrug

I have used the Rendo downloads with no problems, so I feel secure about using the feature.  Remember, Bondware's Poser does behind the scene verification checks I believe every 10 days.  Ken has also built in verification for all his scripts, which in this case, could be a problem if he ever decides to step away from Poser.  However, the first time verification comes up only once, and shouldn't bother you every time you use it.  I own the 'Go Physical for P12' and 'HDRI Control P13', both running in P12, P13, and P14, and not once do they need repeated verifications.

I have ALL of Ken's scripts and use most of them pretty often.  I installed them directly from DL'd zips, not using a direct connection to Rendo.  I used the "install from a zip archive" option on the files menu.  They all run beautifully but once in a very rare while one of them will ask to phone home.  I have entered the requested information (I think username and rendo PW) and then they run fine.  I have been using them since they first became available and there seems to be no more to it than that.

There was ONE time when Rendo's servers went down and NONE of the scripts worked until Rendo was back on line, so there is THAT. =(

I have used the particular script you mention to import props and it has worked well for me. =)

Teh Mollz

thanks for the feedback thusly.  greatly appreciated. you guys are the very bestest... hehe

and yea, i never thought of that particular pickle that Rendo being down ferments.  good point. thanks for that :))

thing is is that it would seem that maybe the connection stays open, or does call home, each time if Rendo being down voids the working of the script, even if it didn't ask for authentication each time...

it'd be nice to know, that's for sure...

Well, you can always ask Ken.  He was very reassuring and supportive to me when the Servers went down that one time (he even went directly to management through some back channel not available to teh Mollz). XD

Other than that ONE time, his scripts have been rock solid for me! =)

Teh Mollz

I have been testing poser for several years now and my computer is connected to the store all the time.  I have yet to have any problems with the connection.  Although Renderosity being down or the network failing could be an issue.  As far as the scripts they work and have caused no problems.  And I do download the store-bought content to the purchase folder and then transfer it into another folder where I sort it the way I like. The nice thing is that the content can be downloaded one product at a time or all at once, but that makes it harder to sort later.  And you can buy several things and until you tell Poser to download them they stay at the store.

good suggestion, Molly.  trust me, i've not neglected having a convo with Ken.  he provides excellent and quick customer service [[this is the] second or third time i've reach out to him about something; all times quick and informative]

thank you so very much for your input, Richard.  that is encouraging information [yay!], and i greatly appreciate hearing from you :))

I would like to think that the download store works very well with very few problems.  When it was being developed, I put in over a dozen tickets to point out areas where it fell flat as far as user interaction.  The nice thing about providing feedback is that since the code is fresh in the minds of the coders it is fairly easy form them to fix problems.  I know a lot of people like to have control over where their content is and I am one of those.  If we could have a revamped system where the Vendors name was not a required folder and the content was actually placed in the folder of the item it is related to it would be even more useful.  Of course, that will only work if the content stays where it was originally placed and given that everyone loves to move things probably not possible.

I'm glad you brought up that specific Python script of Ken's because on his product page for it, it says it's for Windows. What I want to know is, has anyone actually tried to run it on a Mac? 

[i] had a hot minute this eve, so after the feedback here [again, many many thanks], i decided to test things out...

super easy process once i decided where to put the DS stuff [i tossed textures into textures, the data and People folders into a made up named folder in my Characters folder]  then i dragged/dropped the .duf file using my favourite files explorer type proggie [which is Opus as i love the split paning it offers and certain functions], and within seconds, there was my OBJ...

i chose to use the wonderful holiday gift from Rhiannon [adore her design choices] as my test since it offered shoulder to crotch measurements for me as well as that boobie to waist to hip stuff. not too bad, really.  i did not take time to make anything perfect here as that wasn't my goal. my goal was just to see size and ratios between my figure and a Daz figure in general.  i whipped out my morph brush and spent maybe all of 5 minutes just to see what i could do with things, then rigged it.  i think for real conversions, i'll opt to convert to V4 first rather than to my figure directly, just based on my extremely quick initial results, but i feel Ken's script has extreme promise for what i may wish to try in future...

.

quick dirty  Firefly render under extremely bright lights in PP2014, and i've checked the nudity box due to touches of areola, but this is what i got after approx. 15 mins from start to finish [unpacking the Daz files to pulling the render out of Poser]... oh, and the textures are my own and not included with the teddy as i was checking out material zones, which, of course, i needn't fret over when it comes to Rhi's stuff :))

.

note to Sally - contact Ken directly... i'm not kidding about his customer service/support... quick and informative :))

Well that looks GREAT!  I'm glad you've got your process working! =)

Teh Mollz

me, too, Molly!!

last year i was buying OBJs from model sites to convert, and this will give me sooo many more choices now.  ^bounce^

[i'm a clothes hoarder...lol]

I've found that Poser can do a fair job with most FBX and DAE files, too.  OBJ is the most reliable though.  I bet if we compare the size of our dollies' closets it'll be a close call... so many cool bits of clothing I have yet to use in one of my stories. >.<

Teh Mollz =)

aw, dang it!! now you got me all so curious... i wanna peek in your closet, Molly [no, that doesn't sound creepy at all, does it...snort]

maybe we should start a What's In Your Closet type of post... heh ;)

Well....  I have an entire 8T SSD that's half filled with my Poser runtime.  So much stuff!  If I'm ever bored I just poke around and render stuff to see what it looks like and then begin messing with it and then.... >.<

Beside clothing, I collect places.  Settings, furniture, little details; I love building a scene but it takes me hours to get a picture I am satisfied with.  Some of the stuff in my dollies' closets dates back to Poser 4 and earlier.  My husband started it and when I took over some 18 years ago I just kept hoovering up all kinds of interesting stuff.  ;-)

Teh Mollz

[i] got curious, had some time very early this morn before obligations arose, and decided to try out something for G9 and DForce...

not sure i'll keep it as it is too laid-out-texture dependent, and there are very few models of clothing i'm willing to spend the time to do that for these days. plus i already have a bunch of street wear for her, so... need to have a think on it... [li'l shrug]

with that said, ignore the texture, as this was rendered during my initial internal debate on things - 

this is the Jellyfish pants from Daz, converted after using Ken's wonderful script, then rigging the pants and those pocket straps...

just thought maybe someone might be wondering about how the script does with DForce intended things :))

.

That looks very good, especially for a morning of messing about.  I'm thinking Ken's script does a fine job with Dforce objects if this is a typical result. =)

Teh Mollz

thanks :))

agree - the script extracted and created the OBJ, again, quickly and cleanly.  i did get from G9 to Abby by first semi-converting for V4, which was especially easy, in case anyone is curious about that bit in terms of forms and proportions... now, there is a sleeveless crop top that comes with this set, too, that i let the script extract, but after looking it over, and based on Abby's shape [big boobs & heavily sloped upper chest area], i did not convert that; however, it looked like it, too, would be an easy process to fit to V4.  the jacket that comes with it starts in the A-pose, and so that may be maybe easy to use for LF2 since i think i read they changed her default pose [?], but am not sure, obviously. in looking at LF2, in her default pose, it looks like her arms are not quite in a true A-pose the way other figures do, but i'm guessing here, so wth do i know?

and after thinking things over, and knowing myself, i have opted to not keep the pants... heh