When I select the figure in the scene and hit the wrench icon located above the view and to the left, the editable vertex object assumes a zero pose. This is not working as described. I watched a tutorial at YouTube and followed the instructions but this isn't working for me. Is there some important step I've missed?

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The modeling room is where you are working on the mesh in its default form. When you make a change here, you are actually altering the mesh, as opposed to posing the mesh. The change will show in the assembly room, on top of any poses, which are really just moving that mesh around.
It would be nice to keep a pose in the modeling room, I agree. But that is not how the program is built.

Posed figures only works in C8 that I know. But you need to use the Vertex Editor in Assembler Room, its the spanner icon close to the 3D paint icon in the window corner. You need to change the Animate button in the editor too... look the attached image

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Thanks for the clear screen shot.  Everything is working now.

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