♥ PosetteForever ♥

If you're wondering why one post says "Hey, I'll just copy the culled P3 run-time to an 'external' folder !!", and the next mutters, "Must untangle the zips"... <br /> <br /> Less than half of that P3 Runtime's classic freebies were actually *functional*, and many didn't link to their textures etc. Just don't ask where their accessories and *their* textures got to... <br /> <br /> Alas, too many didn't fit well as AD/MD, V 1/2/3, P3F and Posette (P4F) outfits were all mixed up. Not helping that many early artists didn't even mention which figure was their base. Hey, if a freebie had poke-through, you just dialled it a bit... <br /> <br /> { Let's not discuss fun sets needing PCF vs P3F beyond saying I'm so glad I've kept a P3 run-time with Metacreations' original, lo-res figures... } <br /> <br /> I reckon I'm going to be *very familiar* with CR2 internals by the time this is done !! <br /> <br /> And, then, of course, I'll be able to fire up XD4 to craft a really fun retro-wardrobe for Posette & Co...

So if we all sneak our messed up content into Nik's, he can figure them all out.

Thanks for all the information Nik. Even if I don't comment on every post, I read them all and find them very interesting. <br /> My serious start with Poser was a Cover P3, too. I played a bit with P2 before, but that doesn't count. <br /> There are some of that area backup CDs in my drawer as well. I didn't check them since years. <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/eusa_think.gif" alt="" /> <br /> Maybe I'll have a look at them (if they read still) as it doesn't stop raining <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br /> P.S.: I remember a script around, for "translating" Japanese files, but I don't quite remember where to get it and if it would work in P11P, if it worked at all. <br /> About old .rsr files. The ones that contain thumbnail data you can keep or delete after first load. png thumbnail should be crated by P11. My P7 does it like this. You might check this. <br /> The geometry .rsr (much bigger, containing binary geometry for faster loading on the weak systems way back, created from the obj on first load) you can dump at once, if you don't need it to restore a missing obj. In that case I remember a tool by Antony Appleyard . RSRtoOBJ or something...

Yes, John Hoagland's 'Geometry Stripper' will pull geometry from a PP2 file, save the OBJ and update the PP2. It will save each of multiple found objects separately. <br /> <br /> And, yes, Anthony Appleyard's rsr2obj will translate a geometry RSR to OBJ... <br /> <br /> One advantage of having three (3) screens is I can have a serious bunch of folders open at the same time. By sheer persistence, I've managed to collate a lot of clothing with PNG & RSR but missing OBJ to the *same* clothing with thumbnail and OBJ but no RSR / PP2 etc...

Seeing one on offer in local 'Maplin Electronics', I bought a neat Intuos Draw pen-tablet. It's a nice piece of work, will fit on this desk where my old 'Trust' A4+ mega-tablet won't. <br /> <br /> Plug and played with Win'10 as a pointing device, but there the fun ended. <br /> <br /> Intuos do not fully support spreading desktop across multiple screens. <br /> <br /> First, the driver & utility software default cheerfully mapped my three screens to a letterbox across the tablet. <br /> <br /> Yes, you can set [X1Y1, X2Y2] parameters to map tablet to a program's window, but they're NOT dynamic. If you re-size or move your window, or if a pop-up menu spreads to the side, you've lost the mapping. Surely such software can be set to track a specified program's position ?? Seems not... <br /> <br /> This is especially annoying when working with something like IrfanView which may re-size when you edit, may have multiple windows open... <br /> <br /> Nearest thing to a fix would be maximising eg Poser on the central display, but what if I want to work on a panoramic set ? Or overlapping the side-bars onto adjacent screens ? And HOW ON EARTH would it cope with eg TurboCAD and my preferred mix of orthogonal, perspective and info views ?? <br /> <br /> When I've had enough sleep to be sure I've not missed some essential appendix or foot-note, I'll raise another 'issue' report. First was about how difficult their site made registration... <br /> And they don't seem to have a forum... <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br /> Anyhow, the Intuos is basically a nice piece of kit but, like my twin graphics cards, whose default gamer-optimised Gigabyte driver simply couldn't handle both, just needed chip-maker Nvidia's definitive down-load... <br /> == <br /> Other fun toy that arrived was a USB triple foot-pedal which could be mapped to eg left/centre/right mouse-clicks to save changing grip on graphic tablet's pen's silly 'rocker' switch...

Between dealing with family health problems --My dear wife is in hospital *again*-- I've been investigating zips... <br /> <br /> Gathering an artist's stuff together, related by style and/or date, I've usually been able to spot *one* essential reference among their ReadMe files. Sometimes Posette, sometimes V2, a few early up-takers with V3... <br /> <br /> And, yes, there were a few P3 / V1 whatsits in the mix... <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <br /> === <br /> <br /> You can tell Poser 11 hails from US; the manual has a characteristic, exasperating style I remember from wrangling Agilent lab equipment. Typically, a new HPLC system's module stack was a similar size and weight to its many manuals and validation data binders... <br /> <br /> I'd set to work with a set of manuals, a fresh pad of post-its and my office door signed 'Do NOT Disturb'. Being a reasonable guy, that had 'Unless REALLY urgent' in small print beneath... <br /> <br /> To put it politely, Poser's 'index' is little more than a collection of chapter and topic headings. If you're looking for something that didn't merit such, you gotta take pot-luck with the search engine... <br /> <br /> So, via a grim mix of bloody-minded perseverance plus a pinch of serendipity, I found the innocently mis-titled section that explains, in passing, how to set up external run-times. One un-indexed paragraph solved it. <br /> <br /> NOW, at last, all those arcane tutorials, threads etc on subject make sense. I need to create eg... <br /> <br /> E:\ First_ERT \ First_topic \ Runtime <br /> <br /> Browse Poser's library system to that Runtime, select 'add' and the 'First-topic' folder is duly connected. <br /> <br /> Rinse and repeat... <br /> <br /> I may have multiple, meaningfully named top-folders, each holding multiple, meaningfully named topics. I'll need them. I've decided to segregate the non-specific props, sets, set-kits etc from the crew and the zoo... <br /> <br /> My first take would split Poser characters such as dear Posette from the DAZ team. A third group gets the 'Independents'-- AD/MD, Staci etc. Fourth group is the zoo. <br /> <br /> With drive space to spare, I've decided clothing sets etc that fit multiple characters, eg A3/V3, A3/V3/V4 or V3/V4 should be copied to each 'fork'. <br /> <br /> I'm still trying to figure how to best organise the zillion props, sets etc... <br /> <br /> Okay, hospital visiting time approaches, and I've a list of stuff to take...

My wife is still in hospital, is making slow progress following a bad fall on ward which broke her leg. She's struggling with a non-'Flu respiratory virus. I've got it, too, but I can help myself to non-prescription meds for the coughing and wheezing. <br /> <br /> I've not done much with P11. Finally connected that P3 Runtime, did a trial render. Solara lives !! Upside, this CAD Tower is very, very fast. I vaguely remember the same scene taking five minutes or so to process. This time around, about one minute. Solara was one figure. Another scene, 'Getting the Point', with five P3 figures plus some detailed scenery, totally maxed out the old Tower. This time, Swoosh !! <br /> <br /> Scene just calls for terrain, architecture, archers and a swam of hostile wingy-thingies... <br /> == <br /> <br /> Now, some serendipity. <br /> <br /> " Though I lost my Poser 4 Runtime to multiple drive failures," <br /> <br /> While loading an old WIP PZ3 scene, the texture search threw up a hit from a P4 Runtime I didn't know I had. Buried deep, deep down an obscure folder tree salvaged from the old CAD Tower's failing drives, it looks like a 'mirror' back-up from several weeks before the mega-crash. I'm not sure what it holds, but there's 3+ GB to explore. <br /> <br /> I'm currently struggling with that non-'Flu virus but, soon as the symptoms ease, I'll point P11 library at that sprawling 'External Runtime', see what I've got...

P11's external runtime system can be a bit fussy. I've now realised I must unpack 'sets' into a common runtime, as the library will NOT look below the top folder... <br /> <br /> Example: SCG has 15 *free* SciFi corridor modules by 3dc. I collected them in a folder named 6_3dc SciFi. <br /> <br /> So, that held 3dc-freecorr_p01, 3dc-freecorr_p02 .... 3dc-freecor_p15 etc <br /> <br /> Within those were eg 3dc-freecorr_p01.zip which unpacked to 3dc-freebie_corr.txt and a runtime folder, also 53322.jpg the SCG thumbnail and my folder.jpg. <br /> <br /> Of course, when I pointed P11 at 6_3dc SciFi, it saw no models there-in. <br /> { Exasperating, but logical...} <br /> <br /> So, one by one, I copy/pasted the individual modules' runtimes into 6_3dc SciFi, ignoring all duplicates with the same size/date. <br /> <br /> Upside, P11 is happy. Downside, 3dc used different file-sizes of image for the 'same' texture in different modules... <br /> <br /> I've got one 641 kb and fourteen 703 kb but otherwise apparently identical w_1_tex.jpg (2500x2319x24) <br /> Likewise, one 541 kb and twelve 615 kb w_1x_tex.jpg (1180x2100x24)... <br /> <br /> I've now culled the clones, but it is a tad tedious...

FWIW, here's my 'PoSorted' as it stands. The old P4 runtime is elsewhere until I gather my wits... <br /> <br /> The numbered folders hold props arranged by size then category, ranging from 1_small to 6_terrain. Characters and their clothing are generally alphabetical, with bots/borgs, flora and the Zoo thrown in. <br /> <br /> I still haven't decided the best way to organise clothing for each figure. Much of their hair has made its way to a central location, ditto head and neck wear. Footwear may follow... <br /> <br /> Attached:

I do not envy anyone that is organising their Runtimes, as if one is not bad enough.

They will NOT be 'live' at the same time. <br /> <br /> I made that mistake with P3 and then P4... <br /> <br /> Beyond core installs, such as main characters, their 'bundles' and essential morphs, I'll be connecting and disconnecting their external runtimes as required. <br /> <br /> In fact, I may leave P11's runtime 'sparse', leave almost everything external. <br /> <br /> Still the stuff of nightmare... <br /> == <br /> FWIW, my wife's now been told part of her broken leg has still not 'knitted', and she faces yet more bed-rest. I googled around, found an NHS/NICE report from ~2010 *okaying* the use of pulsed ultrasound therapy to stimulate fracture healing. Printed it off, took it in, left it where my wife's orthopaedic consultant and the physiotherapists should notice...

For the Poser 9 install, I left the default Runtime pretty much empty (for WM characters only), and used my Poser 6 runtime as an external, it made sense, and saved a lot of time.

Sounds like a plan... <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/TFR708.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br /> I'm also scratching my head over some of the D*Z figures. As you can see from the piccy, I've legacy V1~2~3. I added the inexpensive V4 & M4, discovered V5 & M5 were bundled with my Carrara 8.5 that was on sale 'really cheap'. There are some remarkable 'terrain' and 'prop' freebies in .CAR format, which only Carrara can read. I hope to export those in a portable format such as OBJ... <br /> <br /> Snag is many of D*Z' recent figures & costumes are primarily meant for DS. Yes, a lot do come with a DSON importer script for Poser, but I've yet to figure how that works... <br /> <br /> I'm also trying to make sense of the many, many 3DS files I'd salvaged from their dying drives. Even my own architectural models are a tangled mess-- Ten years is a long time to remember those modules' arcane but *logical* naming system, and I've a growing suspicion I'm dealing with several archive versions, of which only one was 'tidied'...

You'll read this when you're good and ready, as you've lost your love and nothing will have much relevance right now. <br /> <br /> Much like you I went and got the free G2 figures bundled with that app. <br /> <br /> The DS figures beyond V4, work best in DS, so I guess they belong there, but you acquired a work around in Carrara. <br /> <br /> DSON, is nothing more than a python script, that translates code, you can import with DSON, and save out a cr2, but it will not have the features that are in the native app (DS), so save the DSON work around for when you want a challenge. But you have Carrara, so use your new DS figures in there for now.

I'm using Poser sessions to chill as I can only do so much admin etc before my wits begin to spin... <br /> <br /> Still feeling my way towards a workable 'External Runtime' set-up. Have just added a new category, '2_Office', with stuff like staplers & white-boards. <br /> <br /> I've M3 from years back, with not a lot of 'stuff', so that figure seemed a good way to explore how to get legacy D*Z figures into P11Pro. <br /> <br /> After much Googlin', grimly cross-referencing reams of contradictory advice, plus much, much muttering, I finally stumbled upon something that makes sense. The problem with such legacy figures and their self-installers is that Poser's ownership has changed several times. Left to itself, the installer will hunt out an old P4 or P5 run-time, go there, NOT to P11. <br /> <br /> So, the *official* fix is to tick the installer option for D*Z Studio, but browse to eg the M3 folder with its empty 'External Runtime'. With that populated, add the M3 folder to library, hit 'refresh' a few times and sigh with relief... <br /> <br /> I'm still fumbling my way around the complex Poser interface; tools I half-remember as being on one menu seems to have spawned multiple tabs, out-placed themselves...

The fix is to save a notepad file called "poser.txt", in your designated runtime folder, then rename that said same "poser.txt", to "poser.exe". You can then point your DS installers to that runtime folder. You can do that to each of your runtime folders that will have DS installers which call for a designated "poser.exe" to be present.

I've got the hang of dual-mode self-installers; those dating from Poser versions WITH External Runtime support just need to be told that is DS and where to go. <br /> <br /> Then I go through and strip out the DS stuff... <br /> <br /> Those aimed at DS with a nod to Poser are a little trickier. I've a collection that must be converted with DSON etc, but haven't yet mustered the attention span... <br /> <br /> For 'occupational therapy', I've been tidying files, transferring more 'finds' and 'funs' to master folder. Rather than clog the Poser Runtime, I'm keeping everything I can 'external', will pull in what I need as required. <br /> <br /> Here's my current set-up...

<a href="http://www.posetteforever.com/files/posted_images/680/sorted_2017_12_03.jpg" target="_blank" title="Click to open image in new window"><img src="http://www.posetteforever.com/files/posted_images/680/sorted_2017_12_03.jpg" alt="Image" width="400" title="Image" /></a> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.posetteforever.com/files/posted_images/680/p4f.jpg" target="_blank" title="Click to open image in new window"><img src="http://www.posetteforever.com/files/posted_images/680/p4f.jpg" alt="Image" width="400" title="Image" /></a>

That's interesting... <br /> <br /> post only displays left half of first piccy, no side-scroll bar, but a click pops it to full size. <br /> <br /> second piccy has a scroll-bar !! <br /> <br /> Hmm.

<img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/wink.gif" alt="" /> The scoll-bar works for both pics at once...

I'm using Chrome, and only the second has a side-scroll bar...

<img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/eusa_think.gif" alt="" /> I have only one scroll-bar either, but it moves both pictures. Technically its a frame containing a separate embedded page with both pictures. Its very impractical, but I'm afraid I can't do anything about it. Its in the board's template code, and this is quite old ... way back, they had smaller pictures in mind, probably.

I'm the same as Ahjah, I see one scroll bar at the bottom of the two images, when scrolling it, only the bottom image appears to move... however it does move the top one but not to the same extent beyond the edge, as it does with the bottom one. I'm of the opinion Nik, has this too, but does not realise the top image has moved at all.

Consider it therapy... <br /> <br /> I've been trawling my drives, unpacking decade-old .zip & .rar archives, trying to untangle the 'classic' files there-in. <br /> <br /> Some have a 'proper' Runtime, even if that must be moved up a couple of levels to where the External Library system can find it. <br /> <br /> Some are 'flat', with a ReadMe which explains what goes where. I copy in an 'empty' folder tree, create, then populate the Geometries' and libraries' sub-folders. <br /> <br /> Some are rather more cryptic. I begin by firing up PhilC's wondrous PZ3editor Lite, which can also read CR2 & PP2. That usually lists the references and paths, often provides a clue to which figure. <br /> <br /> But, some of the older files seem to be 'munged'. There's a non-ASCII character in position 8~~10 which blocks the editor loading the file. I still haven't figured out how that's done... <br /> <br /> Plan_B is to open in Wordpad and scroll... <br /> <br /> If I'm lucky, there's external geometry which R. Kawecki's free PropViewer 3.2 can open. If unlucky, the external geometry has all the components in a central heap, often at different scalings... <br /> <br /> Let's not discuss PCFs, which too-often refer to a figure version which is now unavailable... <br /> === <br /> Ooh, both ovens just bleeped: dinner is ready !!

I've found several interesting free collections of hair and props on eg 'Deviant Art' site. <br /> <br /> Upside, they include totally wild, Anime-styled stuff. <br /> <br /> Props is props, you just have to texture them yourself, or adapt textures supplied. Hair may be scaled to fit, as we did for P3 & P4... <br /> <br /> Downside, Poser cannot use them as-is; their mesh format is meant for MMD, 'MakoMakoDance', so comes as MMD's PMD and/or PMX format. The former type is what got me curious, as Poser uses the same suffix for a totally different purpose. <br /> <br /> Happens I've a <i>registered</i> version of Zoltan Karpati's 3D Object Converter. This is NOT FREE. I bought it to mine LWO etc models, but discovered it cannot read LWO scenes. How do you know what you have ? Easy. 3DOC will open a single-object model.LWO, but not a multiple object scene.LWO. Poser analogy would be PZ2 vs PZ3... <br /> { Grumble, Grumble...} <br /> <br /> But 3DOC <b>can</b> read most MMD meshes and export them as eg OBJ. Due regard for usage license etc... <br /> <br /> I still haven't figured how to use MMD clothing but, converted to OBJ format, such may suit 'Dynamic'. That's yet another post-P4 feature lurking on my long, long CAD 'To-Learn' list... <br /> <br /> Worst case, MMD clothes are low-poly models which would look good on rail-hangers or in background of scenes...

Between bouts of ghastly melancholy, I've been investigating some of the MMD and other freebies. <br /> <br /> Getting the mesh out of a PMD or PMX is fairly easy with my registered 3DOC. { Provided file not 'munged' !!} The textures are a different story. Like Poser, PM* objects have UV-mapped textures in recognisable formats. Like Poser, they also have auxiliary textures for transparency and reflections... <br /> <br /> "The textures for .spa files are usually black and white, and the black will appear transparent. The darker an area is, the more transparent it will be. .sph files are often colored, and do not have the same transparency factor as .spa files do, and so usually appear darker." <br /> <br /> Irfan View {free} did its usual magic and cheerfully announced that these .sp* files were incorrectly labelled BMPs. Sadly, 3DOC would not load a BMP when the PM* file asked for an SP*, so skipped that material's texture file, too. That left me with several un-textured OBJs. <br /> <br /> After much Googling, I tracked down a {free} PMX editor with English menus. It also reads PMD files but, as yet, I cannot persuade it to *write* them. <br /> <br /> After fumbling my way through the unfamiliar menus, I found where to edit textures. Changing eg metal1.sph to metal1.bmp for that dozen materials only took about ten minutes. <br /> <br /> Re-saving the mesh as PMX, it now opened correctly. 3DOC exported it to OBJ + MTL, and some-one in the realm of Poser will soon have a very smart pair of boots. <br /> <br /> I'll need to use boot-stretchers, of course, of course, as Asian sizes run small... <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/smile.gif" alt="" />

_mmd___fast_n__furious_bondage_boots_by_amiamy111-d60b84m <br /> <br /> What 3DOC gave after fifteen (15) 'Missing Texture' warnings...

Indistinguishable from original. <br /> <br /> Now I just have to import this OBJ to Poser...

Here's those boots beside Andy... <br /> <br /> I imported them at 20% scale, turning them into 'pixie boots'. My bad. Re-scaled by eye... <br /> ... <br /> Um. I think I've maxed out my PF file allowance for today. <br /> <br /> Will try again tomorrow, hopefully with a better render...

Sorry, I'd clicked 'quick reply' by mistake...

I installed the *free* SH3d, as described in other thread. <br /> <a class="post-url" href="http://www.posetteforever.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3951&p=45088#p45088">http://www.posetteforever.com/viewt...&p=45088#p45088</a> <br /> <br /> After wrangling interface, I opened one of the dozen free plans, then exported it to OBJ format. <br /> <br /> Took me several attempts to get into Poser, as I had the scale horribly wrong. Finally, managed it at 500%. <br /> <br /> This is not quite right, but I've found a '6 ft Scale' on a freebie site, will try again later...

I'd begun using TurboCAD deluxe on my old PC just before it crashed and locked me out. I did salvage most of the files, but I've taken a year longer than expected to build and commission my CAD Tower. <br /> <br /> When I came to install my 'student license' TurboCAD Pro 2016, the download link was invalid. After 'due diligence' checking my product license and serial, the help desk kindly supplied a new link... <br /> <br /> Okay, that worked... <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <br /> And the activation code was accepted-- It's alive ! It is ALIVE !! IT IS ALIVE !!! <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/ayeah.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/ayeah.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/ayeah.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/ayeah.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/ayeah.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br /> Now I must either convert all my Medieval-ish arch and other modules to the more robust ACIS internal format, or start again... <br /> <br /> And, I must re-think many of the plan's details, as there were some niggling 'uglies'. <br /> Also, I lost some notes to that crash. I must 'reverse-engineer' a bunch of stuff... <br /> But not tonight ! <br /> <br /> Also, 'Robbie the Ratter' aka'005½' has just returned from her 3AM feline patrol <b>soaking wet</b>, is demanding food and fuss...

'Oops' moment. I'd imported the entire SH3D room, walls, furniture and all. I can't hide parts to 'look around' or work the 'measure'. Too much clutter. Tomorrow, I'll try to chop that plan about in SH3D, cut it down to basics and an open-sided set, try again... <br /> <br /> With my TurboCAD Pro now installed, I've begun doodling Medieval-ish stuff again. Filled half-a-dozen pages of 'Reporter' note-pad, figured several <b>very obvious</b> work-arounds for sundry plan 'uglies'. Became too hard to keep track of options on lined paper. I soon had four or five different scales per page, all annotated with essential dimensions and 'Do NOT Scale', to be sure, to be sure... <br /> <br /> I hunted about, found a dusty pad of 5mm square-ruled paper on shelf. Grabbed spare 'builders pencil' from my cordless drill case, opened pad... <br /> <br /> Surprise ! The first three, busy pages held some of my notes from 2005, with calculations and scraps of plans !! Even better, they make sense !! <br /> <br /> I soon laid out the basics of Red Tower's complex 'Keep' corner, this time with the tower offset to better align the fort's quad. Cats stole my eraser, so there's already several 'typos' to correct. Then, an idea struck me; instead of tediously drawing, erasing and re-drawing at one square to the foot --Approx 1:60-- with much bad language as I shuffle walls, I could model portions of the ashlar masonry 'trace' using Lego (TM)... <br /> <br /> With one 'pip' per foot, a bucket of pre-loved '2x4' blocks and some budget base-plates from A*z*n should let me work out critical details of wall lines before drawing them. <br /> <br /> Meanwhile, I'll inventory the 'Arch-ery' models from my archive, see what I've got. Given I'll be using TC Pro's robust 'ACIS' model engine instead of TC Deluxe's older, buggy version, I may just start over from primitives. With those old models as a guide, I should be able to set up a brisk' work-flow, confident the <b>unprintable </b>3D Boolean Legacy Bug is not going to interrupt me yet again, yet again... <br /> <br /> Okay, the cats have come in from patrol and my bronchitis is *finally* settling down, so I'll try to get some sleep...

Okay, some genuine Lego, many clone-blocks and ten (!) 48x24 stud base-plates duly arrived. <br /> <br /> Amazon van-man, shaking large box warily, "Rattles, may be broken." <br /> Me, "Lego blocks." <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br /> After brunch, I transferred my part-plan, fixed several contentions 'on the fly'. Kept going. And going. And going. Totally ran out of base-plates and red 2x4 blocks. <br /> <br /> While more of both come, I'm doing 'inventory' on my TurboCAD files from ~2005. I've listed the 'Arch-ery' modules, and they <b>are </b>sized to fit modular-16 floor heights. They're 14 feet tall, so suit floors that are two feet thick. I now know what sizes of arch modules are available for the plan's rooms and three halls. <br /> <br /> I then had a bit of a panic; Did I, um, screw-up the spiral stair 'vice' calculations ? Seems not. Well, not that I can see... <br /> So, 19 @ 10.2 inch risers, 18 'runs' plus two 'landing' wedges, 20º each step... <br /> <br /> <br /> Feeling brave, I've finally cleared Kath's nice, 'L-shaped' 'Home Office' desk. Removed potted plants etc. Re-arranged lights. Dusted world-globe. For better or worse, desk is now re-purposed as a 'Graphic Design' and writing area...

Had another look at spiral stair calculations, decided 10 inch was too big a rise. So, I'm doubling steps to two turns per floor, with landing mid-way, plus a niche to perch ... <br /> <br /> That's 5 inch rise per step, as we have at Kath's side of bed... <br /> <br /> Laying out well, sluice areas and bath-hall on paper, I realised I'd missed a trick, will have to revert to an earlier version and widen part by ten feet... <br /> <br /> Perhaps I should have bought that electric eraser ?? <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/wink.gif" alt="" /> <br /> Ooh, a box of 2x4 bricks has just arrived, but an hour too late for me to head out to DIY for list of stuff. Good time to change cat-litters... <br /> <br /> Added: And drag bins out for tomorrow's collection... <br /> <br /> Then realised I must re-arrange sluice / bath-hall area again, lengthen it by ten feet. <br /> <br /> While doing that, I saw the building was getting out of proportion. The ends and sides must be bigger by two bays... <br /> <br /> On paper, I could <strike>interpolate</strike> <strike>interpose </strike>insert a sheet. On a Lego base-plate, I'll just have to shuffle everything on RHS along...

After studying my 10', 20' & 30' arches, nothing made sense; why did I pick those arch-brick / Voussoir numbers ?? <br /> <br /> Baffled, suspecting I <i>may </i>have miscounted a couple of whatsits, I looked at my many door-ways & windows. <br /> <br /> 22" inch doorway, 11 whatsits, so cut from a 22-'ogon. <br /> 26" inch doorway, 13 whatsits, so cut from a 26-'ogon. <br /> 38" inch doorway, 19 whatsits, so cut from a 38-'ogon... <br /> <br /> Gotcha. <br /> <br /> The 10', 20' and 30' arches were the first I'd made, 'sized by eye'. Doorways were 'second generation', from when I knew better. <br /> <br /> Another 'gotcha' is that eg 10' arch = 120" inches would need 60 whatsits, cut from a 120-'ogon. No key-stone. But a 118" arch would need 59 whatsits, <b>including </b>a key-stone, at the cost of an inch either side. <br /> That's a win !! <br /> <br /> Now I just have to make them with the still-unfamiliar ACIS tool-set. First, though, I've to retrieve the screen-layout template from old TC, hide some of the zillion tool-bars that clutter TC16_Pro's default views... <br /> <br /> <br /> Um, I've decided 10" ( 10.x") inch riser spiral steps are too steep. I'll switch to 5" (5.y") risers, with a landing half-way. This also allows mezzanine access if required... <br /> <br /> Waiting for postie, then off for some groceries. Dental check-up this afternoon...

The extra Lego (TM) base-plates arrived sooner than expected, as did a really big box of 2x4 blocks, so I set to work. <br /> <br /> Despite repeatedly miscounting corner's hall size, I added two extra bays to each side of quadrangle. Hard to describe in words, so I took some 'WIP' pics... <br /> <br /> I also took tripod 'mapping' photos of the base sections lest low-flying cats trash my model !! <br /> <br /> Remaining corners will have similar layout to corner's hall, but taller, with balconies on those flanking 10x30 arches. <br /> <br /> I haven't finalised the missing VIP wing's layout, not even spiral vs regular stairs...

Here's a typical mapping pic. <br /> Square with central, white spot is tower's spiral stairwell...

Lego blocks celebrated their 60th birthday yesterday <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

<img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/eusa_clap.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/eusa_clap.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/eusa_clap.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/eusa_clap.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br /> I wonder when it went off-patent ?? <br /> <br /> -- <br /> <br /> I woke at some daft hour this morning, shouted, "HA !! PRIVATE SPIRAL STAIRS FOR EACH VIP SUITE !!" <br /> <br /> Luckily, I also grabbed note-book and sketched lay-out so I could reverse-engineer my solution over brunch... <br /> <br /> Now to doodle the details...

Turns out that a spiral stair with 18+2 segments per turn, 18º per segment, with a 5 inch rise, will be up by 20 inches when it reaches a landing on quarter-turn. <br /> <br /> And, a wall being two feet ( 24 inches) thick, that's just enough for four steps down with riser 5 inches and run 8 inches to access private room off the spiral. Think of those Medieval buildings with a peep-hole to watch proceedings in the Hall below... <br /> <br /> Getting the straight VIP stairs for that wing just needed a 6 inch rise, 12 inch run, with a landing every 4 feet rise, the one at 8 feet rise being wider and 'U' shaped...

Just a mo... <br /> <br /> If I made those private spiral stairs with eg 8 inch risers, I could keep the 'cut through' between the private rooms *level*. No tricky steps in VIP suite... <br /> <br /> Also have to watch head-room under such level parts... <br /> <br /> Back to the drawing board to figure the detail !!

Playing with spiral stairs, it is very hard to draft steps that are not standard paper's 2, 5 or 10º. <br /> <br /> But, I found a site that does custom increments, on a wide choice of page sizes, as free PDF... <br /> <a class="post-url" href="https://incompetech.com/graphpaper/polar/" target="_blank">https://incompetech.com/graphpaper/polar/</a> <br /> <br /> I've just dialled up 20º spokes, 5 rings (representing 2', 4', 6', 8' & 10' feet) and an open centre for least clutter. <br /> FWIW, this facility may also be handy as a 'reality check' when laying out arches... <br /> <br /> They also do traditional 'squared' format and a zoo of other stuff...

I fired up TurboCAD Pro 16 to take a closer look at my old, archived stuff, soon got lost in the menus... <br /> <br /> After a while, I realised I could put TC across two screens, with 1+4 views open per my decade-old (!!) TWL layout file. Use my left screen for icons and windows' File Explorer. Leave TC's off-line HELP mega-PDF (1541 pages <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_shocked.gif" alt="" /> ) open on the squarer, old screen at right... <br /> <br /> After rather longer, I found where and how to increase icon & font sizes, then switch to 'CLASSIC' style, which is legible 'dark-grey-on-white', rather than 'smudged greys on black'... <br /> <br /> I think I'm nearing my limit for tonight-- To get much more done, I'd need so much caffeine, I'd be up beyond dawn...

I've just found how to turn REDSDK off; drawing is slower, it says, but I cannot see a difference, and the smaller views don't bug me for arcane stuff...

Tried to print a page, discovered my HP series A3 networked printer will no longer talk to Windows 10. Downloaded enormous new driver pack, went through everything, ran a test page, fine. <br /> <br /> But print a document ? Forget it !! <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <br /> Un-install, re-install, does everything but actually print a document.... <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <br /> Rinse & repeat, still no document printing... <br /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_cussing.gif" alt="" /> <br /> <br /> Enough is enough. It is headed for the re-cycle. <br /> <br /> A new all-in-one printer with an A3 scan bed, a document feeder and DUAL paper trays is arriving next week...

Printer was supposed to arrive Monday, but successive e-mails claimed Saturday, then Friday. So today, Thursday, I dashed out for some groceries, got home to a card on the mat, 'While You Were Out'. Yes, its HUGE crate was cyber-squatting a bemused neighbour's door-mat like a mini-Tardis. Took my fulsome apologies, my folding sack-truck and several bungee ties to get it home... <br /> <br /> Only problem was the menu which told the Beast that Tray #02 held A3 rather than more of Tray #01's A4 was deeply, deeply buried down the 'supervisor' options. Logic was this let you lock down such options with a password, preventing expensive 'Oops'. But, surely, such options should be readily accessible *until* locked down ? <br /> <br /> D'uh...

With re-arranging some of my Medieval-ish plan's rooms, I've now realised I need some new 'grand' arches after all. Upside, they should look really, really good...

I've made a 150 x 150 cm worktop out of plywood and twin-slot shelving risers, ready for laying out Lego or paper plans to allow an 'overall' view of my Medieval-ish project. <br /> <br /> I've an 'admin' day tomorrow, then hope to attack TurboCAD, re-boot my familiarity with the complex menus...

Making the semi-circle of arch bricks ('Voussoirs') baffled me. <br /> 1) It was easy. <br /> 2) I forget how... <br /> <br /> Digging through the vast TurboCAD PDF manual (1541 pages <img src="https://www.posetteforever.com/images/smiles/new_shocked.gif" alt="" /> ) looking for something else, I found a tool which makes rotated copies. It can variously turn eg a thin, flat sheet into a 'Vegas' fan of cards or a kitchen fruit segmenter. <br /> <br /> The resulting whatsit, appropriately applied as a 3D Boolean, can chop a solid arch into an array of evenly gapped bricks... <br /> <br /> Or, create an arch from one (1) wedge-shaped brick ?? <br /> <br /> Whatever, it is an essential piece in the work-flow jigsaw !!