DAZ STUDIO

DAZ Studio is a software application released by DAZ 3D Inc. It is compatible with most files intended for use in the Poser human animation application. It is available free of charge (registration required). Version 1.0 was released in Fall 2005. Version 2.0 is the current release as of March 2008. Until version 1.7 it was officially known as DAZ

Studio, which is still used by many users of the program

The release of DAZ Studio expanded the field of hobby rendering, which was previously monopolised by Poser. DAZ Studio was designed as an alternative to Poser, and serves as a means to increase the number of people participating in the hobby - and in consequence to increase sales of figures, clothing and props by DAZ Productions.

Opinion on DAZ Studio's merits is split among old-school Poser users; some find the new interface faster and enjoy the rendering options; others prefer the fuller Poser features. The debate is not, for the most part, heated. Images created in DAZ Studio are welcome on community sites and forums originally dedicated to Poser art; the newsgroup alt.binaries.3D.poser being a prime example.

DAZ Studio is capable of importing most Poser content, with the notable exceptions of dynamic clothing and dynamic hair. As a result of the different lighting models, lights sometimes need to be tweaked or replaced.