Poser is a 3D computer graphics (CG) software, it’s specifically designed and optimized for the 3D modeling of human models. The software has been gaining popularity as it gives beginners the ability to produce basic animations and digital images, one added advantage for Poser is the availability of an third-party digital models. Poser library includes; Character, Pose, Face, Hair, Hand, Props, Light, Cameras, Materials and scenes.

Learning Poser is very helpful for digital artists specially for those who are working in the games industry, there are many software that are similar to Poser; MakeHuman and Daz 3D Studio are two of the most commonly used alternatives for Poser.

The aim of this post is to present and compare between free online sources that beginners can rely on to learn Poser, the sources stated here are full-structured courses that beginners can follow along so you won’t find a link to a single article or a reply in a forum post.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn Poser) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

Getting Started with Poser from Scratch

SmithMicro Website

SmithMicro Website is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning Poser through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training. It’s worth noting that SmithMicro is the company developing Poser.

Structure: The training is divided into 7 sections, each section is divided into video lessons (64 in total), each of these video lessons covers the various topics in that section.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the video lesson you’re interested in and the video will start right away.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured and organized for beginners.

Cons

1. Various releases of Poser are used throughout the training, though that won’t be a problem for beginners.

Verdict: This is the best outlet where beginners can start learning Poser through video tutorials.

Philc Designs

Philc Designs is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning Poser through video/text tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 5 sections, each section is divided into lessons that are either text or video, each of the lessons covers the various topics in that section.

Interface: the interface is simple, select “Tutorials” from the menu and then select the section you’re interested in from the sub-menu, then the lesson you’re interested in from the other sub-menu and you’ll be directed to the page where the lesson resides.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured for beginners.

Cons

1. The training isn’t well-organized for beginners.

Verdict: This is a very good outlet for beginners to start learning Poser.

Poser By Design

Poser By Design is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning Poser through a text tutorial, as the above outlets you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 4 sections, each section is divided into lessons/lesson, each of the lessons covers the various topics in that section. The training is more of an overview about the software.

Interface: the interface is simple, select the section then the lesson you’re interested in from the menu and you’ll be directed to the page where that lesson resides.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of Poser.
2. The training is more of an overview about the software

Verdict: This is a very good outlet for beginners to start learning Poser through a text tutorial, though it’s worth noting that it’s not enough on its own.

Video-Tutes

Video-Tutes is the fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Poser through a video tutorial, you don’t have to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 10 video lessons, each lesson covers a certain topic in Poser, it’s worth noting that these are flash lessons without any audio.

Interface: The interface is cumbersome, first click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to a new page where you should click on the  “Play Tutorial” button and then a new window will pop-up and you’ve to select the play tutorial tab in the top menu.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The training covers an old release of Poser.
2. There is no audio.

Verdict: There are better outlets stated in this post to start learning Poser from.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning Poser

1. SmithMicro Website is the best outlet for beginners to start learning Poser through video tutorials.
2. There are other outlets where beginners can start learning Poser from like; 3D Lessons, Infinite Skills YouTube Channel and CG Online Tutorials, but they were not stated in this post as these training are very poorly organized for beginners to start from.

Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in Poser.