Most 3D artists that become Poser addicts make a point of learning how to create their own characters, clothing, textures and props, this is just par for the course. Once a Poser addict has advanced to the point that he or she is creating their own freebies then it is important to know where to post those freebies. While not all Poser addicts choose to share, my experience has been that most of them do so. After all, the Poser addict who learns to create their own Poser freebies, and gets good at it can later sell their own products. There is a definite advantage to making Poser freebies and then giving them away for a year or so. This gives the Poser addict the chance to really learn their craft and by giving away Poser freebies, the Poser addict earns a name for him or herself.
That being said, it is important to know where to post those Poser freebies once you as the Poser addict have created them. Here are seven places online that you can post your Poser freebies. There is no charge to post a freebie at any of the following websites, and in fact towards the end of the article I will tell you how you can make money with your Poser freebies.
1. Renderosity: Renderosity has by far one of the largest Poser freebie libraries anywhere on the internet. You do have to sign up for a free account, but chances are if you are already creating your own freebies then you already have an account with them. Most likely you’ve been downloading freebies from them for some time. There is a short waiting period before your freebie will be posted on the Renderosity website, but generally speaking that is no longer than 24 hours. When I’ve put in a freebie post request in the middle of the day, my freebie has been posted by the end of the same day. So be sure and post your freebies on Renderosity.
2. Daz: Daz3d is the premier website for purchasing Poser models, props and clothing. Their human models Victoria 3 & 4, Michael 3, and Aiko 3 are some of the most popular human models available online, nearly everyone has at least one of these models. Daz has forums on their website and they have a special forum called the Freepository. Anyone with a free Daz account can log in and then visit the Freepository and post a message on this forum for their Poser freebie. The nice thing about the Freepository is that you can get feedback on your freebie. I especially like to hear from people who download and use my freebies, or even see artwork they’ve created with my freebies because, well who doesn’t like a little fan mail? This is not to say that your feedback will always be positive. For example I had one freebie that for some reason didn’t work and a person from this forum e-mailed me and let me know. Fortunately most people on this forum are great and nice, but just be aware that not everyone is going to post wonderful compliments about your freebies, and sometimes you may not get any feedback at all. Even if you don’t get feedback, don’t be concerned. People get busy, or sometimes you will create a freebie that just doesn’t generate that much interest. Just move on and post your next freebie when the time comes, some generate more interest than others. That being said, you can sign up for an account and begin posting about your Poser freebies here.
3. Runtime DNA: Runtime DNA is another nice place to download your Poser freebie. This is the only place online besides Renderosity where you can actually download the zip file with your freebie to their website and they make the file available to those who click the download button instead of you posting a link for where to download the file. Personally, I prefer to have all my freebies hosted in one place. I’ll explain a little more about this later. Nevertheless, Runtime DNA gets a lot of website traffic, and it behooves the Poser addict to at least consider posting his or her freebie there. One consideration that you can think about is using Runtime DNA as your host for your freebies. In other words post your freebie file there and then drive your traffic from elsewhere to the page where people can download your freebie at Runtime DNA.
4. Faerie Wylde Forum: The Faerie Wylde Forum is mainly for freebies that are in some way faerie related. However, that being said myself and others have posted freebies that didn’t have anything to do with faeries and still got some nice feedback. While those who regularly visit this forum are looking for freebies that are faerie related, like most Poser addicts they are more than happy to get any sort of Poser freebie. One habit that I have gotten into is that when I post a non-faerie related freebie, I mention how it could be turned into a faerie related item. For example, if I post a character that is not a fairy, I mention how a quick tweak of the character’s ears, face shape or eyes could make him or her a fairy or other fantasy character. Since I myself have done this many times with other’s characters, it is not that uncommon. While it is pretty obvious to point this out, it helps to fit your freebie into this forum. You do have to have a free account with them, but this is very easy to set up and you can be posting freebies in minutes. Make sure you visit the Faerie Wylde Forum and set up an account so you can begin posting your Poser freebies!
5. Aery Soul Forum: The Aery Soul forum is run by two really fantastic artists, and if you are a Poser addict then you are probably already familiar with their products. They offer some great freebies of their own on this forum, in fact these are some of the best freebies available out there. Their characters have a really unique look and they offer up to seven of them as freebies for V3 for those who might be interested. However, the really nice thing about them is that they also have made a place on their forum for members to post their own Poser freebies. Signing up for an account is free and gives you complete access to the entire forum including Aery Soul’s freebies in the event that you have never heard of them before. There is a wide selection of freebies from members of this forum and it is well worth it to post your Poser freebie here. Visit the Aery Soul Forum here.
6. Mystic Nights 3D Forum: The Mystic Nights 3D Forum does not appear to have all that many Poser freebies posted by the users, but rather many of them appear to be by the owner. Nonetheless, she does give permission for those who have a free account with her forum to post their Poser freebies there, so I encourage you to go ahead and do so. Who knows? If enough of us start posting our freebies here, others will feel encouraged to do so as well. So go sign up at the Mystic Nights Forum and begin posting your Poser freebies.
7. Poser Freebie Wiki: This is a very nice little Wiki website that has several great Poser freebies. Posting your Poser freebie here is a little more tricky than the other places listed because it is a Wiki website rather than a forum, or one of the larger Poser websites that allow posting of freebies. There are a number of rules to be followed such as no nudity, it is a family friendly website for example. Most of the rules apply to those posting about other’s freebies and I encourage you to read them, but if you are posting your own freebies they will not apply to you. You do have to sign up for a free account in order to post your freebie here, but it’s not that difficult. If you have never posted to a Wiki website before, there is particular formatting that must be used. What I usually do is pretend to search for my freebie on the website, and then when it doesn’t show up you will be given the option to create a page with your freebie information. One thing I did find is that there is a little search box at the bottom of the page that says it couldn’t find your freebie and it gives you the option to only search on Poser Freebies Wiki, click that box and then search again. At the top you will then be given an option to use a Sandbox:Blank which has the formatting already done for you, all you have to do is fill it in. Just make sure you click on the view source so you can copy and past it into a blank wiki document, and then you just add your information! The Poser Freebies Wiki is well worth the trouble of visiting and posting your Poser freebie.
Okay so now you know where to post your Poser freebies, but only two of these, Renderosity and Runtime DNA allow you to actually download the zip file for your freebie to their websites. For the others you would need to have your Poser freebie hosted somewhere else and then you would post the link for it. Now my suggestion is that you host your Poser freebie with ShareCG. I suggest them because you can earn money by posting your Poser freebies there. ShareCG has a revenue share system set up. The more people that download your freebies, the more money you make each month. ShareCG is the only paid to host 3D freebies website that I am aware of. Obviously the more freebies you have, and the more places you post the link, the more money you will make. You have to have over $20 to cash out, and they only pay by Paypal. All you have to do is sign up for a free account and then you can begin hosting your Poser freebies with them. You can find out more here.
So now you know where to post your Poser freebies, as well as how to make some money, and all you need is a Poser freebie to get started, so go and have fun with it!
