Mortem Vetus: Flame Torch   Thank you for purchasing Flame Torch,. We hope you enjoy using this product, and this User Guide is intended to just help you get the most out of your purchase. Mostly, this guide will be covering the basic operation of the items included in the pack. Ok, first things first. This pack is intended for use with Poser 8 and newer, although it IS usable with Poser 6 and above. However, you WILL get a version error message, and in Poser6, you can only use one torch at a time...if you load another, it deletes the lights from the first one. This is an updated release of the Flame Torch, and we've made a few improvements, primarily to make the torch a conforming figure, which just makes it far more useable. For the purposes of this guide, we'll be using PoserPro 2014, but there is nothing we'll be doing that can't be done in Poser 6 and above.  And initially, pretty much everything is in default, except Render settings. Once you've installed the product, your new Flame Torch files will be in: Figures:MortemVetus:Lighting:FlameTorch-UD: Pose:MortemVetus:FlameTorch-UD:   So let's get started, and the first thing we need to do is load a character to hold the Torch. For this we're going to use Michael4, which we've previously saved, with a texture and outfit on already. This particular M4 is wearing Thane skin and morph, and our Shadowsoul outfit. Our library entry is already posed, as we can see in image 1a below, and we're going to leave him like that. In the old version, we had to parent the Torch to a Michael in default position, which is really annoying if you've got him all posed and want to just add a Flame Torch.

Image 1a: Dressed and posed Michael loaded	Image 1b: Flame Torch added

Now we've got our Michael loaded, and we can see that his left hand is quite conveniently placed if he was holding a Flame Torch. So we'll select the sword in his left hand and delete it. We then want to load a torch for that hand, so we want FlameTorch-M4L, and that loads as shown above in image 1b. And as we can see, because Michael is posed, the Torch is not in his hand. IF Michael was in default position, it would appear in his hand, but would still need to be conformed. So we'll conform the Torch to Michael, which we do by going to Figure > Conform To... and selecting Michael as shown in image 2a below. When we click OK, the Torch springs to his hand, as shown in image 2b below.

Image 2a: Conforming the Torch	Image 2b: Torch conformed

So we've got our character and his torch all set up, but it's all a bit bright. The purpose of the Flame Torch is to provide the best simulation we can of a burning torch. And a torch is no good in daylight, so let's get dark with it all and turn all our scene lights off. To do this, we select one of the default lights and on the Properties tab we want to uncheck 'On'. We can see this in image 3a below, and we want to repeat this process for the rest of the default lights. In PoserPro2014, there are 4, while in earlier versions there are only 3. Once we have all the default lights turned off, the Flame Torch is casting the only illumination in the scene, as we can see in image3b below, which we've rendered to see how our shadows look.

Image 3a: Turning lights off	Image 3b: Scene lights off, rendered

If you've used a pose for the character, it'll be quite likely that the hand will not be properly posed around the Torch. To get around this, apply the appropriate hand grasp pose which is in Pose:MortemVetus:FlameTorch: In addition, we've also included an unparented Flame Torch, to use where you need a torch detached from a character...maybe dropped on the floor, or hung in a wall sconce. In image 4a below, we've moved Michaels left hand pose a little and we've swapped the torch he was holding for the unparented torch. We then moved the new torch into position to appear as if he's dropping it. Again the torch is the only illumination in the scene, and if we compare the shadows between image 4a, and image 3b, we can see that the torch is now illuminating his face rather than shadowing it. We can also see that the shadow Michael is casting on the floor has changed too, because the light source has moved. Note: When you delete an object that has attached lights, the lights are not deleted with it. Plus, the lights reset to their default positions, meaning they can be harder to find. We find it's easiest to delete the lights first, using the Delete Light option on the Light Controls panel, as we can see in image 4b below. This can be tedious, as you have to select and delete them one at a time. Alternatively, you can conform the Torch to 'None' and move it along the x, y, or z axis a huge amount, effectively removing it from the  scene.

Image 4a: Dropping the Torch, rendered	Image 4b: Deleting lights

As well as the grasp poses, we also have a selection of MAT poses to choose from to change the appearance of the Torch handle. To use these, select the Flame Torch, then apply the required MAT pose from Pose:MortemVetus:FlameTorch:There are six to choose from, so if you have multiple instances of the Torch in the same scene, they won't all look the same.

And that's it. As with all our products, we've tried to create something that is both different and distinct. We hope you enjoy using this product and we look forward to seeing what images you make with it. Happy Rendering Andrew and Tracey :)

Mortem Vetus, exclusively at RuntimeDNA

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