May 19, 2026
Pose wars: artists vs the price tag
Show HN: I made a 3D pose maker for artists
Artists liked the 3D pose tool, but commenters instantly dragged the price and missing features
TLDR: SetPose launched as a browser-based tool to help artists build and light 3D reference poses with props and camera controls. Commenters mostly turned it into a debate over missing must-have features and whether a monthly fee makes sense when cheaper art tools and even wooden mannequins already exist.
A new Show HN project called SetPose rolled in with a wholesome pitch: a free online tool that lets artists pose a digital mannequin, tweak lighting and camera angles, and build scenes with props for drawing reference. On paper, it sounds like a dream for anyone who has ever tried to sketch a human body and realized, too late, that elbows are pure chaos. Users can bend limbs, tilt them, rotate them, swap models, and even turn off the body’s natural limits for more extreme poses.
But the comments? Oh, the comments came ready to judge. One camp was polite and supportive, tossing out a quick "very cool idea" and a launch-day pat on the back. The louder camp immediately went for the throat: where is the killer feature, and why does this cost money every month? One user bluntly asked why they’d use this over a tiny wooden mannequin they can carry around in a pencil case. Another piled on, saying a real mannequin costs about $10 once, while SetPose asks for $7 a month for Pro and $20 for Pro+.
Then the thread took a hard internet turn, with one commenter joking that the web’s most predictable audience would definitely find this tool, whether the creator planned for that or not. That mix of genuine artist critique, pricing outrage, and classic online chaos made the launch feel less like a product demo and more like a community roast with a few sincere compliments sprinkled in.
Key Points
- •SetPose is presented as a free online tool for creating 3D pose reference models for artists.
- •The article says users can create custom poses or start from preset poses using Bend, Tilt, and Rotate controls.
- •SetPose includes model customization and an option to disable biological constraints for wider pose ranges.
- •Users can add handheld props and floor props to build more detailed reference scenes.
- •The tool also allows adjustment of background color, lighting, and camera field of view to change scene appearance.