text:
An experimental Face Texture Converter launched via Content Paradise
adp last edited by
@F_Verbaas Thanks!
I started another thread so as not to derail this thread and after just a few posts, it's gone. What the hell happened?
Ghostman Poser Ambassadors last edited by
@eclark1849 Good question. Would be nice to know what was so offensive with it for them to take it down.
@Ghostman There's not even a "This Topic Deleted" Ghost title left. ?????
@F_Verbaas can you confirm that the only changes are to the Content Paradise product description and nothing in the download has changed? I can't see anything in the download itself which explains how the product is to be used.
@F_Verbaas OK, found the Sway on Content Paradise, got myself logged into my Office365 account (which I'd finally renewed after my subsciption expired last month, GRRR!), clicked on the Share to open it online, clicked on the "..." and exported it to PDF, and now I can view the missing documentation offline. Yay! (This may not be as easy for others as it wasn't for me)
fverbaas last edited by fverbaas
Confirmed. The download was not changed. The way to use it is described in the description document embedded on the CP site. This is a practical consideration for this experimental 'product' to keep description up to date without having to resort to product changes.
(Am I the only user who would love to see programmable buttons, or even just hyperlinks in texts on the parameter window)
@fverbaas thanks, I knew that. I was just frustrated that, yet again, Microsoft doesn't have a macOS equivalent App to their windows Sway app. I know everything is vapourising into the Cloud now and in the future, but my internet is sufficiently frequently unreliable, that I will not willingly give up access to downloading information by relying on the "always-on" status for my internet connection.
I still mourn the day MS unplugged Entourage for Mac and forced us all to use the lesser featured Outlook. [Hums, "The day the music died"]
fverbaas last edited by
I intend to make a pdf version once things have settled down a bit. (both re. the FTC and in private life)
anomalaus last edited by anomalaus
@fverbaas now that I have had a chance to peruse the documentation (couldn't actually play with it since I'm stuck in render-hell), I see that this is a necessary extension to the texture baking techniques (fixed camera parameters for minimum distortion of UV projected textures plugged into ambient) I'd been using (from following other forum discussions) to shortcut render times for complex procedural textures by baking them.
It had not occurred to me that physically transforming the projection surface would be a more accessible technique for UV transformation for most users than playing with math nodes in the material room. Well done with realising this, both conceptually and in implementation!
This will allow user tweaks to UV-remapping textures of figures they
ownhave purchased (like move a tattoo, resize makeup, or create supernumerary papillae, though those could be done simply in a decent, layered texture editor) directly within Poser. Just saving a particular scene setup will serve as a permanent template for similar conversions between the same pair of figures, by just exchanging the source textures. [Mind=Blown!]
@eclark1849 said in An experimental Face Texture Converter launched via Content Paradise:
I started another thread so as not to derail this thread and after just a few posts, it's gone. What the hell happened?
Maybe I should start the thread over???
erogenesis last edited by
@F_Verbaas you are a legend!
wimvdb Poser Ambassadors last edited by
@eclark1849 said in An experimental Face Texture Converter launched via Content Paradise:
@eclark1849 said in An experimental Face Texture Converter launched via Content Paradise:
I started another thread so as not to derail this thread and after just a few posts, it's gone. What the hell happened?
Maybe I should start the thread over???
The same thing will happen.
@wimvdb Yeah, but maybe somebody will at least give me an explanation for why it happened in the first place. I don't mind having a disrupting thread removed, but geez at least let someone know WHY it was disruptive so they don't do it again.
F_Verbaas last edited by
Thank you.
F_Verbaas last edited by
I was dabbling this afternoon a bit to make a G8 face texture converter overlay. For the fine tuning I used to switch between two scenes, one with the FTC and one with PE.
Then I realized it was much easier to load PE into the FTC scene, put her next to the base pane, and check the fit there.
Render the conversion, save the new rendere texture over the texture on PE's face, then hit 'reload textures' and switch to face cam.
Of course you can open the two views side by side:
F_Verbaas last edited by F_Verbaas
A few results of the G3&G8 to PE converter pane so far.
Yes I know the lighting is shit. This is all about checking the line-up on PE, finding errors, so I am using a hard single spotlight fitted on the face camera here, absolutely un-suited for a good portrait.
(I hope PE will forgive me)
I must do something withthe upper lip. It seems to be just a tad too low. An official texture fitted however so it may be something in the texture I use. Good thing about this FTC is you can correct this sort of things on the fly. Just remember to make it a new morph so you do not destroy your previous work.
I used a head texture of 3dpoetry's Dragania for V7/G3, on Rendo Freestuff.
Boni Poser Ambassadors last edited by
This is great! I saw the tutorial over at Rendo. What a marvelous technique!!
erogenesis last edited by
@F_Verbaas said in An experimental Face Texture Converter launched via Content Paradise:
(I hope PE will forgive me)
dude, are you serious? that is amazing! It proves that it really converts well. none of it is hopelessly stretched, it works very well!


text:
Church Membership 2013
Thank you so much for attending this very concise course on church membership. There are three goals that I hope will be achieved over the next few weeks:
Firstly, that you, as a member of the church of Jesus Christ will have a fresh understanding of what it means to be a member of His church on earth in the year 2013, and that you will have a better understanding of what it means to a be a part of that part of our Lord's church which calls itself Methodist.
Secondly, that you will have a fresh understanding of what it means to be baptized, in other words, the implications of your baptism (whenever it occurred) in your life now.
Thirdly, that as a baptized member of the church of Jesus Christ, you will have a Biblically informed and Holy Spirit guided response to some of the social issues facing us as we live in Alberton, Gauteng and in South Africa in the year 2013.
Throughout the course and in your preparation, please remember that we serve a God who speaks to us, and so be sensitive to what He might be speaking into your life at this time and pray for the will to go where He leads or calls you to.
I hope you enjoy this course. Visit the following Web pages for more information:
1. Alberton Methodist Church homepage – www.amc.org.za
2. Methodist Church of Southern Africa homepage – http://www.methodist.org.za/
Subjects looked at over this 3 week course include:
A Short History of the Christian Faith
The spread of the early church
The Emperor Constantine becomes a Christian in 313AD
East-west split
The rise of Islam
The Reformation, The Counter-Reformation, The English Reformation
The Evangelical Revival
The spread of Methodism
The rise of Pentecostalism
Duties and Privileges of Church Membership
What Methodists Believe
What does my Baptism mean?
A Short History of the Christian Faith
· The spread of the early church. After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the church in Jerusalem began to organize itself to take care of the new converts (Acts 2:42-47). They used the Temple for worship and met for fellowship and prayer in private homes. Jewish persecution broke out and Christians were forced to flee to other cities (Acts 9:1-2). They wasted no time in starting new congregations in these places, and so the Church began to spread. A loose form of church organization developed which we can trace quite clearly in the New Testament.
Then in obedience to Jesus the apostles and others also began to travel to new centre's to preach the gospel (Mt 28:18-20), and soon new churches were started in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Greece, Italy, and as far as Spain. It also spread to Ethiopia (Acts 8:27), to Egypt, and across the whole of North Africa. Obviously only a small part of this work is recorded for us in Acts. Many others, whose names we do not know, also went out to spread the Good News. The Roman Empire had an excellent system of roads and shipping so that travel was relatively easy. There was also a commonly understood language and these factors greatly assisted the expansion of the Church.
· Persecution. In about 90AD the Emperor Domitian declared himself to be "divine" and ordered all subjects of the Roman Empire to worship him as a god. Christians of course refused to do this and were persecuted most cruelly. Many thousands were imprisoned, killed in the arena, burnt or tortured. It became dangerous to be a Christian. They had to meet secretly. Yes the Church grew strong because people had to make very definite and courageous decisions about their faith. There were no half-hearted Christians. It called for total commitment.
· The Emperor Constantine became a Christian in 313AD. He made Christianity an official religion in the Roman Empire and it came out into the open at last. However this actually had a negative effect on the Church. As it became more fashionable to be a Christian, people sometimes did so for the wrong reasons. The Church grew larger but it was no longer lean and strong. Constantine also moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople (Istanbul), the centre of the Eastern portion of the Empire. Tension developed between these two centres and eventually the Roman Empire in the West collapsed. The barbarian invaders from the north later accepted the Christian faith and the Pope, the bishop of Rome, later became the ruler of the Empire. The Holy Roman Empire in the West was for a time therefore governed by the Church.
· East-west split. In the first few centuries there were several schisms and divisions in the Church, mainly over doctrinal disputes. Arguments arose over such things as, exactly what nature Jesus had, whether He was human or divine, whether He was equal with the Father or less than the Father, etc.
Between the 6th and 9th centuries there was a growing division between the Eastern Churches, governed by Constantinople, and the Western Churches, governed by Rome. This led to the first major split in 1054AD, when the Eastern Orthodox Church, finally broke its ties with Rome.
· The rise of Islam. Another major event which affected the Church was the birth of Mohammed (570-623AD) in Mecca, in present day Saudi Arabia. He founded the Islamic religion, and it began to sweep through the Arab world. Armed with the doctrine of "holy war" their advancing armies wiped out the Christian Church in Palestine, the Middle East and Egypt. They swept across North Africa (approx 650AD) and Spain (approx 711AD). In the North they conquered Turkey (Asia Minor), Constantinople (717AD) and advanced into Europe as far as Hungary. These wars destroyed seven centuries of Christian work in a vast area, and what was left of the Church was concentrated mainly in Europe, Italy and Greece. In the 12th century some of the nations in Christian Europe sent armies of "Crusaders" to try and drive the Mohammedans out of Palestine. They never totally succeeded.
· The Reformation. By the early 16th century the Roman Catholic Church and the Sate were heavily intertwined. Money raised in the Church was being used to support kings and fight wars. A system of 'indulgences' was introduced whereby people could pay to have their sins forgiven, and have prayers said for the dead. Corruption and ignorance was rife. In Germany Martin Luther (148-1546) and many other religious leaders rebelled against the malpractices of the Catholic Church. They called for a return to the basic truths of the Christian faith. They taught that salvation is by faith alone, and that the Bible is the supreme guide in all matters related to the Church and theology. They also stressed the 'priesthood of all believers' and wanted the Bible to be made available to the common people in their own language. At that time it was written only in Latin and could only be read by a priest.
The Protestant Reformation led to the formation of at least three major Church groups, each with slightly different emphases in their teaching: a) The Lutherans under Martin Luther b) The Calvinists under John Calvin in Geneva who stressed the doctrine of election (predestination) c) The Anabaptists, who refused to allow their children to be baptized and revived the practice of adult, or Believers Baptism.
· The Counter-Reformation. Later in the 16th century the Catholic Church made a sincere attempt to reform itself. Under the leadership of primarily the Jesuits they set about renewing the clergy in order to renew the Church. Many important changes were made.
· The English Reformation was slightly different in character. In 1534 Henry V111 broke all ties with Rome and declared itself to be head of the Church of England. This was partly because the Catholic Church had refused to allow him to divorce Catherine of Aragon. The Reformation of England accepted most of the theology of the European reformers but retained many of the outward forms of worship and organization of the Catholic Church. It therefore took a middle road between Luther and Rome.
· The Evangelical Revival, in which the Methodist Church was born, took place in the 1700's. England was at the time going through the 'Industrial Revolution'. Many country and small-town people were flocking to the cities and had to live in very inadequate slum conditions. The vast majority were poor and social problems were rife. The Church of England was by and large fast asleep, and had lost touch with the common people. In the midst of this 'dead' Church some began to rediscover the Reformation teaching of salvation by faith alone, and experienced the power of the risen Christ in their lives. John Wesley (1703-1791), an Anglican priest, had a deep conversion experience in 1738 and began to preach 'salvation by faith.' Many responded and found real life-changing faith.
The Anglican Church however rejected this movement, and preachers of the 'new doctrine' were soon banned from preaching in most Anglican churches. Wesley and his workers therefore turned to preaching in the open-air, to miners and to the common people.
Many thousands came to know Jesus Christ as Saviour. These new Christians were organized in 'Societies' and class-meetings to build them up in their faith. Wesley himself, however, always saw Methodism as a renewal movement within the Anglican Church and tried to avoid a split. But after he died the inevitable happened and Methodism became a separate Church.
· The spread of Methodism. It soon spread to the new colonies in America where it grew dramatically under the leadership of Rev. Francis Asbury. It became the Church of the frontier, with Methodist preachers moving in the interior alongside the pioneers. As a result the numbers grew phenomenally; to 43 00 in 1791, 9 million in 1927, and over 14 million today, the largest denomination in America. It also spread to other lands. Sometimes missionaries were deliberately sent out, but more often than not it took root with the Protestant denomination in the world with over 50 million Methodists in more than 90 countries.
· The rise of Pentecostalism. Early this century a number of Christians and Christian groups began to stress the importance of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and to experience in their personal lives the power and the gifts of the Spirit. This led to a great deal of ferment in the main-line denominations in the Church, and eventually to the establishment of several break-away Pentecostal Churches. At first there was much antagonism, but today there is a growing understanding of the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the Christian Church. This new emphasis on the Spirit has been the source of great renewal in all the Churches.
Duties and Privileges of Church Membership
Aim of the lesson:
To look at what is involved in being full and responsible members of the Church.
Study passages:
2 Corinthians 9:6-12, Colossians 3:5-17, Hebrews 10:19-25, 13:1-7, 1 Peter 4:7-11
· Conditions of membership. Any club or organization has conditions of membership and duties which it lays down for its members. The Methodist Church is no different. It lays down three simple requirements for membership:
Faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour
A sincere desire to be saved from sin
Involvement in the fellowship of the Church
· These three conditions are stated in our 'Laws and Disciplines' as follows:
'Membership is based upon a personal experience of the Lord Jesus Christ, brought about by His Spirit… and upon a sharing of such personal gifts of grace with others seeking or enjoying a similar experience.
All persons are welcomed into membership who sincerely desire to be saved from their sins through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and show the same in life and conduct, and who seek to have fellowship with Christ himself and His people by taking up the duties and privileges of the Methodist Church.
As membership in the Church involves fellowship it is the duty of all members in the Church to seek to cultivate this in every possible way.'
· Duties of Church membership. The following eight things should be regarded as minimum goals for members of the Church:
1. To follow the example of Christ in home and daily life.
2. To bear personal witness to Jesus Christ.
3. To be regular in private prayer each day.
4. To read the Bible each day and seek to be obedient to God's Word.
5. To attend worship every Sunday.
6. To receive Holy Communion regularly.
7. To give meaningful financial support to the work of the Church, locally and for the wider mission field.
8. To be involved in serving others in the Church and community.
As we grow in our faith and walk with the Lord we will understand these duties at a deeper and clearer level. We may add others to the list, but these will always remain a basic minimum for us.
Questions for discussion
1. Read through all the study passages carefully. What do they teach us about the conditions of membership in the early Church? Make a list.
2. What do you think of the three basic conditions of membership in the Methodist Church? Are they reasonable? Should there be others?
3. Go through the eight suggested duties one by one. What does each one mean? Are they too strict, not strict enough, or about right?
4. What should the Church do about people who want to be members, but don't want to accept any of the responsibilities of membership?
5. As a group, make a list of some ways in which you could become more involved in the activities of your local church.
What Methodists Believe
Aim of the lesson:
To understand the essential teaching of the Methodist Church
Study passages:
Ephesians 2:1-10; Matthew 5:43-48
· The Methodist Church does not have a special creed which is different from other major Christian Churches. Like them we accept the Apostle's and Nicene Creed as a basic expression of faith. We do however lay special stress on four important aspects of Christian teaching.
· Salvation is by faith alone. We are not saved by our 'good works' but by the free, underserved grace of God. We cannot earn it, we can only receive it by accepting Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Once we have truly experienced the gift of salvation, 'good works' will be seen in our lives as evidence of the new life we have received.
· Everyone needs it and no one is excluded. In contrast to some Churches which teach that only some people, those who have been pre-destined, will be saved (eg. Calvanism), Methodism has steadfastly taught that all may turn to God and find full salvation. All have sinned, and all need to be reconciled with God through Christ (Romans 3:22-23). It is not just 'bad' people, but even those who seem to live good lives need the 'rebirth' experience of a living faith in Jesus and an acknowledgement of their sinfulness and separation from God.
· Assurance. Christians can know they are saved. God does not leave us in a state of doubt or fear regarding the reality of our salvation. The deep inner witness of the Holy Spirit, who has interior access to our lives 'bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God' (Romans 8:16). We can say with assurance, 'I know I am saved' (2 Tim 1:12).
· Christian Perfection. God wants us to be perfect in our spiritual life and our moral life and to rid ourselves of all sinfulness (Mt 5:48). John Wesley once described Christian Perfection as 'perfect love' toward God and our fellow person. This must be the aim of every disciple of Christ. This teaching, more than any other, distinguishes the Methodist Church and gives it a special message and mission among the other Christian denominations. Not only forgiveness but goodness, good moral behavior, if the gift and goal of God through Jesus Christ.
· The four all's. Our teaching is often summarized in the 'four all's':
1. All people need to be saved – because we all have sinned.
2. All people can be saved – no one is excluded.
3. All people can know that they are saved - the doctrine of assurance.
4. All people can be saved to the uttermost – our goal is perfection.
· Balance. In true Methodist tradition, theory and practice have always gone together. 'There is no holiness but social holiness' declared Wesley. Holiness exists not in a vacuum but in right relationships. Methodism has always upheld the need for a balance between deep spirituality on one hand and involvement in the real issues of society and the needs of people on the other. One without the other is a denial of the truth.
Questions for discussion:
1. Can a person be saved by their own good works? (Eph 2:8-9)
2. What is the meaning of Ephesians 2:10?
3. Is it arrogant to claim that we know we are saved? On what can we base that claim?
4. What does Christian Perfection mean for us in practical terms in our own personal lives and in our relationships with others?
For personal reflection:
1. What is the state of my faith right now?
2. Do I have assurance of my salvation?
3. What needs to change in my life right now on my journey towards Christian Perfection?
Write down some prayer thoughts that flow from your reflections.
What does my Baptism mean?
Aim of the lesson:
To understand the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism
Study Passages:
Romans 6:1-14; Acts 19:1-6
· The Sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion are 'outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace'. God's grace of course not limited to the moment of administration of the sacrament. It is at work throughout our lives, before we come to faith (pre-venient grace), in our conversation (justifying grace) and as we go on to live out the Christian life (sanctifying grace).
· Baptism marks our point of entry into the Christian community. It is administered in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by immersing the person fully or partially in water, or by sprinkling. It signifies at least four things for us:
1. Forgiveness and washing away of our sin (1 Pet 3:21; 1 Cor 6:11)
2. The death of our old self and our commitment to our new way of life in Christ (Rom 6:3-4; Gal 3:27)
3. Our incorporation into the Church, the Body of Christ, the Covenant of community of God (1 Cor 12:13)
4. That the Holy Spirit has been given and has begun His work of renewal and sanctification in us (Acts 19:5-6; Rom 8:2,9-11)
· Infant Baptism. The Methodist Church baptizes the children of Christian parents because we believe it is in harmony with scripture that children should have a place in the Christian community (Acts 2:39; 16:33; Mk 10:14; 1 Cor 7:14). This practice goes back to the earliest days of the Church. Here the sign of God's grace is given before the person has come to personal faith, and the parents make a solemn undertaking to do everything in their power to see that their child will one day come to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord. When this happens, the individual concerned confirms what was done those years ago and accepts responsibility for his/her own ongoing Christian life. This is signified in the Confirmation service.
· Believer's Baptism is for those who have found faith and have not been baptized before. They enter at once into the fellowship and responsibilities of membership of the Church.
· Believer's versus Infant Baptism? There should be no conflict here. Our Church practices both. In the main we have a strong infant baptism tradition, but we also freely baptize adults who have come to faith and have not been baptized before. We do not allow re-baptism because we believe baptism is an unrepeatable act (Eph 4:5). To re-baptize would also imply that the first baptism was invalid. We can be baptized only once. We do not get re-baptized every time we sin or backslide and return to faith. In both Believer's and Infant Baptism the stress is on what God has done for the believer rather than on our response and our faith.
Questions for discussion:
1. What do our study passages teach us about the meaning of Baptism, either directly or indirectly? Examine them carefully. Share your thoughts as a group.
2. In the Acts passage, why do you think the Baptism of John the Baptist was not enough? What more does Christian Baptism offer?
3. Some parents want their children baptized for the wrong reasons. What are some of these wrong reasons? What are the right reasons?
4. What responsibilities and obligations do Christian parents undertake when they have children baptized?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Max Hammer was a criminal mob boss that dominated the New York underworld before the modern age of super-heroes. By his own accord, Max claimed to have mentored the Kingpin, though there is no official record indicating such a claim as fact. [1]
Years after Max retired as the "King of Crime", his health began to deteriorate. He developed advanced stages of cancer and was confined to a wheelchair. Desperate to prolong his life, Max researched modern advances in medicine and learned about Dr. Bruce Banner's recent invention of the Gammascope – a device that siphoned raw gamma radiation from the heavens and could potentially heal diseased blood cells. Hammer knew that Banner would never willfully test his process on a known felon, so he sought alternative measures to insure Banner's cooperation.
Max arranged for the mercenary known as Boomerang to be released from prison. He sent Boomerang to Banner's laboratory retreat, Northwind Observatory, with instructions to kidnap Banner's paramour, Kate Waynesboro. Boomerang did as instructed, and managed to bring Waynesboro to one of Max's safe houses. Hammer arrived at Northwind Observatory and blackmailed Banner into using the Gammascope to heal Max's broken body. Max became the Gammascope's first human test subject.
Bruce performed the process, and it appeared to work perfectly. Max Hammer was healed, but his skin turned light green as a harmless side effect. The Hulk left Max to rescue Kate Waynesboro, but the cosmic entity known as the Beyonder interrupted the journey, spiriting the Hulk away to another world to participate in his "Secret Wars".
With the Hulk absent, Hammer had complete access to all of Banner's equipment. He was so overwhelmed with his renewed health however, that rather than steal Banner's work, he began using the Gammascope to heal the sick and dying masses.
When the Hulk eventually returned from the Secret Wars, he was enraged that Hammer would use such an untested process on innocent people. Banner's fury was augmented by the fact that he was slowly losing control over his Hulk persona. Banner and Hammer both learned, too late, that the Gammascope process yielded more devastating long term results. Hammer transformed into a brutish mockery of his former self, with power equitable to that of the Hulk himself. The two monsters fought one another, and the Hulk gave in to his darker fury, nearly beating Max Hammer to death.
The Galadorian space knight, Rom, arrived on the scene suspecting to find Dire Wraith activity in the area. At the behest of Kate Waynesboro, Rom used his Neutralizer ray to burn out the gamma cells in Max's body. Fortunately, Max's exposure to gamma radiation had been so recent, that not enough time had passed for it to permanently alter his genetic structure. Healed of the Gammascope's effects, Max Hammer reverted to his previous infirm condition.
Powers and Abilities
Exposure to Bruce Banner's Gammascope enhanced Max's strength, speed and stamina to superhuman levels.
Strength level
Max Hammer's strength level were well below average, with the exception of the time that he was exposed to gamma radiation.
In recent years, Max's health has suffered serious decline, and he has been confined to a wheelchair.
- In his first appearance, Max was identified as "Max Stryker". Subsequent appearances identified him as "Max Hammer", suggesting that the former name may be an alias.
- Although Max Hammer shares a similar background with industrialist Justin Hammer, there is no indication whether the two are related, or even aware of one another.
Links and References
- 4 Appearances of Max Hammer (Earth-616)
- Minor Appearances of Max Hammer (Earth-616)
- Media Max Hammer (Earth-616) was Mentioned in
- 2 Images featuring Max Hammer (Earth-616)
- Quotations by or about Max Hammer (Earth-616)
- Character Gallery: Max Hammer (Earth-616)
Discover and Discuss
- Search this site for: Max Stryker · Max Hammer · Max Hammer (Earth-616)
|Like this? Let us know!


text:
We have released a new white paper detailing how to size SAP solutions on Microsoft Azure public cloud. The document is attached to this blog.
Initial work on this topic is mentioned in this blog: How to Size SAP Systems Running on Azure VMs.
Microsoft is Executing and Publishing SAP SD Standard Application Benchmark on Azure
Sizing is an important topic when deploying a SAP solution since we want to make sure we have enough computing resources to guarantee us the performance needed.
As Microsoft is a cloud provider, we are responsible for executing and publishing official SAP 2-tier and 3-tier benchmarks. All the SAP benchmarks certified and released on Azure can be found here: http://www.sap.com/benchmark and are also listed in SAP Note 1928533 – SAP Applications on Azure:Supported Products and Azure VM types
Recently we announced WorldRecord SAP Sales and Distribution Standard Application Benchmark for SAP cloud deploymentsreleased using Azure IaaS VMs.
Each benchmark specifies the exact configuration, VM size, and storage type used for the benchmark.
The sizing process is nevertheless a complex topic. To help our customers and partners with this process, we have developed this document as a set of guidelines to help in the sizing process.
"T-Shirt" Sizing
This document provides "T-shirt" sizing primary for 3-tier SAP Solutions running on Azure, as 3-tier is more suitable for the productive SAP use case. The document also discusses 2-tier configurations for SAP solutions on Azure.
Picture 1: T-shirt Sizing
Covered SAP Applications and Components
As different SAP applications and components can have very different workload characteristics and requirements, the document also reflects these different applications, such as SAP ECC 6.0, SAP Business Objects, SAP liveCache, SAP Content Server, SAP Solution Manager, SAP BI Java and Enterprise Portal, SAP XI/PI, SAP NetWeaver Gateway, CTM Optimizer, SAP TREX etc. The document also reflects different components of the SAP NetWeaver technology stack, such as SAP application servers, SAP database server, and SAP ASCS/SCS instance.
Azure Premium Storage
A special chapter is dedicated to Azure fast SSD premium storage since as fast storage is crucial for performant storage-intensive IO workloads like database servers.
Advantages of Dynamic SAP Resizing on Azure Public Cloud
Many customers who run their SAP systems on-premises are oversizing their infrastructure to make sure they can cover the peak load. Peak time can happen for example once in three months (during the quarter close) and can last for a few days. But most of the time, there is a much lower load on the system compared to peak time, which means that infrastructure resources dedicated to SAP system are underutilized.
One huge advantage of Azure cloud compared to on-premises infrastructure is the ability to dynamically increase resources (to cater for increased demand) or decrease resources if resources are underutilized (to save money). Either way, you are only paying for what is used and when it is used.
Here is an example of scaling out the SAP NetWeaver ABAP application server component, where the SAP workload is based on interactive SAP user workload, which is running on two SAP application servers running on two Azure VMs (the same principle can be applied on SAP batch, RFC, and update workload). SAP user workload is automatically balanced by logon (SMLG) groups.
As new users are added to an SAP application server, after a certain point the performance starts to degrade. Additional new workload further degrades application server performance, as the servers are too busy serving currently logged-on users. In extreme cases the application server appears to hang.
Picture 2: Scale Out of SAP Application Server (AS) – Initial State
The solution for this problem is to dynamically scale out SAP application server layer, e.g. to add an additional new third SAP application to handle new SAP users. We have already prepared additional application servers (AS3 and AS4), which are pre-deployed on two VMs. These two VMs are initially in an offline state and are not generating cost (except a very minor storage cost).
We can start the new VM with SAP AS either manually or using Azure Autoscale in Azure for automatic scale out.
Picture 3: Scale Out of SAP Application Server (AS) – End State after the scale out
In a similar way, when SAP user load drops, we can scale in SAP application server(s), e.g. we can stop some SAP application server(s) and shut down VM(s), so reducing infrastructure costs.
Generally speaking, it is recommended to review utilization on infrastructure about every three months to determine whether the Azure resources provisioned match the demand from the SAP workload.
You can also actively monitor utilization, try to recognize the utilization patterns and identify peaks, and proactively resize Azure infrastructure for your SAP system.


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What causes puffy eyes?
Skin around the eyes is sensitive and very thin so it can easily become irritated, red and puffy. Many women may experience minor puffiness upon arising, but this tends to resolve on its own by mid-morning as gravity drains the fluid that has accumulated throughout the night.
Puffy Eye Treatments
There are many reasons why we may suffer from puffy eyes and though there aren't any magical solutions, there are some topical preparations that you may wish to try if nothing else works:
1. Preparation H Cream with Biodyne - Believe it or not, anecdotal evidence suggests that the hemorrhoid cream – Preparation H with Biodyne - may help to eliminate puffy eyes. Biodyne, also known as Live Yeast Cell Derivative (LYCD), a peptide, is only found in Preparation H from Canada (and not in the version found in the US). Studies show that LYCD accelerates wound healing and is biologically active on skin cells.
2. La Roche Posay Hydraphase Eyes - La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water, high in selenium, a skin soothing ingredient helps to calm swollen and puffy eyelids
9 Tips for Relieving Puffy Eyes
Sharmani Pillay is a Registered Pharmacist who specilializes in anti-aging skincare and wellness issues in women. She owns and operates an online skin care store at [Link Removed]
Very good advice!My eyes are very sensitive so I need to take special care of them now and again.I used cucumber and chamomile many times successfully.Lavender is also a nice soothing topical treatment when applied to the eye area in a floral water mixture and reduces swelling to the eye area!
Glad you found it helpful. It seems to be an issue for many, many women.
Oh I think you are talking directly to me. A morning without puffy eyes is rare for me. I dont' have dark circles. Sometimes I wish I did- at least you can cover them with concealor.
thanks so much for sharing this great advice.
I have majorly puffy eyes and my trick is to use my Galvanic Spa by NuSkin underneath my eyes every time I feel tired and swollen. Check out the clinicals and science behing this amazing device otherwise known as the wrinkle machine.
Very informative article. Thanks! This will help a lot.
Ladies....Rodan and Fields Dermatology. The first and last line you will ever think of using to treat all of your skin concerns: sensitive skin, sun damage, redness, psoriasis, rough skin, acne scars, dark circles, crepy skin, wrinkles, etc. I am an Independent Consultant and I am here to answer any and all of your skin questions!!! My name is Tina and I can't wait to talk to you!!!
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I have always heard that Prep H works wonderful for puffy eyes..
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