modo
it comes as a breath of fresh air that Luxology, a company founded recently by former Lightwave 3D stalwarts Allen Hastings, Stuart Ferguson, and Brad Peebler, has embarked on a course of world domination, or at least domination of the 3D market, with a bold new line of 3D software.
Texture Layers 2.0
You might suppose that, with 3ds max's capable built-in mapping tools UVW Map and Unwrap UVW, that there's no market for add-on modifiers, but you'd be wrong. At least, that's the likely reasoning behind the recent release of Texture Layers 2 by developer Mankua Software....
Adobe Atmosphere
Adobe Atmosphere lets you import your 3D models from Max or Maya, enhance them with lighting, physics, and interactivity and then deliver them as interactive 3D over the web, or in the ubiquitous PDF format (yes - interactive 3D in a PDF!).
Character Animation Toolkit
For quite some time, the standard tool for doing character animation with Discreet 3ds max has been Character Studio (CS), also from Discreet. Now there's an alternative system called Character Animation Toolkit (CAT), from Character Animation Technologies. It's quite different from CS; for example, it doesn't include an equivalent to the Physique skinning tool. However, it does have a lot to offer. Reviewed here is version 1.151 of the software.
Anark Studio 2.0
New from Anark is version 2.0 of its Studio software, a program for creating Web-based animations, presentations, and interactive applications.
finalRender Stage-1
this is a review of finalRender Stage-1, the second release of this advanced rendering software for 3ds max; the first was Stage-0. finalRender is much more powerful than the venerable default scanline renderer that ships with max. In some ways it's comparable to mental ray...
DreamScape 2.0
What's in a landscape? To start with: sky, sun, and land and/or sea. These are the basic components of Dreamscape 2.0, the latest release from Sitni Sati, the Croatian developer that also makes the volumetric software Afterburn....
Digital Element's Verdant
Digital Element's Verdant is a powerful, and unique new Photoshop plug-in which allows you to add realistic 3D rendered plant images to an image.
AfterBurn
One of the foremost volumetric packages is AfterBurn, which works as a plug-in to Discreet's 3ds max software. The new version 3 has just been released by Sitni Sati, the Croatia-based developer, and is available from the developer and vendors such as Turbo Squid as part of the Discreet Certified 3ds max Plug-in program.
Cebas finalToon 1.0
...finalToon takes the form of a Rendering Effect; just turn it on, and everything
in your scene is rendered with the default line styles and normal surfaces. If
you'd like to use cel shading on surfaces instead, you can apply the included
finalToon material...
Poser 5
The new version is incredibly powerful, with some truly jaw-dropping features, but the basic functionality of being able to pose and customize your mannequin with a few clicks of the mouse is still the main draw.
Digital Element Aurora
Aurora is an Adobe PhotoShop plugin which allows you to create natural environments, such as volumetric skies, clouds, oceans, lakes, rivers, stars, and more. Aurora is developed by Digital Element, publisher of the critically acclaimed 3D natural environment modeler, and animation program - WorldBuilder.
Head Designer 1.5
The software is Head Designer, a plug-in for 3ds max distributed by Digimation. This eminently useful tool, which has been around for a while, was so good in its initial incarnation that little has been added in the new version 1.5.
MindAvenue AxelEdge 1.5
AxelEdge 1.5 is MindAvenue's premium solution for web delivered interactive 3D. AxelEdge allows web developers to easily develop 3D multimedia experiences, combining 3D objects, Movies (Flash, MOV, AVI, MPG) and sound.
messiah : animate 3.0
For years, software developer pmg has been a top name in LightWave 3D circles; its project:messiah plug-in program is used widely for character animation, including in some high-profile Hollywood projects. Now the developer is branching out with messiah:animate (m:a), a stand-alone 3D character-animation application that also works with 3ds max.
ZBrush 1.5
ZBrush is a unique piece of graphics software. It's fast, fun and it gives instant results in real time. The program has been designed with the creative person in mind, allowing you to concentrate on creating great art and not get sidetracked by the interface.
Anark Studio 1.5
It was nice to see how Anark Studio has developed. I started the review full of enthusiasm, as it has benefited from improvements that have made the program easier to use and above all, fun. You just want to show someone what it can do...
Strata 3Dpro v3.7
Strata 3Dpro 3.7 RME is Strata's most feature rich 3D application. In addition to the full suite of 3D modeling, animation, and F/X's tools, this version boasts Web3D capabilities, allowing web designers to export animations to Macromedia Flash format with the integrated Swift 3D power module, RAViX II™ SWF
SHADE R5/E
First off, what is Expression Tools SHADE?
It is an advanced 3D modeling/rendering/animation package developed and sold by a Japanese company called ExpressionTools, Inc. It offers offers modeling capabilities that use Bezier curves, top speed, high-quality rendering and animation capabilites.
Ashlar-Vellum Argon
Argon is the middle product in a range of graphics tools from Ashlar-Vellum and costs $995. The company advertises its products as "Software that works the way you think".
Design First for 3D Artists
Design is an important concept that most people don't think about very often. Everything manmade-a clothespin, a toaster, a shirt, a building, etc.-starts out with a design, which can focus on its form, its function, or both, to varying degrees...
Modeling Digital Dinosaurs
by Ken Brilliant
The book is not software specific and Ken gives a list of software that can be used in conjunction with the tutorials and these include Lightwave, Maya, C4D, Amapi, 3DSmax etc.
.. full review
Digital Beauties
by Julius Wiedemann
I have to say that on more than one occasion I have been heard to say `wouldn't it be nice if one day someone put all these images from renderosity into a book it would sell a million`. Well, Taschen got someone to do it, or at least something very similar.
.. full review
Ultimate 3D Links
Comprehensive 3D information portal offering a gigantic public 3D gallery, tutorials,
and links to every 3D site on the net worth checking out!
3D-Shop.net
Online store for 3D artists, and animators.
Okino
Okino Computer Graphics develops and markets a broad range of 3d rendering, visualization, 3d data translation/conversion and toolkit software:
the NuGraf Rendering System, the PolyTrans 3D Data Translator/Converter, and the NuGraf Developer's 3D Toolkit/Library
3D02
The online 3d model library
ZBrush 3
ZBrush 3 is a huge leap forward in speed, performance and technology.
Modeling, texturing and painting features have all benefited from
unprecedented code enhancements. New tools and options provide even more
versatility in all areas, boosting the artist's productivity and
streamlining workflow in surprising ways.
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