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form·Z 3.6

What is in version 3.6?

Most notably, v. 3.6 makes the Illustrator type of splines more "Illustrator-like", in both the way they are imported/exported and in the way they are edited in form•Z; it updates the support of SAT/ACIS import/export to version 6, which has also improved its handling in IGES imports; it adds to OpenGL and QuickDraw 3D the ability to display open lines and to work with the extended cursor, axis marks, snap highlights, and cross marks; it includes a number of improvements to the Imager, ranging from general interface refinements to the ability to generate QuickTime VR files, to directly access drafting options, such as for the removal of duplicate lines, and to autosave images for Surface Render, Hidden Line, Shaded Render, and RenderZone. Version 3.6 is a significant rendering upgrade, much of which derives from LightWorks version 5.5 that is now incorporated. Among the many rendering enhancements that v. 3.6 offers for both RenderZone and RadioZity, the following are the most significant:

• Multiprocessor support on Windows, for Preview and Full Raytrace modes, leading to major gains in speed. We anticipate supporting multiprocessing on additional platforms, as they become available.

• Rendering effects, such as Exposure Correction, Depth Blur, and Background, have been enhanced, their interface has been restructured, and are now applied through postprocessing, which allows them to be computed independently from the main rendering of an image. A new postprocessed effect, Lens Flares, has also been introduced.

• A variety of previously existing shaders have been improved and new ones have been introduced. These are Textured Brick, Wood Boards, and Solid Wood for all types of shaders; 2D/3D Cells for Bump shaders; Woven and Multilayer Paint for Reflection shaders.

• Other quality improvements to the shaders include optiona Summation Table Sampling that applies to all the image based shaders, and Analytic Area Sampling for most surface (wrapped) shaders.

• A new type of light, the Line light, has been introduced. Additional overall improvements to the lights support the ability to set transparent shadows and intensity separately, per individual light, and improved control of the Accurate Glow parameter for all light types.

form·Z 3.6 Images

Click on the below images for hi-res versions of more 3.6 examples:

PH - 614.488.8838 | FX - 614.488.0848
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