Archive for May, 2007
3DPlus 2.0 From SerifSoftware
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007This is a free 3D animation and modeling software.
This software allows you to produce stunning logos, dramatic headlines, and awsome web animations. Packed full of resources and handy templates and wizards, 3DPlus 2 enables anyone to create fantastic 3D scenes and effects in seconds. No prior experience is required.
You’re in total control. It’s easy to direct the lighting, positioning, texture and size of your objects to achieve the result you want. Real Time Editing allows you to see how your work will look during design. Not only can you produce powerful 3D designs and Web animations, but you can also customize your effects and store them for future use. Whether you use Wizards to create instant 3D animations and effects, or construct your own 3D scenes, 3DPlus 2 puts all the tools and resources you’ll need within easy reach.
The main features of the application:
Camera Control
View your scene from any angle with six preset camera positions & freeform orbiting. Perfect for adding a new slant to your designs & aligning objects in 3D.
Automatic Animation
3D animated graphics are no longer reserved for professional artists. Stunning object and lighting effects can now be applied with a single click. Easy-to-use yet powerful 3D animation tools and instant special effects allow you to create fantastic animations in seconds. You can export your masterpiece as an animated GIF to spice up your Web site or presentation, or email it to your friends & colleagues.
3D QuickShapes
Can’t draw? Won’t Draw? 3D QuickShapes helps you 
They work like intelligent clipart, no need to draw at all, just select & customize, it’s that simple!
Models/Materials Gallery
Choose from a range of 3D models, backgrounds, textures, and fills, all easily accessible from 3DPlus’ easy-to-use gallery. You can personalize your work in an instant. The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination.
3D Objects & Materials
Creating amazing 3D Objects is easier than ever with 3DPlus. The multitude of materials, patterns & textures in the 3DPlus Library provides all the power & flexibility you need to create stylish 3D elements, truly stunning 3D worlds & scenes, & awesome animations.
Performance Advantages
With the 3D Model format you can apply your choice of textures, colors, and bevels to complex clip-art objects, with separate material controls for front, sides, and back. The built in DirectX Support makes for speedier rendering and a choice of five different anti-aliasing quality levels so you can customize the program to your computer.
Stunning Text & Effects
Add text in the style of your choice & apply textures, bevels & shadows to create stunning eye-catching effects. Whether you need an outstanding new logo for your company, product or club, or a stylish new graphic for your Web site, 3DPlus makes it easy to get exactly the look you’ve always wanted.
Direct Output Preview
Forget the trial and error approach! The Export dialog now features a built in window so you can preview color depth, dithering, and palette settings in a single step before conversion. You are even able to take your 3-D designs and embed them directly into your publications using OLE. Our simple processes make complex designs easy to produce
Source: freeserifsoftware.com
Downloading of the program is available via DownLoad Link.
While installing the program demands on-line registration. In the registration process the program informs you about your current Product Installation Number (for example: 3794751) and asks you to fill in a registration form (your e-mail address is obligatory). After filling in the registration form you get your Registration Key via e-mail (for example: ER-0D2A4F732E). You must type it in the Registration Key field. After that the program becomes unlocked and ready for use.
The developer of the program provides you with a detailed tutorial via Tutorial Link in the .pdf format. In includes installation tips, instructions for creating 3D animations and designs, choosing the right animation tools, as well as 3D animation basics. There is a guided 3D animation tour using 20 frames, and editing animations. The tutorial also have instructions for exporting, setting, OLE, and controlling OLE quality.
As additional help for working with the program you can use the FAQ on the program at the FAQ Address.
DrawPlus 4.0 From SerifSoftWare
Monday, May 14th, 2007This is a freeware graphic design and vector drawing software. The developer of the program (SerifSoftware) promotes the following advantages of using the application:
Say goodbye to complicated tools and ’shaky hand’ drawings. DrawPlus makes drawing simple with easy to use QuickShapes, Natural Curve Editing and Curve Smoothing.
You can add abstract or themed backgrounds very easily. From dazzling presentation backgrounds to space style scenes, give any drawing a ready-made designer canvas.
The new tabbed Studio stores hundreds of pre-set lines, fills, transparencies, fonts and Wizard elements which are always convenient and ready to use.
It’s extremely quick and easy to apply color fills to any drawing using the on-screen studio palette.
Great fun, easy to use and perfect for bringing your Web sites and presentations to life. Use advanced features like onion skinning, backgrounds, overlays and frame management.
Use the blend tool to automatically ‘morph’ 2 images. You choose the number of steps and DrawPlus does the rest!
Easily create sparkling photo-like realism and quality in seconds with no experience required.
A notoriously difficult effect to create is now a total breeze, with a wide range of customizable watermark designs on hand.
This flexible Wizard instantly adds borders to the page or to individual objects. Choose a border from the extensive library or get really creative and let the Border Wizard help you to build a totally unique design.
Define new color sets as shades of a base color, then transform the color scheme of a whole image instantly - just by altering the base color. DrawPlus Colour Schemes do the work for you!
Stretch and squeeze objects or text into whatever shape you choose. Select from the range of special outline shapes or customize your own!
Create high-impact text for headlines, logos, banners, Web pages and more. Plus convert text to curves to bring fonts to life.
Packed with all the drawing and graphics tools and resources you’ll ever need.
Imagine the most powerful set of drawing tools that you’ve ever envisaged. Even extremely complex shapes like spirals, petals and Webs are simple to draw and customize using QuickShapes.
You can get superior printed results with smooth color blending. DrawPlus 4 now exports Transparent GIF, Animated GIF, and PNG for forward looking Web page design.
Source: freeserifsoftware.com
The program is available in two version: commercial and freeware. Downloading the freeware version is possible through DownLoad Link. But the freeware version also requires registration of the user by the developer as part of the installation process. In the registration form you must identify your name and e-mail address to which the developer will send you a registration key.
When you start the program it opens up a small window asking you about your intentions. You can Use a Design Wizard, Create an Animation, Create a Drawing, Open Saved Work, View a Quick Tour, View Samples. The default option is Create a Drawing. If you choose it the program asks you about the size of the paper for printing and its orientation. (The default paper size is A4 and orientation Tall (Portrait)).
The Main Menu of the application has seven options: File, Edit, View, Insert, Tools, Arrange and Help.
The option Help opens the Help popup menu which contains options for the context-sensitive on-line help in the Microsoft Help format, as well as web-links on the Serif Software site, Registration Wizard, Quick Tour and the standard option About.
The option File opens File Dialog and contains standard options for file manipulating and printing. The option Convert to Animation allows you to convert images to animation.
The option Edit opens standard Edit Dialog.
The option View contains options for zooming in and out, as well as options for manipulating program toolbars and tabs, and layout tools.
The option Insert has three options: Object (for inserting an object), Picture Wizard and Border Wizard.
The option Tools unites all options for work with program tools. It also contains the option Options which opens the Options [of the image] window and Save settings.
The option Arrange opens a popup containing options for aligning, sizing, flipping, rotating objects in the image/of the image as a whole, etc. It also has the option Layers for dealing with the Layer Manager of the application.