The Download Blog

From the makers of the popular scene-rendering program Bryce comes DAZ Studio, a powerful 3D-modeling and CAD program for Windows and Mac that looks great but is a resource hog and can be sluggish for the average user.

The publisher recommends having at least 256MB of RAM, but that's wishful thinking. The program runs choppily on anything less than 1GB, although some of the more complex rendering was processed more slowly than others. It also requires an OpenGL-compatible graphics card with at least 128MB of RAM onboard, so machines built before 2003 will certainly struggle. This isn't unusual for this kind of program, though.

DAZ offers up a wide array of built-in models and tools for creating, animating, and recording life-like scenes. Users can purchase additional models through the publisher's Web site. Free tutorials on the site take a bit of the edge off the learning curve, although it's still steep. The feature set is nothing short of incredible: you can take a model, manipulate it, add detail and texture, have it interact with other models, and manage your art files. The tool panels on the left and right navigation bars can be hidden, to maximize screen space, and all the tools have mouse-over labels to help newbies learn what's what. There are also components for easy export to other programs, like Photoshop.

According to the publisher, the program is compatible with Windows Vista, however, we were unable to install it on our Enterprise edition. Also, keep in mind that all users must register on the publisher's Web site to get the free serial number to run the program.

If you're looking for a free, professional-level video editor, Jahshaka for Windows and Mac should top your list. With every release, it gets more stable and gains more features.

The list of what the application can do is extensive and exhaustive. It can handle real-time image processing with node-based effects; edit DV, SD, HD and film; do real-time 3D compositing and Flash animation; OpenGL-based paint; and it has a text module. There are also modules for color correction, keying, and tracking, and an array of media support. It comes with JahPlayer, a media player that claims to work with "virtually" all audio and video formats. Tested against all the major formats (MOV, AVI, MPEG, MP3, WAV, OGG) and some minor ones, too, we found it to be flawless.

Jahshaka has the potential to drastically change the am-pro animation scene. However, as an open-source application, it's not going to run perfectly yet, and so for now you should be willing to wrestle with any problems that arise before you dive in.

If you've ever thought about making professional-quality animations but decided not to because of the cost of the software, your excuse just got up and walked out the door. For Windows, Mac, and Linux, Blender is a free, open-source 3D rendering program that puts the power of the medium back into the hands of the artist.

Blender features a laundry list of animation essentials that can be broken down into categories: Interface, Modeling, Rigging, Rendering, Animation, UV Unwrapping, Shading, Physics and Particles, Imaging and Compositing, and Real Time 3D/Game Creation. The interface, though loaded with complicated tools, is remarkable for neither obscuring nor interfering with the image being worked on. A brief sampling of tools and functions includes 3D paint for vertex weighing; polygon meshes; 2D and 3D procedural brushes; edge, fur, and hair rendering; textures; and collision simulation; as well as support for around two dozen file formats.

Extras can be added with Python scripting, and since it's open source, many scripts can be easily found for download in the user forums. Blender is not for the faint of heart, but fortunately there's a stack of detailed tutorials available on Blender.org.

Google SketchUp landed with a big splash last year, but it's not the only freeware option for budding 3D designers. From the makers of the popular scene-rendering program Bryce comes DAZ Studio for Windows and Mac, a powerful freeware 3D modeling and CAD program that looks great, but is a resource hog and can be sluggish for the average user.

The publisher recommends at least 256MB of RAM, but I found that to be wishful thinking at best. The program runs choppily on anything less than 1GB, although some of the more complex rendering was processed more slowly than others. It also requires an OpenGL compatible graphics card with at least 128MB of RAM onboard, so machines built before 2003 or 2004 will almost certainly struggle. This isn't unusual for this kind of program, but caveat emptor and all that.

DAZ offers up a wide array of built-in models and tools for creating, animating, and recording lifelike scenes accessible from the Content window in the left nav. Models include realistically designed animals such as goldfinches, angelfish, cats, and dogs, as well as an ichthyosaur, a dragon, and more Pixaresque renderings of kid-friendly beasties. The dragon is the most impressive and comes with its own category, which includes highly detailed claws, head spikes, tail accouterments, and other user-selected body parts.

Users can purchase additional models and program plug-ins through the publisher's Web site.

Tabbed navigation makes what could be an overwhelmingly complex series of views and windows much easier to deal with. The left nav features Content and Scene options, while the top nav visually presents Load, Pose/Animate, and Render options. The interface is important to note here because there are so many moving parts in this program that if it navigation was difficult, it'd be nearly impossible to get going.

Fortunately, free tutorials linked from within the program to the publisher's site take a bit of the edge off the learning curve, although it's still steep. The feature set is nothing short of incredible: You can take a model, manipulate it, add detail and texture, have it interact with other models, and manage your art files. The tool panels on the left and right navigation bars can be hidden, to maximize screen space, and all the tools have mouse-over labels to help newbies learn what's what, but I still found the tutorials to be practically essential for getting started. There are also components for easy export to other programs like Photoshop.

According to the publisher, the program is compatible with Windows Vista, however, I was unable to install it on my Vista Enterprise machine. It might've been because of a hardware problem, but I find it hard to believe that my XP computer is better equipped for 3D rendering than one outfitted for Vista. Assuming you can get it working, don't panic when the program asks you for a serial number--all users must register for free on the publisher's Web site to get the free serial number.

Even with these gaffes and problems, DAZ Studio runs well for an app with the potential to be so monstrous, and any budding 3D animator should check it out.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

When Power Downloader received an e-mail from an artist friend recently, he wondered what he could do to help. Though Power knows a lot about software, he never had the type of talent needed to create art. His artist friend told Power that his work was going great, but that he was at an impasse. He wanted to get into the world of advanced 3D drawing and animation, but all of the software in the category was too expensive. That's when Power Downloader knew his friend was asking the right person.... Read more

(Credit: Reallusion, Inc.)

Do you want to be the next John Lasseter? Is Hayao Miyazaki your hero? iClone Studio Edition 2.0 updates the feature-heavy, template-based 3D animation studio aimed at the amateur animator. It's a must-see app if you're trying to break into the camera side of movies and animation, or if you just want to play around with 3D animation without having to draw everything from scratch.

The installation is a bit of a drag, with a mandatory registration that also scans your computer's hardware. If your machine is tall enough for the ride, you can get access to an extended trial version with a few more templates than the regular trial. Once you're in, though, iClone really gets down to business.... Read more