Strata Design 3D CX 7.5

Description

Strata Design 3D CX 7.5 offers subdivision- and spline-based 3D modeling as well as texturing, lighting and rendering. It is built around an Adobe user interface standard. Its interface is as straightforward as Photoshop, plus it is more intuitive to navigate than many 3D programs.

Photoshop files can be imported and mapped without flattening and it has excellent and rendering quality. Its ability to export to a number of file formats, including EPS and Flash, will certainly be welcomed by print graphic designers.

New features include new 3D printing options and new file import and export options. The STL file format widely used by CAD programs for 3D printing is fully supported in both import and export directions. And new in Strata 3D CX 7.5 is Collada file format support. Lastly, there is a new Decimation and Polygon Reduction function set. This is used to reduce the poly count on models on import to reduce model problems as well as on export to industry areas like 3D gaming or simply for 3D printing or general performance issues.

Strata Design 3D Version 7.5 provides a range of new features designed to give more control with polygonal modeling and to make modeling and editing easier and more intuitive. Many of the new options are also used for the new UV enhancements, such as defining seams for flattening UV textures.

“Strata Design 3D CX has a lot to offer 3D or 2D artists who want to integrate 3D elements in their work, and it’s also backed up by community forums, videos and the web-based Strata 3D University.”
—MacUser UK Review, October 2011

All the Power for One Simple Price

Unlike some 3D applications, Strata Design 3D CX gives you all of its 3D tools for one great price. The makers of Strata Design 3D CX don’t force you to decide how you’re going to use the product in the future, or make a guess ahead of time about which tools you might need for future projects. The only pricing decision you need to make is whether to buy Design 3D CX by itself, or as part of the Strata 3D CX Suite.

Simplified 3D Learning Curve

Strata Design 3D eases the learning curve for 2D designers who are new to 3D. Quick start templates, libraries, predefined effects, backgrounds, environments and more allow designers to create complex scenes in minutes. With a user interface and tools that are familiar to today’s 2D designers, you invest your time learning 3D design concepts rather than a new design paradigm.

Model Anything in 3D or Import Existing 3D Assets

For many, the thought of 3D modeling is a daunting task. Design 3D offers an extremely friendly modeling toolset and environment for manipulating your polygons, splines and primitives into any 3D object or scene you can imagine. If you’re working with existing 3D assets, Strata Design 3D CX utilizes a host of filters and options to accurately import third-party 3D models and scenes.

Apply Surface Textures with Precision

In the world of 3D, texturing may just be the most important component in creating convincing final renderings. Once you have designed your 3D model, Strata Design 3D CX gives you powerful tools to create, apply and manipulate surface textures with beautifully accurate results.

Set-Up Your Scene with Lighting, Backgrounds, Cameras, etc.

Scene composition is a critical step in producing stunning images. Design 3D CX makes it easier to control the environment than any photography studio you could imagine. Position your 3D objects and then place lights, reflection panels, cameras, backgrounds, environments, reflection elements and more to produce a superior final render or animation for your design project.

Render Photo-Real Images and Animations at Blazing Speeds

Design 3D is well known for its extraordinary rendering technology. Whether you’re after photo-realistic results or some other style for your static or motion graphics, you will find the rendering options to suit your needs and output the results using one of the fastest rendering engines in the industry. After all, it’s all about the final results and Design 3D delivers.

Tightly Integrated with the Adobe Creative Suites

Design 3D CX comes with six Adobe Photoshop Plug-ins that connect you directly to your favorite image application and improve your design workflow. Interoperability is also a key part of Design 3D with the ability to read in Adobe files including psd, eps, .ai and pdf. Note: Photoshop Plug-ins require Photoshop CS4 or CS5 Extended running in 32-bit mode.

Native UV Mapping for Perfect Textures

Design 3D CX 7.5 introduces a powerful new UV Mapping environment that makes exact placement of textures easier and faster than ever. UV texture mapping is a technique used to accurately wrap a 2D image texture onto a 3D model, where the image texture can then be stretched, squeezed and rotated to fit correctly. UV coordinates maintain the relationship between the texture and 3D model, even when the model is further manipulated.

A New Standard in Rendering Perfection

Design 3D CX 7.5 establishes rendering superiority with an array of updates that advance overall output quality and speed. Added support for blurry transparency and reflectivity produces stunningly lifelike realism. Instance Rendering Properties offer control over how an individual object’s shadows, caustics, reflections and transparencies are rendered, or whether an object is even displayed at all. Version 7.5 handles higher oversampling settings and lower block and threshold settings without loss of speed.

Modeling Evolved with Polygon Editing Enhancements

Ample improvements to the polygon modeling toolset and workflow include new Flatten, Weld, Unweld, Flip and Save Subset features. When combined with more intuitive mouse interactions and visual feedback, hard edge handling, selection options and new customizable keyboard shortcuts for common modeling tasks, Design 3D CX 7.5 takes one giant step towards modeling bliss.

Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts Let You Define Your Workflow

All graphic designers rely on at least a few keyboard shortcuts in their favorite design programs. Others can tell you every shortcut that’s available. We all have our own preferences and opinions on what key combinations make sense for certain tasks, so who are we to decide what’s right or wrong? Design 3D CX 7.5 allows you to take control and create your own Keyboard Shortcut Sets to match your favorite design programs or your own personal preferences.

Boolean Modeling Refined

Boolean Modeling allows you to add, subtract, intersect and cut 2 different objects to create a new 3D object. It is not new to Design 3D, but version 7.5 unveils an entirely new Boolean engine that utilizes the same workflow but produces cleaner, more accurate and reliable results.

New Texturing Options with Normal Maps

In addition to greyscale Bump Maps, Design 3D CX 7.5 ushers in the ability to use Normal Maps for creating realistic surface details through the use of an RGB image. Normal Maps can also be used to “fake” lighting details of an object instead of modeling all of the details. It’s just one more way that texturing in Design 3D CX 7.5 makes your life easier.

Time Saving Project Templates

New 3D scene templates offer designers an easy way to jump start their 3D projects, without beginning in the vacuum of a New Empty Project. Scene templates include advanced lighting with soft shadows, environments, backgrounds and more, which can all be edited to suit your needs. Working with templates is also a great way to learn how to formulate your own 3D scenes.

Unique Surface Realism Through Anisotropy

Anisotropy is an advanced surface property that yields subtle, yet realistic effects to surfaces and reflections. An example of Anisotropy is a surface that blurs in a vertical direction but not in a horizontal direction, such as brushed metals. Anisotropy settings are a new addition to the Image Texture controls.

Grid Templates Make Modeling Easier

To aid in certain modeling processes, images can now be applied to X,Y and Z Grids for use as a template. The opacity of the grids can be adjusted to behave similar to tracing paper, which allows you to quickly model to proper proportions and accurately locate the components that make up your 3D model.

Match Motion Brings the Real World and CG World Closer Together

Visual effects artists often use a combination of live action and 3D action, which visually match up to create a realistic scene. Match Motion imports camera data from Pixel Farm’s PFHoe to create a 3D scene, which matches the motion of a live camera scene.

Sun and Sky Backgrounds add More Reality to Your Environments

A new background type is available in Design 3D CX 7.5 that will give your projects a real world feel. Sun and Sky backgrounds change colors to mimic a real sky and horizon as you move your light source. Features like haze and turbidity provide additional realism. If you want your scenes to change from sunup to sundown this is your feature.

Learn Design 3D CX Online at Strata 3D University

Learning 3D doesn’t have to be difficult. Especially with Strata’s online training library at your fingertips, covering every aspect of Strata Design 3D CX and the entire 3D design workflow. Strata 3D University makes it simple to find the subject of interest and quickly get up to speed with short, informative videos created by professional 3D designers.

That’s Not All

Design 3D CX 7.5 offers too many new features to list here, but you will also benefit from numerous productivity enhancements, support for new file formats, long file names, view persistency and a new Collect and Save function that gathers your model file and linked files all in one location. Buy Design 3D CX 7.5 today and see for yourself why it’s Strata’s most important release to date.