May 1 - 7:00pm EDT   DAZ 3D has released DAZ Hexagon 2.5, the newest version of its popular 3D polygonal and subdivision modeling software. The new release offers a sculpted primitive tool allowing users to model and import 3D objects into Second Life, enhanced UV-mapping and freehand brush modeling, and ambient occlusion. The tool's freehand brush modeling capabilities provide displacement brushes to refine 3D models by smoothing, pinching, and inflating the geometry and adding high-resolution details. A complete UV-mapping module including UV-Unwrap enables 3D artists to easily apply UV-maps on 3D objects. New 3D paint tools allows users to choose from a large choice of predefined textures ... [full story]

April 3 - 7:20pm EDT   Luxology has announced a modo 302, the newest version of its 3D content creation software. Free for registered modo 301 customers, modo 302 adds new natural lighting capabilities, additional layered Photoshop file support, an animation Track View, new modeling tools and numerous other enhancements. Luxology is also making available the first version of the modo File I/O software development kit (SDK), which allows developers to import or export data directly from modo. modo combines a real-time subdivision surface modeling engine with an artist-focused set of tools. [full story]

March 19 - 9:15pm EDT   IK Multimedia today unveiled AmpliTube 2 Duo, a version of its AmpliTube 2 software that is bundled with Notion Music's Progression – an application for creating, learning, and distributing music. When combined, IK claims the pair allows users to create custom sounds using "ultra-accurate" sound models. IK Multimedia and Notion are offering AmpliTube 2 Duo from IK's website, but pricing is not readily available. Existing IK customers can crossgrade for $270. [full story]

January 14 - 11:40am EST   Punch! Software has released ViaCAD Pro for Mac and PC. The news CAD software expands the ViaCAD family and delivers highly functional, low-cost 2D/3D design product for sophisticated, precise, general-purpose design. Positioned as a step up from its $100 entry-level solution, the Pro version gives designers the power to push beyond the boundaries of traditional curve, surface, and solid modeling by including deformation and warping technology which can bend, stretch, twist, and deform NURB bodies independent of design history. Additionally, ViaCAD provides sophisticated modeling features such as: associative NURBS-based surface creation and editing; history & feature ... [full story]

November 27 - 12:20am EST   Luxology recently unveiled the Evaluation Modo 301 learning kit, while Electric Rain announces Swift 3D 5.0 for Mac, with support for Papervision3D. Swift 3D is designed to allow Flash animators to be able to create three-dimensional animations and incorporate them with Adobe Flash, without requiring the artists to learn how to work with 3D software. The introduction of Papervision3D support allows Swift 3D users to export .3DS and .DXF models into Papervision3D projects, while creating all necessary ActionScript 3.0, FLA, and 3D files that are needed to run the project, without requiring any coding input from the user. Swift 3D is currently shipping, available for ... [full story]