Hi All,

3D Canvas 6.0 Revision 5 is now available:

http://www.3d-canvas.com/downloads/3DCanvas6Rev5.zip

The release contains some minor fixes which likely only affect a small number of you. It may be worth a download if you import other file formats or use the auto-smoothing feature.

This is not the 6.0a version that I discussed with some of you. That is still upcoming.

Note that 3D Canvas 6.0 now requires that DirectX 8 or higher be installed.

Versions 6.0 and 5.7a can be installed on the same system. You will not be able to open your 6.0 models in 5.7a, but you can export your 6.0 models to the directx format (x) and import them into 5.7a.

If you are wondering where the auto-smoothing/auto-mirroring are they are on the Object Properties window. You may find that auto-smoothing is easier to use if you have rendering of two-sided faces enabled.

Richard
PS Here is the list of changes in 6.0:

What's New in 3D Canvas 6.0
---------------------------

o) Subdivision Surfaces

Objects can now behave as subdivision surfaces where the object is
automatically smoothed in real time as changes are being made.


o) Real Time Mirroring (3D Canvas Pro only)

Objects can now be automatically mirrored in real time.


o) In-place Operations

Many operations can now have their parameters adjusted without
opening pop-up windows.


o) Additional Keyboard Shortcuts

New keyboard shortcuts allow for temporary overrides of the
current modeling constraints and the current modeling coordinates mode.


o) Custom Operation Defaults

Operations now support User defined parameters defaults.


o) Enhanced Primitives Parameters

The parameters for primitives can now be adjusted without the need
to open a pop-up window


o) Custom Primitive Defaults

Primitives now support user-defined parameter defaults.


o) Custom Material Defaults

The material palette now supports user-defined defaults.


o) Enhanced Smooth Operation

The Smooth operation has new options to permit multiple smoothing
levels and tension.

The smooth operation also now retains material information and is
up to thirty times faster than in previous releases.


o) Enhanced Divide Operation

The Divide operation now retains material information when applied
to whole objects and is up to thirty times faster than in previous
releases.


o) User-Defined Default Creasing

A default creasing factor can now be specified for objects. This
creasing factor is used by operations to re-crease the object
whenever the operation can not retain creasing.


o) New Scripting methods (3D Canvas Pro/LP only)

The Object class now includes two new methods GetCreaseFactor and
SetCreaseFactor. These methods are used to support default creasing.

It'd be nice to have a list of what's specifically fixed in incremental releases, even if minor.

And what's planned for 6.0a? If you don't want to overpublicize that information, you can either email me or send me a private message. I'd sure like to know.

-Mel

A "fixed in this release" list is a good thing. Sometimes I even provide one.   But this time I forgot to keep track. Sorry!

6.0a is a really tiny release. The "big" enhancement planned is to allow people to "hide" operations/plug-ins that they don't commonly use. Non-linear zoom is another planned enhancement. There are a couple of other tiny items that I am not sure I can implement so I don't want to commit to them yet.

Richard