BIOS: Technology Means Business

An extreme makeover of this popular 3D software delivers a suite of modelling, animation and rendering tools in a freshly updated user interface. Carrara 5 claims to enable you to create more freely and deliver high-calibre results more quickly.

Carrara is a 3D solution for modelling, shading, scene building, animation, rendering, and special effects. Built for the creative professional who is advancing into the world of 3D, Carrara's open architecture allows you to customise the application with additional plug-ins for additional creative effects or functionality.

Carrara is optimised for maximum performance with high-speed rendering and support for Open GL, and allows you to create high-quality 3D output for the Web, multimedia and print.

New features in Carrara 5 and Carrara 5 Pro include an updated interface, new graph editor that provides direct access to the motions curves of objects as well as parameters of animations, enhancements to the vertex modeller, and improvements to the rendering component including subsurface scattering, displacement mapping and ambient occlusion.

The updated software also has the addition of volumetric clouds that realistically scatter the light of the atmosphere, updates to the particle engine, expansion of import/export format support to include Adobe's After Effects and RPF export, as well as match moving support for Syntheyes and MatchMover.

'The significant enhancements to Carrara 5 truly drive home our mission to provide professional 3D software solutions at a price that fits into most budgets,' said Eovia CEO Philippe Richard. 'Carrara 5 will stimulate professional users toward greater creativity and help them to stay competitive, while those who are just beginning to venture into 3D will realise incredible ease-of-use and unbelievable results.'

Eovia expects to ship the new release in December. Carrara 5 software will be priced at £169 (ex. VAT), with the advanced Carrara 5 Pro available for £379 (ex. VAT). Those who purchase the full version of Carrara 4 beginning October 25 will be eligible for a no-charge upgrade to Carrara 5 as soon as it is available.

Eovia is also accepting pre-orders of the electronic version (ESD) of the Carrara 5 upgrades through the Eovia e-store. Those who pre-order this ESD upgrade will be able to immediately download the Beta version of the software. Complete details are available on the Eovia's Web site.