Maxon Computer Inc. has released its upgraded animation package Cinema 4D XL 6.0 for 3-D professionals using the Macintosh. Cinema 4D’s interface redesign has replaced the old tool palettes with customizable tool bars running across the top of the screen and down the left side. Users can create their own tool bars, stack them, and cycle through them with simple mouse moves or keyboard commands. The user can even assign every item on the menu or tool bar a keyboard equivalent through a simple palette. Amongst its modeling tools are more than 50 parametric primitives ranging from simple cubes, cones, and cylinders to capsules, toroids, fractal landscapes, and platonic solids. The primitives are a great starting point for modeling, and the modifiable parameters such as height and radius for the cone primitive let users adjust their shape. Cinema 4D also offers improved spline tools; a full assortment of B-spline curves; and excellent NURBS controls, particle effects, and deformation tools. Other upgraded features include outstanding volumetric lighting, full F-curve support for animation scripting, and powerful sound-mixing tools. Cinema 4D lists at US$2,195. Maxon in Thousand Oaks, Calif. is at http://www.maxoncomputer.com.
Prices listed are in US currency.