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There has been a persistent, if not cherished, belief that software in order to be of a professional grade must also carry an impressive price tag. In most cases this is true. With the new crop of software, I am not so sure that this may be universal.
Fighting the perception that reasonable price points means less than decent quality software, companies like Eovia have a hard battle gaining new users. If you get past your feelings about the interface and low cost of the program, there is a great deal to admire here.
While many companies have some very distinct ideas about how an application should look, Carrara has always had an attractive, if not glossy interface. Taking suggestions seriously from users, the latest incarnation has scaled down the icons, opened up the available user space and has added some minor and major improvements to the application.
First, I have to give the company a lot of credit for including a full featured manual, a second content CD in addition to the application CD and the addition of the kinds of features usually found on applications like Cinema 4D from Maxon. Keeping consistent with version 2, there are no cut backs on content, user guides and other documentation. The extras included are indeed rich.
The 400 enhancements, some major, many minor, focus on more powerful shading, lighting, a UV editor, and general refinements to the interface and the flyout menus. The rendering side has been given an injection of new life via HDRI support for reflections on objects and a non-photorealistic rendering engine. The modeling tools have always been solid. They remain so in this release.
An element being touted by Eovia is the new scene wizard. What this does is to allow you to instantly access existing scenes from the start. Basically, it just makes it easier to start off with a full scene rather than a blank canvas.
The big improvements with version 3 are more or less refinements of the interface, improved functions and a big focus on rendering. If nothing else this new release builds on a solid foundation by adding higher end features for greater detail.
While the interface improvements are an evolution, they do represent a serious attempt to make the program just a bit more user friendly and practical.
Another feature you will notice with the new Carrara is that Web Export and Shock Export are not separate features. They have been incorporated into the application. Basically, they allow you to easily export content for the Web via a plug-in for explorer. It has always been a convenience feature, and now it is fully integrated into the Mac and Windows versions.
Refinements with software are always welcome. In this release, Eovia has opted to up the notch on what the program can do and responded to criticisms of previous releases. When you factor in the price points, the end results and the wealth of features that come with the application, Carrara is hands down the best value dollar for dollar in the 3D marketplace. With few compromises, plenty of support documentation, this is an excellent staring point for those new to 3D and need the same features that more expensive applications have. Bringing those high end features down to a more accessible audience is what Carrara is ultimately all about. This time they have succeeded again.
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