Texture updating - AC3D 6.4 watches for any changes made to
the texture-file, and will reload any changed images. This saves time
and really speeds up fine-tuning of textures when edited in an external
image editor – see your changes instantly in 3D!
AC3D’s Texture Coordinate Editor has been enhanced
with a number of useful features. As well as specifying a dimension
for a new (blank) texture, you can now copy a texture map (pre-cropped)
directly to the system clipboard – ready to paste into your image
editor. Zoom controls have been added so you can easily view your
texture mapping over the original 100% size texture image.
Design new clothes for your Second Life avatars
Feel like designing a new look for your SL avatar? AC3D can
help you decide what to wear! Simply load one of the AC3D models
provided with AC3D 6.4 (access the avatar folder from File->Open or
File->Object-library). Edit the provided textures with your favorite
image-editor and AC3D will (with its new texture-update facility – see above)
instantly give you a preview of what it will look like in SL. Save
yourself both time and upload fees L$.
BAS relief /
height-mapping
AC3D 6.4 comes with SuperColdMilk’s excellent Bas-relief plugin
which allows you to create heightmaps from 2D image data. Simply
create any shape (e.g. a rectangle) texture it with menu
Object->Texture->Load-texture and then select the
Tools->Bas-relief-from-texture.
This will generate a new mesh from the image data which can
then be rescaled as desired.
Custom Axis rotation
The rotate widget in AC3D’s control-panel has been upgraded so
that it can handle custom axis ‘C’. Now you can select two vertices
(e.g. a line or two vertices along the edge of a model), press “Set axis”
and any future rotates with the + or – buttons will rotate the selection
around the axis defined by the two vertices. Great for moving an
aileron around a wing edge.
Other
changes
Sandio 3D mouse support
Locked objects can now be shown in full 3D (or
wireframe as before) - see advanced settings.
Improved DDS loading.
Improved PNG support.
New Milkshape exporter from TFPsoft which uses the
AC3D hierarchy to produce a skeleton.
ATI NMF exporter: turn your high-resolution
model into a normal map for a low-resolution model. Works well with
ATI’s NormalMapper.
Mac – Leopard fixes. Most Mac users
should notice a speed increase with multiple views.
We are pleased to announce that AC3D is the recommended program
for EA Games Nascar ’09 when creating and previewing new car textures.
We are looking forward to seeing some designs posted in the WIP section on the forum.
This release is FREE if you bought AC3D from December 2006
onwards. If you purchased your current AC3D software license before
this time, you’ll need to upgrade.
Visit our upgrade center for a discounted upgrade: