SGI subsidiary Alias|Wavefront announced plans to release Maya 4.5 Personal Learning Edition in December. The new version will be available for Mac OS X and Windows.
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Maya 4.5 Personal Learning Edition is a limited but free version of the Maya software, used extensively for 3D modeling and animation in television, advertising and film. Alias|Wavefront released the software to give neophytes to 3D modeling the opportunity to learn how the software works without shelling out the thousands of dollars needed for the full version. The first Personal Learning Edition was released this past February had has been downloaded more than 250,000 times, according to Alias|Wavefront.
Maya 4.5 Personal Learning Edition incorporates the new features found in Maya Complete 4.5 — new modeling tools, subdivision surfaces, integrated 3D paint and other enhancements.
Other improvements in the new version include many user-requested changes, a multi-lingual Beginner’s Guide, and interface changes. The watermark is no longer visible when you’re working in wire frame mode as not to distract you from developing your modeling skills, according to the developer.
What’s more, Maya 4.5 Personal Learning Edition gains the ability to import a variety of different data types, including files produced by Maya 4.5’s commercial version.
“This gives users access to the many Learning Tools from Alias|Wavefront as well as after-market books and the huge virtual Maya community on the web,” said the company.
Initially, Maya 4.5 Personal Learning Edition CDs will be available for free to attendees of Alias|Wavefront’s 3December events, happening at cities around the world on December 3, 2002. It will also be included with the US$19.95 Learning Maya | Beginner’s Guide, which can be ordered from Alias|Wavefront’s e-store. It’ll be available for download in January.