Quark has unveiled its upcoming version of QuarkWrapture, which lets designers create 3D boxes and packaging, from the initial concept stage straight through to actual manufacturing.
QuarkWrapture supports the ability to import EPS-formatted structure files, and will convert cut and fold lines to its own guides during the import process. Users can edit die lines, modify fold angles and fold order, and import other popular text and picture formats. Multiple languages are also supported.
The forthcoming version, 1.5, will include several new and enhanced features for greater package visualization and export capabilities. For instance, it will let users conceptualize designs for bottles and cans, which has been one of the product’s most-requested features. QuarkWrapture 1.5 beta is currently being tested, and Quark plans to make the final release available this summer.
QuarkWrapture fuses a CAD structure to a graphic design, creating a virtual package in a single file, and generates a 3-D rendering of that package at any time. Electronic mockups can be delivered in a variety of file formats, thereby speeding the design process, cutting costs, and facilitating the creation of brand resources.
And, according to Quark, version 1.5 includes several new features for better package visualization. A material manager and variable rendering attributes purportedly give users greater control over specific elements of the virtual 3-D mockup. Material attributes such as finish, texture, and thickness can be specified in QuarkWrapture 1.5. Users can also change lighting intensities, camera focal length, and background color in the Mockup palette for more realistic package previews. Plus, multiple pieces can be rendered as a single scene in the Mockup palette, and each piece can be individually selected and repositioned.
The folks at Quark said that several existing QuarkWrapture features have been enhanced in version 1.5, including high-resolution graphic support and new export options. In the new version, 3-D renderings can be exported in Macromedia Flash or as TIFF files, and the animated folding sequence can be exported as a QuickTime movie.
The magnification feature of QuarkWrapture has been “significantly” enhanced for high fidelity viewing of the virtual mockup, and the new version supports page sizes of up to 96 x 96 inches to facilitate designs for point of purchase displays, the Quark gang said. Finally, QuarkWrapture 1.5 offers improved guide support, allowing easy selection of multiple guides for more efficient control over structural elements, the company added.
The upgrade will be free to all customers who are covered by maintenance contracts. The current version of QuarkWrapture costs US$7,000.