Eovia Corp. has released Carrara 5.1, an update to its 3D creation, animation and rendering software for Mac OS X and Windows. The upgrade is free for existing Carrara 5.x users, and priced at $249 for the full version.
Carrara provides users with multiple 3D modelers, terrain modeling, high-level texturing, hybrid rendering and animation tools bundled in one package. It leverages OpenGL and works on both Mac OS X and Windows platforms.
New to the 5.1 release is a redesigned tree modeler that now includes wind simulation; a reworked interface that makes it easier to create complex trees; and a new Universal Manipulator in the “Assemble Room” that lets you move, rotate and scale objects without having to switch tools.
Carrara 5.1 has also improved scene lighting abilities with enhancements like lens flare effects on distant lights, volumetric lighting interaction with transparent surfaces and clouds or fog, and improved reliability and performance.
System requirements call for a G3/266MHz or faster; Mac OS X v10.1 or later; 128MB RAM; 16-bit color support; CD-ROM; 300MB hard disk space and 3D graphics acceleration.