There are two big releases this week to discuss:

Strata Foto 3D CX 2

Firstly, Strata Foto 3D CX 2 has gone gold! There are several new features in this release, but the stand-out one is the new "marker" system. Where Foto 3D has traditionally relied on a printed mat under the subject to align and track the object, now objects can be created from photos without a mat in sight. It does this by allowing you to put a marker on a specific object feature in each shot. This allows Foto 3D CX 2 to track the differences between the photos and learn how the camera angle and elevation has changed between shots.

The mat is still the easiest way to create models from photos of smaller objects, but the markers system allows you to create models of objects where the mat is unfeasible. Think cars, houses, statues, etc. The possibiilites are really expanding.

Visit Strata.com to learn more about the new Foto 3D CX 2 features! »


Strata Video Training Series

The second item is Chris Tyler's excellent follow up to his Art & Science DVD video series.

Stata has renamed the set to "Strata Video Training Series" to avoid confusion with his static PDF manual, "The Art & Science of Strata Design 3D CX 6", but you can expect the same great content. Chris has packed the DVDs with 38 hours of narrated video tutorials for Design 3D CX 6. Some are old tutorials that have been re-recorded with Design 3D CX 6 to take advantage of the new modeling, texturing and rendering features, but there's plenty of new content to see.

If you've ever seen some of Chris Tyler's tutorials (linkaroo ») you know that he doesn't leave any steps out. His tutorials are expansive, covering every step, assuming nothing. If you do what he shows you how to do, you'll produce what he produces. I know that sounds obvious, but too often training material assumes you can fill in a lot of steps that the authors just breeze over.

Disk one covers modeling, and disk two covers rendering and texturing. The Art & Science PDF is broad, and a great reference, while the DVD set is more focused and really holds your hand through the process. If you have one (and you're likely to have the PDF if you've purchased Design 3D CX 6) then you'll know the quality you can expect from this series.

Learn more about the Stata Video Training Series »