Originally posted by DGB454
Very cool. I'm going to have to check it out. How much does the package run for? Does knowing how to use a cad help?
It's about $400, but sometimes the have specials of $99.
It's meant to be a 3-D sketch tool rather than an actual CAD tool. It's meant to allow users to quickly explore ideas in perspective, and to generate looser, more hand-drawn images than conventional rendering programs. It will do simple flythroughs and shadow studies, too.
It does work very like a CAD program, but it's more like building a model with elastic cardboard. Every line can be pushed and pulled in all dimensions, and any time you draw lines connecting at least 3 points, it automatically fills in the planar surface connecting them. The planes can then be extruded in one step to make a volume. Any time you draw a line to another line, it divides the lines or planes you touch into two. You can then stretch the pieces as you see fit. Then if you delete a line, the other pieces heal automatically.
You can also paint surfaces with colors or textures with a single mouse click. You can create and edit components, too, like windows or other objects. It will cut sections and do semi-transparent renderings, too.
There's a downloadable full version on their website that's fully functional for 8 hours. Then if you buy it, they send you an authorization code.
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