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Genetica - Brave new textures (Win)


Spiral Graphics Releases Genetica 2.5

geneticaSpiral Graphics has released Genetica 2.5, a major new update to its flagship seamless texture editor -- with a freely downloadable demo version

With Genetica 2.5 digital artists can create grayscale effect maps that match their textures faster than ever.

These effect maps can be used in any of the channels supported by popular 3D environments, such as bump, specular, reflection, luminance, and others. Rather than forcing artists to paint these channels by hand, Genetica 2.5 offers a time-saving procedural approach that guarantees all effect maps will be automatically updated as edits are made to the original texture.

The professional edition of Genetica 2.5 allows artists to create normal maps with similar ease. A number of noise patterns, such as the new circuitry generator, have been added to enable artists to quickly create many new patterns that would otherwise be hard to produce by hand. Significantly improved transparency support makes it much easier to create images that can be layered within the final environment, such as weathering maps and decals.
Cut tile At the touch of a button textures can now be rendered with or without baked highlights and shadows, depending on the level of optimization desired for each scene.
* Effect Map Lab Intelligence Picture)
* Tiles, Blocks, and Boards - new Cut & Tile Lab (Picture)
* Layer Lab - textures on textures (Picture)
* Wood Lab - create seamless wood textures (Picture)
* Hair and Fiber fully-seamless fibrous materials, cloth (Picture)
* Color Only Renders - By default, Genetica textures have highlights and shadows baked directly into them. However, if you are using Genetica 2.5's new effect maps apply bumps or displacements within your final 3D scene (Picture)
* 500 readymade textures presets (Picture)
* The Wood Workshop is a free seamless texture editor that specializes in the creation of seamless wood textures. (Download; Picture Gallery)

Genetica 2.5

Genetica 2.5 is a free upgrade to all licensed users of Genetica 2, while new users are invited to try the program for 30 days.

Requires spiral graphics
* Operating System: Windows 2000/XP
* Processor: Pentium III 450 MHz
* Memory: 256 MB
* Hard Disk: 15 MB
* Requires the Microsoft .NET Framework (any version) to be installed on your computer. (The Genetica installer can set this up for you if needed)
* Download Options Page : download_gen.htm
* Download: Genetica_2_5_Standard_Setup.exe
* Genetica illustrated guide
* Spiral Graphics Inc. Web Site: www.spiralgraphics.biz

Spiral Graphics Inc. is a software development firm based in Fort Collins, CO that creates innovative software tools for the computer graphics community. In addition to Genetica, Spiral Graphics is known for the Wood Workshop, a free texture editor that specializes in the creation of tiling wood textures. Additional information may be obtained by visiting www.spiralgraphics.biz.

Posted by = Courtney
* URL = http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/gen2tour/index.htm
* Topic = Image Processing: graphics, illustration, photography

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Reviewed by Fred Showker for the User Group Network News Service. (C) 2006, all rights reserved. Affiliate groups may freely republish this piece so long as they include the tag line: "From the User Group Network News Service at http://www.user-groups.net/ " ... Event dates are subject to change. Some products, programs, or promotions are not available outside the U.S. Prices are estimated retail prices and are listed in U.S. dollars. Product specifications are subject to change. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, Power Mac, Velocity Engine, FireWire, AirPort, Safari, Sherlock, QuickTime, iLife, iTunes, iChat, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iCal and Apple Store are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither a recommendation nor an endorsement.

 

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