MAXON RELEASE CINEMA 4D XL 7 AT CEBIT

AT the CeBIT conference in Hanover, Maxon Computer demonstrated Release 7 of CINEMA 4D XL.
Features shown for the first time included radiosity, caustics and multipass rendering. Radiosity is an advanced lighting technology that simulates the natural distribution of light. Using radiosity in areas, which would normally receive no light when raytraced are lit indirectly, leading to new levels of realism.
The new 3D software features 'Adaptive Antialiasing', a system which smoothes pixels and 'Polygon Reduction', software that informs and controls how complex your creations become.
With CINEMA 4D XL Release 7 'surface caustics' and 'volume caustics' can be created. These arise when light is reflected or refracted by curved surfaces. The curvature causes a focusing of the light; a simple example would be the spot of light under a magnifying glass. Caustics are also responsible for the zig-zags of light on the floor of a swimming pool and the light cast onto a dining table by a wine glass. The software enables you can make these effects show up on object surfaces (surface caustics) or inside objects (volume caustics).
Multipass Rendering is another feature of the updated software. The new render engine enables you to render in passes. For example, you can render illumination, specularity and transparency as separate layers for post-editing. CINEMA 4D XL Release 7 saves all the layers as a single file in PSD, RLA or RPF format.
CINEMA 4D XL 7 will be available from June 2001, although XL 6 from March 22 onwards will receive a free upgrade to XL 7.
HiSoft distributes CINEMA 4D throughout UK and Eire. (AMcE)