DAZ 3D introduces new Carrara 8.5 for Mac and Windows

DAZ 3D a market leader in digital content for Poser and DAZ Studio has announced the latest version of Carrara version 8.5. This latest version of a venerable 3D software program includes multiple new features and comes also bundled with Victoria 5, Michael 5 and their Carrara shaders for free.

Carrara 8.5

The latest version of Carrara features support for Windows Vista, 7 and 8 and Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8. Version 8 was a major update that took the aging program to multi-threading support and other optimizations for greater performance. Although Carrara is not a competitor of highend studio 3D tools like Maya and CINEMA 4D, it supports importation of assets from a variety of tools and formats, including LightWave, Adobe After Effects (AE), Adobe Photoshop, COLLADA, and more.

01 – DAZ 3D updates Carrara to version 8.5. Adds features across the board.

Let’s look at what is new:

• Native DSON importer — seamlessly integrate TriAxTM Weighted Mapped Figures (Genesis, G2F), General Weighted Mapped figures, Legacy parametric figures (4th generation and earlier) and support for multiple UV sets through Hierarchical Materials, presents and material presets.
• Genesis Content Included — this version includes Victoria 5 and Michael 5 starter bundles
• Native AutoFit Functionality — conversion of legacy parametric clothing to TriAx weighted mapped figures; Automatic Morph Projection; Automatic Weight Map Projection; Morph Preservation; AutoFit does not currently work on Genesis 2
• Improved Sequencer, Keyframing and Animation Tools — new keyboard shortcuts, new animation filters, new Graph Editor Scaling Box and more…
• Smart Content — browse content by File, Category or Product. There is new Selection based filtering of content
• Animation Commands — Zero, Memorize, Restore figures, selection or selection trees
• Improved Fit to Functionality — automatic projection and following of morphs for TriAx weightmapped figures; no more relying on built in clothing morphs to fit clothing over a TriAx figure
• Improved Viewport Avatars — Spotlight, Sunlight, Moonlight, Tube Lights, Shape lights have all received a makeover and can easily be identified in the viewport

Carrara 8.5 is 149.USD new. It can be purchased directly from the DAZ 3D website here. If you recall awhile back DAZ starting giving away much of its software for free. You can obtain DAZ Studio Pro 4.6 for free now here.

Carrara Plugins

DAZ also has a series of Carrara 3D plugins including MIMIC Pro, Animate Starter Bundle, GRID for Carrara and ArchiTools for Carrara, among others.

Architosh Analysis

Like StrataVision 3D (later to become Strata Studio Pro and then Strata 3D) Carrara was originally one of a select group of 3D graphics programs written to take advantage of regular desktop Macs with their color displays and capable processors. Both tools got started in 1989. Like Electric Image Animation System (EIAS) Carrara has stagnated during a tough rounds of pass-offs when it went to new owners.

Originally called Ray Dream Studio and at one time claiming up to 200,000 users, Carrara became named this program under the consolidated ownership of MetaCreations. Carrara is actually the product of two merged products: Ray Dream Studio and Infini-D. After Evovia took over Carrara and then DAZ Studio acquire Eovia Carrara has seen steady development, including initially the re-integration of the Raydream physics package. Today Carrara features the industry popular Bullet physics library.

Carrara is a full integrated 3D software package including which historically meant it included modeling, rendering and animation. Today such packages often include 3D painting, dynamics and camera matching capabilities. Like Electric Image Carrera at one time was a popular architectural and environmental rendering and animation solution. Today the 3D package includes both rigid-body and soft-body dynamics compliments of Bullet enabling sophisticated animation capabilities like moving cloth and fabrics. Its strength partly is in its close integration with human models via Poser and DAZ Studio.

Carrara 8.5’s list of technical abilities is quite extensive. The program even supports network rendering, dynamic hair rendering, IES photometric lighting (excellent for architecture) and displacement vertex modeling. Rendering wise it supports OpenGL of course and raytracing, global illumination, ambient occlusion, caustics and irradiance maps and more.