Mirye Software has released Shade 3D 14, a major update of e-frontier’s 3D modeling and animation software. The company is promising a new update schedule, which should see v14 gain features throughout its lifecycle. The core software already includes a number of new features however, such as support for Retina displays, and STL import and export. The latter lets people work on designs for commercial- or industrial-scale 3D printing. Expanded compatibility also includes SketchUp 2013 import, and OS X support for polarized 3D monitors.
Separately, a number of tools have been added, such as a line offset tool, a redesigned 3D text tool, and granular render quality control. While restricted to the Professional version of the software, granular rendering lets artists and designers set the render quality for each light and surface in a scene, cutting down on rendering times wherever possible.
Added options include line thickness for surfaces and poly meshes, Boolean triangular and divide settings, the ability to display back faces by color, and LSCM (least squares conformal map) unwrapping. Shade 3D 14 is available in three editions: Basic ($99), Standard ($249), and Professional ($499). Anyone who bought Shade 13 after June 22nd is eligible for a free upgrade.
