Carrara (software)
Encyclopedia
Carrara is a general purpose 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 figure posing, modeling, landscape design, rigid and soft-body dynamics, animation and rendering application. Carrara is now owned and developed by DAZ 3D
DAZ 3D
DAZ 3D Inc. is a developer and broker of 3D graphics software and content. DAZ is most known for its popular line of articulated 3D figures and the large, enthusiastic community that has developed around them.DAZ is notable for its business model of giving away a product and generating...

. Carrara is compatible with Poser
Poser
Poser is a 3D CGI rendering and animation software program optimized for models that depict the human figure in three-dimensional form, mostly used to pose and animate the figures in a similar way as a mannequin...

 and DAZ format 3D figures and includes a selection of landscape generation tools, together with its more traditional modeling features.

History

The history of Carrara started in 1989 when a group of individuals founded Ray Dream, Inc. with the idea of creating graphic software for the new Mac computers with color displays. Two years later the first version of their new 3D graphics program which they named Ray Dream Studio
Ray Dream Studio
Ray Dream Studio was a low-end 3D modeling software application. Initially developed by Ray Dream, Inc. in 1989-1991 for the Macintosh, it was acquired and upgraded over the course of mergers with Fractal Design and MetaCreations...

 was released.

In the years that followed Ray Dream Studio became a successful product having at one time over 200,000 users. In 1996 Ray Dream Inc. was sold to Fractal Design Corporation (developer of Painter
Corel Painter
Corel Painter is a raster-based digital art application created to simulate as accurately as possible the appearance and behavior of traditional media associated with drawing, painting, and printmaking. It is intended to be used in real-time by professional digital artists as a functional creative...

, Poser). Fractal Design Corporation was in turn acquired by MetaTools (developer of Bryce
Bryce (software)
Bryce is a 3D modeling, rendering and animation program specializing in fractal landscapes. The name is taken from Bryce Canyon—a rugged region with many of the same landscapes that were first simulated with the software.- History :...

, KPT) shortly thereafter. The combination of the two companies was given the new name MetaCreations
MetaCreations
MetaCreations was a computer software company founded in 1997 by the mergers of MetaTools, Fractal Design Corporation, Ray Dream, Specular, and RTG...

. Around the same time another 3D graphics program named Infini-D
Infini-D
Infini-D was a 3D computer graphics program developed by Specular International. It was continued by MetaCreations when Specular merged with them, developing up to version 4.5, then combined with Ray Dream Studio to create Carrara...

 was acquired from Specular International
Specular International
Specular International was a company founded by Dennis Chen and Adam Lavine in 1990. Specular created and distributed several software products, the most popular of which was Infini-D, an integrated 3D modeling, rendering, and animation software product that specialized in 3D effects such...

. Now owning two 3D graphics programs, MetaCreations decided to merge Ray Dream and Infini-D into one application giving it the new name Carrara.

Around the year 2000 Metacreations divested itself of most of its products including Carrara, which was sold to a new company named Eovia
Eovia
The Eovia Corporation was founded in November 2000, with offices in both the US and France. The company's 3D computer graphics software products were aimed towards professional and amateur artists with a focus on remaining accessible in price and usability....

 founded by former MetaCreations employee Antoine Clappier. Eovia developed Carrara for several versions culminating with version 5 released in 2005. Eovia also developed a new 3D modeling application named Hexagon
Hexagon (software)
Hexagon is a subdivision modeler owned by DAZ 3D. It was originally developed and published by Eovia and was acquired shortly before the release of version 2.0 by DAZ in 2006. The software drew heavily on Eovia's other modeler, Amapi , though it omitted the NURBs and precision measuring tools...

 which shipped in 2005.

In 2006 DAZ 3D
DAZ 3D
DAZ 3D Inc. is a developer and broker of 3D graphics software and content. DAZ is most known for its popular line of articulated 3D figures and the large, enthusiastic community that has developed around them.DAZ is notable for its business model of giving away a product and generating...

 (developers of DAZ Studio
DAZ Studio
DAZ Studio is a 3D figure illustration/animation application released by DAZ 3D Inc. It is compatible with most files intended for use by Poser. It is available free of charge . Version 1.0 was released in Fall 2005. Version 4.0.0.335 is the current release as of June 29, 2011...

 and a line of articulated 3D figures) acquired Eovia along with Carrara and Hexagon. Several programmers formerly employed by Eovia now work for DAZ and continue development on Carrara.

May 2010 DAZ 3D launched the current version of Carrara 8.0 to the public. DAZ 3D works in an "Open Development" environment, releasing early and turning to the users for input and feature input. The last 2 releases of Carrara have been done using this development cycle.

Features

In Carrara 8.0:
  • 64-bit for MAC and Win OS
  • Multi-threading for Mac and WIN OS
  • Bullet physics
    Bullet (software)
    Bullet is an open source physics engine featuring 3D collision detection, soft body dynamics, and rigid body dynamics. It is used in games, and in visual effects in movies. The Bullet physics library is published under the zlib license. Erwin Coumans, its main author, worked for Sony Computer...

     Library
  • Improved FBX
    FBX
    FBX is technology and a file format owned and developed by Autodesk. It is used to provide interoperability between digital content creation applications.-History:...

     and COLLADA
    COLLADA
    COLLADA is a COLLAborative Design Activity for establishing an interchange file format for interactive 3D applications. COLLADA is managed by the nonprofit technology consortium, the Khronos Group....

    Data Exchange
  • Negative lights and photometrics (IES)
  • God rays and barn door lighting & Effects
  • Editing of posed meshes
  • Puppeteer

Official


Plug-ins


Tips and tutorials

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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