DRAPER, Utah – June 16, 2009 – Providing artists with greater opportunity for advanced 3D content creation, DAZ 3D today announced a new free version of its celebrated 3D art and animation package, DAZ Studio 3, as well as the debut of its enhanced, professional-quality toolset, DAZ Studio 3 Advanced, ideal for 3D animators, designers and illustrators.

Renowned for its ease-of-use and versatile toolset, DAZ Studio 3 offers improved OpenGL preview display with new camera and light pointer tools, depth of field and support for version 8.5 of Pixar’s RenderMan compliant 3Delight render engine. This tool is designed to allow hobbyists to create unique digital art and animation using their choice of virtual people, animals, props, vehicles, accessories and environments. Users can simply select their subject and/or setting, arrange accessories, setup lighting and immediately begin to create beautiful artwork.

DAZ Studio 3 Advanced adds a vast set of new professional-level tools including advanced render effects and shaders, COLLADA import/export, animation keyframe editing, figure mixing  and support for 64-bit systems. With these high-end tools, extended export capabilities and greater compatibility with Carrara, 3D enthusiasts can easily transition into serious 3D artists.

“DAZ Studio 3 Advanced combines ease-of-use with robust features necessary for artistic advancement, raising professional and creative opportunities to a brand new level,” says DAZ 3D President, Dan Farr. “The combination of customer needs based on user feedback, with growing industry trends, allows DAZ Studio 3 Advanced to strengthen the legacy of unique content creation tools that continually grow alongside our users, all while maintaining the quality, value and fun that is expected from DAZ 3D.”  

“I find myself using DAZ Studio more and more,” said DAZ Studio 3 Advanced user ‘fivecat.’ "I like the direction DAZ 3D is going and that they're actively developing DAZ Studio using feedback from users.”



Pricing and Availability
Now available for Windows XP or higher and Mac® OSX 10.4 or higher, DAZ Studio 3 is free to registered DAZ 3D members. DAZ Studio 3 Advanced, competitively priced at $149.95 USD, comes pre-configured with high-quality DAZ 3D content that is ready to be loaded and rendered at the push of a button.

For even further advancement of 3D content creation, DAZ 3D additionally offers the DAZ Studio Advanced Bundle, which couples DAZ Studio 3 Advanced with a suite of DAZ 3D  advanced content creation plug-ins, including: Figure Setup Tools, 3D Bridge for Photoshop, FBX Exporter and Multi-Layered Image Editor. The DAZ Studio Advanced Bundle is priced for purchase at $499.95 USD.  

DAZ Studio 3 Advanced and all DAZ Studio plug-ins are currently offered at aggressive introductory discounts for a limited time. For additional details, please visit the DAZ Studio 3 Advanced landing page.

To obtain a version of the free DAZ Studio 3 core, or to download a free 30-day trial of DAZ Studio 3 Advanced, simply register for a free account at www.daz3d.com and then visit www.daz3d.com/studio.

© 2009 DAZ Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. DAZ and the DAZ 3D logo are Registered Trademarks of DAZ Productions, Inc. All other brand names, product names, service marks or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

I started using the Freebie Version of DAZ Studio 3D. I've currently upgraded to the Version 3s.

I still have a lot more to learn before mastering DAZ, but it does look very promising so far!