Xara3D 7.0 Upgrade Create 3D web graphics with Xara3D Xara3D is so simple to use, literally anyone can produce high quality 3D graphics in minutes. Both professional web designers and home users choose Xara3D to make still and animated 3D text and graphics, such as logos, titles, headings and buttons. Whats New in Xara3D 7 New design types Xara3D 5's automatic 3D button maker proved very popular, so we've taken the same concept to offer other one-click transformations - enormously increasing the type of graphics you can create - Borders. Adds a customizable border around your heading, giving it instant added impact.
- Boards. Sits your heading on a solid customizable board, so the image appears to emerge from a solid background
- Boards with holes. The reverse of boards - gives an impression of a cut-out image.
New bevel types There are also two new bevel types from which to choose. Completely overhauled and improved user interface The new UI brings Xara3D right up to date and makes it significantly quicker and easier to use, including: - A new, modern look and feel
- Convenient and time saving docking windows and toolbars
- New context sensitive menus, all fully customizable
More interactive tools Current Xara3D users will know how easy it is to move objects and change shadows in Xara3D just by clicking and dragging. We've now applied the same ease of use to extrusion, bevel depth and moving text on a design—simply drag on the image, and see the result instantly! It's far more intuitive, and a real time saver—great for experimentation.  More control over animation exports You can now select to save a 3D animation in any AVI format. So, for example if you have the correct codec installed you can create DivX or MPEG4 movies of your favourite 3D animations, and you can control the compression and other settings for each movie type. Enhanced Compatibility with Xara X¹ and Xara Xtreme Thanks to cut and paste compatibility with Xara X¹ and Xara Xtreme you can now paste shapes from Xara X¹ and Xara Xtreme into Xara3D 6, extrude and edit in Xara3D, then paste your 3D designs back into Xara X¹ and Xara Xtreme as bitmaps. More Information Xara3D Features Traditional 3D programs are notoriously difficult to use and understand. Not so Xara3D. Unlike much modern 'bloatware' that offers more features than are ever likely to be used, and take an age to learn and understand, Xara3D has been created to perform one job, and performs that job with style, speed, and slick simplicity. Xara3D is solely designed to create the highest quality 3D text and graphics, such as logos, titles, headings and buttons. It's the perfect way to add impact to your web pages, mailshots and presentations (all images are fully anti-aliased for that smooth, professional quality). Xara3D can also create awesome 3D animations in seconds - GIFs, AVIs and simple Flash movie sequences - and you can even enhance your desktop by saving any animation as a screensaver! Creating and Importing You'll be creating 3D text headings in minutes and it's a snip to add borders or backgrounds. What's more you can import 2D shapes and extrude them into 3D. Editing and Applying Special Effects  Xara 3D Maker offers comprehensive, interactive and intuitive controls over everything including extrude depth and bevel, text styles, colors, textures and lighting. Animation  There's a huge range of animation types to choose from, with full control over speed, direction, loops etc. - Choice of Animation Types Images can be animated in many different ways, such as Rotate, Fade, Ripple, Pulsate, Step, Fade and Swing, using a simple interface.
New in V7: headings can now scroll in and out. You can set the direction and speed, so for example an image could drift in slowly from the top and exit quickly right! Absolutely perfect for creating opening titles and closing credits for movies. - Movie and Slideshow Titles Animations can be exported as AVIs, making them perfect for opening titles and closing credits for movies - especially the new scroll in and out animations.
Additionally V7 can export animations with transparent backgrounds in a special MAGIX format, compatible with MAGIX Photostory and MAGIX Movie Edit Pro, so that they can be super imposed as 3D animated captions on movies and slideshows created in these MAGIX products. - Copying Animation Styles The Animation Picker lets you easily copy the animation settings of one image to another.
- Individual Character Settings You can easily apply different animations to individual characters or sections of text.
- Multi-Page Animations What's more, you can step-through multi-page animations of different images.
- Animation Controls The animation controls are comprehensive. For example you can set the number of frames in a sequence, the rotation direction, the speed, pause and number of loops, all with simply, intuitive controls.
- Timeline An animation time line allows you to step through each frame, pause and export a single frame.
- Light and Text Rotation Lights and text can be rotated separately.
- Easy Animated Buttons Xara 3D Maker is great for creating animated buttons.
Exporting your results Xara 3D Maker can export in all the common web formats - GIF, JPEG etc - and you can even export your 3D animations of screensavers! - Full Format Support Xara 3D Maker can save images in all the formats you'll need for use on-screen, in presentations or for movie titles and credits, including JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG (including full PNG alpha channel), ICO (icon) and CUR (cursor). And for animations you can export as animated GIF, AVI and SWF (vector and bitmap).
- Screen Savers Any 3D animation can also be exported as a screensaver.
- Background Transparency The export dialog offers optional background transparency, so your 3D image can blend seamlessly into any page background.
- Optimizing For The Web The export dialog also offers color reduction and palette-optimization for maximum quality with the smallest file size, ideal for web pages.
- Image Size As you would expect there is also complete control over the image size, including a handy Fit To Width feature (with pixel size shown on screen).
Xara3D Screenshots  |  |  | Shot of the main UI for Xara3D. Most work takes place right inside the work area. It's quick and easy.
| Setting animation controls in Xara3D consists of a few quick changes to the animation type, the number of frames, the angle and the direction of rotation.
| Applying a bevel is just as easy. Simply select the bevel type and enter the depth. The image is instantly generated. You can also simply click and drag the bevel.
|  |  |  | Xara3D gives you complete control on how you export your files, whether as a bitmap, an animation, a screensaver, or a Flash file. This is a screenshot of Xara3D's bitmap export controls.
| Control all elements of the extrude, including depth, outline thickness, type of finish and color. Again you can click and drag the screen to make things even easier.
| Change the color of a light simply by double-clicking on it, drag the lights around the desktop with your mouse. What could be easier?!
|  |  |  | Manipulate the shadow just like another light. You can also set the color, transparency and blur.
| You can add boards, borders or boards with holes to any heading with a single click.
| The Style Picker allows you to quickly select from a range of preset styles.
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