General Improvements

• Update Background Texture on File Open. In Preferences > View Tab, option to automatically update background textures whenever a file is opened.
• Tool Parameters. Scrollbar is now available when the Tool Parameters window is docked.
• Subdivision Surfaces. The preset values in the Tool Parameters sets values when a mesh is created.
• Mirrored Objects Preview. Mirror object are now able to display in wireframe
• Python Scripting Improvements. New attribute “message” added in “message_view” for set and get message between message window.
• Diagnostic Improvements. System Info dialog now includes Plugin information.

New Mesh Selection Parameters

New options and shortcuts added to the Mesh menu, including selection of Visible Only. Shaded display supports visible only (default behavior of Shade 12). Wireframe by default supports Front and Back. Shaded display supports Visible only (the normal Shade 12 default). Other options include:

• Front Only. Limits only front of a mesh to be selected.
• Front and Back. All visible and invisible parts of the selected mesh can be selected (even parts directly behind any front object).

New Preview and Draft Rendering

• Progress Indicator. Progress bar now displays in preview rendering window instead of the rendering image window.
• Standards Based Targets for Previews. Path Tracing and Path Tracing with Global Illumination preview rendering render to targeted quality standards.
• Preview Rendering Settings accessible through Render menu and shortcuts.
• Draft Rendering Improvements. Now supports Fog parameter settings from Distant Lights.

3D Stereoscopic Rendering Improvements

• Set Custom 3D Devices. Create custom 3D monitor size and resolution profiles, accessible through the Monitor Setting By popup menu and through the Image Window.
• Custom Profiles. Provides several preset monitor size and resolution settings profiles, including Nintendo 3DS, Sharp 3D Smartphone, FUJIFILM FinePix REAL 3D W3, NVIDIA 3D Vision compatible monitors and HDTV.
• AutoDetect Best Settings. Shade cna automatically detect the best monitor and output settings based on current hardware profiling.
• Side by Side Rendering. Supports both full static and animation for side by side rendering.

Import and Export Improvements

• MPO Improvements. Optimized based on specific custom profiles for exporting in this format.
• COLLADA Improvements. COLLADA import and export support ambient light options. COLLADA for BlueMars support now available in Shade 64-bit version.
• 3DS Improvements. Import and export support Ambient light options.
• OBJ Improvements. Import and export supports Ambient light options. Supports multiple UV layers.

Shade 12.0.3 is available as a full download only and works with existing Shade 12 licenses. Separate installers are available for the Japanese and Korean language versions of Shade.

Shade 12 is available as Shade Basic ($99), Shade Standard ($349) and Shade Professional ($749), under the Shade For Friends campaign. Customers who purchase or upgrade to Shade Standard or Shade Professional will receive either two or four additional activation codes that they can give to friends and are redeemable during the campaign time for copies of Shade Basic.

Shade 12.0.3 is available through the Shade download site at http://www.shadetrial.com as a 30 day, free trial.

Compare Shade Releases: Basic, Standard and Professional

This chart shows what features are available in the current shipping version of Shade but also in what version those features were introduced. The reason why is so that users of Shade 7, 8.5 and 9 can see what has changed since the version they have. The matrix for the version works this way:

• Red – means the feature is not available
• Green + means the feature is available
• Red Sun means the feature is enhanced
• Yellow Sun means the feature is new in that version

For example the feature Export Movie with Sound / 3D Sound was not available in Shade 8.5, introduced in Shade 9 and available (but essentially unchanged) in Shade 10, and only available in Standard and Pro.

Global Illumination: Path Tracing with Irradiance Cache was not available in Shade 8.5, introduced in Shade 9 and enhanced in Shade 10, and available in all three versions: Designer, Standard and Pro.

Tully is a cute, semi-realistic girl with just a hint of classic Japanese anime. Tully for Shade is a fully rigged, easy to animate Made for Shade character. She comes equipt with preset facial expressions, poses and props so you can create artwork immediately. All costumes shown in the gallery are included with Tully.

Tully isn’t standing still either. Recently, Tully users received a free update with Tully Zero, a plain version of Tully set up to make it easier for you to create your own modifications and clothing for Tully.

Now, Mirye Software created a new version of Tully – SF Warrior Tully. SF Warrior Tully includes all new clothing, including leather boots, brown belted trousers and a warrior’s short robe. It also includes a laser sword prop and six new poses specifically designed for SF Warrior Tully?

How Much is SF Warrior Tully?

SF Warrior Tully is FREE for all Tully customers. If you previously purchased Tully from Mirye Software, all you need to do is redownload – you’ll notice the download is much bigger because it now contains Base Tully, Tully Zero and now SF Warrior Tully.

Find Out More About Tully

You can find out more about Tully for Shade on the Tully Page on Mirye Software.

The value in Tully Zero is for designing modifications and clothing that you make for your own use. It is much easier to build new clothing around Tully.

If you already purchased Tully English, simply redownload – Tully Zero is now a standard part of the download.

With Tully, after translating the parts and objects into English, the poses no longer work, because the pose files are looking for Japanese named objects in the scene.

Motions, on the other hand, make use of an internal reference system. You can create a Shade scene, rename your objects, parts and the like whatever you like, and yet when you import a motion file, it still works. Of course, working with motions also means you can more easily work with keyframes and can more easily animate the transitions between motion settings as well.

Im experimenting now with converting Tully Japanese poses into Tully English motions. Once that is done, Tully is ready to go.

• 4-leaf Clover SolidGrowth compatible Plant for Vue – it even works with ecosystems
• Pot of Gold cauldron in Shade .shd and Vue .vob format. The Shade .shd file works with Shade 8.5 or higher

You can order this for $0, ie FREE from the Mirye Store - Get Saint Patrick’s Day Pack for FREE  today.

Hanako for Shade is a reasonably realistic character. She seems mostly in proportion for a Japanese woman, with just a bit of extra shine you would expect from a Japanese character. Hanako is an extremely popular character among users of Shade, but she is outshined in Japan by a newer character called Tully. I am currently working on the English localization of Tully, and will post some pics here and elsewhere so you can see what I’m talking about.

Ponder on Hanako for a moment, then check out the Repliee female android developed at Osaka University.

Ill be writing more about the features in the future. Here is the bullet list from the Shade 10 press release:

• Multipass Rendering. Render images into layered TIFF files that allow post processing of each discreet effect
• Workflow Enhancements. New, interactive 3D manipulator, custom work planes, fully customizable viewports
• Fur Support, New Hair Operations. New support for adding 3D fur, hair masks, additional hair styling tools, hair collision detection and gravity
• Switch Joint. A new interactive joint object allows models to switch between alternative geometry.
• External Surface, Geometry References. Shade 10 files can reference external surface materials, geometry and more
• Global Illumination Enhancements. Path Tracing + Photon Mapping, save Irradiance Cache, Irradiance Cache with Shade GRID
• Toon Rendering Features. New Half Tone and Color Half Tone presets, multipass rendering with Toon Renderer
• PoserFusion: Poser 8, Poser Units. New support for Smith Micro Poser 8 for incorporating or hosting Poser characters in Shade. Improved Poser units support for developing content for Poser.
• Export to COLLADA. Now export Shade models to industry standard COLLADA for use in other applications, game engines, simulations
• Export to Second Life. New export Shade models as sculpted prims for use in Linden Labs MMO
• Export to Blue Mars. New export Shade models as digital assets for the Avatar Reality MMO
• Native 64 bit operations on Mac OS X. Supported with Mac OS X 10.6 on Intel

Shade 10 is available in three different versions: Designer ($49), Standard ($249) and Professional ($899).

Check out Learning Shade with Taiyo-san in the Learning Shade section of Mirye.net.