Genetica - Brave new textures (Win)
Spiral Graphics Releases Genetica 2.5
Spiral Graphics has released Genetica 2.5, a major new update to its flagship seamless texture editor -- with a freely downloadable demo versionWith Genetica 2.5 digital artists can create grayscale effect maps that match their textures faster than ever.
These effect maps can be used in any of the channels supported by popular 3D environments, such as bump, specular, reflection, luminance, and others. Rather than forcing artists to paint these channels by hand, Genetica 2.5 offers a time-saving procedural approach that guarantees all effect maps will be automatically updated as edits are made to the original texture.
The professional edition of Genetica 2.5 allows artists to create normal maps with similar ease. A number of noise patterns, such as the new circuitry generator, have been added to enable artists to quickly create many new patterns that would otherwise be hard to produce by hand. Significantly improved transparency support makes it much easier to create images that can be layered within the final environment, such as weathering maps and decals. 
At the touch of a button textures can now be rendered with or without baked highlights and shadows, depending on the level of optimization desired for each scene.
* Effect Map Lab Intelligence Picture)
* Tiles, Blocks, and Boards - new Cut & Tile Lab (Picture)
* Layer Lab - textures on textures (Picture)
* Wood Lab - create seamless wood textures (Picture)
* Hair and Fiber fully-seamless fibrous materials, cloth (Picture)
* Color Only Renders - By default, Genetica textures have highlights and shadows baked directly into them. However, if you are using Genetica 2.5's new effect maps apply bumps or displacements within your final 3D scene (Picture)
* 500 readymade textures presets (Picture)
* The Wood Workshop is a free seamless texture editor that specializes in the creation of seamless wood textures. (Download; Picture Gallery)
Genetica 2.5
Genetica 2.5 is a free upgrade to all licensed users of Genetica 2, while new users are invited to try the program for 30 days.
Requires 
* Operating System: Windows 2000/XP
* Processor: Pentium III 450 MHz
* Memory: 256 MB
* Hard Disk: 15 MB
* Requires the Microsoft .NET Framework (any version) to be installed on your computer. (The Genetica installer can set this up for you if needed)
* Download Options Page : download_gen.htm
* Download: Genetica_2_5_Standard_Setup.exe
* Genetica illustrated guide
* Spiral Graphics Inc. Web Site: www.spiralgraphics.biz
Spiral Graphics Inc. is a software development firm based in Fort Collins, CO that creates innovative software tools for the computer graphics community. In addition to Genetica, Spiral Graphics is known for the Wood Workshop, a free texture editor that specializes in the creation of tiling wood textures. Additional information may be obtained by visiting www.spiralgraphics.biz.
Posted by = Courtney
* URL = http://www.spiralgraphics.biz/gen2tour/index.htm
* Topic = Image Processing: graphics, illustration, photography
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