DAZ 3D, a leading developer of professional quality 3D models and software, today announced the immediate availability of DAZ Hexagon 2.5, the newest version of its popular 3D polygonal and subdivision modeling software. Free for registered Hexagon 2 customers, Hexagon 2.5 offers a sculpted primitive tool allowing users to model and import 3D objects into Second Life ®, enhanced UV-mapping and freehand brush modeling, and ultra-fast ambient occlusion. Hexagon 2.5 is available for both Macintosh OSX and Windows. To learn more about DAZ 3D and Hexagon 2.5, or to purchase the new version, please visit www.daz3d.com/hexagonsl

“DAZ 3D has always been committed to providing applications that allow greater flexibility,” said Dan Farr, president of DAZ 3D. “We feel confident that the new advancements presented in Hexagon 2.5, such as the seamless Second Life export capability, are in-line with our goal of meeting the needs of our ever changing industry.”

A time-saving, yet cost-effective, content creation solution ideal for 3D artists, designers and game developers, Hexagon 2.5 delivers a highly intuitive and augmented set of tools for modeling, refining, UV mapping, texturing and previewing detailed 3D creations. Its freehand brush modeling capabilities provide a breadth of displacement brushes to refine 3D models by smoothing, pinching, and inflating the geometry and adding high-resolution details. A complete UV-mapping module including one-click UV-Unwrap enables 3D artists to easily apply UV-maps on 3D objects. New 3D paint tools allows users to choose from a large choice of predefined textures and apply textures using brushes and imported textures.

Hexagon 2.5 also includes a large number of new high-powered features including:

Sculpted Primitive Toolset: Special primitive objects created in Hexagon may be exported via Truevision Graphics Adapter (TGA) file format and utilized in Linden Labs’ popular 3D virtual world, Second Life. This sculpted primitives feature assists in the creation of more complex and organic shapes unattainable with Second Life’s current primitive system.

DAZ Studio Bridge to Hexagon: Windows users gain the ability to transfer models from DAZ Studio directly into Hexagon, adapt and morph the model, and then export back into DAZ Studio.

Seamless Model Export:
Models created within Hexagon 2.5 can be seamlessly exported into any 3D rendering application including DAZ Carrara.

Pricing and Availability

The full version of Hexagon 2.5 is available in both Macintosh and Windows formats and is regularly priced at $149, on sale throughout the month of May for under $75. Current owners of Hexagon 1 can receive an upgrade to Hexagon 2.5 for $49, while Hexagon 2 owners may download a free upgrade from the DAZ 3D Web site.