Curious Labs, Inc. is now shipping version 7 of Shade, its 3D modeler and renderer. The new version features support for the English language and numerous new enhancements including support for Illustrator 2D design importing. According to Curious Labs, Inc:

Curious Labs, Inc. has announced that they have released Shade 7 for the US and Canadian markets. Shade is an all-in-one 3D graphics suite for designers, illustrators, and architects. Shade provides intuitive Bezier curve/surface modeling for quick 3D design generation, an integrated set of diverse plugins to detail and complete projects, and a global illumination renderer for radiant imagery.

Shade 7 new features:

Intuitive Bezier modeling tools to quickly create curves and 3D surfaces

Ability to import 2D Illustrator designs

Boolean modeling, Polygon mesh modeling, Auto-smoothing of curves and more to detail projects

Metaballs for physics-based modeling and organic natural designs

PoserFusionTM, enabling hosting and playback of Poser scenes within Shade

IGES5.3 format support for integration into a CAD-based environment

Automatic key frame creation with interpolation to automatically animate objects

Joint settings, motion settings, and BVH motion support

MagicalSketch: draw with 2D lines and 3D solids take shape automatically!

ShadeExplorer allows users to visually manage Shade data, files and images

TextEffector includes TrueType, PostScript Type 1, extrude and bevel support

Hardware acceleration and OpenGL support

RoomPlanner for prototyping architectural designs

and more...

You can find more information about the Shade 7 release at the Curious Labs, Inc. Web site. Shade 7 is available starting at US$99.00 for the LE version.