render settings. Other options include blurry transparency and reflectivity, instance rendering, shadows, soft shadows, MIP mapping, specular highlight, anti-matter effects and stereoscopic rendering. Texturing features include a palette of hundreds of premade surface textures and the ability to create new ones using features like live-linking to native Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files – make a change in Photoshop or Illustrator and the model surface is automatically updated. Texture channels include diffuse color, reflection color, specular, reflection amount, embedded amount, anisotropy, opacity, smoothness, index of refraction, glow factor, bump, normal, shadow cast map and mask. Other features include native UV mapping, scripting, hierarchical control, normal maps, and a variety of premade and customizable volumetric and solid textures including fog, haze, mist, and clouds. Conform to Mesh UV mapping uses LSCM (least squares conformal maps) technology. LSCM unwrap options include unwrapping entire objects, singe UV island or only selected polygons. Commands available for unwrapping are pin, fit, fit each, rotate connected, move to, select perimeter, assign UV edge seam LiveRay texture preview allows the user to see texture changes directly in the modeling view. Quick texture settings include glossiness and transparency, allowing a rapid way to adjust basic texture attributes. Premade display scenes included with the application allow users to stage an object or model in one of 29 premade indoor and outdoor templates, including white and dark studios and premade shelving displays. Premade templates include optimized lights and lightdomes. Modeling features include Bézier splines, polygons, quad polysplines (subdivision surfaces), metasurfaces, extrude, lathe, Boolean, skin and mirror. Viewing features include Quick OpenGL previews and LiveRay photo-real previews, familiar interface, split view, camera view, multiple views, depth cueing, image/movie backdrop, and spotlight views. Environment features include a ground plane, air refraction, visible and reflective backgrounds, atmosphere, gravity, and wind. Lighting features available in Design 3D CX 8.x include point lights, spot lights, global lights, glowing surfaces, Lightdome HDRI, intensity, soft edges, host objects, ambient light, animatable lights, gels, light effects, and HDR Light Studio integration (optional). Special effects include lens flare, auras, particles, scriptable effects, fountains, fire, smoke, hair, hotspots, pixie dust. Also included are global gravity, wind force and air control. File import/export capabilities include U3D (in), Collada (in/out), Illustrator/EPS (in), Photoshop PSD (in/out), STL (in/out), XMM (out), Quicktime (in/out), PICT (in/out), Quicktime VR (out), TGA (in/out), TIFF (in/out), BMP (in/out), JPEG (in/out), 3DS (in), PDF (in), DXF (in/out), AVI (in/out), MiniCAD