Strata Live 3d CX2 product reviews

Strata Live 3D CX 2: 800 x 600 display or better / Intel or PowerPC (G4 or G5) / 510 MB RAM / 75 MB HDD free space / Mac OSX 10.3 or later. Java 1.4.2 required.?To run optional Adobe Photoshop plug-in, Photoshop extended CS 4 or CS 5.x.
Test System: 24" iMac / 4 GB RAM / 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / Mac OSX 10.6.8

What does this software do?
Strata Live 3D CX 2 is a tool for creating/controlling interactivity with 3D content for web or PDF. It can NOT be used to create 3D models - these need to be created in a 3D modelling application (such as Strata Design 3D CX), and output as VMRL, DWF, or WIRE files. If the model was set up with animation it will play in Strata Live 3D, and further animation can be added within Live 3D (position, lighting and more).

Basically, Live 3D is a fairly user-friendly tool allowing a web or PDF content provider to add 3D content and control the interactivity that a user will have with that content. This could be as simple as adding a control bar to a VMRL (allowing the user to rotate or zoom the 3D image) or a little more involved (e.g.setting up user controls for specific component animations). You can also do very easy polygon reduction.

After setting up interactivity control, the model can be exported directly to a PDF or to Strata Live 3D's cloud hosting. You get an account (at StrataLive3D.com) where you can build a gallery that allows for private viewing - making it useful for clients to quickly view content for approval etc. Models uploaded to this site can be embedded into other websites.

Who is it for?
Anyone who wants to offer interactive 3D content via web or PDF.

How easy is it to use?
Publishing a 3D model with basic control bar to web or PDF is very simple. Adding detailed script controls is also relatively straight forward (no coding), although 'many-stepped'. Be prepared for a LOT of mouse clicks. Reducing polygons is very easy.
There is a good user manual that can be accessed from the help menu inside the program.

Pros
    •  Fairly easy to use
    •  Free online account for model gallery with privacy viewing options
    •  Good user Manual

Cons
    •  A bit pricey
    •  A LOT of mouse clicks for scripting more involved controls

Gotcha
    •  Photoshop must be set to run in 32 bit mode for the Strata plug-in to work
    •  Not currently compatible with Photoshop CS 6

Would I recommend Strata Live 3D CX2?
Yes, if you need to do a LOT of interactive 3D presentation and need a fairly quick and simple way to do it. *Keep in mind the models need to be built first in a separate program.