3-D Tools

These tools help you take Flash to that extra dimension ”3-D! Use them to create your 3-D effects, and then export in SWF format for use in your Flash movies. All these tools are available in a standalone format; you don't have to have Flash to use them. Both Swift 3D and Vecta 3D are also available as plug-ins for 3ds max and other 3-D programs.

• Our art director loves Amorphium Pro (www.amorphium.com). You can get really cool organic shapes that are tough to come up with any other way. It's completely unlike Swift 3D or Vecta 3D in that it uses a model much more akin to wax or clay modeling. It imports all major 3-D formats. Amorphium Pro is available for Windows and Macintosh, and you can try it out as a trial download.

• Swift 3D (www.swift3d.com) creates and exports 3-D images and animations in a vector format. You can also import 3-D formats created by such high-end 3-D tools as 3ds max and SoftImage 3D. Swift 3D Standalone and the Swift 3D LW plug-in are available for Windows and Macintosh. Swift 3D MAX and Swift 3D X-SI plug-ins are available for Windows only. You can try out Swift as a trial download as well.

• Vecta 3D (www.vecta3d.com) can be purchased as a standalone version or as a plug-in for 3ds max. It's available for Windows only and can be used as a trial download.