The package contains a user guide with tutorial sections, a CD with Dimensions 3.0 for windows 95 and NT plus a bevel library, a texture library, and 28 Adobe type 1 fonts. The program sells on the street for $125.00 for new users.

Dimensions 3.0 differs from many other 3-D rendering packages. While sequences of files can be generated to animate an object, its strength seems to lie in its ability to edit and manipulate 2-D objects both in raster and vector formats so that they resemble 3-D objects. This is done through manipulating depth, perspective, and shading. Its strength also lies in creating 3-D objects through extrusions, camera placement, lighting, etc. In adddition, one can create from scratch 3D objects using spheres, cylinders and other shapes. All of these objects can be manipulated as can all 3D objects and various camera angles can be used. There are four render modes available in this package, draft, wireframe, postscript, and raster. The output modes of choice are raster and postscript.

The program is easy to learn and works very well. If one is familiar with other Adobe products, the tools are a snap. The different tools are explained in the tutorial section of the manual. Dimension s works with two screens. For example, I created a sphere on the 3-D screen and adjusted my lighting and camera angle. I did this in draft mode. Then I chose the map art work command from the Operations menu and placed a bitmap directly from Photoshop in the PSD format. I did not have to do convoluted importing, changing file formats, etc. Once the PSD file was placed and sized over the map of my sphere, all it took was an apply command to curve it around that sphere. Then it could be easily exported into Photoshop and used in another piece of artwork. Obviously, images can be transferred to Illustrator and other vector and raster based programs.

One of the factors that I find impressive about this program is its easy interface. Unless one is very familiar with 3-D programs, they can appear very daunting. While this program does not have all the special bells and whistles of some 3-D programs which promise to do everything under the sun, this program is a well constructed program that allows one not only to be able to create 3-D objects from scratch, but to be able to create 3-D objects from 2-D objects.

For some examples of different types of art work that can be created with this program, see the TCS web site at http://www.tcs.org and look for this article in the current edition of the I/O Port.