John E. Wilson

auto-des-sys, Inc. frequently refers to form•Z as a "3D form synthesizer" to emphasize the program's ability to manipulate digital data in creating 3D shapes, just as a music synthesizer manipulates digital data in creating music.

This month we will finish examining form•Z's tools that transform wire objects into 3D objects.

We continue exploring form•Z's tools for transforming wire objects into 3D objects this month.

We examined form•Z's tools for creating wire objects, such as lines and curves, last month. This month we will examine two of the program's tools for transforming those wire objects into 3D objects.

This month we continue our exploration of form•Z, a powerful yet moderately priced 3D modeler from auto•des•sys, Inc.

form•Z is a versatile, moderately priced 3D modeler from auto-des-sys, Inc. used in designing a wide range of items from children's toys to skyscrapers. It runs on computers using either Macintosh or Windows operating systems.

form•Z is a general-purpose 3D modeler from auto-des-sys, Inc. Both Windows and Macintosh versions of the program are supported, and within each version you can purchase form•Z in any one of three levels.

Last month, after comparing the solid-modeling capabilities of IMSI's TurboCAD Professional to those of AutoCAD, I concluded TurboCAD is the more powerful modeler.

IMSI's TurboCAD Professional is in the same price range as Autodesk's AutoCAD LT, yet the former's capabilities for constructing 3D solid-models exceed those of AutoCAD itself.

Rhino is a powerful, yet modestly priced, 3D-modeling program from Robert McNeel and Associates. It runs on most computers using a Windows operating system.