Anark Studio 2.5: Anark's upgraded 3D authoring software adds power and functionality.

Having used Anark Studio 1.5 following its release in 2002, I was impressed by the ease with which I was able to create custom interactive graphics for the Web or a CD-ROM. Recently, I was afforded a sneak peak at Version 2.5, which will soon ship with a number of improvements and updates.

Anark Studio was designed to be the next generation of multimedia authoring. With the use of drag-and-drop programming and pre-created scripts called Behaviors, users can quickly streamline the authoring process of multimedia and video projects. The creations then can be deployed in small file sizes to the Web, tradeshow presentations, kiosks, CD-ROM, and more via the free Anark Web Client and Anark Client for Windows Media 9 Series.

The user interface has changed little. When I launch the program, all the windows open, including the Library, Inspector, Timeline, Assistant, Storage, and main windows. Improvements have been made to the Inspector palette, where each of the controls for scale, position, and more has been visually enhanced with Mac-style buttons and slider controls. This is a vast improvement over the text-based, flat, gray interface of past versions. A new addition is the Animation button on many controls, which, when depressed, enables you to animate that particular modifier.

One problem I noticed in the previous version has been fixed in this edition: Users can now zoom in on the Timeline. You also can double-click anywhere in the top portion of the Timeline and open a Go To dialog, which aids you in precisely placing queues for your scene. These two enhancements should make fine-tuning your animation and events much easier.

The real power of Anark 2.5 lies in the new set of rendering options for Windows, as well as the remote sourcing of images, an improved cross-platform Storage palette, enhanced video export for Windows, new component and image properties, and new scripting properties.

One of the strongest new exporting features is Remote Sourcing. JPEG and PNG files can be loaded from a remote source, instead of having to be embedded in the project file. Remote Sourcing, when used in conjunction with a properly written behavior, also can load sequential image files. As a result, an architect can create a 3D presentation of a house or a building and offer hundreds, if not thousands, of textures for carpets and walls for a client to review. This can be done without ...