Alias Research Inc previewing at Mac Expo a Macintosh program that offers tools for free-form, three-dimensional illustration and design: Sketch enables users to create three-dimensional, free form models that can be rendered using a choice of shaders, and placed into scanned two-dimensional photographs that have been imported into the program; Sketch can import and export in DXF, IGES, TIFF, PICT, Alias PIX, and Alias Upfront format; it has a direct link from Adobe Illustrator and bi-directional links to PICT and EPSF; one feature lacking in the beta version, which the company says may be added to the final version, is the ability to calculate the volume inside a three-dimensional model; Sketch is hinted to ship in October and the beta version costs $2,000.
