Publishing

Wings 3D

Mention 3D graphics and people think of programs that cost in the thousands of dollars. However, Wings 3D is a powerful modeler that is totally free. It was created by Björn Gustavsson, Dan Gudmundsson and the rest of the Wings 3D Development Team. It’s a sophisticated program, capable of modeling human figures, creatures, vehicles, and so on. The program uses a graphical interface instead of icons. You use the keyboard and mouse to change an object’s geometry. Four selection modes are available: Body, Face, Edge and Vertex. Make no mistake about it; Wings 3D has a lot of tools. Each mode comes with its own set of modelers and editors. Its auto-UV feature makes adding textures easy.

ChaosPro

ChaosPro is a freeware fractal program for Windows XP, Vista and later. Created by Martin Pfingstl, it can produce fractals in real time. Those new to fractal creation will appreciate its simple interface. Advanced users can tweak thousands of parameters to produce stunning images. For a freeware program, ChaosPro has a large number of features. As expected, it can generate Mandelbrot and Julia sets. But other fractal types like Escapetime, Attractor, Quaternion and more are supported. The application is multiwindowing, multitasking and supports an unlimited number of colors. The software is compatible with UltraFractal and FractInt.

Fotobounce

Fotobounce is a photo management software that lets users upload images, even on a phone. Once on the web, these images can be shared. What makes the software different is its security. You decide who gets to see your photos. The software from Applied Recognition Inc also makes it easy to upload pictures to AirSet, Flickr and Facebook.

Pinta

Pinta is a cross-platform image editing program. There are plenty of free image editors available. Pinta’s advantage is it is light on the system. In spite of its many features, the program can run on older pieces of hardware. The software has a plethora of drawing tools. You can make everything from basic shapes to complex polygons. You can use layers for intricate images.

NeoOffice

NeoOffice is a full featured free office suite. The main applications are the Writer word processor; Base, the database component; Draw, for creating graphics; Impress (presentation) and Calc, for making spreadsheets. Each application is feature packed. Calc has many features comparable to commercial products. You can add formulas and use basic and advanced functions. Some of its more impressive features are the Intelligent Sum Button, Natural Language formulas and Advanced DataPilot technology. Writer has all the features you would expect from full-featured word processors like formatting, bibliographical references and indexing. You can create tables of contents and many more.

Pic Stitch

Pic Stitch is a photography app for the iPad and iPhone. Developed by Big Blue Clip LLC, it is used for combining (stitching) several images into one framed photo. The app’s interface makes it very easy to learn and use. Even if you are not a pro, it is very easy to create works of art. The app can be used to make a photographic series, combining your favorite pictures and producing a before-and-after sequence. While the program’s goal is simple, it has many features. Pic Stitch allows for high resolution export and can be saved into albums.

123D Sculpt

Traditional sculpting is a difficult and messy business, but 123D Sculpt by Autodesk simplifies things a lot. Designed specifically for the iPad, it comes with a tutorial that will get you up to speed. You can create human heads, dinosaurs, birds and other complex shapes. There are tools for smoothening, pulling and pushing a model. Use your fingers to twist, pinch or swipe. These sculpting tools can be selected directly. You can sculpt the mesh or the model. Some creases appear on the reverse side. However, this really isn’t a problem because there is a symmetry mode.