Incomedia Website X5

Most posts on this blog have been favorable to the software reviewed, however I feel it my duty every now and then to point out those packages I feel are not quite up to being as user-friendly or usable in the graphics world as one (or one's company) might lead you to believe.  Inconmedia Website X5 lured me in with the promise of being the 'all in one solution packed with tools to create and publish professional websites, online shops and blogs'. I have my share of programs and small utilities to help me streamline the creation of websites but also keep on the lookout for any new and improved (or equally usable) progs to do this task. Most people are familiar with or have heard about Adobe Dreamweaver and quite a few have heard of some WYSIWYG web software out there that promises making websites a cinch. Website X5 called out for me to put it to the test and right from the word go, they left me unimpressed.
I will admit that they do have all the editing tools needed to make a site, editing tools to create or modify images for your website, Flash support, shopping cart capabilities, but where it lacks is in the freedom to create outside the box. You are instructed from the beginning to start a new project by providing a valid URL for your site (what if I'm just in the planning stage or haven't yet registered a domain?) and then you choose from a plethora of pre-made templates (I hate templates!) that will serve as the boundaries for your page. This limitation stifles someone from the word go and forces them to fit the design around the software rather than the other way around, as it should be.
So to be fair, I suppose if you have no problems being led around by the nose when it comes to designing a webpage, then Website X5 will work for you, but to be honest, if you want a cookie cutter approach to a website design you might a well just save the money and go online to a host like Wix or some other make-your-own site that will walk you through setting up a fully functional webpage that corrals your creativity within the boundaries of their criteria.

Daz 3D-Electronic Paper Dolls To The Extreme

Daz3D

I suppose it's time to get over my love/hate relation with this program and make mention of it for all those out there willing to try their hand at this quite remarkable FREE program. Okay that word 'free' does come with some stipulations but yes, Daz Studio (formerly Daz 3D) is a free program for creating simulated 3d images with models, props and such, all at your control. You can create still images or animations rendered with various settings like lifelike or cartoon finish or even sketchbook. The results are truly amazing when you take into consideration  how little time one needs to spend to become familiar with this software package.
Now for some of the side notes about this program. One of the early predecessors to Daz was a program called Poser, which is still in production today but ha since taken a back seat to the Daz Production mega-modelling favorite. Perhaps some of this is due to Poser's migration between company hands (Fractal Designs to MetaCreations to Curious Labs, now with Smith Micro) but for whatever the reason, Daz is clearly the top do of the hour when it comes to digital 3d figures. The library of humans, non-humans, animals, plants, buildings, organic and non-organic things one can download and install is practically unlimited. That ends up being the cross you must bear when using this program. It becomes too easy to fall into the habit of putting just one more model or just one more set of clothes into your library and before you know it, you're spending more time collecting items for the program rather than using all it's many features. Learning the basics of Daz takes about ten minutes but really digging into hardcore fine-tuning capabilities it has can take a while to perfect. You can easily find yourself inching a model around to get it just the way you want it to look and think, 'gee, I've just spent four hours on this one pose'-trust me, I've been there all too often.
Daz will entice you by starting you off with the program totally free (I believe they do want you to sign up for a newsletter but nothing that intrusive) and you could probably have a lot of fun and do a lot of work with the basic package they provide, but be ready. Once you start playing around with it you'll be on the lookout for more freebie and start signing up to forums that give away stuff for Daz and then before you know it you'll be totally addicted to putting out 3d renderings of muscle clad warriors or babes in bikinis. Go to the Daz site now to learn more about this magnificent-free-program.