Nevercenter Ltd. Co. released version 2.1 of its popular 3D modeling application Silo, which is now available at http://www.nevercenter.com/ in two different versions. Silo Core is a new, lighter version of Silo which will be available for $99 and is solely focused on modeling tools.
Silo Professional is the equivalent of previous full versions of Silo, including high quality displacement painting, advanced UV layout, and high end modeling tools on top of Silo's robust core toolset. "Ever since its inception, Silo has been designed to be accessible to anyone and everyone who wants to do 3D modeling," said Tom Plewe, President of Nevercenter and co-creator of Silo. "The features and workflow improvements we added to Silo 2.0 required a moderate price increase, so this is a way to make sure we're still keeping that high quality modeling functionality available to all." Both versions use the same base, can be used on both Mac and PC with a single license, and will be updated concurrently with free updates throughout the 2.x lifecycle. Silo 2.1 Professional is a free upgrade for all existing Silo 2.x owners.
Silo 2.1 is a significant free update covering many areas, including:
UV Layout
Silo 2.1 Professional offers a new and extensive toolset for UV layout and unwrapping. Many different types of unwrapping are available, including LSCM, angle-based planar regions, and neighbor-based healing, and can easily be applied to different parts of the same object. UVs are preserved during modeling changes, so a model can be changed at any point with minimal impact on its UVs, and modeling and UV layout can be freely intermingled.
Surface Tool
Silo 2.1 Professional also introduces a new tool aimed at mesh reconstruction and retopologization called the Surface Tool. The surface tool is an interactive, context-sensitive tool for quickly creating strips of vertices, edges, and faces which conform to an existing object. It acts as a companion to Silo's innovative Topology Tool, a pen-like tool which allows users to literally draw desired topology onto an object. These features are commonly used to create production-ready models based off of high resolution sculptures.
Workflow and Bug Fixes
The main focus of Silo 2.1's development has been on improving stability and enhancing functionality of the existing toolset, resulting in hundreds of small improvements. For a more extensive summary of updates, visit www.nevercenter.com/about/new_features.
Nevercenter 3D Modeling Wiki
Nevercenter has started up a comprehensive new modeling wiki. Not just for Silo users, the wiki is designed to become a powerful resource for all 3d artists looking for tutorials, links, and resources across the internet. It will also feature Silo-specific sections with tutorials, videos, customizations, and more. While the site is currently in its infancy, it is growing quickly. To view the wiki and contribute your own knowledge and resources, visit www.nevercenter.com/wiki.
About Silo
Silo is a focused polygonal and subdivision surfaces modeling application whose development has been closely tuned to the needs of its users, leading to an emphasis on a speedy, comprehensive toolset and a zen-like workflow. It seamlessly integrates modern tools, such as displacement painting for high resolution objects, and re-topologization tools for drawing new geometry conforming to existing surfaces, into a traditional modeling environment.
Its core modeling toolset is comprised of a smaller number of intelligent context-sensitive tools rather than many tools with a single function, resulting in less visual clutter, fewer hotkeys to memorize, and more tools that just work. Designed to fit into any pipeline, Silo is the most customizable modeler available. That includes complete customization of the mouse, keyboard, and graphical interface, allowing it to closely emulate other applications a user may be familiar with, or perform tasks (such as assigning up to 40 different commands to a typical mouse with keyboard modifiers) which no other application can. Silo's user base is evenly split between professional modelers and hobbyists, both of whom enjoy its focused, un-cluttered design and workflow. It is also a favorite of educators due to its industry-standard toolset and quick learning curve. The developers are active on the user forums at www.silo3d.com, and regularly release public betas and free updates.
Pricing and Availability
Silo 2.1 Core and Professional are now available. Silo 2.1 Core costs $99, and can be upgraded to Professional for an additional $89. Silo 2.1 Professional costs $159. A single Silo license allows a single user to have Silo installed on up to three computers at once, in any combination of Macs and PCs. All 2.x upgrades are free to owners of Silo 2. Additional pricing details for studio and educational site licenses can be found on the website. Silo 2.1 Core ($89) and Professional ($143) are both on sale for 10% off until Aug. 21, 2008.
For more information, visit www.nevercenter.com.
Silo Professional is the equivalent of previous full versions of Silo, including high quality displacement painting, advanced UV layout, and high end modeling tools on top of Silo's robust core toolset. "Ever since its inception, Silo has been designed to be accessible to anyone and everyone who wants to do 3D modeling," said Tom Plewe, President of Nevercenter and co-creator of Silo. "The features and workflow improvements we added to Silo 2.0 required a moderate price increase, so this is a way to make sure we're still keeping that high quality modeling functionality available to all." Both versions use the same base, can be used on both Mac and PC with a single license, and will be updated concurrently with free updates throughout the 2.x lifecycle. Silo 2.1 Professional is a free upgrade for all existing Silo 2.x owners.
Silo 2.1 is a significant free update covering many areas, including:
UV Layout
Silo 2.1 Professional offers a new and extensive toolset for UV layout and unwrapping. Many different types of unwrapping are available, including LSCM, angle-based planar regions, and neighbor-based healing, and can easily be applied to different parts of the same object. UVs are preserved during modeling changes, so a model can be changed at any point with minimal impact on its UVs, and modeling and UV layout can be freely intermingled.
Surface Tool
Silo 2.1 Professional also introduces a new tool aimed at mesh reconstruction and retopologization called the Surface Tool. The surface tool is an interactive, context-sensitive tool for quickly creating strips of vertices, edges, and faces which conform to an existing object. It acts as a companion to Silo's innovative Topology Tool, a pen-like tool which allows users to literally draw desired topology onto an object. These features are commonly used to create production-ready models based off of high resolution sculptures.
Workflow and Bug Fixes
The main focus of Silo 2.1's development has been on improving stability and enhancing functionality of the existing toolset, resulting in hundreds of small improvements. For a more extensive summary of updates, visit www.nevercenter.com/about/new_features.
Nevercenter 3D Modeling Wiki
Nevercenter has started up a comprehensive new modeling wiki. Not just for Silo users, the wiki is designed to become a powerful resource for all 3d artists looking for tutorials, links, and resources across the internet. It will also feature Silo-specific sections with tutorials, videos, customizations, and more. While the site is currently in its infancy, it is growing quickly. To view the wiki and contribute your own knowledge and resources, visit www.nevercenter.com/wiki.
About Silo
Silo is a focused polygonal and subdivision surfaces modeling application whose development has been closely tuned to the needs of its users, leading to an emphasis on a speedy, comprehensive toolset and a zen-like workflow. It seamlessly integrates modern tools, such as displacement painting for high resolution objects, and re-topologization tools for drawing new geometry conforming to existing surfaces, into a traditional modeling environment.
Its core modeling toolset is comprised of a smaller number of intelligent context-sensitive tools rather than many tools with a single function, resulting in less visual clutter, fewer hotkeys to memorize, and more tools that just work. Designed to fit into any pipeline, Silo is the most customizable modeler available. That includes complete customization of the mouse, keyboard, and graphical interface, allowing it to closely emulate other applications a user may be familiar with, or perform tasks (such as assigning up to 40 different commands to a typical mouse with keyboard modifiers) which no other application can. Silo's user base is evenly split between professional modelers and hobbyists, both of whom enjoy its focused, un-cluttered design and workflow. It is also a favorite of educators due to its industry-standard toolset and quick learning curve. The developers are active on the user forums at www.silo3d.com, and regularly release public betas and free updates.
Pricing and Availability
Silo 2.1 Core and Professional are now available. Silo 2.1 Core costs $99, and can be upgraded to Professional for an additional $89. Silo 2.1 Professional costs $159. A single Silo license allows a single user to have Silo installed on up to three computers at once, in any combination of Macs and PCs. All 2.x upgrades are free to owners of Silo 2. Additional pricing details for studio and educational site licenses can be found on the website. Silo 2.1 Core ($89) and Professional ($143) are both on sale for 10% off until Aug. 21, 2008.
For more information, visit www.nevercenter.com.
