Strata (http://www.strata.com), the company
adding the power of 3D to the designer's toolset,
today released Strata Foto 3D CX 2. This new
version of Foto 3D makes it even easier to create
3D models from photographs, allowing the use of
image sets taken from video as well as still
images. Foto 3D's patented technology has
revolutionized model creation of real-world
objects and version 2 takes this technology to
another level.

Strata Foto 3D CX allows the use of a standard
digital camera to capture real-world objects as
fully textured 3D models. Foto 3D is ideal for
difficult to model objects like organic shapes,
soft forms and hand made items. A plug-in for
Adobe's Photoshop is included which integrates
Foto 3D's model creation with Photoshop's image
and 3D model manipulation capabilities.

New in Strata Foto 3D CX 2 is the ability to use
images taken from a variety of sources, including
aerial photographs, frames taken from video, and
pictures of objects too large to fit within a
standard studio setting. Key features can now be
marked with "pins" in the software while smaller
objects can still be placed on a printed template
for enhanced automation.

Foto 3D models are ideal for developing
packaging, games, illustrations, online catalogs
and more. One of the major challenges facing
virtual world projects is creating 3D models of
existing objects. Users of systems such as Second
Life can now capture the objects they need from
the real world and bring them into the virtual
world. This makes it possible to quickly expand
on projects of many types without the skill and
time required using traditional 3D modeling tools.

Strata Foto 3D exports standard file formats and
connects to Strata Design 3D CX as well as other
3D packages. The model can also be imported into
Strata Live 3D for interactive 3D display within
a website, flash file, or an Adobe Acrobat PDF
document (without any plug-ins).

Strata Foto 3D is an offshoot of patented
technology developed by Canon and Creative
Dimension Software.

"To be able to use a standard digital camera to
create 3D models is amazing." said Ken
Bringhurst, Strata President. "Foto 3D CX 2 makes
the process even easier and creates higher
quality models than the previous version. This is
a very important addition to our Strata 3D CX
Suite of tools."