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Text
Text is another great use for Swift 3D v2.0 as any text that you have installed on your computer can be turned into a fully manipulated 3D object. Each letter can be selected and can then be extruded to become a movie cast member. Bevels can be applied to flat surfaces and then they can be smoothed to give rounded edges although that increases the size of the particular image file. The extrusion tool gives depth to an otherwise flat object.

When you start to get into the real workings of this program you will start learning a whole new set of jargon. This is easily understood if you follow the instructions in the manual provided. Most of the controls have equivalents in other programs and are given different terms, this is just part of the learning curve and is possibly the easiest bit as you don't have to learn them to work with your objects. They will become second nature in a relatively short time anyway, so don't let that worry you.

Once you have imported or created a logo in Swift 3D v2.0 you can easily spin and rotate this to your hearts content. It is as simple as selecting the logo/text and then clicking on the symbol in the gallery toolbar that illustrates the action that you require--really easy.

Lights
The lights are controlled by the right hand trackball and more can be added as needed, this does not mean just standard lights, but targeted lights as well. They can be selected and placed on the ball as you want. This will aid in showing up particular surfaces that require to be featured. Ambient lighting is controlled by a selection box under the properties toolbar.

Cameras
Cameras can be controlled just like real ones, they will zoom in or out and can have many different focal lengths, and even pan. There are up to six cameras that can be used  in the same manner as video cameras are used when making your final animation. This means that the camera can rotate too in relation to the object in question. The trackball shows an arrow when cameras are selected which enables positioning accurately.

Rendering
In the Render Preview toolbar you can choose to view each frame of your animation or just a selection of them. There is the ability to export the frames individually or to render the whole thing as an independent entity, such as the animation below.

Keyframe properties are editable as well, an this can help change how the object behaves if you want to fine tune your final animation. It is similar to editing a movie by changing the speed and smoothness of each keyframe. That is, you can dictate whether the object flows easily, speeds up or slows down at a point that you decide, and also where on the screen you wish the object to appear.

This is where the RAVIX 2 engine really comes into it's own. It works incredibly fast to produce the final rendered animation. I was most impressed by how little time it took. Mind you, it pays to have a good fast computer, so check the specs before getting this program.

This little car is my first attempt at this program and just whets my appetite to do more. I am really impressed with this program, and, as I said at the beginning, it is a lot of fun and will perform all that I can think of to do with it right now, and is relatively simple to comprehend. The cost for Swift 3D v2.0 is $159 US. There is currently no trial version, but the company offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

--By Tim Skyrme