Shape Magic was a commercial product sold in the 3D Commune
store from 2002 until the site closed in 2009. It has not been available since.
I've decided to provide it free to 3D enthusiasts for their use. I'm also
making available for free several other programs that I wrote in the 2001-2003
time period.
Shape Magic and most of these additional programs were developed
using HyperStudio 4. A copy of the free HyperStudio 4 Player is included for
use with these programs. HyperStudio requires the use of Quicktime. If you
do not have Quicktime, it will be installed as part of the player installation.
If you do not want Quicktime on your system, you will not be able to use Shape
Magic. HyperStudio and the HyperStudio
logo are registered trademarks of Knowledge Adventure, Inc. copyright 2000-2001
by Knowledge Adventure, Inc. All rights reserved.
Below are brief descriptions of the
various programs. Each of these has recently been updated to simplify the
installation process and to correct the 3D faces so they have the right rotation
direction. My very first program had the faces inverted and that carried through
the remainder. You could correct the problem by inverting normals but it's
much easier for the user with the updated code. So previous owners of Shape
Magic are encouraged to download the new version.
Click on buttons below to start download:
Shape Magic 2.1 - includes
Shape Magic 2.1, HyperStudio 4 player, Stump
Maker, Shape Maker, Flag Maker and Funny Faces.
For Windows - 3 mb zip file
Road Maker. Modify terrains to add cut-and-fill-roads.
Does not need HyperStudio Player. Windows Only - 5.5
mb zip file.
Note for Window 7 users of Road Maker: the help file
included in the zip file does not work under Windows 7 (thanks Microsoft!).
Here is a link
to an on-line version.
The Hyperstudio player provided is for Windows systems only.
There is a Mac player available here
(download either the Hyperstudio Legacy Player or the 4.5 Player) - I don't
know if it works but you are encouraged to try.
As the license terms in the download file indicate, you are
NOT entitled to sell, grant a security interest in, rent, lease or license
Shape Magic 2 to others without the prior written consent of its author.
Models
made with Shape Magic work well with: 
Shape
Magic Programs
Example made
using Stump Maker and rendered in Bryce |
Tree Magic
Stump Maker
Create a variety of tree
stumps.
Where it all started,
my first 3D program. Members of Renderosity Vue forum pointed out the
variety of shapes they could make besides tree stumps. That opened my
eyes to a world of possibilities.
Click
here to learn more
|
Examples made
using Shape Maker and rendered in Bryce |
Tree Magic Shape
Maker
Create tree trunks, logs, glasses, flower
petals and many other shapes at the touch of a button. Discover the unexpected!
This early program added a trunk and cap
to the tree stumps my first program made. It too showed how many different
shapes were possible. This early program is very different than Shape
Magic 2 and much more limited but it makes a cross-section and a
kinked tube that Shape Magic 2 does not. |
|
Examples
made using Shape Magic 2 and rendered in Bryce |
Shape Magic 2.1
Create a variety of 3D models at the touch of a button!
Or use the graphic controls to fine tune your designs.
A surprisingly large numbers of shapes can be made. Part
of the fun is to use the randomizer button to see what pops up and use
that as an inspiration for more complex 3D models or scenes.
At it's heart, it's still is a tree. Some of the internal
code the user never sees still has variables named after tree parts.
Here's a list of all the changes made in
Shape Magic 2.1 |
|
Examples made using Flag Maker and rendered in Bryce
|
Shape Magic Flag
Maker
This 3D program makes waving and draped flags. There's
also a dozen or so flag textures I made that are available. It was never
perfected (the waving flags do not follow gravity and wind as realistically
as they should and some extreme settings for the draped flags cause the
cloth to penetrate itself). For these reasons, I never made this available
before but it can make useful flags as the images show.
 
|
|
Example faces made using Funny Faces
|
Shape Magic Funny
Faces
This is a 2D program unrelated to any of the 3D programs.
I'm not sure I ever made this available to anyone. It lets you design
a face by moving sliders or you can create a screen of 12 random shapes
by clicking a button, locking the ones you like and then clicking the
button to make more. You can also evolve faces by creating children from
two parent faces that you select.
|
Unmodified
terrain rendered in Bryce
Modified
terrain with maps rendered in Bryce
|
Shape Magic Road
Maker
This program carve roads into grayscale terrain maps
for use in 3D programs like Bryce and Vue. The road will rise and fall
with the terrain, with cut and fill just like a real road. After the grayscale
map is modified, it can be saved and imported into your 3D program. Road
Maker also creates road texture and alpha maps that can be used in 3D
programs to provide a road texture that is different from the rest of
the terrain.
Click here to learn more |
