CAST Offers Sneak Peak at WYSIWYG R31

	Screenshot comparison with R30 versus new R31 shows enhanced beam overlap

CAST Group has released the first few details of forthcoming new release of WYSIWYG R31, which is due to launch within the next few weeks.

R31 is set to deliver an array of new features, enhancements, and library additions, many of which were directly requested by accomplished WYSIWYG professionals. The company says these improvements will save time and money by solving problems and delivering brand new functionality, consistent with CAST's mantra and its steadfast determination to dramatically improve the workflow and user experience of WYSIWYG.

Among the list of the additions to R31 are some striking visualization enhancements -- perhaps most significantly the new material system in shaded views, which will allow material properties to be applied on a per-element level to any object in the file, adding more realism to real-time visualization, meaning more screenshots and fewer renderings, therefore saving hours of time. There are also a number of new material properties including: specular level, specular gloss, specular color source, and light reflection, delivering "really virtually real" images to enhance the creative process. R31 will include the first phase of the material system, with the second phase projected for completion in R32.

R31 beta-tester Nick Calthrop noted: "Specularity on surfaces is one of the greatest new features R31, because it's all about putting a shine on surfaces in realtime. It really is the bees knees for WYSIWYG, one of the biggest things to happen to the software since R25."

Also central to R31 are some spectacular shaded view enhancements that bring visualization ever closer to reality. One of the most apparent of these advances is that beams will no longer saturate to white when overlapping in large numbers.

New CAD features will include line intersection snap, trim and extend tools for rapid adjustment of lines, and new dimension properties and styles to quickly and easily customize all aspects of dimension objects. The ability to color, tint, and brighten textures, images and videos reduces the need to switch back and forth between wyg and image editing software, while innovative fanning tools speed up the creation of stunning new looks in design mode -- especially useful for users working "under the gun."

Fellow beta-tester Daniele Peroni commented: "The updated design and fanning tools are wonderful. I love this software, it's my daily companion throughout all my productions, and it's growing continuously." While Gaël Szpak remarked: "With each new release the designer tools and fanning features look better and better. I've worked for a long time with WYSIWYG and I've watched its evolution, It's wonderful."

Collectively, the improvements to WYSIWYG in R31 are about productivity and creativity -- designed with the end user in mind. For instance, to help cut down on the mouse click count, CAST has introduced floating toolbars to the right click menu, giving instant access to common features and operations. In addition, there are a raft of new keyboard shortcuts, while the "insert on floor" option now included in the library browser for automated fixtures eliminates the extra steps previously involved in adding a floor mount, pipe or truss, making the process much more efficient and intuitive. Of course, this is just a small selection of the many improvements made in R31 - the user can expect more upon its release later this month.

Bruce Freeman, chairman of CAST Group concluded: "Our aim for each new release of WYSIWYG is to use our members' input to spawn innovation which keeps them competitive with today's design and production demands. WYSIWYG is a professional's tool and clearly our members intend to deploy it to become more professional, more productive, and more profitable. We've greased the wheels of the creative workflow and tweaked onscreen visualization. R31 continues the tradition of raising the bar in the most exemplary way. Wait until they see R32!"

Upon release, the R31 update will be available from the members only area of the CAST website. New releases are free for members.