Vizard 4 Beta Testing

[farshizzo]

Vizard 4.0 has been officially released and is available on our download page.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the beta program and for providing valuable feedback!

Here are just a few of the new features included in Vizard 4.0:

• Vizard has upgraded to the latest Python 2.7 release, which contains hundreds of new language and library features
• Vizard has upgraded to OpenSceneGraph 2.9
• Vizard comes with a new tool called Inspector, for quickly browsing the scene graph of any compatible 3d model
• Many improvements have been made to the IDE, including a built-in debugger, better code completion, and multi-file search support
• The Python Imaging Library (PIL) is now included with Vizard, which provides advanced image manipulation support
• The vizhtml module adds the ability to create rich HTML based interfaces for interacting with Vizard scripts in real-time, on either a local or remote machine

Please post any questions/issues you have with the beta release in the new Vizard 4.0 forum.

Note, the beta installer provides an unrestricted Enterprise license that will expire on June 1, 2011. A new installer will be made available before the expiration date.

Thank you for participating in the beta program!

-WorldViz team

Frequently Asked Questions:

• When will R4 final be released?
  Not before April 1, 2011, and likely not too long after that but we will not make an official announcement until it’s imminent

• Is R4 backward compatible with R3?
  Almost entirely yes. The sections "What’s New" and "Vizard 4 Upgrade Guide" in the included documentation’s Introduction section discusses this.

• Is the R4 beta installer restricted in anyway?
  Yes, it will expire on April 1, 2011. Before that time, a new beta or the final version will be released. Apart from expiration, R4 beta installer provides an unrestricted Enterprise license that can be used in accordance to the Vizard EULA for software evaluation.

• Should I use this for a real application I’m doing now?
  Only with caution. In addition to EULA restrictions, beware that there may still be bugs or that the final release may still change in ways causing incompatibilities. That said, we’re using it on a daily basis for all our internal projects.

• Can I install Vizard R4 without interfering with my existing Vizard R3 installation?
  Yes, they install side-by-side without any interference. What's more, the R4 IDE offers a convenience option for launching a script using the R3 engine (if installed), thus giving you the benefit of the R4 IDE for applications you wish to still run under R3.

• Will I get a free upgrade to Vizard R4?
  As soon as R4 final is released, all customers with a valid support contract get free major version upgrades to Vizard R4. Customers without a support contract should immediately renew their support contract and we require that it back-dates to the expiration.

• If I buy R3 now, can I upgrade for free?
  Yes, starting Feb. 1, 2011, all Vizard purchases will be eligible for a free upgrade to R4.