Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio features expanded 3D capabilities such as increased interactivity for games and online merchandising, and learning environments. In addition, 3D imagery is now scalable, so that it can be run on both high-performance and basic systems. Other features include the ability to stream RealAudio and RealVideo within Director content, support for Macromedia's Flash 5, and the Shockwave Multiuser Server, which can handle up to 2000 simultaneous users for faster multiuser communication and gaming applications. And Shockwave Studio now imports models, textures, and animation from most major 3D applications. The latest upgrade, 8.5.1, includes anti-aliasing features and compatibility with Windows XP.
Director 8.5.1 Shockwave Studio runs on both Windows and Mac platforms. The price is $1199. (Macromedia; www.macromedia.com) -JD