ZBrush 1.55b   If you’ve ever tried your hand at 3-D modeling, you know that it’s a complex processing involving weird tools and changing viewpoints. Pixologic’s ZBrush 1.55b delivers sophisticated tools to would-be 3-D artists, but it provides them in a form most of us already understand: the paintbrush. This powerful 3-D package lets 2-D artists break into the third dimension.   Zbrush’s painting tools let you paint objects that have depth and dimension—3-D objects—that can be textured and lit just like objects in a 3-D–modeling and –rendering program. ZBrush can’t do all the things a true 3-D modeler can do—it’s really something of a 2-D–3-D hybrid, and its interface is a bit unusual. But once you figure it out, you can create 3-D images fairly easily.   One of ZBrush 1.5’s most compelling features is the Zspheres tool, which models an object by stringing together chains of spheres—much as a traditional artist might block out the form of a human character by drawing circles. You can then stretch a smooth polygonal skin over this form to create a single continuous shape. While Zspheres are impressive, they don’t let you build circular overlapping chains, so you can’t really use them to model a body, for example, where bunched and connected muscles are covered by a single layer of skin.   We like ZBrush’s innovative support for painting with depth, but the interface leaves lots of room for improvement—and the program can’t replace Adobe Photoshop or a full-featured 3-D application. If you need an easy-to-use 3-D–modeling facility, it’s a great tool to have, as long as it isn’t the only 3-D brush in your tool kit.   Note: Visit the company’s website to obtain a demo serial number. Just click Download on the main screen and proceed through the registration.	PROS:  Innovative brushes that can paint in 3-D space; real-time rendering and lighting; very good performance.   CONS:  Limited image editing; interface is cluttered and confusing.   PRICE:  $399   OS COMPATIBILITY:  Mac OS 9, Mac OS X   COMPANY:  Pixologic, 888/748-5967, www.pixologic.com   RATING:
		If an error appears when first installing, click OK, then choose a destination for the expanded archive.