MICROSOFT PAINT 3D
Price: £TBC
One of Microsoft’s operating system’s most historic applications – and one of Windows 10’s few remaining native desktop programs – is receiving a radical overhaul in the free Windows 10 Creators Update releasing next spring. The venerable Paint’s being transformed into Paint 3D, a Windows Store app brimming with new features designed to bring two-dimensional images to life.
Paint 3D’s loaded with tools focused on making 3D image manipulation as simple as possible. The long-known Pencil tool now seamlessly works on any 3D objects, while new Sticker and Doodle tools exist to stamp 2D objects onto 3D images and convert 2D drawings into 3D images, respectively.
A new Magic Select tool lets you remove the background from an image, leaving you free to work the primary object into 3D images with smart depth-selection and scaling capabilities.
But bringing physical objects into the digital world goes even deeper than that; Paint 3D also integrates with a new ‘Windows Capture 3D’ tool being introduced in the OS. In essence, it’s a 3D scanner app; you slowly walk around the physical object with Windows Capture 3D open on a Windows 10 Mobile phone, and the app captures it as a 3D image that can be imported into Paint 3D.
Microsoft is also launching a Remix 3D website where people can share 3D images they have created, to build up a stock image database that anybody can tap into. Windows 10’s newfound infatuation with 3D images extends into the wider Microsoft ecosystem, too. With the Windows 10 Creators Update, you’ll also be able to export your 3D creations from Minecraft into the Remix 3D database, and study your Paint 3D-created images using the company’s HoloLen’s augmented reality headset (see page 88). You’ll also be able to share your Paint 3D creations directly to Facebook.
Will Paint 3D replace the traditional Paint app, or will both live on as counterparts focused on 3D and 2D image manipulation, respectively? Microsoft didn’t say, but we’ll know when the Windows 10 Creators Update rolls out next spring.
The Dial, though, is intriguing. A $100 (£TBC) optional peripheral, the Dial augments the mouse and keyboard with quick, easily accessible shortcuts packaged in something that looks remarkably like a hockey puck. (For further details, go to page 80.)
While the Studio doesn’t include the modular functionality that was hinted at in a patent filing, it does include a 5Mp front-facing camera and a dual-mic array. Triggering Windows 10’s Cortana assistant (Hey, Cortana) worked well in the crowded demo room. We didn’t try the camera.
We’re not sure we like Microsoft’s decision to package its expansion ports inside the base. In essence, the firm took its Surface Hub and tied it to a standard motherboard, encased it in plastic, and called it a day. The Studio puts four USB 3.0 ports inside the base, but points them toward the back, probably making it a pain to plug in anything. There’s an SD card reader and a headphone jack – again, facing the rear. Unlike the Surface tablets, there’s no USB port on the side of the monitor. Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi complete the package.
The Studio is a lovely piece of hardware, and we can’t wait to spend more time with it. But remember, it isn’t necessarily for you. Microsoft is aiming this at the creative community who normally would buy a Mac. We’ll be interested to see how many actually make the jump.