Windows 10 to give 2D software a 3D makeover
Microsoft reveals changes to programs such as Paint, PowerPoint ahead of Apple’s expected refresh of Mac lineup
NEW YORK— Microsoft wants to bring life to common computing experiences by adding a third dimension to widely used software such as Windows and Office.
The new tools, part of a free “Creators Update” to Windows 10 early next year, promise to make it easy for people to create and share photos, drawing and other images in 3D.
Instead of taking a regular photo of a sandcastle in two dimensions, for instance, a beachgoer can scan all sides of the castle with a phone. Microsoft’s tools will convert that into 3D; viewers can rotate the virtual sandcastle on the screen with their fingers. Microsoft plans to make it easy to share that on social media and even send to 3D printers.
Business presentations can be enhanced as 3D support comes to PowerPoint; you can rotate an object to focus on a particular angle.
Microsoft’s image-editing software Paint will also enable people to create 3D artworks by combining existing 2D images with newly scanned objects in three dimensions.
“By making 3D for everyone, our digital world starts a new, more human journey,” said Megan Saunders, a Microsoft executive in charge of transitioning computing to 3D.
Microsoft also announced a highend desktop called Surface Studio. Costing about $3,000, the Studio will be targeted at creators such as architects, artists and engineers, many of whom have long used Apple’s Mac computers. The 28-inch display is on a flexible hinge, so users can view it straight on or tilt it to as low as 20 degrees for drafting. Microsoft also announced Surface Dial, a circular accessory with new ways to scroll and navigate. Wednesday’s announcements come a day before Apple is expected to refresh its Mac lineup. Microsoft’s Surface sales aren’t high enough to rank on either Gartner’s or IDC’s list of top five personal-computer manufacturers, but they represent an im- portant business for the software company as it showcases the virtues of Windows 10 and related services such as Bing search and Skype chats.
The Surface Studio will likely be a niche product, with the Surface Pro 4 tablet still available for everyday consumers, starting at about $900. Yet, Studio represents Microsoft’s vision for the future of computing.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said innovations over the past decade have been focused on consumption “helping us consume more information . . . in different formats.” While that is important, he said, the next decade will be defined by technology that empowers people to create.
Microsoft, maker of the Xbox gaming console, is also targeting gamers. The upcoming Windows 10 update will have new features for live broadcasting gameplay. Microsoft is continuing to pivot under Nadella from a staid if lucrative software peddler to a cloud-first enterprise.