Allegorithmic Releases Free MaPZone 2.6 Texture Tool

France's Allegorithmic has announced that the latest version of its free MapZone texturing software is now available, with new bitmap and procedural texture input node updates and other enhancements. The MaPZone authoring tool, based on Allegorithmic's FXMaps technology, is designed specifically to manage and edit textures, and allows users to locally edit procedural textures to create diffuse, specular and normal maps that are resolution independent and tile automatically. Features new in the latest version include an updated bitmap image input node that enables users to mix bitmaps and procedural noises, a capability that flags normal maps automatically for usage in DirectX or OpenGL, and updated node functionality that allows them to be realigned horizontally or vertically, with existing connections modifiable by drag-and-drop. Other additions allow users to reposition the camera and objects to their default positions in the 3DEdit panel, and space-bar access to the Filter Menu. Said Allegorithmic president and founder Sebastien Deguy, "Many of the improvements in MaPZone 2.6 are a direct result of feedback we received from both clients and our growing user community. The result is an efficient, production-proven program that provides artists with a very fast method for creating high-quality textures."