Description :

Fusion is a powerful 3D editor developed by French Touch in order to create the 3D models to be used in their games.
Fusion was developed totally from the ground up as a real-time editor and is based on the Infinity 3D Rave engine; this makes it the fastest 3D tool available on the Mac platform even on low-end PowerMacs.

Fusion can import the meshes contained in 3DMF files, modify them (position, rotation, scale...), add colors or textures, and save the result in a specific file format, which may be directly used in our games.
Fusion also offers powerful features like:

• skeletons,
• linking,
• a animation sequencer to animate the objects,
• a morphing sequencer to deform the objects meshes,
• sound tracks,
• a vertex per vertex texture mapping editor,
• rotoscoping,
• multiple texture sets,
• cameras...

Fusion is not a 3D modeler: it does not allow you to create meshes.

Software and hardware requirements :

Hardware requirements:

Minimal configuration: Power Macintosh PCI with a 832x624 screen, but the Rave software engine provided by QuickDraw 3D Rave will probably be too slow for real-time editing.

Best configuration: a G3 (all G3 Power Macintoshes have ATI 3D chips on board) with 4Mb of VRAM or a PowerMacintosh PCI with a 3D accelerator card (with at least 4Mb of VRAM) which is Rave compliant, and a 1024x768 screen.

Software requirements:

Fusion requires MacOS 7.1 or later. MacOS 8.5 is highly recommended.
Fusion requires QuickTime™ and the Appearance Manager.
Fusion does not require QuickDraw 3D™ to run, but only Rave: the “QuickDraw™ 3D RAVE” extension must be present in the extensions folder of the System folder.

New features in Fusion 3.1 :

1. Related shape / node is automatically selected when selecting an animation
2. All scroll bars now provide live scrolling feedback
3. Skeleton nodes may now be moved using the mouse even when vertices are attached to the skeleton
4. Transfer skeleton command
5. Drop object to floor command
6. Powerful script insert command
7. Much better looking interface
8. Cameras now look like cameras
9. Cameras may be selected and moved using the mouse
10. World box is now rendered independently from the object matrix
11. Camera positions are now saved within the file data
12. New time offset command
13. New overwrite keyframes feature
14. Redesigned Inspector window
15. Ability to loop to any position in the script
16. Improved smooth start feature
17. Adding and removing events in the sequencer is done through [Shift] click and [Option] click
18. Values are now displayed in real time format (e.g. "0'56") instead of raw hundreds of seconds (e.g. "56")
19. Floating numbers conversion routines now use the correct decimal char depending on the system settings
20. Brand new sequencer which includes dropped frames support
21. Texture is now shrinked to fit in a 256x256 mapping window
22. Support for textures up to 1024x1024 (you will probably have to increase Fusion's allocated memory)
23. Redesigned sequencer window interface
24. Improved sequencer time line drawing
25. Sequencer now uses OpenTransport timing services
26. Merge shapes command was replaced by Merge all shapes
27. Drop shape to floor command
28. Scale of worldbox was modified: 1 tile is now 2 units width

And including of course a few bug fixes...

The complete version history of Fusion (including the list of the bugs that were fixed) was moved to a text file enclosed within the Fusion package.

Download the Fusion package now :

Download the special version of the Fusion program (version 3.1) for the pre-MacOS 8.5 systems (100Kb) - this file just contains a modified version of the application program; you still need to download the complete Fusion package.

You need StuffIt Expander to decompress the archives.

Important : you must agree to the license located at the end of the users manual before starting to use Fusion.

Fusion may be freely distributed by online services, bulletin boards, shareware collection CDs or non-profit user groups, as long as it is not modified. This software may not be included in any commercial package without the authorization of French Touch.

Check out WaterRace Terrain Builder :

WaterRace Terrain Builder is a free real-time terrain editor for WaterRace. It allows you to use in custom levels the objects you have created with Fusion.

Read the complete description and download it on the WaterRace Terrain Builder web page.

Check out D-Fusion :

D-Fusion is a free stand alone player for Fusion object files. It is less than 150Kb but includes both the Infinity 3D Rave Engine and the Fusion sequencer allowing you to play full screen the animations contained in Fusion object files by just dropping the object file onto D-Fusion's icon or double-clicking onto the D-Fusion's icon.

Create awesome 3D real-time animation using Fusion, then just distribute them over the Internet with the D-Fusion player!

Read the complete description and download it on the D-Fusion web page.

Check out Chronos :

Chronos is a free screen saver that uses animations included in Fusion object files as modules. It includes both the Infinity 3D Rave Engine and the Fusion sequencer and is able to play full screen the animations contained in Fusion object files when you do not use your Mac.

Chronos is the first real-time 3D screen saver for the Mac.

Read the complete description and download it with its animated modules on the Chronos web page.

Check out Rasterizer :
Rasterizer is a free utility that renders hi-resolution screenshots of Fusion objects (up to 16000x16000 pixels provided Rasterizer has enough free memory).

Read the complete description and download it on the Rasterizer web page.

Check out Vertigo Software Corporation :
Vertigo Software create 3D models and 3D softwares. They made the 3D models provided in the "Vertigo 3D Model example" package you can download on this page.

Visit their web site.

Useful links :
Here's a bunch of links related to QuickDraw 3D

3D World (Microspot) is a freeware modeling program which imports / exports 3DMF files.

DesignWorkshop Lite (Artifice) is another freeware modeling program which imports / exports 3DMF files. DesignWorkshop Classic/Professional (commercial)

Meshwork (Joseph Strout) is a shareware modeling program which exports compact 3DMF files.

3DMF Optimizer (Pangea): A freeware QuickDraw 3D tool which greatly optimizes 3DMF geometry files for size and speed - use it before importing a 3DMF file into Fusion if the import is incorrect.

Anatas (Stefan Huber) is a freeware drag and drop application that converts 3DMF text files to binary files and vice versa.