Description:
The problem with sculpting in clay is the mess, and if you're a parent, it takes nothing more than hearing excited voices shouting, "Play-Doh!" to raise the hairs on your neck and send you scrambling for the cheap tablecloth. The idea, then, of a virtual clay studio is appealing--all the creative freedom kids want, with none of the mess. Disney's Magic Artist 3D satisfies that creative hunger, at least to a large degree. Designed for the younger set, this basic 3-D modeling tool lets kids build shapes of their own, apply textures, group objects, and manipulate them onscreen. It also includes a modest library of such prebuilt shapes as a cow, dog, couch, doghouse, fence, wagon, etc. Any shape can be added to any scene, and then colored in a variety of ways--by using a paint bucket and a color of your choice, or by selecting a predefined pattern. Adding a striped design to a 3-D cow is always fun, especially when it's standing on a cow-patterned couch. The highlight of the program comes by adding Mickey Mouse himself to a scene. While this isn't an animation program, Mickey has some animated actions of his own--adding him to your creations and pressing the play button makes him do things like throw sparkles into the air. The soundtrack and sound effects are first rate--good speakers make a nice difference, too. Interesting and fun sounds reinforce the selected tool, helping you to remember which tool does what by differentiating it both visually and audibly. If you've got a little one that's dying to make things with his or her hands, Disney's Magic Artist 3D may be just the creative outlet you're all looking for. (All ages) --Mike Caputo
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