Here are a few of my recommendations for some absolutely excellent software. To make it into this list I had to find the software not just FREE but also very useful and a pleasure to use. This is only a short listing for the moment but I will be adding to it in the future as time permits. The listing is more in categories then ranking, with the exception of UBUNTU; as I do think it is the most extensive piece of FREEWARE I have ever come across (and I do enjoy using it).
UBUNTU This now has to be at the top of the list in my opinion. Ubuntu is a Linux-based operating system that is just right for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need - a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more. I am at the moment using an old Pentium 3 running UBUNTU. The HTML Editor is a program called QUANTA, and to upload to FTP I use KFTP. So, operating system, office stuff, GIMP for photo editing, all is there. Why spend loads of money on other systems. I think all AID agencies should be running UBUNTU so as to spread more of the funds to where it is really needed. I have this old PC dual booted (with 2 hard drives). Microsoft XP on drive 0 and UBUNTU on drive 1. The boot screen is GRUB where you have a choice of system you wish to use, and away you go. Funny thing is, When I am in XP the UBUNTU disk is not seen by Microsoft. But when in UBUNTU I can see the Microsoft disk and take documents into OPEN OFFICE whether they are DOC, XLS or PDF etc. Strange that a piece of FREE software is more flexible. Try the LIVE CD aspect of UBUNTU as the system then runs from the CD and doesn't mess around with your existing system. Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, is a tool for producing high-quality 3D computer graphics. POV-Ray™ is copyrighted freeware, and I think is an absolutely excellent program even if you had to purchase it. Well done to the POV-Ray™ team. They have now obtained MORAY (which is now also freeware). Visit this link to find out more. Watch out though as Windows 7 has issues with starting POV-Ray™, typical Microsoft's non backward compatibility problems.
Spatch is a free 3D surface modeling program for the PC which has special application to anatomy drawing. The program is small (1 megabyte) and its .spt data files are tiny compared to other 3D formats such as .dxf or .obj. It is brilliant in its simplicity.
Hamapatch: Hamakazu's Hamapatch is the next generation of sPatch. It is also free, works with the spatch file format, and has many great additional features, such as allowing you to work with simultaneous wire frame and visible surface renderings in real time, choosing different colors for different portions of the model, and a number of other helpful features.
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Copyright © 2003, Richard Seremak, Last Updated 24/08/2011 14:57:58
POV RAY
SPATCH
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Richard Seremak
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