After over 300 reviews, it takes a lot to get me excited about a new release but I generally make an exception for Cinema 4D as somehow Maxon manage to make each version a major advance both in terms of functionality and - often even more important for 3D - usability.

So what do the prospects look like for the recently announced version 10.5?

The full list of new features is available at http://www.maxon.net/pages/products/cinema4d/featurelist_10.5_e.html but a few standout:

In interface terms it looks like the onscreen heads-up display HUD has been overhauled, letting you, for example drop regularly used objects onto the HUD for quick selection.

For animation, version 10's new timeline has been further enhanced most obviously with the ability to reduce keys - particularly handy with complex motion capture.

New DWG support has been added so that CAD drawings can be brought into c4D - particularly useful for architects and engineers.

And the killer feature? It looks likely to be cross referencing which lets you break a project up into multiple parts handled in separate files and by separate users.

And personally I'm particularly looking forward to the new approach to lighting: "With the new lighting tool, you don't arrange lights within the scene. Instead, you arrange the lighting itself." Cinema 4D often breaks new ground and this could well be it.

And the Mocca, Hair and MoGraph modules have been updated too.