ComponentArt has released version 2006.1 of its next-generation 3D charting line: ComponentArt Charting for .NET. The release consists of WebChart for ASP.NET for web-based solutions, and WinChart for .NET for Windows Forms development, and the controls are available individually or together as a bundle. With the release of version 2006.1 the ComponentArt Charting line now supports the advanced features of .NET 2.0, ASP.NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005.

Available as a free-trial download, the Charting for .NET controls feature image quality that is unmatched in the industry, the company said, thanks to ComponentArt’s original 3D rendering engine. The product also offers a design-time wizard that allows for easy creation of complex, visually-rich charts in a matter of minutes.

Charting for .NET offers a unique data modeling paradigm through a tree-like definition of data series, and provides for easy binding to data sources such as XML structures, SQL databases, Excel sheets, text files, .NET arrays and collections, according to ComponentArt. Developers are provided with an extensible architecture for defining new chart types and styles, along with the more than 175 pre-defined chart types included with the product.

 “What really makes our Charting for .NET controls a great choice for developers is the combination of unparalleled 3D rendering quality, a unique set of features that emphasize efficiency, and a greatly simplified licensing model," said Steve Rolufs, ComponentArt CEO. “Our components let developers offer 3D charts in their .NET solutions that are more visually-rich than anything previously available, and they can do it in just a few lines of code."

Both WebChart and WinChart controls are also available in special builds that exploit the powerful new design-time and runtime features found in .NET 2.0, ASP.NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005, including Smart Tasks and support for the new data source objects.

The WebChart for ASP.NET and WinChart for .NET controls can be purchased individually starting at $699, or together as ComponentArt Charting for .NET, and are available for licensing at Developer, Subscription or Enterprise levels. Customers using WebChart for ASP.NET also have the option to purchase an Unlimited Server Distribution License for a one-time flat fee, for simplified royalty-free deployment of their web applications.