DCC companies do their best to ensure that 3D models can easily and smoothly be transferred to/from their competitors' systems
Coming from a mechanical CAD background I'm always pleasantly surprised by the open approach in data-exchange of 3D graphics software, more specifically known as DCC (Digital Content Creation). While CAD companies try every trick in the book to make transferring geometric data from one CAD system to the other as difficult and painful as possible, many DCC companies do exactly the opposite: they do their best to ensure that your 3D models, renderings, and animations can easily and smoothly be transferred to and from their competitors' systems.
CAD companies try every trick in the book to make transferring geometric data as difficult and painful as possible
The main reason for this open attitude comes from the typical production process: most of the projects in this field require the use of several software tools and it would be unacceptable not to be able to transfer data back and forth. A second reason is the relative simplicity of DCC data when compared to CAD data. CAD projects represent products someone has to build, therefore they must be extremely precise, and able to host a lot of non-geometric information. On the other hand, many 3D graphics projects have as final goal the creation of a movie or a set of images. Precision has to be good enough to support the required quality for the final video or image, but not more.
Pixologic and Luxology today announced the release of GoZ for modo
A good example of the open attitude of the 3D world can be observed in ZBrush products. Pixologic and Luxology today announced the release of GoZ for modo, a free plug-in for ZBrush that automatically transfers mesh geometry and normal, displacement, and texture maps into modo and back again.
Gamasutra explains the power of the new ZBrush plugins with this example: "With GoZ, modo can be used to create a base model, such as a human head, to provide the basic anatomy. This model can then be instantly transferred to ZBrush via GoZ for brush-based addition of scars, warts and wrinkles. The enhanced model can then be passed back to modo to create the final rendered output files."
This is just the latest in a very interesting series of "connectors," including GoZ for Maya, and GoZ for CINEMA 4D. According to the Pixologic website more connectors are expected to be released soon, which will make life even easier for ZBrush users.
Personally I love to see the artificial barriers between software systems fall. I believe that the entire 3D market will benefit from this open approach and I can't even imagine how much better life would be for CAD users if CAD companies were willing to follow the example of Pixologic.
Who is the face customers identify with a typical CAD company? Maybe the CEO whose smile appears on the cover of business magazines, or the tech support guy who handles the most challenging cases, or maybe the well-dressed salesperson who convinces big customers to buy dozens of licenses? All of them or none of them, it depends who you ask... Until yesterday. Now, if you ask people who is the most familiar face at Nemetschek NA, very likely most would respond Jessie! Jessie is not the CEO, not a member of technical support team, nor a saleswoman. Jessie is the person in charge of Social Media, or the "PR Gal," as she likes to be called. Everyday Vectorworks users find Jessie online in a variety of environments, from Facebook, to Twitter, Delicious, and so on. I managed to disconnect Jessie from her laptop and her iPhone for a short while in order to get some insight about her online activities and her role inside Nemetschek NA. Here is the interview.
Jessie, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your professional activities?
the company (has) a loyal, passionate and, perhaps, a bit geeky customer base
Certainly. I’m the PR gal on the global mar-com team at Nemetschek North America. We develop CAD products for designers under the name Vectorworks. Strengthening our global community and supporting our international distributors is a key component of my job. I was drawn to work with Nemetschek NA because I could tell – even from the outside looking in -- that the company had a loyal, passionate and, perhaps, a bit geeky customer base. As I have a strong orientation to the opportunities emerging in and around social media, this was a perfect storm, so to speak, of the type of company I wanted to work for. I’ve been with NNA for about a year, and it’s been everything I hoped for … and more.
How do you see the current state of social media in the CAD industry? Is it affecting only a small community or is it having a larger impact?
social media opens the doors to serve people more specifically and genuinely
Well, as a newcomer to the CAD industry, I don’t believe I’m qualified to speak to how social media is impacting this one industry differently than others. I think for all companies, the touch points for reaching customers, prospects and the press have exploded. As well, consumer sentiment in wanting actual engagement and personal value, and less messaging about a product’s grandness, has shifted. Social media opens the doors to serve people more specifically and genuinely.
Do you think social media technologies will ever become a daily tool for CAD end users?
I know, with a personal certainty, that social media is, for some, a daily tool, indeed
LOL. Well, in my eyes, social media technologies already are a daily tool for some people. Present company included! For others, of course, the tools don’t even register as significant. But weighing in on the side of daily use, my morning includes reviewing my Google Alerts to discover what new content about our products and brand is now online. I check in on Twitter for reasons similar, engaging with users and scanning the tweets to see what others in our community are reading and saying; I communicate with press and the public in Facebook, and I use, for example, social book-marking tools for tracking press activity and sharing it with my colleagues. In my own life, I also approach data, projects and communication using many of the same tools and technologies I use at Nemetschek NA. So, I know, with a personal certainty, that social media is, for some, a daily tool, indeed.
People approaching the new social media tools frequently complain about the amount of time they must invest in them in order to get some tangible feedback. Would you say they have wrong expectations, the wrong tools, or a wrong approach?
to ignore social media tools or think they can be avoided in the long term is, in my opinion, a mistake
I think their frustrations probably stem from a combination of all three points you mention. Let’s call a spade a spade: Anything can be a time suck, right? News, TV, even relationships and hobbies can pull my attention in a disproportionate way. My experience is that I’ve had to invest time in learning social media … and not just learning the technology, but also the culture around these technologies. Oh, and as an early adopter, I’d add that I’ve even had to invest time to monitor shifts and adjust my activities as the culture shifted. So, yeah, it can take some time. Then again, I used to spend gobs of time on email, and now I’ve pared that down to a bare minimum. I used to organize files and data on my hard drive, and now delicious.com, YouTube, my blogs and Twitter carry more of that function for me.
Frustrations and worries aside, to ignore social media tools or think they can be avoided in the long term is, in my opinion, a mistake. So, I believe that professionals in any industry benefit from learning more about these tools, both for technical skills gained and for being connected to the cultural vibe around them.
The new social communication channels promote individual relationships rather than companies, brands, or products. How can companies participate in this new world?
Cultural values have shifted with more people wanting personal communication along with corporate branding
I approach this corporate dilemma differently than a lot of folk. I think social media tools are ascending in use specifically because they facilitate individual relationships, raw-and-real communication and personal branding. Understanding that component of the motivation for using these tools is one of the keys for how companies can “participate in this new world.” The tools don’t make someone be a fool. Or be likeable, for that matter. If someone lacks even a modicum of style and elegance in their personal behavior, social media will just exacerbate that fact. And make it public. Likewise, I believe there is a significant amount of untapped intelligence and capacity trapped in hierarchical-based organizations. Social media can help identify that and bring it forth. I think companies have a golden opportunity at hand in helping people inside their companies by modeling online activities that are engaging, real, respectful and professional. Cultural values have shifted with more people wanting personal communication along with corporate branding. Not one. Not either. But both.
Getting feedback from a customer is not as easy as social media gurus sometimes often promise. More vocal users are not always the most representative of the community. What are your suggestions on this topic?
I listen. I respond. I engage.
This is a loaded topic and not one easily answered in but a paragraph or two. Yes, I agree that vocal users are not always the most representative of the community. But the bigger question here is how to get more feedback from customers. I’d add that “feedback” is much more than a call-and-response process, where companies ask questions and customers dutifully respond. Feedback, vis-à-vis social media, is much about watching where users are. Engaging with them on their turf and in their culture. And then listening, participating and adding value to the community. I don’t mean to sound like a broken record of the social media mantra, but this stuff is not about automation and gimmicks. It’s about engagement.
Twitter is just one example of where this is possible. It’s a bit awkward, but I use it and love it. Nemetschek NA has three broad categories of users: architects, landscape architects and entertainment designers. We’ve also got a large and diverse international community, student users, long-time users and brand-new users. With Twitter, I watch the conversation in and around our brand. I listen. I respond. I engage. I also bring in other people from the company when I need their help to answer specific questions. And our CTO, interviewed earlier on Novedge, is the recipient of the stream of tweets about our products’ features and functionality.
So, “feedback,” in today’s environment, starts with listening, not asking.
What is the Nemetschek NA strategy for social media and how does it fit in the Nemetschek group strategy?
our product, our customers’ success with it and their clients’ satisfaction with their work is what counts
Now, Franco, as you know, our global headquarters are in the Washington, D.C. region (read: DOD/NSA/CIA). We have a popular saying in these parts: “If I answer that question, then I’d have to kill you.” :-) But for real, people can easily find us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious, Netvibes, Flickr and a few other sites. Plus, we have some neat global-facing projects on the horizon, so stay tuned.
For now, we’re like many companies: engaging and monitoring, measuring where we can and dynamically adapting to a shifting landscape. At the end of the day, our product, our customers’ success with it and their clients’ satisfaction with their work is what counts. Social media can facilitate and support many of our goals in supporting our customers and in deepening our engagement in a worldwide community of users, so it certainly has our attention. The reasons I was initially attracted to Nemetschek – the loyal, passionate and just a bit geeky customer base – give us – and all industries in the CAD industry – an opportunity to serve our customers and support their success with our software. Now that I have a stronger sense of the company’s direction, the people working here, and the capacity of our users, I’ll answer your question by saying, “Our future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.” :-)
I would like to thank Jessie for taking the time to answer my questions. If you have any questions for Jessie or for Novedge, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer.
Franco Folini
Jessie Talks about Marketing in 2008This video interview was released by Jessie to Jonny Goldstein in 2008. At the time Jessie was not working at Nemetschek NA.
For this week only we're having a special on Kinemac: only $124
For this week only we're having a special on Kinemac -- half price! Kinemac runs on Macs and is a powerful and easy-to-use 3D real-time animation and presentation software. If you're in the market for a Mac animation product at an extremely attractive price, or are looking specifically for a great deal on Kinemac, this is the time to buy. At only $124 per copy you should take advantage of this opportunity that will only last one week.
We want to thank everybody who designed banners and cast their vote
After the successful poll contest on RhinoJungle in May, we were excited to run another contest. If you are among the few who don't know yet, RhinoJungle is a free online community for Rhino 3D users and enthusiasts. The results of the poll gave us great inspiration for that new contest, since quite some of the RhinoJungle members didn't actually like the banner that was on top of RhinoJungle ;-). So a new contest was born: design a new banner!
For 2 weeks, members of the jungle could submit their designs. Six members took the time and effort, and gave it a shot by submitting several designs to us. One of the members even submitted 10 (!) different designs. After this submission period, it was time for everybody out there in the jungle to vote on their favorite banner. We found references to the voting page on Facebook and Twitter, and this resulted in a lot of votes, wow!
there was one winner: Kevin Stead from Scotland
It was great to see that a lot of different banners got votes, but there was also clearly one winner: Kevin Stead from Scotland, member of RhinoJungle since the very beginning (March 2009). His banner got by far the most votes, almost 40%, and is a great representation of RhinoJungle, with all the logos, a screen shot of Rhino and a mysterious jungle on the right hand side. Kevin will receive a copy of Ron K.C. Cheng book "Inside Rhinoceros 4" kindly offered by the author. You can see Kevin's banner on the top of every RhinoJungle page. The other banners are still visible online on the RhinoJungle contest results page.
Kevin will receive a copy of Ron K.C. Cheng book "Inside Rhinoceros 4"
We want to thank everybody who designed banners and cast their vote. You made this contest another success in the jungle, and inspires us to run contests on a regular basis! So check out the jungle (sign up if you haven't done so yet) and stay tuned for all the excited things that are happening in the jungle where all the Rhino animals live!
modo has been improved in so many ways that is almost impossible to list everything here
On June 23 Luxology released the latest version of its 3D modeling, rendering, and animation product: modo 401. The version 4 of modo arrived about a year and a half after the release of version 3. modo has been improved in so many ways that is almost impossible to list everything here. Luxology prepared an impressive 14 page guide to the new features of modo 401 with tons of videos and amazing pictures. Among the several new and improved features: better motion blur, stereoscopic rendering, shadow catcher shader, selective radiosity type, volumetric lighting, lights linking, anisotropy mapping, and blurry refractions. The visual quality of the results of modo is very impressive and should rapidly convince everyone about the caliber of the software, as well as of the technical skills and determination of the development team (for more detailed information you can read my interview with Luxology CEO Brad Peebler). modo's rendering is so good that major CAD companies like SolidWorks have licensed the technology from Luxology to offer it to their customers.
SolidWorks licensed Luxology's rendering technology from
My recommendation is to take the time to go through the Luxology pages, learn about modo, and watch out for the upcoming trial version. As soon as the demo version of modo 401 is available we will add it to our website for all the visitors. Don't forget to take a look at Marc Hermitte review of modo written for "It's Art" online magazine and website.
Franco Folini
Adding Details with ReplicatorsLuxology products are available from Novedge
Not all CAD companies play in the same arena. While most CAD companies stay busy talking to the press, explaining strategies to financial analysts, and placing expensive ads in magazines nobody reads anymore, some CAD companies invest their time and money in talking to customers. These companies are less likely to be on a stage under a spotlight, but they are out there in the market enjoying a strong dialogue with their customers and selling licenses by the millions. Punch! Software (website) is one of these kinds of companies. They make a powerful product line that includes products such as ViaCAD, Shark, HomeDesign, and more. It's time to invite Punch! Software's CEO Paul Bay to the stage of the Novedge blog, turn on the lights, and ask him a few questions.
Paul can you tell us a bit about yourself and your company?
I have a strong background and intimate knowledge of retail, internet, SMB, commercial, corporate, and vendor markets
Sure. I am Paul Bay, the CEO of Punch! Software and I’ve been with Punch! for over three and a half years. I have a strong background in technology distribution where I spent eleven years with Ingram Micro, Inc., the world’s largest technology distributor, headquartered in Southern California. I was Senior Vice President of North America at Ingram Micro with Executive Management responsibility for purchasing, vendor relationships, business development, category management, vendor marketing as well as the components business unit. I have a strong background and intimate knowledge of retail, internet, SMB, commercial, corporate, and vendor markets and I’ve been thrilled to bring those skills to Punch! and utilize them in the role I hold within the company in order to grow and evolve as the market around us evolves and expands.
for the past 10 years, we’ve continued to dominate the North American market in home design software
Upon accepting the position with Punch! in 2006, I relocated my family from sunny Southern California to Kansas City, Missouri and have enjoyed the opportunity to explore family life in a completely different region than I grew up within Southern California. Around the months of December through mid-March I do miss the sunshine of the west coast, but we’ve learned to appreciate many things unique to Kansas City as well. I have yet to sway my allegiance to the San Diego Chargers and my family may very well be the only ones wearing navy blue jerseys each Sunday in Kansas City! Punch! Software was formed in 1998 with the idea that 3D design software should be as fun to use as it is productive. Everyday we are focused on our mission to be the leading global provider and destination for design solutions. For the past 10 years, we’ve continued to dominate the North American market in home design software through our retail and online sales outlets and in late 2006 we decided to expand our 3D design breadth by acquiring CadSoft Solutions and were quickly recognized as the fastest growing CAD company in 2007. Through the acquisition we were able to add to the Punch! Software portfolio an incredibly strong lineup of 2D/3D CAD software for the professional architect and engineer, via our Shark CAD product line, as well as CAD products for the hobbyist, through our ViaCAD product line.
Who is the typical Punch! Software customer? Why does he or she select Shark CAD?
we have over three million Punch! Software customers
The typical Punch! Software customer is somebody who recognizes a truly powerful 2D/3D CAD solution that’s incredibly easy to use, in addition to somebody who appreciates the affordability the Shark CAD and ViaCAD products offer. We have over three million Punch! Software customers so our ability to truly bring 3D CAD design to anybody and everybody is something we believe to be highly achievable. Our current CAD customer base has a very broad range from high tech manufacturers to creative artists; from set designers to recreational product designers; from luxury packaging designers to architects, school districts and prestigious universities. It’s quite broad, which I believe is a nod to our ease of use and powerful product capabilities, and the good news is that it just keeps growing!
The "ease-of-use" is among the most quoted quality of your products. What are the keys to making the end-user life easier while still providing high level features?
ease-of-use is a combination of the user interface, video tutorials, and software features
We believe that ease-of-use is a combination of the user interface, video tutorials, and software features that enhance the total user experience. For new users, we provide over 80 minutes of embedded video tutorials. These tutorials can serve as a learning syllabus, a reference tool, or simply as a guide as you go through your design process. In addition to the video tutorials, our Shark CAD products provide an extensive set of software features aimed at enhancing the user experience and unveiling high level features as needed. This is accomplished through customizing tool options, smart prompting, tips and tricks pop-ups, and intelligent snapping using LogiCursor™. LogiCursor is often noted by our users as an indispensable tool for working in 3D as well as 2D. Using the tools provided within the ViaCAD and Shark CAD products, we literally can have a beginning 2D/3D design enthusiast designing within minutes!
Your products run on the Win platform as well as on the Mac. Do you receive the same feedback from the two categories of users?
we provide the ability to read native CATIA and Pro/E, which is a unique solution for Mac users
Aside from the resounding “Hallelujah” from the Mac community, we do tend to receive similar feedback from the two categories of users. Both categories of users want functionality and the ability to share data with others. Our out-of-the box functionality and ability to share data precisely using IGES, STEP, DXF/DWG and SAT is much welcomed. We also provide the ability to read native CATIA and Pro/E Wildfire parts, which is a unique solution for Mac users. Our Mac users are thrilled to see we provide a native interface to Mac, much as our PC interface is native to Windows. Neither user community is compromised by our decision to support both platforms. However, our Mac users will find some extra translators as part of the Mac OS for reading EPS, PDF, and AI files. These file formats are great for Adobe users migrating into 3D. With respect to our price point within the CAD software market, collectively we receive raised eyebrows, lots of comments such as “really?”, and deliberate nods of approval. The functionality combined with user experience at an attractive price point is appreciated by both categories of users.
What is the level of collaboration and synergy you have with CadSoft since the acquisition in November 2006?
there were lots of similarities between Punch! and CadSoft as we both promoted a very entrepreneurial environment
Collaboration and synergies were completely integrated shortly after the acquisition. We saw a unique opportunity when we acquired CadSoft Solutions to not only obtain a great technology, but also a seasoned veteran in Tim Olson. Tim has over 25 years of management experience in this industry and brought a wealth of knowledge within the CAD space. There were lots of similarities between Punch! and CadSoft Solutions as we both promoted a very entrepreneurial environment. Tim and his team have become a part of the Punch! family and they continue to collaborate with sales and marketing as well as the core management team on a daily basis. We’re thankful everyday for their contribution, expertise, perspective and immense knowledge of the CAD market and industry.
The Shark product line integrates 2D and 3D in an effective way. What role do you think 2D will play in the design and manufacturing industry five years from now?
We see 2D continuing to play a relevant role especially in the presentation of 3D data through engineering drawings. Our goal is to continue to provide easy and affordable tools that automate this process providing an attractive migration path for 2D users.
Integration with other CAD system is a key feature of the Shark product line. How is Shark used in combination with the "big guys" (CATIA, Pro/E., etc.)?
[Integration with other CAD system] is a key feature of the Shark product line
You’re right Franco, it is a key feature of the Shark product line and something we’re very proud of. Tim and his team developed a precise kernel that facilitates the sharing of data with the “big guys” and we’ve seen it work to the advantage of the customer in several instances. We have many customers who have existing installations of CATIA, Pro/E, AutoCAD, Solidworks, you name it, and they’ve been able to add additional CAD licenses of Shark into the existing environment to share data seamlessly, and for a noticeably more affordable price tag.
I would like to thank Paul for taking the time to answer my questions. If you have any questions for Paul or for Novedge, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer.
Franco Folini
Shark CAD VideoPunch! Software products are available from Novedge
If you always wanted to try Nemetschek Vectorworks but never found a trial demo available I have great news for you: we now have the free trial available at Novedge!
we now have the free Vectorworks trial available at Novedge!
Vectorworks is a high quality professional design product very popular with architects, landscape designers, and interior designers. If you are in any of these professions I think you will really like what Vectorworks can do for you and the trial will be well worth your while.
Lorenzo Puleo is one of the many creative people who fell in love with Mac. However Lorenzo didn't stop at the user level as most Mac fans do, he went on to conceive a new product and created a company around it. That company shares the name of its main product and is called Kinemac (website). Kinemac is an easy to use real time animation software for the Mac platform. It combines the ease-of-use typical of so many Mac applications with the power of a professional tool. Novedge is a proud reseller of Kinemac since 2008. I asked Lorenzo to share with us his story and vision. Here is the interview.
Lorenzo can you tell us a bit about yourself and your company?
my greatest dream: creating a 3D animation for the Mac users
I am originally architect migrated to the informatics in 1996. Kinemac is a company I have founded to realize my greatest dream: creating a 3D animation software for the Mac users community. And looking at the results, we succeeded.
The Mac platform is the favorite of creative people. Can you help us understand why?
Mac is not just a computer, it’s a lifestyle
Mac is not just a computer, it’s a lifestyle, a philosophy which perfectly joins math and art. Left brain and right brain think differently. Mac, introducing an intuitive approach to the schematic (but powerful) world of the math, merges them together. That, I suppose, is the secret of the success of the Mac platform in the creative area.
Video and animation are now mainstream on the Internet, an area inundated with amateurs. How much room is there for serious professionals?
to be a pro you need to study more than just being creative
I wouldn’t mix holy and profane. There is an amateurs’ world which could easily find a land on the internet. There is a professional world which daily needs professional tools and skilled artists. I think they speak different languages. I recall these lyrics from the US3 group: “Different rhythm, different people”. I think that professional works like this one from the Tronic Studio can never be put together with amateurs’ works. To be professional you need to study more than being just creative. Furthermore you need powerful tools too. Amateurs could be successful, make a lot of money and get famous too, but this doesn’t mean they are pro. Surely there are exceptions.
Who is your typical user of Kinemac? How does he or she use the program?
Kinemac is in between the consumer and the professional world
We gather users from the pro-sumer world. This means that Kinemac is in between the consumer and the professional world. While offering professional results it can be easily learnt and used by professional and non professional users. We have different profiles of users, we have beginners, single video-artists, small post-production companies, schools and universities, research labs and big companies as international TVs and post-production companies. We have conquered many big names in these last areas, but as you know well, we can’t mention any of them.
What is your strategy for raising awareness of your product and the benefits that come from using it?
Kinemac is one of the most popular 3D Real Time Animation software for MacOS X
We have spread the word of Kinemac in many ways, from exhibiting at the MacWorld SF to releasing articles, interviews, and tutorials. Lately we have granted our product in special bundles which have had a great impact on the Mac community. Today we can surely say that Kinemac is one of the most popular 3D Real Time Animation software for Mac OS X. And everybody loves it. As far as the educational world, we have successfully reached a great goal. We apply special discounts to schools and universities and in change, spontaneously, we get a lot of precious feedback which help us to improve our product in an impressive way.
The new generation browsers will implement video as a native type of data, in the the same way as images and text. What could be the impact of such an important change for video and animation producers and consumers?
Surely the demand of tools to produce video will grow largely. We expect to grow as well. And we are ready for the event. But the day the browsers will implement a standard 3D engine is still far. Let’s see what the future will bring.
What is the geographical distribution of your business and how different are the European and American markets?
we have clients all over the world
We mostly sell over the Internet, so we have clients all over the world. This is the way we look at the market: as one nation. It could be surprising, but the clients have all the same requirements, no matter the country they live. And this sounds promising.
I would like to thank Lorenzo for taking the time to answer my questions. If you have any questions for Lorenzo or for Novedge, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer.
Franco Folini
Kinemac Video Tutorials Kinemac products are available from Novedge
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