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We are proud sponsors of FlyignArchitecture's new contest, Architecture Unchained. To participate, you have to upload your work in progress of an architectural structure free from the constraint of gravity. Franco Folini, Novedge's President and Co Founder, is one of the judges and we are keeping a close eye on the competition.
So, why not start by learning a bit more about FlyingArchitecture's founder, Matus Nedecky?
Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do
Matus Nedecky: Hi all! So first of all, let me thank Aurora Meneghello for giving me
this opportunity to be interviewed by Novedge. It's an honor!
My name is Matus Nedecky, I am originally from the small Slovak village of
Zelenec. When I finished my high school in a nearby city, I started to
attend the BUT - Faculty of Architecture in the Czech Republic. After gaining experience in three architecture firms (full-time during my studies), I
decided to go my own way and become an architectural visualizer. There's
still a long way to go, even if I have reached some milestones already,
which can be seen on our studio's website.
Novedge: How did Flying Architecture start? And how has it evolved?
Matus Nedecky: FlyingArchitecture
started as a simple blog back in summer 2009. As I started to work in
Rhinoceros 4, and I was working on some basic commercial visualizations,
I needed to use the same 3D assets over and over again. Unfortunately,
there was no website dedicated to Rhino assets at that time, the only
package you could get was McNeel's Savanna3D... and I thought I could do better. So I started producing my work. First I
created fifty 3D models in Rhinoceros and then I published the website on
social media. Leo Bonilla, a great guy from
Colombia, and Rendy Himawan, a designer from Jakarta, contacted me right away. These two (and
many others afterwards) gave me great support, they shared my passion for this
project and they also shared some of their 3D
models. And this is where it all started :)
Then many people from all over
the world started to share their own 3D models, and FlyingArchitecture
grew rapidly.
I believe if one does something with passion, he will undoubtedly do a great job. And I can proudly say I loved doing this! It
was and still is such a great feeling seeing all our own models and our fan's in visualizations all over the world (I have seen some models in
visualizations by BIG)... it's an honor to serve thousands of people
and to offer them something they need.
Well, free 3D models were just the beginning... since 2009 I also added other features, like the forum, materials and tutorials. Besides the
website itself, I also work on architectural visualizations for
commercial clients.
Then on December 28, 2009 everything changed. That's when I first
talked to Veronika Nedecka, when she was an interior design student (now my wife and the mother of our child) - since we
knew each other, we also started to work together, so our professional
services went much more pro! Thanks to our images, which were getting
better and better, we were offered to teach a workshop on architectural
visualization in Barcelona, Spain, and we accepted.
Since then, we led workshops in Barcelona, Vienna, Rome
and some personal courses in Bratislava. Now we're are planning some
more events, so if you are interested... stay tuned! :)
I can't forget to mention that our new online store with 3D models is the first marketplace where Rhinoceros users can get truly realistic, high quality, 3D models ready for use in their 3D
scenes. Take a look here.
Novedge: What are the rewards and challenges of having your own business?
Matus Nedecky: It's
not really a walk in the park.... But of course it has many more pros than
cons. However you are responsible for everything - you have to care
of PR, marketing, the job itself, bookkeeping, etc. There is so
much to think about, that it may
sometimes seem unbearable. Just don't give up! Even if you think it's not worthwhile
and sometimes it is a struggle, there are always better days coming :)
For me, better days came with Veronika and my co-workers, Lukas [Filip, interviewed here]
and Fabio.
The biggest challenge is time management: it's extremely hard
to balance it all - work, family, free time, eventually school and also
other projects.
The biggest reward for me since I started
to work alone has been the lack of stress. I have to admit, I work longer
hours than before, but I do not have someone standing behind my back
checking what I am doing. Oh and also as an artist I have
the opportunity to express myself, my own style and feelings, not just the opinions
and style of my team leader... That's the biggest satisfaction!
Novedge: What surprised you the most?
Matus Nedecky: Well, I'd say it's the
positive feedback! I started working on the FlyingArchitecture website just
for fun, and to create something that I needed. You should see
the mass of positive feedback I received, it's such a great feeling to receive hundreds of emails that say "Thank you"... That was the
best award I could ever get :) So Thank You all, who supported me and
who said Thank You... You gave me new energy to continue.
Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?
Recently at the
FlyingArchitecture studio we are working on tens of residential/commercial
buildings for our clients... mostly new buildings for commerce or flat
units. From time to time we also have a great opportunity to work on
something very specific, like museum designs, firemen stations, hotels
and so on.
What I appreciate the most are personal projects. At the moment, I
am running about 5 of them, but I can show you some I finished
recently. It is very important for me to take a break from commercial work
(for most of them we sign an NDA, so they cannot be published)
and to create something in my own style with a touch of artistic
feeling.
This is the Norwegian house, design and visualizations by FlyingArchitecture:
Aluminium house, some romantic idea of where I'd love to live:
FlyingArchitecture, our future office design. We jut have to wait a bit for the technology to catch up :)
Novedge: What software do you use?
Matus Nedecky: Haha, that's a long and painful story... At university, they taught
us how to use 3ds Max, but I gave a try to Cinema 4D, Blender, Modo, SketchUp and
Rhino. I have to say that polygons just aren't my blood type. That's why
I was so amazed by the NURBS technology in Rhinoceros, which I chose as my
primary 3D software.
Since then, I use it on a daily basis. It worked great in college
for all architectural drawings and also for 3D modeling and rendering.
Its stability and extraordinary user-friendliness just amaze me. And
that's why I stick with it :)
Besides Rhinoceros, I use V-Ray for Rhino and Photoshop. The combination of these software solutions give us extreme
flexibility to finish all daily tasks in a very effective way and within reasonable time.
Novedge: What makes a good render extraordinary?
Matus Nedecky: The most
important thing is to be original. That's why I try to keep Rhino as our primary
3D software in FlyingArchitecture. The worst thing that can happen is that somebody starts to take shortcuts and just mindlessly copy and
paste assets to their 3D scenes. There are tons of CGI artists working
like this these days... So the direction we are taking is to use custom
3D models and our own photos for exterior postproduction, so we stay
original all the time.
Generally speaking, it's always up to the artist, everybody has a different point of view. There is an artist in all of us, we just have to
release him :) Don't just copy... create!
Novedge: What are your plans for the future?
Matus Nedecky: I always have big plans! I would need several lifetimes to
accomplish them all... Of course, there are some
particular plans for FlyingArchitecture, mostly regarding the website
itself, so we can get bigger and better with our free 3D models
database. I'll have more news soon, so stay tuned! And of course,
we are doing our best to offer better visualizations to our clients
every day. You can check our current visualization portfolio here.
Want to see more? Check out FlyingArchitecture's website.
Ready to share your Architecture Unchained? Read all about the contest here.
And don't forget to get in touch with us on Twitter and Facebook!
Our 69th Webinar, Working with Shaders in Artlantis 4.1, left us all wanting for more! Here Chris Stringer answers all the questions he couldn't get to during our live Q&A session.
Q 01: Can a render from Artlantis be used as a Postcard?
A: No. A Postcard is a specialized type of low-resolution (400x300 pixel) JPEG rendering with additional information about the scene's materials embedded into it, created in Artlantis using the menu/command Tools/Create Postcard. By contrast, a regular Artlantis rendering created using the menu/command Inspector/Render does not contain this type of information...See also Q 2, Q 12 and Q 24.
Q 02: Can Postcards be moved from one PC to another? Must the Shaders be shared on both rigs?
A: Yes, Postcards can be moved, shared, emailed, etc. Yes, the original Shaders that existed on the computer/project where that Postcard was created must also exist on any other computer where that Postcard is going to be used, if it is to work properly. To ensure that Shaders and other media files used in a specific project travel safely with the project when it is being sent from one computer to another, always remember to save the project using menu/command File/Export as Archive… See also Q 1, Q 12, and Q 24.
Q 03: When you re-assign materials, will it be saved that way when the document is reopened?
A: Yes. Those settings are retained in that Artlantis file. See also Q 9.
Q 04: What are the limitations in Artlantis if a texture is pulled from the web? Do you lose any feature rich operations if you apply your own texture?
A: The limitations really depend on the quality of the texture and the set of accompanying image maps, because your goal in Artlantis shouldn’t be just to use good textures…it should be to use good Shaders. So,what’s the difference? A texture is a single bitmap image that defines one aspect of a material’s appearance. They can get assigned to the material in the 3D modeler or later in Artlantis. The most common type of texture used isa color (diffuse) image map, which are typically made by photographing a real-world material and often digitally altering them to create seamless edges. A material that only has a single texture map assigned to it is going to appear “flat” and less realistic…i.e. more computer-generated. A Shader is a combination of one or more separate texture files(typically all based on the same color image map as a starting point) that work in combination to define a material’s appearance in ways that cannot be accomplished with the use of a single color image map alone. Shaders typically make use of additional supporting image maps to add effects such as bump, reflection, shininess, normals, etc. These maps interact with the scene’s light and reflections to add life-like qualities to the materials. In Artlantis, it is possible to create a custom Shader that has all of the advanced settings of the high quality default Shaders in Artlantis, since they are offered to you within the menu/command Tools/Create Shader From... But, you either need the skill to create the supporting image maps for the shader (if they don’t already exist), or you need to find someone who already has those skills and has created those image maps. You can learn a lot by using the Create Shader From command to examine some of the existing Shaders’ settings and their accompanying image maps.
Q 05: Is there a specific relationship between values of the bump to the normal maps?
A: The bump and normal maps are both typically derived from the same starting point: the diffuse (color) image map. Both can be used to create the illusion of enhanced depth or relief in a Shader by affecting the way light interacts with the underlying color map, however, the normal map can be used to accomplish more than what is possible to achieve with the bump map. The grayscale information in the bump map can only scatter light in the direction of one axis: the Z axis.The normal map is a more advanced type of bump map, using the RGB color information it contains to scatter light in the X, Y, and Z axes. As an example, when creating a slate floor tile Shader, you might start with an 8 x 8 tile grid for the color map.
Giving it a Reflection of .7 and Shininess of 700 would create the following appearance:
You might use a bump map to simulate the depth of the grout lines and provide a rough textured quality to the slate surface. The lighter areas in the bump map will result in that area of the diffuse map appearing raised while the darker areas will appear to be recessed.
The normal map could have some of those same qualities as the bump map. It could have the same basic texture, accentuating the rough texture of the slate surface (below top). However, it could instead be created to scatter light in a simpler, profoundly different way…to make the individual tiles appear as if none of them were laid completely level (below bottom), so that the reflections of the background do not line up perfectly on each tile.
The combination of the bump and the normal maps could be used to both enhance the natural texture of the material and create more of a random appearance to the reflections in the tiles.
Q 06: Chris, can you show us how to use light on interior at night views? Thank you.
Q 07: How can we make realistic renders like those in 3D Studio Max using Sketchup with Artlantis?
A: The built-in Artlantis radiosity engine strikes an excellent balance between quality and speed. However, if you need something that goes beyond the capabilities of the Artlantis radiosity engine, check out the Maxwell Render engine for Artlantis. By default, it is installed with Artlantis 4.1 in a 30-day demo mode (can be activated with the purchase of a separate serial number) and is accessible from the menu/command Artlantis/License/Maxwell Render Engine (on Mac) or Help/Edit License/Maxwell Render Engine (on Windows). Licensed from Next Limit Technologies, the developers of the standalone version of Maxwell Render, the engine is an optional product that excels at creating hyper realistic renderings with physically accurate lighting behavior. The renderings take significantly longer to produce, but if that level of quality is needed, it is possible to do so without having to leave the familiar and extremely easy-to-use Artlantis work environment. That’s a powerful combination! Normally,you’ll want to use Artlantis for your preliminary renderings (and most of your final renderings, for that matter), then use the Maxwell Render Engine when is has to be perfect. You’ll note that there is a dedicated family of Maxwell Render Shaders in the Catalog of mostly reflective and refractive surfaces. You’ll want to apply those in a different version of your Artlantis project before doing a Maxwell rendering.
Artlantis Radiosity Engine:
Maxwell Render Engine:
Q 08: I had difficulties customizing interior views using white walls in Artlantis. I use the "china", "basic" shader, but never got the realistic view as you can see in this if it's possible.
A: If you want to achieve brighter whites, here’s what to do. In our example here, we’ll be changing the walls. First, you’ll want to have probably either the Basic or Expert Shader applied to your surface. The color doesn’t matter, but just to keep things simple, make it white. Locate the blanc.jpg in the Catalog/Images and drag it onto the surface (the walls, for example) in the 3D Preview window. In the ShadersInspector/Material list, select the blank.jpg texture. In the settings for that texture, mark the Rep. checkboxes so that it tiles horizontally and vertically. At this point, you probably won’t notice any visible changes in the 3D Preview window yet.
With the blank.jpg texture still selected in the Shaders Inspector/Material list, adjust the Ambient slider to the right to maybe around 0.20 or so. You should see the white areas of the walls brighten considerably. If you take the Ambient slider all the way up 1.00, it will increase the white to a very unnatural looking pure white, which you wouldn’t normally do. Note that the ceiling in the next image next has not been changed, thus becoming a point of reference compared to the brightened walls.
Q 09: Is it possible to apply a shader texture in just one face of the imported model? Or do we need to import another model with that face in a different shader?
A: Yes, you can apply a Shader to just one face using the re-assign material command. There is no need to import another model. First, select the face by activating the selection tool in above the material list.
Change the selection method to single face.
Click on the desired face in the 3D Preview window to select it. The selected element will temporarily be highlighted. Then, click on the Apply Material icon, in the Shaders Inspector palette.
A dialogue will appear. In this case, you will want to apply a copy of the currently selected material to the surface. Give the new material an appropriate name.
The final result is a new material definition for that surface, which now operates completely independent of the other elements in the scene that shared its previous material. You can then apply Shaders to this surface as you normally would in Artlantis…just drag and drop a Shader directly onto the surface in the 3D Preview Window.
See also Q 03.
Q 10: How can we use HDRI files to get shaders affected within the environment?
A: While it is true that HDRI does affect the appearance of Shaders in the scene, that’s a lighting/background topic really best left for a future webinar. In the meantime, you can watch this video available on the Artlantis YouTube channel: Artlantis 4.1 - Adding HDRI Background.
Q 11: When we render the "white" shader from native Artlantis there's always a little bit of gray aspect. How can we control this shader to put it more with and apply to interior walls?
A: See Q 8.
Q 12: Since the Postcards are just jpegs, do they have to be generated from Artlantis?
A: Yes, they must be generated from Artlantis, because they are not “just” jpegs, they are specialized jpegs with additional information embedded into them. See also Q 1, Q 2 and Q 24.
Q 13: Can you do paint on the surface, like graffiti effect?
A: Yes. While there is no paint brush tool in Artlantis, this can be easily achieved if you add an alpha channel to an image in Photoshop to mask out its background. In the alpha channel, dark areas will mask the image and light areas will remain visible. Export as a TIF or PNG, then drag and drop that image file directly into the Artlantis 3D Preview window. Scale, reposition, and check the Use Alpha Channel checkbox.
Q 14: I have problems with 3D plants from version 1.2 looking very rough when rendered in 4.0. Do you know why that would be?
A: That would be a question for the Artlantis technical support team. We would need to know what plant files you’re using, a few things about your system and setup, and might possibly need an archived project file to diagnose the cause and offer a solution. To submit a support ticket on artlantis.com, use this link.
Q 15: Is there an easy way to use alpha channels in Artlantis, so you can make realistic looking grass for example?
A: Yes, but Shaders might not be the best option. The problem with many grass textures (and even high quality grass Shaders) is that from a far distance, they appear too repetitive, while from a close distance, they appear too flat. You could start with a grass Shader, and drop one or more subsequent grass textures onto it (with various bits masked out using an alpha channel to show the other underlying grass texture) to create a more randomized appearance to the grass texture, but this does nothing to resolve the problem that in real life, unless you’re on a golf course, grass normally doesn’t look like low-pile carpet.
Grass 1 with alpha (goes on top)
Grass 2 (goes underneath)
Grass textures 1 and 2 combined. The blend creates more randomnessthan using one texture alone, however it still looks pretty flat.
Grass is a material that is really difficult to simulate through just a texture and some bump and normal maps, because in reality it is a highly volumetric type of surface. Yes, you’ve got to put some kind of ground material in your project, but rather than taking great pains to create a Shader to simulate grass or using a high-poly 3D grass object, you could instead make a composite for your final image. Artlantis provides the option to save out a rendering as a Photoshop file. The resulting file contains 5 separate, very useful layers: MODEL_FRONT (the foreground elements), BACKGROUND (the background elements), MATERIAL (a materials map, differentiating the materials in the scene by unique colors), OBJECT (like the materials map, only for objects),and ZBUFFER (a grayscale depth map of the scene). The first 2 layers combine to create the finished rendering, but it’s the last 3 layers that can be very useful for post-process editing.
If you don’t already own Photoshop, stop what you’re doing and order it now. If there’s one other tool you need to create great renderings, it’s Photoshop. We can open this rendering in Photoshop and quickly use the magic wand to select the ground plane in either the OBJECT or MATERIAL layers. We create a grayscale mask from this, then apply a glass distortion filter to it to give it more of a rough edge.
Next step is to combine the rendering with a real image of the site or a photograph of a neatly manicured lawn (via a quick trip to a stockphoto website). I located 2 suitable images, used the content-aware fill to extend and touch up some areas, blended them by setting one of them at 50% opacity, then brightened the result with an overlay layer. Grass is brightened by adding a new solid green layer, set to overlay at 28% opacity
The final result of the new grass added into the overall composition is pictured below. Much more convincing! Since this is a tutorial about adding grass textures, I won’t discuss the additional compositional elements, cropping, and other adjustments that could be done to this image in Photoshop to make it a fully realized architectural rendering.
Q 16: What is a good practice to make good use of those different mapsto make better looking gaps or displacement?
A: See Q 5.
Q 17: We've had a lot of problems with swimming pools in particular. If in the modeler the solid element (slab) for the water actually touches the walls around it then Artlantis shows a black surface when rendered. We've been doing a work around which is leaving the water short of the walls and floors of the pool by about 1 cm inorder to not have the black surface. Any suggestions?
A: Sometimes, a simple work around is the best solution! You might also try just using a flat plane for the water. I once talked to a person who was rendering an interior and was puzzled by the way that the exterior looked wrong through the windows, even though everything was oriented properly and set up correctly. As it turned out, she was using the “glass” refraction option in her windows’ glass Shader settings, which was warping the view of the exterior like a magnifying glass. This was quickly and easily resolved by simply changing the glass refraction option to “air.” Your issue might be related to something like this…some weird refraction happening at the water’s edge. If you think this is a bug, you should create a support ticket with the Artlantis technical support team. They would probably need an archived project file to diagnose the cause and offer a solution. To submit a support ticket on artlantis.com, use this link. Another option might be to try posting in the Artlantis forum.
Q 18: Good afternoon, in my experience with Artlantis I have a problem with exterior renders. In general, is there a simple way to make the default shader to look more natural, I mean imperfect, weary or grayed out?
A: See Q 13 and Q 15 (first half)…stacking alpha channel images on to materials. The repetitiveness of the brick wall in the example from Q13 is definitely broken up by the graffiti, but in your case, you will probably be using a more subtle pattern (maybe a light layer of patchy dirt/grime that is applied across the surface), with maybe a few additional one-off textures applied here or there to resemble pockmarks or imperfections. You can apply as many textures as you want over top of a material, and you can opt to have them simply operate as one instance, or repeat to tile across the surface. Also, keep in mind that when a texture is applied to a material, that texture can then be set to be 100% transparent and used as some other kind of map (such as a Bump map) by adjusting the relevant slider (such as the Bump slider). So, you can really stack up or layer a whole series of graphic effects onto a material to achieve just about anything you want for imperfections or weathering.
Q 19: Can you render the pool image we're looking at?
A: Here’s another look. Sorry, the high resolution version stays with me!
Q 20: Are Artlantis 4 and Artlantis Studio separate applications that need to be purchased separately?
A: That depends on what you need. Artlantis 4 is available in two separate packages: Render and Studio. Render creates still images only, while Studio creates still images plus dynamic content like animations, VR object movies, and iVisit 3D panoramic VR presentations. You can start with Render, and if you ever need to create any of the dynamic presentation content, you can upgrade to Studio for very close to the difference in cost between the two applications. Incidentally, they both use the same file format interchangeably, so an office team could easily use both Render and Studio on the same project files.
Q 21: Can ImageCels be incorporated in Artlantis?
A: Yes. According to the imagecels.com FAQ, their “images (people,trees, etc.) are 2D in the 32 bit .TIF (LZW compressed) file format with embedded alpha channel masks. They are placed against a 0,0,0 black background. Textures are 24 bit .TIF (LZW compressed),seamless and tileable.” TIF is one of the many file formats that Artlantis supports, including support for embedded alpha channels.
Q 22: What are good websites to get HQ textures?
A: There really are a ton of them. Our store, objectsonline.com, sells 6different volumes of Artlantis Shaders, but we do not carry any stand alone texture files. Marlin Studios is one old favorite. Another is TurboSquid. But, even with a site as huge as TurboSquid, I will often start my search by using Google image search, and then happen upon professional texture websites along the way, once I find the best example of a texture for whatever specific material I’m trying to create.
Q 23: I was an Artlantis user for many years and missed the latestupgrade path. In 4.1 can we re use all the shaders that we have for the past versions? (vol 1-10)
A: Artlantis has been around since the days of big hair and spandex (although being a French product, I’m not sure what was popular in Paris back then). When Artlantis was completely recoded and released in 2005, Abvent reset the version numbering to 1.0 and split the product into Render and Studio. Users of the legacy version, which had reached v.4.5, had a period of several years during which they could upgrade at a discount. Currently, users on Render or Studio v1.0 or later are eligible for a discounted upgrade to Render or Studio v4.1. Regarding the legacy Shaders, if the disc they came on is copyrighted year 2000 or later, there is still a chance they might work. Backwards compatibility was available for the legacy Artlantis Shaders volumes1-10, if they were released on or after year 2000. Although many of them still might work, they are not officially supported anymore. I’m not sure if yours will still work for you, but you could test that out by downloading the Artlantis 4.1 demo version, which runs without a serial number for 30 days. You would just need to copy your legacy Shaders into your programs folder…Artlantis/Media/Shaders/.
Q 24: Are postcards embedded in the project file, or do we need to transfer postcards to other computers where the project file is being worked on?
A: Postcards are separate JPEG files that are created in a project, but are saved outside of and operate independently of that project. Do not rename or edit them! They should normally be stored in your program's folder…Artlantis/Media/Postcards/. You will want to keep copies of the Postcards on any computer where you may later want to access them.You should also ensure that any Shaders referenced in a postcard also travel with the Postcard. See also Q 1, Q 2, and Q 12.
Q 25: What is the difference between reflection and fresnel settings?
A: The Reflection setting of a Shader controls one aspect of the Shader’s appearance: its ability to reflect light. The Fresnel Transition can, in effect, dynamically override or exaggerate the Transparency and Reflection settings of the Shader. In order for Fresnel to have any noticeable impact, there must be at least some level of transparency and/or reflectivity assigned to the material in the Shader settings. Fresnel will increase a material’s apparent reflection/opacity as a surface is oriented more obliquely, angled to face away from the observer. Conversely, a material’s apparent reflection/opacity is reduced as a surface is oriented more tangentially, angled to face toward the observer. When a material is assigned a low Fresnel Transition value, the apparent differences between the material’s reflection/opacity, when viewed at different angles, are exaggerated. When a high Fresnel Transition value is used, the differences are minimized. The following images illustrate these differences.
High Fresnel setting viewed at different angles…minimal differences
Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do. Kelly Nedderman: Well, I do quite a lot of things. I am a surface/textile designer (mostly commercial work in fashion and home), artist, jewelry designer, and I teach metalsmithing at The Crucible and Academy of Art University. My work has been included in a handful of publications and I have exhibited nationally. I came to the San Francisco Bay Area over a decade ago for school and never left. For the last several years I have been self-employed and really thrive on the multitude of possibilities that it offers with regards to projects and people.
Novedge: What are some of the rewards and challenges of owning your own business? Kelly Nedderman: Some of the best parts of owning your own business are also the most challenging parts. Schedule flexibility is a huge plus for me. It is also a huge challenge to hold yourself accountable and stay on track. The ability to choose projects is wonderful, but when you are in between things and the paychecks are not rolling in, it can also be nerve racking.
Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on? Kelly Nedderman: One of my current projects is a collaboration with a local wallpaper company. The pieces will be for commercial interiors such as restaurants and hotels. While I create repeating imagery every day, this project is a bit different. The patterns will end up being 52” across with no vertical limits, so I can design something to float in the center of the wall or something that is 15 ft tall. It’s exciting.
Novedge: What software do you use? Kelly Nedderman: In my line of work, I primarily use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Nedgraphics. Nedgraphics is a CAD program specific to textile design that facilitates the development of repeats, wovens and knits. These programs allow me to draw and develop repeating patterns ready to be printed by clients onto thousands of yards of fabric or wallpaper. I also do hand illustrated artwork for graphic t-shirts. Recently, I took two great courses in Rhino, and am learning to model jewelry designs that would be very difficult to execute in metal, mainly because of their crazy shape and size. I have also been playing around in Hex Fiend, GIMP and Audacity and using them to “break” tiff and jpg files in interesting ways to produce new imagery for my designs.
Novedge: Where do you find inspiration for your work? Kelly Nedderman: Just about everywhere. Magazines, blogs, photos… even just walking around, but the more offbeat the better. I have a soft spot for silhouettes, textures and magazines from the UK.
Novedge: You are the Co Director of Programs at the San Francisco Bay Area Metal Arts Guild. What is the Guild and what does it do? Kelly Nedderman:The Metal Arts Guild of The Bay Area is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting the recognition of metalwork as an art form and offering Bay Area jewelers and metal artists a network of information, education and support. That’s the official answer, but it is so much more than that. It’s a community, support group, and network of friends. We organize artist lectures, museum tours, exhibits and workshops all aimed at inspiring the group. We have around 250 members of all ages and backgrounds. From the student to the retiree and the hobbyist to the large business owner… The guild provides a common ground for all of those who love making and exchanging ideas.
Novedge: How important is it for professionals to be involved with their community? Kelly Nedderman: I think it’s incredibly important. We were all beginners once. I was very lucky to be able to work with and learn from people making their living doing what their passion was. It had a huge impact on me. I try very hard to encourage students and professionals to get involved. Another great benefit of community is feedback and interaction. Our lives and creativity do not happen in a vacuum... I think people forget that even just being in an office environment is still a community. The office community is the one most people are familiar with, but we need to branch out past that. I have had some amazing brainstorming sessions with new people whom I have met at events and many of my clients have found me through word of mouth and my network. Take the time to get outside of your bubble!
Novedge: How are new technologies changing jewelry design? Kelly Nedderman: One of the most obvious ways is that a fine jewelry store can have most of its inventory exist digitally now. They will have some great samples that customers can touch and try on, but without having so much money invested up front. For someone who is more into the sculptural aspect of jewelry, like myself, 3D printing and laser cutting allow for an amazing level of experimentation. Forms that are extremely challenging or maybe impossible to create in metal, can be worked out with relative ease and then manufactured in a huge variety of materials. This grey area where traditional skills and new technologies meet is very exciting right now.
See more of Kelly's work on Flickr and don't forget to join our Rhino Jungle community, if you are a Rhino user.
Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do. Chris Waner: First, I wanted to say thank you for putting the time and energy into creating a forum for showcasing and inspiring students and professionals. I know how much work goes into that.
It wasn't so long ago that I would have said that I was a 3D visual effects artist. But over the last couple of years I've been forced to abandon that description because if I honestly assess what I do, I have to admit that the term 3D visual effects is too narrow. Nowadays I find that I'm called upon to design--design for anything and everything; design for print, web, interactive, packaging, do style frames for commercials, write copy, even compose music or do a costume design. Of course I still do visual effects; I still love visual effects, but quite honestly it has simply become another tool for enhancing a broader creative endeavor. Because I work for agencies, studios, and direct-to-client, I'm forced to view what I'm creating in light of the client's larger and more generalized brand trajectory. I call this kind of work principle creative, and quite honestly it took me a while to figure out that this is the kind of work I wanted.
I've always been in the arts in some way, but somewhere along the road I decided to follow after other goals; I received a degree in English Literature and Secondary Education, taught for a while, and left because the politics of education were more than I wanted to deal with. And after a five year hiatus I came back to design. I started doing personal projects to get a small portfolio together, did some free work for people I knew, and used that work to become a junior graphic designer at a print house in Tulsa, OK. I then leveraged that work into a freelance children's book illustration job. Then took that portfolio to NYC, received my MFA in digital media, and became a visual effects artist.
Now I help people move their businesses forward in beautiful ways, and I love it.
Novedge: How do you find inspiration to stay ahead of the curve? Chris Waner: As cliche' as it might sound, inspiration is everywhere. I was inspired by a kiwi fruit at lunch today; I had some fun looking at a shadow on the wall that resembled Kermit the Frog. On a more pragmatic level I've always considered staying up-to-date in design, color, technology, and cultural trends a part of my job. I unapologetically spend at least an hour a day looking at others' work, new technology, industry news, design blogs, etc. Ultimately, I'd have to say that what inspires me to stay ahead of the curve is the desire to create great work more efficiently. From a technological point of view, I want tools that are fast, efficient, and flexible; from the art/design side I see the work of others as iron sharpening iron, taking unrefined edges off my own sensibility. There's an efficiency that comes with refinement.
Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on? Feel free to talk about more than one project! Chris Waner: Certainly one of the most interesting and unusual projects that I've done was for Stark Collective, a start-up agency in Kansas City. On the surface the project was pretty straightforward, a launch video that spoke to the agency's intellectual ideals. However, the project was novel for a couple of reasons. In the first place the typical internal brand identity for agencies is white, graphic, and minimal. Stark, whom I would find as time went on to be breakthrough in a number of areas, had chosen a look that was black, raster, and active. In the second place, and perhaps even more astonishing, Stark did not want anything even remotely didactic but, rather, something abstract, even esoteric.
Unlike many launch videos where the plain communication of core values is sufficient, Stark wanted a visual piece that spoke symbolically and even emotionally to those values; and especially visually they wanted to avoid a concrete or literal exposition. This, I think, is a powerful way to work, a resonant method of communicating ideas, and a very modern, forward-thinking approach to design. As it would happen one of the reasons I was asked to work on the Stark launch video was because of a piece that I co-directed and executed with Claudia Chagui, a brilliant creative located in Chicago. The piece was for a Kansas City organization called CinemaKC, who is dedicated to providing a forum for local film makers. In that piece we told the story of an idea that grows, blooms, takes flight, and finally finds an audience in the land of CinemaKC.
This symbolic storytelling caught Stark's attention, and I was brought on to design and execute a piece that encapsulated their creative philosophy. I did a few style frames, and to my amazement they just said, "Okay, go crazy."
That level of trust is utterly uncharacteristic of, well, really any client I've ever had, and that this client was an agency really kind of blew my mind. The one challenge thrown into the mix was that the piece needed to be a minute and a half long, and after the boards were complete I only had a little over four weeks to create it. Thanks to Bazillion Pictures in Kansas City who provide some much needed support in production, manpower, and infrastructure, we completed on time and on budget. The response to the launch video has been great, and Stark, mostly due to its own talent and perspective, is thriving with a host of new clients, in spite of the fact that as of the writing of this, they are only a little over a month old.
Novedge: What software do you use? Why? Chris Waner: I've found that different software applications approach the same problem from different points of view. I recommend downloading free trials of everything, and see what feels right. Adobe has really cornered the market for suite based workflow and is an industry standard. For me the folks at Alias|Wavefront just spoke my language back in 2002-2003 when I started on Maya 4.5. Maya is still my app of choice because it strikes a nice balance between a procedural and artist-driven workflow (yes, artists drive procedural processes too). In the near future I see Houdini making a real in-road in the middle range commercial market; it's procedural tools are second to none, and I can see real possibilities because it has all the pieces in place to solve one of the major hurdles in commercial work, rapid iterations--turning versions on a theme around quickly for approval. I'm hoping to dive into Houdini in the near future. Finally, I can't leave out RealFlow. Although very few of my projects start out needing fluids, I find that I often end up there; I'll be in Maya thinking, "Hmm...how should I make this effect," and I'll realize that RealFlow has a tool to get me there.
Novedge: What are the rewards and challenges of working freelance? Chris Waner: I think anyone considering going down the freelance road should remember that freelancing is not one job but ten. As a freelancer it is challenging enough just completing projects, keeping track of hours, billing, keeping and organizing receipts, dealing with clients, etc., but people who are successful at it must also keep pounding the pavement, so to speak, looking for new work, meeting new people, making new connections, keeping up with existing clients, promoting recently released work, and many other things. I think in many ways freelancing is much more similar to running a small business than being a visual effects artist, illustrator, designer, or whatever; you are CEO, CFO, CMO, and the grunt labor in many cases.
The market makes a big difference too. The market in NY or LA is very different than it is in KC, for example. One market might let you specialize where another market might demand that you generalize. In my market in Kansas City, I will go from being an Art Director or a Creative Director, to a motion graphics artist or visual effects TD, to an interface designer or print designer within a month or two. Freelancers need to know their market in order maximize their offerings.
That might seem like a whole lot of trouble, but freelancing has it's perks too. Quite often it carries with it a lot of creative freedom. If you work from home, your commute is shorter. Many costs are reduced like transportation, food, and there are many tax benefits if you are organized and researched on how to take advantage of that. Quite often freelancing carries with it a higher money-to-time-spent-ratio than a traditional staff position. You rarely have to deal with the same difficult personalities for very long; often I can work when I want to in the day, I sometimes get to work when I want to in the week (i.e. a day off now and again), and on rare occasions I can just turn down a job that seems, well, torturous. You can't tell your boss at work that you're not going to do that job because it looks boring...unless you're wanting to become a freelancer really soon.
Novedge: What would you say to young people who want to work in the visual effects field? Chris Waner: After graduating with an MFA from Pratt in NYC, I went on to teach courses in visual effects to undergraduate and graduate students. I have a real heart for those who are learning and a desire to help them make the jump from academia to the workforce. I say that because it's true and because I'm about to dodge this question. This industry is changing so much and so fast that it is almost impossible to answer this question without feeling that I might have led someone astray. The only comments I can really give young people starting out in this industry is to first, be self-reflective about what you want and why you want it. The design/visual effects industry needs people who are serious about their art and/or science, are willing to work hard, and are also level-headed enough to know when they are being abused. And second, I might get some emails about this one, don't feel like you have to do the NY or LA thing to have a happy and rewarding career. I started in NY, worked on some big jobs with big clients and agencies on their terms, but I left after six years because there's more to life than that. Now three years later I'm starting to work with bigger clients and agencies from NY and LA again, but this time I work my own way. Some of my favorite projects, and the best projects, were for clients that most people would call "small." There are some local business people out there with great vision and also some brave people who will follow you in your great vision for them. The world is a big place, don't settle for a small box.
See more of Cris Waner's work on his website and Vimeo channel.
Today we talk to Lukas Filip, a member of our online community, Rhino Jungle. The dreamy quality of his renderings caught my eye and I asked him to share a bit more about what he does.
Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do
Lukas Filip: First of all, I’d like to thank you for choosing me for this interview and for giving me this opportunity. My name is Lukas Filip, and on the forums I am known as “Yosi”. I’m from Slovakia, and I am 27 years old and live in my hometown Kosice. After finishing Secondary Technical School of transport I decided to get a degree at Technical University of Kosice in Civil Engineering, which is where I found out all about CG. As for what I do, I am currently at the end of my part time job as seller and designer at a kitchen studio, and beginning official cooperation with Matus and Veronika Nedecky’s at Flying Architecture visualisation as a CG artist.
Novedge: Your work has a certain "dreamy" quality: can you talk about how you approach your images to create this effect?
Lukas Filip: I’ve never thought about it that way, this is kind of hard to explain... Generally, I follow no strict rules. I usually go with my feelings, instead of relying on exact repeatable steps. My melancholic nature might be the cause of this "dreamy" quality. I’m a lover of cold weather, frosty days, dense fog, and mountains half-clad in heavy clouds and so on. Not that I dislike sun or anything.
Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?
Lukas Filip: That would be Traditional Housing in Slovakia. After visiting one of these houses I got enchanted by the simplicity of this project, use of raw rood, this so-called "return to our roots." I am starting to feel a bit fed up with glossy and flashy looks in architecture, and prefer simplicity over complexity, use of neutral-coloured matte materials and so on. My main objective was to create something that would make you feel you are part of the nature and give it certain fairy-tale feel (what is better suited for a fairy-tale scene than a lovely wooden cottage at the edge of a forest?). The moment I decided to work on this I knew what the scenes should be about, colours, composition and all.
The early morning scene is my personal favourite; it has everything I love – the time is just before sunrise (I am an early riser), it has my favourite colour tones - shades of blue/cyan with rich green grass, dense fog engulfing the valley and so on... The day scene is more traditional, lots of light and a little girl chasing a deer. Who wouldn’t want to live in such environment? I have to be careful though, for this could backfire just as well; some people might actually imagine a lonely wolf instead of a lovely deer, with the chase thing being the other way round, that would be a big no-sell material!
Novedge: What software do you use? Why?
Lukas Filip: Some six years ago I made my first render using Archicad. Continuing to Artlantis Studio 2.0 I tried to gain more knowledge and enhance my work. Experimenting led to passion and I found myself craving for more, constantly unsatisfied with my results. During this time I learned most of the basic stuff, the need for good lighting and the basics of texture mapping. I eventually ended up using Rhinoceros 4 and V-Ray. Why? It is very user friendly, it doesn’t require a NASA-built power station, it is stable enough, and when a new version comes out, it actually is a new version, not a bunch of service packs packed into a prettier coat. With a V-Ray plugin for rendering and Photoshop for post processing it gives me everything I need.
Novedge: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Lukas Filip: I’d say everywhere: just observing life around me. While shopping, sitting at cafeteria, trekking, reading books... And of course in works of famous CG artists, like matte painter and concept artist Raphael Lacoste, or Viktor Fretyán (MIR).
Novedge: Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming projects?
Lukas Filip: As I mentioned before, I’ve never been satisfied with anything I created in my CG portfolio, some I even dislike. There are several personal projects in my mind right now. Some I hope to finish by the end of this year, maybe even a re-mastered version of one of my older projects ;-). Then there are one or two much more complex projects, in terms of time, research and skill needed that will require several years of mere preparation. The theme itself is very famous and if actually finished, it would not be part of my usual architectural portfolio.
If you want to see more of Lukas's work, check out his online portfolio and connect with him on Rhino Jungle.
Vincent Gault is not only a talented artist, but has a great sense of humor. Here he is eating "angrily" a cricket candy!
Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do.
Vincent Gault: Hey, my name is Vincent Gault, I am (now) an Art Technical Director and (sometimes) a game designer at UBISOFT. I was lucky enough to start my career at UBISOFT Montreal five years ago, and I have now been part of the Barcelona studio team for one year.
Basically, my job is to make sure that the artists I work with can unleash their talent, within the reality of real-time constrains. Thus, it is a collaboration with the art team to define what we want to achieve, and how we can do it.
Novedge: Ubisoft is known for working with new technologies. How do you find inspiration and stay ahead of the curve?
Vincent Gault: There are two aspects to this. From a technical point of view, we indeed have to stay up to date with the evolution of different technologies, and how it can be relevant for us, or if it can fit with actual hardware capabilities. Artwise, it's easy to find an infinite amount of inspiration nowadays. I am trying not to focus only on videogames or CG art : photography, classic art,movies, sculpture, etc... There so much to look at ! Of course the other games, and all the indie game community, are a great source of inspiration as well.
Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?
Vincent Gault: With the engineering team, I mostly use 3ds Max, ZBrush and Photoshop. They are really powerful and well known softwares. 3ds Max is used at lot at UBISOFT. I like the fact that the scripting language is really powerful, and that it allows me to build interesting tools for the artists. While I don't consider myself as a good artist, I just love ZBrush and I do some scripting in it as well: this software has no limit, except the imagination of the artists. I am lucky enough to be in close contact with the Pixologic team, as I was one of the tech beta tester of the 4th version.
Novedge: How many people do you usually coordinate? What are the rewards and challenges of leading a team?
Vincent Gault: I don't directly lead people, but rather, the tech side of their job. It can vary from 3 to 10 people. I think the reward comes from the mutual respect you can build with a team: in order for people to follow my guidelines, and sometimes to accept making some concessions on their work, they have to trust me and to be sure that if I ask for these concessions, it's because the result will be better in the end. There is no real leadership, without a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.
Novedge: What innovations do you see in your field?
Vincent Gault: A lot! Optimizing the production pipeline, so the artist can focus on art rather than anything else is the final goal. Also, real time lighting and rendering, will be one field that will greatly improve in the coming years.
Novedge: What would you say to young people who want to work in the video game industry?
Vincent Gault: Be passionate about what you do, but stay open to any kind of art. Mastering your art is more important than the tools you are using. Go on the net and look at the best artists you can find. Train a lot, post your work online to receive feedback: it can be hard sometimes, but it's one of the best way to improve. Don't put only Orcs and Space Marines in your portfolio ;-) Show that you have your own style, but also that you are able to adapt to different kinds of art directions. Participate in a small game project: it may be one of the best and most relevant experiences for your portfolio. Between the indie and mobile market, it's now easier than never.
You can read Vincent's writing on his blog, in French, or follow him on Twitter and Google+.
Did you watch this week's Novedge Webinar? Michael Gunther-Geffer introduced us to high-end surface modeling in Rhino with VSR Shape Modeling. You can watch the entire live recording on our YouTube and Vimeo Channels.
A few of your questions went unanswered because of time constraints, so we sent them to Michael, who provided us with the answers.
Q: Can you do curvature analysis on the mesh? In Alias I use this to layout my primary surfaces.
A: We have e.g. a section command with curvature analysis on top, but the result is not smoothed, and therefore probably useless on meshes.
Q: Is there a function similar to the detach command in Alias?
A: As far as we can judge, the Rhino Split function covers this functionality, therefore we don't see a need for a VSR function doing that.
Q: Can you work with meshes resp. scan data?
A: We have several functions allowing the creation of curves and surfaces on top of meshes. You can sketch curves on meshes, modify curves or surfaces on top of a mesh, create surfaces on a mesh and so on. We can also select areas of a mesh (curvature based), and trim, split or create a new mesh from this area.
Q: These values are indicative of the level of tangent or curvature different from CATIA values or Alias. In other words, the curvature of the value of 0.1 in the VSR, corresponds to 0.1 in the Alias and CATIA?
A: For Position and Tangency we use the same result values as you know from ICEM or ALIAS. For curvature we use a bit of a different numerical result display. You can have a look into our online manual coming with the plug-in, there you will find a detailed explanation. In general you can say, 0.0 is perfect, other values are showing the relation of the curvature on both sides to each other. But we have also other analysis for this, e.g. you can cut radial sections with a curvature graph on top between both edges.
Q: Is it appropriate to discuss the use of the "Adopt" option in the "Surface Align" tool?
A: The "Adopt" option takes over the parametrization from the reference surface on this edge. It therefore aligns the control point distribution of the surface to match to the control point distribution of the reference, often leading to a better matching result.
Q: And is there some way to change color of section on mesh and surface ? I use very often in icem. And smooth?
A: Smooth command is already developed, and will be in the next Shape Modeling major release (3.0) in Q4 this year. We created an enhancement request for different colors for sections on meshes and other geometry. Meanwhile you could create two section analysis, selecting the meshes for one, and the rest of the geometry for the other analysis, defining two different colors for them.
Q: Is there in VSR something to extrapolate? A: Yes, in the control point modeling there is an option "Extrapolate", allowing dynamic extrapolation of a curve or surface.
Q: Hello there, which is the "best" density of triangles for a scanned mesh from a 3D scanner, in order to work later creating surfaces? I am using a NextEngine scanner. A: Sorry, unfortunately there is no general answer for this question. It depends on the shape of the object, and the needed quality for the reverse engineering.
Q: Can you get a color map of the deviation between the surface and the mesh vs section lines? A: Color mapped deviation will come with Shape Modeling 3.0 in Q4/2013.
Q: Can you make a surface from points only? A: No, we need a triangulated mesh. But for Rhino 5 there are some free plugins available to triangulate a point cloud to a mesh.
Q: Can we become a beta user of the new release? A: Of course, customers and people giving valuable feedback on our plug-ins are always welcome as beta testers.
Q: I need smooth surface from the points but as close to the points as possible. A: This is exactly what our smooth function will do. It is always a compromise, though, and depends heavily on the quality of the points. If the quality of the points is poor the surface may not become smooth, when the deviation is very low.
Q: In Catia you can match a surface projected on top of another without trimming. Basic matching on top of a surface instead of the edges. The question is are you guys planning a tool like that? A: This is already implemented and will be available in Shape Modeling 3.0 in Q4 2013.
Do you love webinars? Check the upcoming webinars in the Novedge Webinar Series here.
To order your copy of VSR Shape Modeling, click here.
Learn more about Virtual Shape, the makers of VSR Shape Modeling on their website.
To connect with other VSR and Rhino users, join our Rhino Jungle community
Did you miss yesterday's webinar with Brian Hillner on Bunkspeed Pro? Don't worry, you can still watch it on our YouTube Channel. All our webinars are always available online and free of charge.
The questions from the audience were so many that David Randle from the Bunkspeed team took some time to answer those we couldn't fit in our live broadcast. Here they are.
Q: What hardware
is the demo being run on?
A: Brian [Hillner, the webinar presenter] is using a
machine with 2 Fermi based GPU's (1x Quadro 6000 and 1x Tesla C2070)
and is running at a resolution of 2560x1600px. It is a single CPU,
12GB RAM configuration.
Q: How
significant is the performance between Fermi and Kepler architecture?
A: As of right now,
performance on Kepler is only fractionally better than Fermi. iRay
(the renderer we use) is still undergoing improvements to leverage
the massive hardware performance gain of the Kepler architecture.
Also, keep in mind that although Kepler is only fractionally faster
than Fermi, the Kepler cards consume 30 - 40% less power so they are
much more efficient.
Q: What are the
options for sending Pro/E geometry to Bunkspeed?
A: We have a free
plugin available here
that allows you to push your geometry directly from Pro/E or Creo
into our products. We have a version going live soon that also
supports Creo2.
Q: Please explain
the functionality of Powerboost...
A: PowerBoost is a
separate product which gets installed on a dedicated “rendering”
machine. When installed, it allows users within a workgroup to send
their renders (via queue) to the dedicated PowerBoost machine to
render. This allows users to keep working on their desktops and never
have to wait for a render on their own machine. As a note, PowerBoost
connectivity is only available in our Pro and Drive products
Q: Is there a
limit on how many GPUs Bunkspeed can use?
A: Pro is licensed
for up to 2 GPUs but it can be configured to use up to 8 in a single
machine. More info about how to do this can be obtained from your
Novedge sales contact who can work with us to get you what you need.
Q: How come queue
doesn't work?
A: Queue should
function just fine. If it isn't, I would suggest approaching
support@bunkspeed.com so we can make sure it is working for you.
Common issues are the result of port conflicts with Anti-Virus
software or licensing when using a floating version of Pro/Drive, as
Queue Service checks out a license and if that license isn't checked
back in (by stopping the Queue Service), then other users can't check
out Pro/Drive or Queue on another machine.
Q: Is it possible
to export the object and camera?
A: It is possible to
export your object as an OBJ or FBX right now via File > Export.
We are currently working on also exporting the camera data via FBX. This should make it into our next release. In addition, we also
support importing of animated FBX files...
Q: Did Bunkspeed intend to
use a live plugin for HDR Light Studio?
A: We currently have
a way to "live update" modification you make to an HDR in
HDR Light Studio using our auto-update feature. HDR Light Studio has
been busy working on their API to support our dev environment and
we are looking to have a tighter integration with their product as soon as
their work is ready.
Interested in Bunkspeed? Find out the details here.
Do you love webinars? Check the upcoming webinars in the Novedge Webinar Series here.
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.
The Moore Law is supplying us with an incredible and ever growing amount of computer power. There is so much computer power, in fact, that most of the time we use only a small fraction of what is available on our workstation. Why not use some of this unused power to improve our design and rendering processes? This is the idea behind the new V-Ray RT for 3ds Max, where RT means Real Time (more info on the Chaos Group website). The concept is simple: while you work as usual in 3ds Max (or in the future it could be Rhino 3D or Cinema4D) an application running in the background generates a high quality rendering of your current 3ds Max view. Move your point of view and the rendering will start a new image, pause for a second, and the rendered image will catch up with an incredible photorealistic quality. To get a better idea of how it works, I recommend watching this 10 minute video created by Peter Guthrie, an Architectural Illustrator/Computer Graphics artist based in London.
Enjoy!
Franco Folini
V-Ray RT VideoV-Ray products are available from Novedge
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