Steve Jobs, who died on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56, was well versed in architecture and design and according to the article a very inspiring client. The article makes mention of Jobs’ connection to the architectural office of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ). Jobs approached architect Peter Bohlin, FAIA, shortly after starting NeXT to commission him to design a small sales office in Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania-based firm–which now has offices around the country–took that commission and later designed Pixar’s Emeryville headquarters in California.

The article makes mention of Bohlin’s first impression of Steve Jobs and later comments that Steve was “a great client. He drove us hard to get it right. He always knew when things weren’t good enough…”

Peter Bohlin talks about Jobs’ vision for the Apple stores and even mentions his new home–which sadly Bohlin notes will likely never be built. Apparently, Jobs wife, Laurene Powell Jobs and his family may not follow through on Steve’s many year quests to demolish a regarded George Washington Smith house and build a modest modern home in its stead.

01 - An image capture of the PDF files for Apple's Apple 2 Campus as filed with town of Cupertino. The complete set of drawings and renderings is available for view.

Lastly, the article makes mention of the revealed plans for Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino, which Jobs pushed through the city council in June of this year. That building is not designed by Peter Bohlin’s firm and renderings of it have been viewed and harshly criticized by architectural critics. The Norman Foster designed structure looks like a giant spaceship slash donut. It is 2.8 million square feet and contains parking for 4,000 plus cars in its basement.

The master plan for the Apple 2 campus is interesting and concentrates building structure, thereby saving on open space. Research facilities and a very large parking structure adjoin the main structure. You can view PDF drawings on the Cupertino town website here. To read the full article on Record go here.

To recap this announcement, Graphisoft has announced a new mobile application for Apple’s iPad and iPhone for viewing BIM models using a powerful but easy to navigate user interface, fully controllable with Apple’s Multi-touch gesture technology. Additionally, the company announced a new website with deep Facebook and cloud storage integration.

Graphisoft BIMx – Beginnings

One of the more ironic developments since Apple developed the iPad is that its two largest Mac CAD developers, sister companies Graphisoft and Nemetschek Vectorworks, were apparently late to the iOS development game. But late is a relative term in this specific sense and is measured against their rival Autodesk, which developed an iOS version of AutoCAD at the same time it introduced AutoCAD back on the Mac.

For Graphisoft the decision to development an application for the iOS platform was never a question in itself but rather a series of questions about how to do it specific to the needs of its ArchiCAD users utilizing BIM (Building Information Modeling) around the world.

“As you know Anthony we have had Virtual Building Explorer around for a few years now,” said Akos Pfemeter, Director of Global Marketing, Graphisoft, “and it is a self-running environment enabling anybody to explore a full BIM model anywhere on any desktop.” “It works like a first person shooter game…easy and simple navigation.”

01 - Graphisoft's new BIMx application for Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch offers a visually stunning and responsive way to explore BIM models saved in the .bimx file format.

What Graphisoft has done with its BIMx application is essentially port over that code base to Apple’s iOS platform and optimize it for a touch-based user interface. It has also been tuned for performance, making it a very powerful complex BIM model viewer or, in another sense, a powerful 3D model viewer on iOS.

“The Apple iPad is very impressive,” said Tibor Szolnoki, “it is very capable of pushing around quite big models.”

Graphisoft BIMx – Details

Graphisoft’s BIMx application for iPad and iPhone is based on the same code base as its Virtual Building Explorer for the desktop. That application was originally developed in Sweden and acquired by Graphisoft for integration into ArchiCAD in 2010. BIMx is actually a suite of three applications. A desktop (BIMx) application is available for Windows and OS X which enables you to publish BIMx models from within ArchiCAD. And there is the BIMx desktop viewer application, for Windows and OS X, which can be freely downloaded to view BIMx models. Finally, there is BIMx for iOS, a free app that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store after September 20, 2011.

BIMx for iOS is compatible with iPad (1 and 2), iPhone (3GS or 4) and iPod touch 4th generation. Most users will enjoy this application on an iPad the most.

02 - BIMx on iPad in this image. The "joystick" is a dot on the lower right of the iPad's screen. With one finger you move it up, down, left or right to navigate just like in a first-person shooter (FPS) video game.

03 - BIMx has a simple and efficient user-interface with standard iOS options like drop-down menus. In this view the user has rendering setting options. In future versions features will expand.

Graphisoft created BIMx for iOS to extend BIM further noting that many users are now carrying iPads around as their primary mobility computing device. Akos Pfemeter noted that not all of the features on the desktop version of BIMx viewer are on the iOS version of it. But as both applications advance those features should emerge as one unified set relative to each platform’s capabilities.

Today you cannot turn on and off layers with BIMx for iOS. Data extraction from model elements is not yet supported. Some features on BIMx for iOS are unique to that platform. For example, based on the touch interface, double tap on any point in the model and the BIMx app will fly you there. Also there is an icon that appears on doors and a click on it will take you through the door.

next page: Graphisoft BIMx on iPad

Why a Web App?

Anthony Frausto-Robledo (AFR):  Over the years Architosh, and its readers too, have been following the evolution of the AIA Documents application with much interest hoping for a native Mac version. Why a Web application versus a real desktop application for the Mac?

Young Chang (YC): Everything we do is always based on user feedback and sound research. Our research has been showing, year over year, continued interest in the Mac, as well as the potential of a web based application to increase the accessibility of AIA Contract Documents to our users. Such an online version simplifies its maintenance and enhances the usability of the documents. We determined that the web based alternative was best for all users.

AFR:  So why and how did the online version come about?

YC: The major reason is because users are asking for anywhere, anytime access to AIA Documents.

AFR: And it also solves your Mac user demand.

YC: Yes.

AFR:  Can you give me some examples?

YC: Yes. Users want to be able to access AIA Documents not just at job sites but at client locations like client offices or at hotels while traveling. Being able to get to your contracts and modify them while away from the main office is very beneficial.

A New Approach to Pricing

AFR:  What are some other benefits of the new online version of the AIA Contract Documents Software?

YC:  One key benefit will be the new flexible licensing models. Right now there is just one way to get the AIA Documents package. Now we will have several packages, bundles and a pay-as-you-go model, which we think will be very popular.

01 - A preview view of the new AIA Contract Documents software web-based version online. The new online software as a service will bring great benefits to AIA members and customers of the AIA Contract Documents software, including the ability to work with the software from either Mac or Windows OS computers as well as new era devices like the Apple iPad.

In this tough economic environment having pricing flexibility is very key for our members and customers. Most architects are small firms, so we [the AIA] want to maintain and improve upon how we serve our members and customers with this new service. The online version of AIA Documents online will do that.

AFR:  What kind of packages are we talking about? Can you give me some examples?

Young Chang (YC): There are over 150 separate documents available. I doubt anyone uses all of them. If you are an architect you are going to use a certain set of documents over and over. If you are a general contractor you will use another common set. Therefore, we will have packages tailored to the needs of specific types of users of the AIA Documents software.

Next page: Apple, the iPad and Development Details

The ballots were separated into categories relating to: reference standards; information exchanges, including model view definitions (MVDs) and information delivery manuals (IDMs); best practices; and overview and guidelines, including updates to the NBIMS Version 1, Part 1.

Of the ballot submissions, 36 were complete entries and nine were “blue sky submissions,” or ideas that will need more input before becoming a ballot or going for a vote to be included in the standard.

Several of the ballot submissions, if approved by the voting membership, will significantly expand the current standard. For example:

A number of ballots identified tables from OmniClass to be used as referenced standards, including: Table 13 – Spaces by Function; Table 21 – Elements (Uniformat); Table 22 – Work Results (Masterformat), Table 23 – Products; Table 32 – Services; and Table 36 – Information Content. Much of the open BIM coordination in the industry is based on these tables and their coding structure.

Ballots proposed the addition of several information exchanges into the NBIMS. One of primary interest is the Construction Operations Building information exchange (COBie), which, if approved, would become an official standard through this consensus process.

One ballot would add the BIM Project Execution Planning Guide, Version 2.1, updated in May 2011, to the NBIMS. This guide has been used by numerous organizations across the industry to coordinate BIM implementation.

The ballot item comment period begins August 3 and ends September 1.

All members of the industry, including architects and engineers using the software; contractors interpreting the data being provided through the BIM; and software vendors developing BIM tools, may submit comments during the comment period upon becoming a member of the Project Committee.

Comments will be shared with the Project Committee; eligible members will begin voting on the ballots September 21.

To view the list of ballots
Or to Download a Project Committee Application Form

Consisting of four parts, this webcast series features case studies of noteworthy building projects and dives deep into legal and management aspects of IPD, BIM, and VDC. It also covers new product and service ideas.

The webcast series will be held simultaneously in cities around the United States.

“The DESIGN [realized] program will show how successful designers, builders, and building owner’s bring design aspirations to reality and achieve other significant project goals through the best use of process and technology,” says Tony Rinella, the curriculum developer for DESIGN [realized].

“Our presenters will share practical advice as well as techniques to avoid when implementing IPD and BIM on building projects,” he noted.

DESIGN [realized]

The four webcast events are:

• July 22: A Deep Dive into the Legal and Management Aspects of IPD and BIM. Features speakers from Harness Project Solutions, Hanson Bridgett, and Zurich North America
• August 26: New Strategies and Services from the Beck Group and Lucchesi Galati Architects
• September 23: The Inside Story of Jesse H. Jones Hall Renovations with Morris Architects and Satterfield and Pontikes Construction
• October 28: The Inside Story of Seattle Children’s Bellevue Clinic & Surgery Center with NBBJ, Sellen Construction, The Seneca Real Estate Group and PCS Structural Solutions

“The multi-venue hybrid format we are using to deliver this series is an exciting new features,” says Rinella. “This approach brings national experts interactively into local communities and provides knowledge-sharing opportunities in group environments. It combines the benefits and economies of distance learning with satisfaction of first-person experiences.”

For each DESIGN [realized] event, speakers present to live audiences in “home” cities. Their presentations will be web cast simultaneously to venues across the US. Local venues will have facilitators to moderate group discussions and question/answer sessions with the speakers.

Tickets for the DESIGN [realized] event series can be purchased at this link.

Most local events will take place at local AIA venues. There are group rates available at the link above.

The latest version of solidThinking has over 900 improvements, ranging from small user-interface changes and workflow improvements to significant new features and capabilities in both the core product and the Inspired version with morphogenesis technology.

solidThinking 8.5, we will remind readers, is one of the world’s top class-A NURBS modeling programs. As Alex Mazzardo noted, “solidThinking is a real idea generator that promotes innovation due to its powerful modeling, easy-to-use rendering environment and interoperability with leading engineering applications.”  The product is aimed at product designers, industrial designers, style centers, marketing departments and architects and engineers.

New Capabilities

Version 8.5 is now a faster modeler, with up to 3x performance speed. Loading time with models, especially larger complex models, is halved. Frames per second shading of the model in real-time is 3x faster and select and deselect are quicker as well. There is a new improved Round tool, in most other similar applications known as a fillet tool. With the improved Round tool you get better handling of overflow and overlapping rounded surfaces, plus advanced options for shape control. (see image 01)

01 - solidThinking 8.5 has a new and improved round tool, with advanced options for dealing with overlapping rounded surfaces.

Another new feature is a new Face Extraction tool, for the creation of new faces from existing objects. There are now more snap shortcuts and construction aids, including a revised snap to tangent tool. These all make modeling faster and easier.

A new feature we really liked was the three-level selection methodology. Now in solidThinking 8.5 the first double-click on an object selects objects. A second double-click allows you to access parameters for those objects, and a third double-click allows you to edit vertices or control points.

The user-interface has been simplified for better navigation and scene organization. It is now possible to visualize if the selected objects are part of some groups in the Hierarchy Browser. And there is new and improved selection technology through the use of selection filters with the ability to sort for curves, surfaces, polymesh and pointmesh, et cetera, as well as clarifying selection of dependent and source objects for easier scene organization.

Better Rendering in solidThinking 8.5

One of the largest areas of improvement in solidThinking 8.5 is in the area of rendering. The accuracy of lighting is a major improvement and this includes its progressive, real-time rendering as well. (see images 02-03) In 8.5 there are new real-time photorealistic rendering options integrating raytracing and progressive rendering.

02 - solidThinking 8.5 has a greatly improved real-time rendering functionality, plus improved photorealistic rendering.

New reflection catcher technology adds a reflection below the model in a photorealistic rendering when the model is added to a back plate image. A new improved algorithm improves anti-aliasing in final renders and there is improved support for the calculation of indirect lighting.

03-solidThinking's interactive rendering shows improved handling of light.

You can play with this Flash-based web page to see the difference in rendering quality between version 8 and version 8.5 of solidThinking. Go ahead, we encourage you to explore this interactive graphic. For exploring the difference between version 8 and 8.5 with regard to anti-aliasing go to this page here. The difference is quite dramatic in this particular sample image.

New in version 8.5 are pre-built interior sets and ready-to-render lighting setups. This pre-setup work is very helpful to designers looking to quickly drop their model into an environment and do quick renders for study and evaluation. (see image 04)

04 - new pre-built sets with ready to go lighting help designers quickly test their models in fully rendered environments.

And the render materials library has been enhanced in solidThinking 8.5 with more than 300 new apply-and-render materials with default settings optimized for best rendering results. In an era where there is increased development activity in the area of simplified and instant photorealistic rendering, this new library enhancement is a timely response.

Next page: CAD Connections and Inspired 8.5 >

Global BIM Collaboration Event

On the 23rd of November, 2010, 11 colleagues from around the world, from Graphisoft, Tekla Structures, DDS-CAD and Arktec, will demonstrate the power of Open Collaboration without Borders. These 11 colleagues will be participating together, simultaneously, on a collaborative BIM project, utilizing the power of Graphisoft’s BIM Server with industry-leading, patent-pending, Delta Server(tm.) technology.

Operating from Boston, Budapest, Helsinki, Madrid, Munich, Oslo, and Sydney, this global team will host a live webinar about BIM collaboration. You are very encouraged to join if you:

• If you work in a design team as an architect, engineer or consultant
• If you need to coordinate your design with other disciplines
• If your operations are geographically spread out, or
• If you need to remote access to your BIM project data, or
• You are simply interested in seeing the benefits of leading-edge BIM technology now.

Event Details: World Clock-World Time

This global event (webinar) is truly global, taking place at: 8:30-9:00AM (London time), 3:00am – 4:30am (New York, EST, time), and 7:00-8:30PM (Sydney, Australia time). Those on the East coast of the US will truly feel how global this event is–as they have the hardest hours to attend with.

01 - Join 11 colleagues live as they collaborate around the world on a BIM project using ArchiCAD and Graphisoft BIM Server with Delta Server Technology.

For those in the US, on the West coast in California the event takes place at 12:00AM midnight.

Register for the event here: http://www.graphisoft.com/community/press_zone/online-bim-collaboration-teaser.html

There is also a YouTube video teaser here.

Position Statement 31. Interoperability

“The AIA believes that all industry-supporting software must facilitate, not inhibit, project planning, design, construction, commissioning and life-cycle management. This software must support non-proprietary, open standards for auditable information exchange and allow for the confident information exchange across applications and across time. This is best accomplished through professional, public- and private sector adoption of open standards. The AIA encourages its members and other industry organizations to assume a leadership role in the ongoing development of open standards. ”

The AIA (American Institute of Architects) further notes, “We offer this as a challenge to other associations to take a similar position or to endorse the AIA’s statement.”

Why should AIA Architects Care?

The AIA is motivated to get the industry to understand the measurable loss of time and expense due to incompatible, proprietary file formats in CAD and BIM. “Overall productivity loss and fragmentation in the capital facilities development industries is no longer tolerable. Architects need to practice the best way they know, and practice profitably; software interoperability problems must not hold them back. Potential of loss of competition in the software market is not acceptable.”

Without software interoperability the AIA further states several problems the AEC industry, owners and architects in particular will face due to lack of interoperability. Some of these include:

• Waste in time, materials, energy and money will increase;
• AEC and owner productivity will continue to decline as data re-entry, document versioning and checking, and other workflow problems increase;
• Collaborative delivery models such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) will not deliver the benefits the profession anticipates;
• Architects may not be able to access files in the future without fear of loss of data or loss of whole file;
• Lack of competition may yield fewer affordable software solutions necesssary to support architects’ business practices;
• New software concepts, tools and opportunities may be marginalized if dominant software companies release interoperability features following their own agendas

The complete position statement is available in PDF here.

FileGenius

A bit of a play on Apple’s use of the word “genius” with its stores’ Genius Bars, FileGenius is meant to provide a truly easy, take-care-of-everything approach to large file transfer demands so common in the AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) market.

The product-solution is entirely Web browser based and works with all the leading browsers on both Mac and Windows operating systems. It features leading-edge security at 128-bit SSL encryption with servers entrenched into a highly secure and restricted environment.

The product is also “white labeled” meaning your cloud computing solution for file transfer can look like your own company’s branded environment. It features an intuitive file and folder interface that most users can manage without instruction.

FileGenius can handle the uploading and sharing of files up to 2 GB in size. This is much larger than many leading competing products. It can scale to any number of users so it is good for both small and large enterprise organizations. And you can create unlimited “private workspaces” for your clients, consultants and teams.

To learn more visit them here: http://www.filegenius.com/

With HP now picking up Stratasys 3D printing may be poised to enter the mainstream market and drive down 3D printer prices. This will enable more architects, product designers and engineers to prototype their computer-aided design (CAD)-based creations.

The house was constructed for a TV show, the BBC’s James May’s Toy Stories, where each episode focuses on the creation of ambitious projects using classic toys. Barnably Gunning, architect, used modo 401 to virtually create the LEGO house which consisted of over 3 million pieces. The house was designed in just two weeks and over 2,000 members of the general public and a dedicated team of volunteers physically constructed the house.

“modo 401 gave us a feel for the material quality of LEGOs as a large-scale building material long before we were actually able to put any of the components together,” said Gunning. “It made it easy for us to lay out exactly what we needed to build this structure and helped keep tabls on the number of bricks being used for each piece.”

To see some amazing photos of the LEGO house visit the Luxology website here.

solidThinking at Industrial Design Society of America Conference

One of the most important product and industrial design events in the world, the IDSA Conference will be host to solidThinking’s new products, including its new morphogenesis technology in its solidThinking Inspired 8.0 product. 

morphogenesis™, which draws its principles from nature and biomimicry, allows designers and architects to experiment with form generation while exploring and developing their designs. It is a key new technology that gives solidThinking a unique advantage in the product design software market. 

“solidThinking seeks to empower the design community with tools that will maximize creativity and design intuition,” said Alex Mazzardo, vice president of product strategy and marketing for solidThinking. “The annual IDSA conference provides the ideal international setting for thought leaders to bring to market fresh ideas and design concepts, and we’re particularly gratified to share the new and extensive capabilities of our recently launched software with the community.”

The new design and styling tools will be displayed at booths 1 and 2. solidThinking Inc. president Robert Little and Vice President of Product Development James Dagg will present the conference breakout session, titled, “Human Thinking and Computational Inspiration, New Challenges and Opportunities for Product Design” on Saturday, September 26, from 11:30am to 12:30pm in room Poinciana 2. The presentation’s corresponding white paper can be requested at:

www.solidthinking.com/morphogenesis and is also printed in the 2009 Conference Proceedings for show attendees. 

To learn more about solidThinking 8.0 and morphogenesis read some of the related reports here on Architosh (see below) and click here for a recent Product In-Depth feature article.

The new solidThinking version 8 base product has several important big new features and substantial improvements. At the heart of it, solidThinking’s class-A NURBS modeling capabilities are already tops but they too gain some important new functions. The new 3D manipulators were demoed for us and our impression was this was a key new improvement that existing solidThinking users were going to really like. You can work with the 3D manipulators on one, two or three axes and you can also give the exact size of the bounding box in all three axes. We especially liked the user interface components of these manipulators for translation and rotation. (see image 01 below)

01 - New 3D Manipulators make the modeling process easier and faster.

“The new 3D manipulators will make modeling faster for our customers,” said Alex Mazzardo, “which aligns with our product philosophy of helping designers investigate formal options quicker so they can advance their designs through design iteration.” And the enhancements to point, curve and surface representation during modeling creation is much improved.

An example of solidThinking 8.0’s power came through in a demo showing us how a curve that is the basis of a rotated element (like a bottle or vase) can be modified or edited vertex by vertex–or by any combination of segments of vertices–and get real-time rendered updates. (see 02-03 below). And you have point-editing with complete freedom even if you are keeping the Construction Tree.

02 - solidThinking allows vertex-by-vertex modeling editing while retaining the full functionality of the product

The combination of explicit modeling freedom combined with solidThinking’s unique Construction Tree history is one of the program’s strongest selling points. “You can still go back to the profile of an object and modify its parameters even though you have edited direct points,” said Mazzardo. In solidThinking you have both history-based parametrics and explicit modeling combined.

03 - A group of vertices can be edited and manipulated at once...in this case we are seeing a twist manipulation effect transform the bottle design.

Rendering is also a key new area for the improvements in version 8.0. There are new interactive visualization options, including wireframe on a shaded model and you have new options for applying environmental maps. This gives the designer additional levels of feedback. One of the new things you can do is render a window with partial completeness so you can get a sense of the quality of the design and/or render. We were impressed with the ease in which you can setup render quality levels for partial renders.

For example, you may choose to render a partial section of say a motorcycle and focus on the chrome areas at a higher level because of their reflections and refractions; on the otherhand you can quickly change those settings for another partial area for something less important. “The important thing is to give the designer the option to spend the time where it is needed,” said Mazzardo, “that way he can focus more on design.”

Next page we delve into morphogenesis and Architecture >

solidThinking 8.0 Inspired Debuts with morphogenesis technology

solidThinking 8.0 Inspired is a brand new product, an enhanced version of solidThinking that comes with brand new software technology. Inspired adds new morphogenesis technology which is a unique computational-based capability to design and form generation, very useful to product designers and architects.

Principles of Biomimicry

Drawing on the principles of biomimicry, the premier release of solidThinking 8.0 Inspired mimics the processes and physical laws in nature to help designers and architects generate forms and structures in response to environmental conditions, and leverage the results to stimulate their designs. 

01 - morphogenesis technology in solidThinking 8.0 Inspired - Technology mimics how nature reactions to environmental forces.

“Designers and architects have looked to nature for inspiration for some time, but until now they have been limited to visual studies,” said James Dagg, vice president of software development for solidThinking, Inc. “Because the processes and physical laws that influence natural forms are so complex, designers have had to rely on intuition when selecting and adapting biological forms as their sources of inspiration. With the debut of morphogenesis form generation in solidThinking 8.0 Inspired, designers are provided with an environment to replicate biological growth processes in nature where structure develops and takes shape in response to environmental stimuli.”

Using solidThinking 8.0 Inspired, designers can create design space models or import them from other systems. After defining environments around the models, designers can run the software’s morphogenesis feature to grow efficient shapes in response to these environments and form controls. Results can be used as loosely or literally as users wish while formalizing their designs. The morphogenesis feature ultimately acts as a complementary idea generator and inspiration for form.

02 - Coliseum design based on morphogenesis technology.

“The time is right for a 3D modeling software to take the conceptual design space to the next level,” said Alex Mazzardo, vice president of product strategy and marketing for solidThinking, Inc. “solidThinking software has always served as a vehicle for designers to generate, explore and interpret form in their own creative language. solidThinking 8.0 Inspired now brings nature and natural growth processes, the most fundamental sources of design inspiration, to the fingertips of industrial designers and architects – something that has never been done before – allowing users to springboard their ideas in directions they may have never previously considered.”

By getting nature to work for them using the technology within solidThinking 8.0 Inspired, designers and architects will be able to discover forms that are aesthetically interesting, unique and often unexpected while being well-adapted to their intended structural function. Forms created in solidThinking 8.0 Inspired are also typically very efficient due to an economized use of material and are less likely to be radically changed by engineers later in the product development process.

“solidThinking 8.0 Inspired is a testament to our objective to develop and market flexible, user-centric design/styling tools to aid in the industrial design process,” said Robert Little, president of solidThinking, Inc. “We are very excited to unveil a new dynamic that will surprise and intrigue designers and further stimulate their creativity. This is the beginning of much more to come.”

To further explore solidThinking 8.0 Inspired with morphogenesis technology visit the following links:

www.solidthinking.com

http://www.facebook.com/solidThinking

http://www.twitter.com/solidThinking

http://www.youtube.com/solidThinking

New Features in Cinema 4D R 11.5

• Superior Rendering Improvements – New bucket rendering and a significant retooling of the render engine itself lead to vastly improved render speeds an quality. R11.5 takes true advantage of the latest state-of-the-art multi-core processors and adds new render instancing.
• Enhanced Picture Viewer – the new Picture Viewer in R11.5 offers a vast set of new creative tools to reviewing and editing images and animations, including features like Render History with the ability to compare renders, plus image filters and adjustments, post filter effects and layer management. The RAM player enables users to play back animations with sound even while the rest of the job is being rendered.
• New MoGraph 2 – the new features for motion graphics include new MoDynamics, an optimized physics simulation package with hundred of objects that can be easily be made to collide or be affected by such forces as gravity or friction; plus PolyFX for providing quick and easy explosion effects; plus MoSpline for cloning existing splines and animating them with forces and effectors.
• Improved Interoperability – numerous improvements with R11.5 offer users better integration with programs like Adobe’s After Effects, including support for additional object types; support for Apple’s Motion now includes export of 3D data; plus support for Autodesk FBX 2010 allows for quick and easy interchange between a variety of 3D applications.
• Snow Leopard and Windows 7 Support – with R11.5 the company continues to build on its legacy of leading-edge support of the very latest operating systems. R11.5 is fully compatible with Apple’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard, including access to up to 64 GB of virtual memory. 

“MAXON is committed to providing powerful enhancements to CINEMA 4D that really improve the productivity of users across various disciplines, including film, broadcast, architecture, product visualization, games, multimedia and more,” states Harald Egel, MAXON co-founder and CEO. “The many improvements in the new Release 11.5 will help all customers gain even better results, save valuable time and resources.”

“CINEMA 4D gives my design team the ability to make miracles happen within ridiculously tight deadlines,” said John LePore, associate creative director for Perception NYC. “The new features and enhancements in Release 11.5, especially those in MoGraph 2, truly augment an already mind-blowing arsenal of creative tools.”

Cinema 4D R11.5 is available now, including the new MoGraph 2 module. To learn more visit them online or visit your nearest MAXON dealer.

To read a recent product review of Cinema 4D go here.

For those 3D users following US design software juggernault Autodesk, and their continued acquisitions, there have been some concerns that the healthy and competitive field of high-end 3D packages might collapse down with product integration. We have reported on Architosh that Autodesk states they have no such plans. But even if they did, rest assured that there are still several independent top-notch tool sets that vie heavily for technical dominance in this field. Maxon’s Cinema 4D is one of them.

In a previous review we took a broader look at the application. This review will be solely focused on the use of C4D AE v11 in the AEC visualization space. Maxon is a subsidiary company of German AEC software giant Nemetschek AG. As such it is a sister-company application to two leading BIM/CAD applications also under the German software giant’s umbrella: ArchiCAD and Vectorworks Architect. It also is a sister application to Nemetschek AG’s own ALLPLAN BIM software, the leading BIM software in Germany.

01 - C4D R11 has excellent built-in detection of new software with a streamlined ability to download updates including key plugins and updated help files.

From this view C4D AE 11 is made to work hand-in-glove with all three of these BIM packages. The product ships with plugin modules to support files from these BIM applications directly into C4D AE 11. Installing them is also quite simplified as the plugin modules are listed like other modules for C4D and are automatically discovered and downloaded by the application (see image 01 above)

Cinema 4D AE v11 – General Summary

C4D version 11 has two major applicable editions: Architectural Edition (AE) and Engineering Edition (EE). These are not to be confused with the “modules” of which there are presently eight different modules (available separately or in particular bundles). Modules vary from advanced and network rendering to hair and dynamics.

The Architectural Edition comes with several key modules useful to AEC visualization. These include the Advanced Render and Sketch & Toon modules, as well as the Architectural Extension Kit. The kit includes numerous tools and utilities useful to the Architectural Edition.

The Interface

Cinema 4D 11 features an impressive interface system. This UI system is the same one introduced in version 10 and as we mentioned in a previous review (see Architosh Review: Cinema 4D R10.5) the “program really is a GUI inside a GUI.” While some may find this awkward the beauty in this solution is it enables the Maxon developer team to focus development resources on features rather than code time on managing two operating system (OS) GUI environments. This is “only” beautiful when you consider the end result of this simplification on Maxon’s part and ask: “is this unified UI (user-interface) attractive and easy to work in?” This author’s opinion is a definitive yes.

02 - Mouse Move Activation and the very important Menu Popup Delays can be customized by speed differences in C4D R11, making this application unique in ability to control so much of the user interface.

For starters the flatter, multi-gray user interface is wicked fast! In fact you can customize the interface speed too! (see image 02) It also has that serious sexy look common to video applications and 3D tools like Luxology’s modo! The value of the gray interface is that color is special and stands out. A gray interface is also less intense on your eyes. (see images 3-4)

03 - The default light-gray user-interface option.

04 - The default dark-gray user interface option.

We want to spend a little bit of time on this interface before we plow straight ahead into this review’s real focus. While perhaps daunting at first sight and perhaps different than what you are used to, the Cinema 4D user interface system is powerful and easy to learn. Moreover, it is highly customizable, enabling the user to control palettes, menu items, icons and keyboard shortcut settings and even the colors of the interface features.

Nature has always been a source of inspiration, and particularly biological forms. While biological forms tend to be aesthetically interesting, they also tend to be efficient and highly functional because they are the product of environmental pressures. 

Today, new technologies enable architects and product designers to simulate some of the processes and physical laws in nature with software algorithms, thus helping to generate forms in response to environmental stimuli. 

solidThinking Workshop at CAAD Futures 2009

solidThinking will be hosting a free half-day workshop that will describe and demonstrate practical and visual examples of exciting new methods for architects and product designers to generate and explore biological forms that are aesthetically pleasing, often unexpected, and at the same time well adapted to their intended purpose. Each participant should bring their own laptop. 

Attendees at this workshop will be granted a 3-month license to solidThinking.

ArchiCAD START Edition

The husband and wife architect team developed two adjoining townhouses linked by a courtyard. The work showcases both their talent as designers and builders to provide a unique, eco-friendly property. To achieve their goals Jeff and Tracy Prose turned to ArchiCAD Start Edition, an affordable, entry-level of ArchiCAD the industry’s most utilized BIM product.

ArchiCAD Start Edition is an affordable, entry-level version of ArchiCAD designed for architects seeking to expand their business with building information modeling (BIM). It is has all the core design, 3D modeling and documentation capabilities of ArchiCAD, but with a feature set and price tailored to the needs of small architectural practices. It enabled a small firm like Building Arts Workshop to design two LEED Platinum buildings with software costing under $2,000

The shift from 2D CAD to 3D BIM software has been afoot in the AEC industry for several years and has gained acceleration as firms press for more energy-efficient designs. BIM software tools are more advanced than CAD systems and enable virtual-building models to be analyzed for energy gain and loss.

“ArchiCAD Start Edition lets us easily switch between a 3D BIM model and 2D plans using a single environment with a single file,” said Jeff Prose. “It’s a huge productivity gain. We can quickly pull the building apart in a 3D environment, drilling down deep into the elevation views and tiniest of details to identify potential work-stopping problems ahead of time. Using BIM in the design-build process fuses the tangible aspects of building construction while allowing the actions of invention and discovery to thrive.”

For more information: www.graphisoft.com

The Apple profile quotes several HBBH staff including Laroye who says in the article: “We’ve always been a Mac shop. In the business we are in, we like things to look good. But we also like things to do what they should, simply and effectively.”

To read this excellent Apple Pro story on one of Canada’s most esteemed architecture firms go here.

To read the interview go to:http://blog.novedge.com/2008/09/interview-with.html

The Novedge Blog by Franco Folini focuses on executive level interviews within the CAD and 3D industry.