In Brief

Adobe. The graphics software superpower released an interesting report that shows that people are increasingly accepting and viewing TV-like ad experiences on the Web. “Online video ad consumption is beginning to mirror that of traditional TV commercials”, says the report.  We find this interesting and note that companies doing marketing online should consider the ramifications of this news.

Adobe also previewed its upcoming Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium product, which includes major updates for Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects. Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 incorporates OpenCL support, a technology Apple invented and has embedded in its OS and promotes. To learn more.

G-Technology. Taking a giant leap for all Mac-Kind” says the news release, G-Technology announced at NAB it is shipping the industry’s highest capacity, two-drive Raid O, Thunderbolt storage solution. The drive is excellent for large file storage and is available currently in Apple Stores. A 4TB starting drive starts at 699.USD.

Avid. Honestly we are not sure what is happening with video on the Mac platform these days, with all the hoopla over the latest version of Final Cut. Avid has a new iPad tool getting notice called Avid Studio for iPad. And it looks good! Check it out (we have an image below).

01 - Avid Media Composer 5. Professional video editing software runs on Mac and Windows. (image courtesy of Avid)

02 - Avid Studio for iPad brings Avid technology to the mobile world of iOS. (image courtesy of Avid)

Avid of course still makes professional Mac video and audio software. Its Mac software line up looks to include: Media Composer 5.5 and version 6. With version 6 Avid is claiming it is the most versatile tool for professional video editing. Media Composer 6 is a true 64-bit app. And is a full open app thanks to Avid Open I/O. Additionally, it has support for working with stereoscopic 3D materials.

Avid Symphony 6 is also native for the Mac and the entire Symphony system is available in three ways now. As is its Pro Tools 10 audio software and its Sibelius 7 music notation software. And Musition 4 and Auralia 4, music theory software.  To learn more about Avid go here. http://www.avid.com/

Maxon. The CINEMA 4D folks were at NAB and showing CINEMA 4D R13 and all its abilities. We announced recently their Live video feeds so that users who could not attend NAB could watch their list of great artists talking about CINEMA 4D technology and how it fits into the studio pipeline.

Autodesk. Lastly, Autodesk was at NAB 2012 and introduced what they are claiming is a radically redesigned Autodesk Smoke video editing and effects software for the Mac. In fact, Smoke is just for the Mac and competes with tools such as Avid and Final Cut Pro.

Submissions will be accepted from 18 April 2012 to 16 August 2012, in the following categories:

• Rendering with Renderworks 2012
• Rendering with CINEMA 4D
• Monochromatic model (rendered in Renderworks or CINEMA 4D)

“We are excited to collaborate again with our sister company, MAXON Computer,” says Theresa Downs, communications director at Nemetschek Vectorworks. “It is evident that more and more designers are using both programs to create renderings, and we expect great things from the entries this year.”

01 - 2012 Inspired Visions Global Rendering Competition

The panel of judges includes Daniel Jansenson, principal at Daniel Jansenson Architect and author ofRemarkable Renderworks, from Santa Monica, Ca.; Tyler Littman, principal designer and owner of Sholight, LLC, from New York; Nicholas Dunand, freelance designer and sculptor, from Melbourne, Australia; Erik Recke, freelance architectural visualizer at Datenland, from Hamburg, Germany; Alejandro Nogueira, CEO at DECC Arte 3D from Tecamachalco, Edo. de Mexico, Mexico; and René Racz from Lichtmaschine Multimedia GmbH, Basel, Switzerland.

Prizes

2500.USD is on the line for the winner of each category and will be featured in official media releases from both companies and promoted on social media sites belonging to both companies. These include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

In addition, there will a “Fan Favorite” winner from all the entries, which will also be posted on the competition’s website with the other winners. Voting takes place directly on the site.

Designers may enter multiple categories. However, all entries must be built on a Vectorworks model. Interested competitors who lack the current versions of the software can request a free, 30-day version of Vectorworks with Renderworks software at http://www.vectorworks.net/trial/form or http://student.myvectorworks.net (for students), or they can download a 42-day free version of CINEMA 4D at http://www.maxon.net/downloads/demo-version.html.

To learn more, enter or vote for Fan Favorite, visit the competition site at: http://inspiredvisions.vectorworks.net

To do so simply tune in on April 16-19, 2012 at www.C4DLIVE.com.  You can see the lineup and schedule at the link above.

The company is touting its latest integrative rendering technologies and strategies for architectural designers to allow them to create world-class visualizations for their designs using a range of tools options within the Vectorworks – CINEMA 4D family. Because your Vectorworks and Class structures are preserved with you send your files to Maxon’s award-winning CINEMA 4D Visualize product suite, you will enjoy a level of design control that is impossible to match with competing products.

Focus on Getting Vectorworks Models Into CINEMA 4D Visualize

The webinar focuses on the fundamentals of getting your Vectorworks models into CINEMA 4D. Key items covered include:

• Exportation of Vectorworks and Renderworks files into CINEMA 4D Visualize using the Send to CINEMA 4D menu command
• Fine-tune your CINEMA 4D settings to create “unique” presentations
• Quickly create very sophisticated animations, walkthroughs and flyovers

This is a must event for Vectorworks based architects who either use Renderworks now or another tool for this kind of work. Today’s Vectorworks not only utilizes the Maxon CINEMA 4D rendering engine internally but has round-trip fidelity with the professional 3D package.

To sign up click on the banner ad for the event on Architosh or go here.

Aimed at bringing high-level production capable tools down to the little guy, IKinema, a UK animation technology company, has created WebAnimate.

WebAnimate is an all-in-one platform that can professionally retarget and customize through your browser. Based on the same IKinema technology that major studios use, like Framestore and 20th Century Fox, WebAnimate’s built-in toolset allows users to fashion rigs, manipulate bones, retarget/customize motion capture data and create animation all in the span of a few minutes. Best of all the price is free. To check it out go here

Maxon Re-Introduces Cineversity

The creators of CINEMA 4D have re-launched a brand new version of its premier educational online resource.  Introduced just before the holidays–which is a nice touch!–Cineversity is a redo of its online video tutorials website. The new site is designed around the latest web innovations and is aimed at simplicity and making it easy for artists to get the learning resources they need to master CINEMA 4D.

There are more online video tutorials than ever, a new searching capability and the ability for users to create playlists so they can customize their training. Maxon CEO Paul Babb stated: “We are committed to the CINEMA 4D community to provide educational material that will increase the artist’s proficiency and productivity.”

There are both free and paid membership levels. If you are a CINEMA 4D user or considering becoming one this is a must-see resource. To visit it go here.

Luxion updates KeyShot 3 Plugins

Also just prior to the holiday break, Luxion, the makers of KeyShot 3, introduced updated plugins allowing users of certain CAD and 3D applications to directly transfer 3D data into the GPU-based rendering application for Windows and Mac.

The world’s first real-time ray tracing and global illumination program, KeyShot 3 now has plugin support for the following applications:

• Creo 1.0
• Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3, 4 and 5
• Rhinoceros 4
• SolidWorks 2011 and 2012
• SketchUp 7 and 8

There are no costs for the plugins. The updated plugins can be downloaded immediately and installed within the modeling software supported. To learn more visit here.

Details

The CINEMA 4D export appears directly in the After Effects export menu and generates a .c4d file containing 3D layers, cameras, lights, solids, nulls and footage. Even nested compositions are supported. All major layer attributes including animations (rotation, position, parameter, anchor points, POI, etc.), expressions, layer parenting, layer locking and layer visibility are retained. Render and document settings in CINEMA 4D are adapted accordingly to the After Effects’ project settings.

“The After Effects-CINEMA 4D workflow is the proven choice for top motion design studios worldwide seeking to easily integrate their 3D and 2D workflows,” commented Harald Schneider, managing partner and CTO at Maxon. “We are pleased to offer our customers this new After Effects export plug-in so they can benefit by the increased speed, efficiency and tight integration between these two powerhouse software packages.”

“CINEMA 4D is a 3D package After Effects users have already come to know and love because of its seamless integration into After Effects,” said Steve Forde, product manager for Adobe After Effects. “The ability to bring assets the other direction as well will certainly enhance productivity and further solidify CINEMA 4D as an ideal 3D solution for motion graphics artists.”

Pricing and Availability

The new CINEMA 4D R13 exchange plugin compatible with Adobe After Effects CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 is immediately available as a free download from the Maxon website. (www.maxon.net/afterfx-e)

To learn more about CINEMA 4D visit Maxon online here.

“This competition shows the impressive results users can achieve in rendering Vectorworks models within Renderworks and/or CINEMA 4D,” explains Dave Donley, Rendering Manager at Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc., “We are continuing to work on technologies which further strengthen this partnership.”

“We are extremely pleased with the results of this competition,” says Friederike Bruckert, Director of International Sales at MAXON Computer GmbH. “The winners invested a great deal of passion and energy into their entries, which serve as an inspiration to aspiring and seasoned designers.”

There entries were extensive and from around the world, representing talent in countries from Germany, the US, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. All valid entries were evaluated by a jury and a panel of judges, and “Fan Favorite” was chosen by public vote. The winner in each category will receive a 2,500.USD Visa gift card. The Winners are:

• CINEMA 4D Animation Winner: “Modern ubook-kitchen” by Sina Grage. Grage is a student in northern Germany at the University of Muthesius Kunsthochschule Kiel, and she now works for Feuepfeil Design GmbH in Hamburg.
• CINEMA 4D Rendering Winner: “Dinner @ Panorama Tower” by Lmcad Estudios de Animacion. Located in the Dominican Republic, this firm specializes in architectural renderings and animations.
• Vectorworks Renderworks Winner: “Soundstone – house of music Render for a Master thesis” by Nicolai von Stromberg. Stromberg is a student at the Georg Simon Ohm Hochschule in Nuremberg, Germany
• Fan Favorite Winner – “Floating Olympic Village” by Julian Finke & Lena Dietrich, University of Applied Sciences, Detmold, Germany.

For images of the winning entries please visit this link. To view the winning animation go here on YouTube: http://youtu.be/tRlEzyqtWw0

“CINEMA 4D R13 is supercharged with numerous productivity enhancements that cater to the multi-collaboration challenges our customers face every day,” said Harald Egel, founder and CEO of Maxon. “Artists interested in expanding their capabilities will love the new character tools. And, of course, the physical renderer with stereoscopic functionality is incredibly important as the new way to deliver immersive entertainment.”

01 - Maxon CINEMA 4D Release 13. Features new stereoscopic rendering capabilities and a new physical rendering engine.

Major Highlights in CINEMA 4D R13

New and Enhanced Rendering Engine:

• Physically-accurate Rendering: – A new physical render engine is based on real camera properties (eg: blur, depth of field (DoF), lens distortion, focal length, aperture and shutter speed of camera)
• Efficient Subsurface Scattering: – Now users can efficiently create translucent materials such as milk, skin and wax with the subsurface scattering shader included with both the new Physical Render and CINEMA 4D’s standard render engines
• Shared Image Sampler: – Combine sampling effects and save tons of time on items like motion blur, area shadows, ambient occlusion, etc.
• New Anti-Aliasing Filters: – New Mitchell and Gauss algorithms

Stereoscopic 3D Workflow:

• Stereoscopic Camera Conversion: – Gives users control to easily convert any camera to a Parallel, On Axis, Off-Axis or Radial Stereoscopic Camera
• Stereo Image Workflow and Preview: – Stereo images can be previewed directly in the 3D editor
• Stereo Render Options: – Allows customers to easily render the merged stereoscopic image or separate images for each individual camera to create a true 3D experience
• Picture Viewer Support: – review animated stereo renders

New Suite of Character Animation Features:

• New Character Object: – This includes an auto-rigger and template support
• New CMotion System: – Apply parametric walk cycles based on cyclic motion; characters can be made to walk over terrain or on a spline
• New Muscle System: – Create custom shaped muscles and anchor them to multiple joints within a rig
• New Collision Deformer

02 - Maxon CINEMA 4D Release 13. New physical rendering engine provides stunning visual results.

Workflow, Modeling and Animation Improvements:

• Revamped Navigation System: – C4D R13 has a new cursor-based navigation system that greatly improves an already excellent ease-of-use system
• Sticky Keys: – Allows users to activate a tool only while its shortcut is pressed and immediately return to the previous tool
• New Spline Data User Interface:
• Location Indicator:
• Surface Manipulation: – Offers flexible options with infinite Axis mode
• Animation Enhancements: – Better curve handling, markers, including clamping, etc.

Operational Efficiency:

• Superior XRef Object: – Improves artist efficiency with fully embedded XRef (external reference) commands in R13 so referenced objects can be textured, animated, and included in expressions or simulations within the master file, greatly enhancing work in a collaborative environment
• Improved Scripting Language Support:
• File Format Support: – Multi-pass files can now be stored in multiple channels within a single OpenEXR file. FBX and COLLADA have been updated to latest versions
• After Effects Exchange: – Gives customers using R13 unparalleled integration with Adobe After Effects with the introduction of stage object support, timeline marker exports and support for 29.97fps

Other Comments

CINEMA 4D Release 13 also includes many new shaders and other assets. System requirements for the Mac are now OS X 10.5.8 or later running on Intel-based Macs and 1024 MB of RAM. Up to 256 threads now supported. Standard DVD installation can take up to 2.5 GB of disk space.

CINEMA 4D R13 and BodyPaint 3D R13 are schedule to ship in September through Maxon and its authorized dealers worldwide. Customers with an active Maxon Service Agreement (MSA) valid through September 2nd will automatically receive the upgrade.

There are four flavors of CINEMA 4D Release 13 designed for graphics professionals, visualization professionals, broadcast and 3D artists in large studios. To learn more visit Maxon online here.

It seems many have or are attempting to compete with Google’s phenomenally popular SketchUp modeling program. Autodesk’s new free modeling application Autodesk 123D is out in beta but there is no Mac version yet.

Is this going to be a huge error on Autodesk’s part?

Not likely. But the request for a Mac version is fairly strong. Thomas Heerman, the product manager for Autodesk’s 123D wrote on their support forum, “The Mac OS X platform is very pervasive among the makers, we are definitely looking into having 123D available on this platform.”

Forum users have jotted down some interesting comments too. They note that Rhino is on the Mac and “makers” using Rhino–on the Mac! A user also notes, interestingly, that creatives often use Macs at home but Windows at work because of the absence of certain software–like Inventor or AutoCAD LT. A user posted, “Would love to use this alongside Autodesk Alias on Mac; maybe even port Inventor to Mac while you are at it.”

Boy, they make it sound so easy, don’t they? That’s what I hear the Autodesk folks saying.

One final comment from a poster named Shaun. “Designers have Macs and designers have children who will more than likely become designers….”

OpenCL in CAD Article

Over at the blog CAD Speed, Tony DeYoung wrote an article (a series actually) on the potential of OpenCL in the CAD market.

OpenCL was invented by Apple and open-sourced. It is now managed by the Khronos Group, of which Apple is a member. We have done some writing on OpenCL here at Architosh a bit. DeYoung brings up some interesting aspects of OpenCL as it relates to CAD. We look forward to hearing more as the article series is completed. Read on to learn more.

25th Anniversary Sale on C4D Ends Soon

Maxon’s CINEMA 4D 25th anniversary sales ends 30 June 2011. The current sale offer gives you 25 percent off the retail price on this award-winning visualization software package that works hand-in-hand with sister BIM applications ArchiCAD and Vectorworks.

File transfer is easy with Vectorworks’ new Send to CINEMA 4D command, which converts the model structure, lights, and materials directly to CINEMA 4D format. You can also later merge model changes directly into the model in C4D.

To receive a price quote call or email at: sales@vectorworks.net or 888-646-4223.

Earlier we wrote about the Inspired Visions Global Rendering and Animation competition by Maxon and Nemetschek Vectorworks. If you do renderings and animations you should sign up. You can obtain 30 and 42 day trial versions of the software used for the competition so it is an opportunity to learn more software and pick up skills while having fun. There are currently 13 weeks left and you can see the results of competition here. Also, for German-language users there is a new book titled Vectorworks Architektur: CADD+Visualisierung, by Horst Sondermann. This book is available here.

2011 iSquint Student Design Competition went to Colin Chaunche, who is a senior at SUNY (State University of New York) Fredonia where he will graduate with a BFA in theatrical production and design with a concentration in lighting design. As winner of the competition he will receive a professional license of Vectorworks Spotlight 2011 with Renderworks, as well as a license of Lightwright 5 and a single license of Field Template SoftSymbols V3. You can read more here.

LumenRT News

e-on software’s leader Matt Riveccie has noted that there are new same images from their new rendering software lumenRT, available for viewing on the lumenRT website. LumenRT is a new SketchUp rendering plugin coming soon. The new images are of the Azuma house by Tadao Ando.

Learn more here. http://www.lumenrt.com/

Parallels News – Makes Switching to Mac from PC Easier

Parallels has announced this week that there is a new application called Parallels Transporter which is available on the Mac App Store. The new software makes moving from PC to Mac even easier.

Parallels Transporter helps in the automatic transferring of music, pictures, Internet bookmarks, documents and more come over to your new Mac. To learn more visit here.

The competition is open to all professional and student designers around the world, and entries will be accepted in three categories: rendering with CINEMA 4D, animation with CINEMA 4D and Rendering with Renderworks 2011.

Entries will be evaluated by a jury and a panel of judges, including Dan Jansenson, principal at Daniel Jansenson Architect and author of Remarkable Renderworks, from Santa Monica, Ca.; Tyler Littman, principal designer and owner of Sholight, LLC, from New York; Nicholas Dunand, freelance designer and sculptor, from Melbourne, Australia; Erik Recke, freelance architectural visualizer at Datenland, from Hamburg, Germany; Alejandro Nogueira, CEO at DECC Arte 3D from Tecamachalco, Edo. de Mexico, Mexico; Christoph Altermatt, Principal at raumgleiter, from Zurich, Switzerland; and Peter Hoste, founding partner at bmd, from Kalken, Belgium.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with MAXON Computer through this competition,” said Stewart Rom, Chief Marketing Officer at Nemetschek Vectorworks. “The addition of the CINEMA 4D render engine has dramatically improved the capabilities of Renderworks, and we’re excited to see what our users submit as entries.”

“We want to encourage as many Vectorworks/Renderworks and CINEMA 4D users as possible to create exciting visualizations and renderings for submission,” adds Friederike Bruckert, Director of International Sales and Marketing, MAXON Computer GmbH. “This is an excellent opportunity for architects and designers from around the world to showcase their skills, and we look forward to seeing their fantastic work.”

Each category’s winner will receive a 2,500.USD Visa Gift Card and will be featured in official media press releases and featured on Nemetschek Vectorworks’ Planet Vectorworks news site. They will also be featured on Maxon and Nemetschek social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

To enter, vote or learn more about the competition, visit the Inspired Visions website here: http://inspiredvisions.vectorworks.net/

Maxon reported an earnings increase of 23.3 percent in 2010 compared to 2009’s results, marking unprecedented growth and market penetration. The company is celebrating its 25 years in business.

Award Winning CINEMA 4D Package Leads Results

A major factor impacting Maxon’s strong results was the reorganization of the company’s award-winning, professional 3D software application, CINEMA 4D. The new product portfolio makes it easier for re-sellers and customers to select the best product suited for their industry needs. Maxon has also done exceptionally well increasing the number of Maxon Service Agreements (MSA) among its user base, with nearly a third of all customers electing for annual licensing, which includes all updates at no charge.

01 - An image from Maxon's Architectural Reel

Uwe Bärtels, Managing Director and co-founder of MAXON, noted, “The standout results are even more significant given that MAXON’s price structure remained practically unchanged last year. MAXON continues to view our customers as partners and strives to assess and anticipate their digital creative experiences. Delivering top-quality products and excellent service at a fair price is a winning combination that is favorably fueling our growth from a product and financial standpoint as we continue into 2011.”

Hollywood Loves Maxon

Over the past 25 years Maxon has evolved into a major software developer serving film and special effects studios around the world. Hollywood’s biggest names–like Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney ABC Studios, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, MTV and Pixar Animation Studios, to name a few–all rely on CINEMA 4D in their production pipelines.

Maxon sells CINEMA 4D and its related products through resellers in over 80 countries, from its headquarters in Germany. In 2011 Maxon will be opening its 5th international office, this time in Singapore, Asia. It will join the ranks of Maxon’s other international offices in the USA, Great Britain, Japan and France.

Maxon’s parent company, Nemetschek AG, of Germany–the same parent company of Graphisoft Inc. and Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc.–is pleased with Maxon’s 2010 results. Ernst Homolka, CEO, Nemetschek AG commented, “Maxon’s record turnover in 2010 is a strong indication that the company’s strategy and groundbreaking technologies will continue to track towards profitability, reflecting positively on Nemetschek’s planned growth for 2011.”

To learn more visit them here.

First a Few Notes About Vectorworks

Vectorworks is the all-around CAD program for architects, landscape architects, civil engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, theater lighting designers and design in general. From the standpoint of graphics, Vectorworks can be a one stop shop for an architectural office.  It’s a design tool, a production tool and a rendering tool that can also be used for most of the graphic layouts an architect might need.

Vectorworks is well regarded for its short learning curve compared to other CAD programs. Design can be done all in 3D and those 3D drawings will be or can be the same drawings that become the 2D drawings making up the production drawing set.  Client presentations can be rendered printouts, animations, walk-throughs, or even real time views of a 3D model taken on one’s laptop to a client meeting.  And if one needs to do a graphic presentation, a competition board for example, pictures, text, 2D and 3D drawings can all be composed and printed right in the program.

Vectorworks 2011

Nemetschek North America changed its name last year to Nemetschek Vectorworks. Most in the industry, including its users, saw that as a good sign–a sign that they really want to identify with it (the Vectorworks brand) and thus make it the best they can.

The biggest bit of news in Vectorworks 2011 is that they have replaced the rendering engine in Renderworks with the Cinema 4D render engine.  And they have created an easy integration with the actual Cinema 4D program.  This is a really big improvement especially for anyone wanting to take their models to a very high level. The company claims a 5 to 7 times increase in speed. However, we did not verify this in any tests in this review.

The other big feature change is what they call 2D/3D integration.  Vectorworks has for a long time been a very flexible program allowing one to create just about any 3D form.  But now with this integration of 2D and 3D the program is even more flexible and easier to use for preliminary design.  I know there are people who design in SketchUp and import into Vectorworks. Vectorworks’ new modeling technology, with its improved Push/Pull tool, will begin to enable experienced SketchUp and Vectorworks users to simply model all in Vectorworks 2011. We will spend some time digging into the new 2D/3D integration and modeling features as well as many other improvements in the full review.

New Improved 3D Environment

There are some stunning improvements to the new unified 2D/3D environment in Vectorworks 2011. The most important is the way 2D objects can now be drawn in 3D views, complete with text creation and editing abilities.

Most experienced Vectorworks users will delight in the ability and flexibility to manipulate planar objects in various 3D views. Architects and engineers for example might develop connection details in axon views complete with dimensions and extruded connections and members. (see images 01 – 03)

01 - The new unified 2D/3D environment allows all 2D objects, including hatches, fills and gradients inside objects to be planar objects which can be displayed in 3D.

02 - In order to maintain associative dimensions one must associate the dimension to the 2D planar object prior to it forming the basis of a 3D object.

03 - This axon view was actually rotated. Notice how the text and leader lines exist in 3D. They were drawn on the workplane which was set to the face of the column.

Vectorworks 2011 allows you to work with text blocks in 3D just like in 2D. One caveat however. If you create a viewport of a 3D view or 3D object, you cannot place text in 3D in the annotation layer of the viewport. Therefore, you must first add that text on a design layer prior to the creation of the viewport. That is the method for establishing a detail like above. (see third image above).

Vectorworks 2011 now allows you to utilize, view and edit fills, gradients and hatches in isometric views. This will greatly expand the possibilities for presentation drawings.

MAXON Computer GmbH, Germany, the makers of Cinema 4D and BodyPaint 3D, intends to expand its presence in Singapore and ASEAN countries by establishing a new MAXON ASEAN Competence Centre.

MAXON co-founder and CEO Harald Egel explains: “Five years ago, we established the only ASEAN Authorised Training Centre (ATC) for CINEMA 4D in collaboration with IM Innovations and Temasek Polytechnic. We have examined the ASEAN market closely and have seen it grow steadily. Now is the perfect time to set up a Competence Centre in Singapore, the natural gateway to ASEAN countries.”

MAXON’s move in Singapore further strengthens their ability to serve the creative 3D markets with its award-winning Cinema 4D and BodyPaint 3D software. To learn more about IM Innovations visit here.

solidThinking parent Company Altair acquires ACUSIM Software

Altair Engineering, Inc., a leading global provider of simulation technologies and engineering services has acquired ACUSIM Software, Inc. of Mountain View, California. ACUSIM is a leader of massively scalable, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver solutions software. ACUSIM’s AcuSolve is a general purpose CFD solver and is the premier brand worldwide with companies such as Toyota, Chevron, John Deere and Proctor and Gamble.

ACUSIM technologies will be made available through Altair’s HyperWorks simulation platform. To learn more visit them here.

FileMaker News

FileMaker looks to be pushing hard on getting FileMaker Pro 11 onto Macs and Windows machines. The company currently has an aggressive and attractive offer. For a limited time only if you buy FileMaker Go you are able to then get FileMaker Pro 11 for half the price.

FileMaker Go is one way creative technical professionals like architects can take their business data with them on the go. Using an iPhone or iPad you can use FileMaker Go to connect to database files hosted on FileMaker Server and access your records. Modifications made within FileMaker Go are automatically made on the host machine, which would be the machine running back at the office running FileMaker Server.

For single-user applications you can also copy your FileMaker Pro files to your iPad or iPhone via iTunes. To learn more visit them here.

The company flew up three of its senior staff to meet me in Boston. And for several hours I was treated to a showcase of new features in the next release.

Summarizing Vectorworks 2011

The most important overall change in Vectorworks 2011 is that the program is now, more than ever, a true 3D modeling and 3D CAD environment. The company emphasizes the phrase “true 3D modeling” environment in its upcoming brochures which you can obtain on their website starting today, but the reality is this is both a true 3D CAD and 3D BIM environment. So why emphasize modeling?

Part of the answer is because Nemetschek wants you to know that there is no longer any reason to model anywhere else. No reason to model in SketchUp, Bonzai or formZ or whatever package you like to model in. Or at least that is part of the emphasis. Of course the company also recently announced a new partnership with Maxon about its integration of the CINEMA 4D rendering engine; because of that partnership there is also the excitement that more Vectorworks users will upgrade to the complete Maxon C4D software package. And inside that package there things you can do with modeling that you cannot do with Vectorworks 2011.

But that is another story. The story here is that Nemetschek Vectorworks has dramatically improved its software for serious schematic and final stage 3D modeling. And they did this by introducing a new and improved planar environment and by improving its existing Push/Pull tool. Up in Boston I spoke to Dr. Biplab Sarkar, CTO of Nemetschek Vectorworks.

Lessons from the MCAD World

AFR: Biplab, you guys have introduced serious changes to the 2D/3D workflow by affecting this new Planar environment where you can access and utilize all 2D and 3D tools regardless of what plane you are working on and whether or not that plane is parallel to the screen plane. Why such dramatic change? (see image 01)

01 - Vectorworks 2011 has a new integrated 2D/3D environment, enabling users to draft or model in any view orientation, using any combination of 2D or 3D tools.

DBS (Dr. Biplab Sarkar): Existing users were asking for tool consolidation where the 2D/3D cursor, 2D/3D reshape tool and other 2D/3D tools could work on any plane. They also wanted to draft on arbitrary planes and accomplish things like 3D hatching and 3D dimensioning. So now all the drafting operations can be achieved without changing any view, we took the active working plane approach–which is a well known workflow in the MCAD world.

AFR: So now you can draft and dimension and use symbols like the section cut symbol in 3D views?

DBS: Yes. And you can apply hatching in 3D views, which was very important to many of our customers.

AFR: Vectorworks uses the world-leading Parasolid modeling kernel. And it looks like you have truly added powerful Push/Pull capability in this release. Does it work on NURBS surfaces too? What does it not work on?

DBS: Yes it works on NURBS object or any planar object. This includes lines, arcs, polys as long as they are on the active working plane. The Push/Pull tool works on planar surfaces of almost all solid objects including, extrudes, sweeps, cones, fillets shells and more.

AFR: The new Face Selection Feedback is part of the new Push/Pull tool improvements. I can see how much easier it is to identify that you have selected the planar surface you want to affect with Push or Pull. Can you customize this color?

DBS: Yes, the face selection highlight follows the tool highlighting settings in the Interactive Appearance Settings dialog.

AFR: Is the program now 100 percent Parasolid-based?

DBS: Yes! All objects are now Parasolid based. Several of the newer features like the 3D wall components and slabs with components are making heavy use of the Parasolid modeling engine.

The new Vectorworks 2011 is not just 100 percent Parasolid-based it incorporates brand new features that take advantage of the other new features. One such new feature is the Extract Planar Objects, which can create instant planar objects from a 3D surface in the Extract Surface mode.

Aiming High in AEC

The new version also aims very high in the AEC market, with new powerful improvements to its BIM (Building Information Modeling) capabilities. “Vectorworks 2011 takes a major step in positioning the Vectorworks brand as the AEC 3D technology leader,” says Dr. Biplab Sarkar, Chief Technology Officer of Nemetschek Vectorworks. “Taking a page out of the MCAD world, Vectorworks now supports drafting on arbitrary working planes and interactive modeling based on the drafted entities. Vectorworks 2011 also reinforces Vectorworks Architect as a major global BIM product. Users will find the new 3D wall components, floors with components, and improved space and stair objects very useful to create the building model. This release also delivers major improvements on the 2D side. Text and dimension improvements, scalable symbols and tiling are some of the long-awaited features. And, we have vastly improved the performance and quality of the renderings from Renderworks 2011 by integrating the CINEMA 4D render engine.”

Key Major New Features Include:

• 2D/3D integration. Vectorworks software has now, more than ever, a true 3D modeling environment. 2D planar objects can be created and edited within a planar context, where they display with all their attributes. Users can work in Top/Plan view as usual, or switch to a 3D view and continue working in the same way, with the same tools and operations.
• Improved Building Information Modeling (BIM) capabilities. The Vectorworks Architect program is even easier to use, and its state-of-the-art capabilities, new tools and features help get the job done faster and better, while communicating and exchanging files with colleagues and partners. It offers a greatly improved space object, along with new 3D wall components, and a new slab tool to enable architects to more accurately model and associate building components.
• Best-in-class rendering. Renderworks 2011 is faster, easier, and more powerful than any previous version. Now based on the robust CINEMA 4D render engine, the results are breathtaking and easier to achieve. The new engine is fully integrated into Vectorworks software, so users can seamlessly visualize their work throughout the design process, producing clear and accurate renderings. With the click of a button, rendered viewports will update as the design evolves.

With the launch of Vectorworks 2011, Nemetschek Vectorworks will expand its subscription option, Vectorworks Service Select, to customers in the U.S. and United Kingdom. This option is also currently available in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, where it was begun as a pilot program last year.

“Vectorworks Service Select has received a tremendous response from our customers in the markets where it was first launched,” says Stewart Rom, Chief Marketing Officer. “We are pleased to be able to offer this option to more Vectorworks users who will now be able to experience the added value this type of service provides.”

For a look at all of the new features by product, as well as feature movies, please visit www.vectorworks2011.net. To learn more about Vectorworks Service Select, visit http://serviceselect.vectorworks.net.

“Today’s release marks a significant milestone in the development of Maxon’s professional 3D software and is a testament to more than two decades of programming excellence,” remarked Harald Schneider, CEO and co-founder of Maxon Computer. “Our development team made every effort to bring customer requested features that are easy to use, stable powerful.”

Key New Features

• Powerful New Dynamics: Release 12 introduces a comprehensive and easy to use rigid body dynamics system based on the production-proven Bullet engine.
• Enhanced Rendering Features: Linear workflow and color profiles, IES lights, True Units of Measure, Render Queue and Picture Viewer. In particular C4D R12’s new Picture Viewer includes full-screen playback, a histogram display and navigator.
• New Character Tools – Inverse Kinematics (IK) system featuring new dynamics properties.
• New Deformers
• Python – Extensive support of powerful Python language now fully integrated into C4D R12
• OpenGL 3 and new Architectural Shaders and a parametric spline L-system

New Product LineUp

“The product line reorganization is a practical step that gives all customers, from hobbyist to studio professional, clear choices when deciding on the features they need to deliver high impact, creative results,” said Paul Babb, CEO of Maxon USA.

The new CINEMA 4D Editions include the following:

• CINEMA 4D Prime – New core professional 3D graphics package that includes all the basic modeling, animation and rendering functionality. Release 12 now includes Ambient Occlusion and many deformers formerly found in the MOCCA and MoGraph modules.
• CINEMA 4D Broadcast – Builds on Prime and offers a powerhouse of features and toolsets for broadcast design professionals. This edition includes functionality previously included in MoGraph module, GI rendering and features an extensive library of objects, materials and presets.
• CINEMA 4D Visualize – The professional solution for architects and designers. This version includes all the functionality of the previous Architecture and Engineering Editions, such as Advanced Render, Sketch and Toon, Net Render 3 module plus extensive object and material libraries for these professionals.
• CINEMA 4D Studion – This is the most comprehensive edition and includes everything from Broadcast and Visualize editions.
• BodyPaint 3D R12 – 3D Painting, Texturing and UV Editing package. BodyPaint 3D Release 12 benefits from all the new developments of its sister application, CINEMA 4D Prime, to offer a full complement of 3D painting and texturing tools unmatched by any other package on the market. New features in Release 12 include color profiles, the option to render Ambient Occlusion into a texture, and the Cineman connection to RenderMan including preview renders directly inside BodyPaint 3D. It also boasts updated exchanges with 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage and LightWave 3D

A product comparison chart is available here. System requirements for the Mac OS X platform include OS X 10.5.8 or higher on Intel-based Macs, 1024 MB of RAM and DVD ROM drive. Contact a Maxon distributor for pricing, availability and upgrade paths.

“The CINEMA 4D render engine is blazingly fast, and now Renderworks 2011 offers this speed to our customers, completely integrated into their Vectorworks workflows”, said Sean Flaherty, CEO of Nemetschek Vectorworks. “With improved speed, rendering quality and 64-bit support, virtually every aspect of the Renderworks experience is improved.”

Although Maxon Computer produces excellent add-on modules for their Architectural Edition to enable roundtrip capability between CINEMA 4D and Vectorworks this latest change to Renderworks means a large section of users, who do not need all the advanced features of CINEMA 4D, can benefit from its rendering engine all without leaving the Vectorworks product line. “This is a truly integrated visualization solution courtesy of the Nemeschek group,” said Flaherty.

The newest version of CINEMA 4D software, release 12, issued today also, includes breakthrough new tools that cater to the needs of 3D visualization professionals. It is an ideal solution for architects and designers using Vectorworks with Renderworks who desire extra realism and an unlimited choice of rendering options.

“Both companies have worked closely together to deliver the best possible experience for Vectorworks users when it comes to creating high-quality visualizations. We are excited to present this integrated solution for architects and designers that offers easy-to-use tools and state-of-the-art technology for the successful realization of professional projects,” said Harald Egel, CEO and co-founder of MAXON. CINEMA 4D Release 12 is now available for purchase through most Vectorworks distributors worldwide. Please visit  www.vectorworks.net/CINEMA for more information, including details on Vectorworks/CINEMA 4D bundles.

AEC Software’s new FastTrack Schedule 10 is pretty slick (we’ll have an In-Depth feature coming up very shortly) and the company is setting up training classes in Washington, DC, a bit later this month. Essentials of FastTrack Schedule takes place on 26, May 2010 from 9am – 4pm. You can register for that event here. The following day Advanced Features of FastTrack Schedule takes place during the same hours and you can register for that class here. Classes are 399.USD per student and seating is limited. You can also call 800-450-1985 to sign-up.

e-on software releases Cocoa 64 bit Beta

e-on software has announced that an early beta of the Cocoa 64-bit versions of Vue 8 and Vue 8.5 Infinite and xStream are now available for all registered users of such products, at no charge. If you currently own Vue 8 or Vue 8.5 you may download the beta directly from your User account page. To learn more go to: www.e-onsoftware.com

Maxon News – New Tutorials for CINEMA 4D

Maxon Computer has announced the immediate availability of its new tutorial series, included in the free CINEMA 4D documentation package. The first seven chapters include tutorials for modeling, animation, materials, lighting and more. These tutorials are a perfect introduction for beginners and offer valuable tips for experienced users as well.

Maxon project manager Marco Tillmann stated: “We are very happy to be able to offer our users this comprehensive and easy-to-use instructional material. We worked with the most established CINEMA 4D authors and trainers to create these tutorials and to offer insight into their knowledge and experience.”

To maximize the instructional value of these tutorials, numerous movies and the complete scene files themselves are included and can be opened directly from the tutorial itself. After working through these tutorials you will be able to easily master complex projects and apply this knowledge in real-world projects.

The tutorials are available free of charge and can be downloaded via the Online Updater or online from the Maxon website. The minimum requirement is CINEMA 4D R11.5.

Demo Show Reel

And for those of you who have not yet seen the CINEMA 4D Architecture Edition show reel…it is most impressive! You can check it out here.

Python is a powerful programming language with a comparatively simple learning curve. Python’s unique blend of simplicity and power excels in a wide range of software development tasks. The numerous Python scripts and libraries can be utilized in any pipeline. Python also enables integration between software apps for the exchange of data and assets. Leading production and engineering firms rely on Python every day.

Harald Schneider, CTO and co-founder of Maxon Computer states, “With the Python connection for our products we want to offer an easy and flexible option for adding custom functionlity for both users and developers alike. Python is the easiest and most flexible solution.”

Until the Py4D technologies have been integrated into CINEMA 4D the current beta version, including documentation, is available free of charge at www.py4d.com, along with other resources.