Graphisoft has announced the Japanese version of ArchiCAD 14. It marks the nineteenth of 26 local versions of ArchiCAD 14’s global release schedule. You can learn more about the Japanese language version of ArchiCAD here.

Graphisoft has similarly released the Greek version of ArchiCAD 14. To learn more about this version visit: http://www.topsw.gr

To learn more in detail about ArchiCAD 14, read our In-Depth feature article here.

05 - This structural BIM model was modified in Revit Structure and then imported back into ArchiCAD 14 via IFC. Color-coding designates new, deleted or modified element.

MADCAD.com News

MADCAD.com has announced the new 2010 California Building Stardards Code, Title 24, applies to all occupancies that will apply for a building permit on or after January 1, 2011. MADCAD.com will feature this code online as part of its online code subscription offerings.

AutoCAD for Mac Postings Around the Bloggosphere

Now that Autodesk has officially released AutoCAD for Mac many CAD junkies are digging into various aspects of its workings. An interesting post about its 3D performance has got us more than a bit curious. Over at Deelip.com, Deelip Menezes writes that in his tests he has shown that AutoCAD for Windows running on Boot Camp on a MacBook has faster 3D performance than the new AutoCAD for Mac running on the same exact hardware.  This is most interesting and we’ll be sure to dig into that issue in the near future.

MADCAD’s latest newsletter announces NFPA codes standards updates. In particular NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers, 2010, has been announced. Additional NFPA codes include NFPA 14 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, 2010; NFPA 211 Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid-Fuel-Burning Appliances, 2010.

MADCAD.com is an online building codes resource for AEC professionals. 24/7 online access to searchable, full cross-referenced codes with annual subscription packages.

New FileMaker 11 Database Certification Training and Testing

Apple subsidiary FileMaker Inc. has announced the immediate availability of the FileMaker Training Series for FileMaker 11, a self-paced learning program to help intermediate to advanced database users and developers master the essentials of the new software. The FileMaker Training series is a key resource to help prepare for the FileMaker 11 Certification examination, which is also now available.

The FileMaker Training Series contains detailed, step-by-step instructions on key FileMaker development topics. The series includes a 700+ page manual and a DVD with demo files, exercises and videos to help guide users through the content.

For professional developers the FileMaker Training Series can help them prepare for the FileMaker Certification examination, which can boost their business and career by being recognized as a FileMaker 11 Certified Developer. The training series is 99.USD. To learn more go here.

BIM “sans frontieres” – ArchiCAD Teamwork Demonstrated in Europe

Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD 13’s real-time Teamwork was recently demonstrated in a large connected online BIM event. The cross-border exercise featured 20 cities in Europe’s DACH region, all connected to the industry’s first BIM server.

Early in March, Graphisoft organized its first TeamBuilding event, where visitors were treated to a live demonstration and the chance to experience first-hand the true potential of this revolutionary design collaboration technology. TeamBuilding participants were invited to work on a multi-storey building from 20 locations throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, all working at the same time. The exercise demonstrated how flexible BIM project access is from remote locations, while also illustrating the level of transparency achieved in communication.

The active BIM Server offers a new collaborative workflow, which replaces the previous file server-based “passive collaboration” workflows. Only “delta” information packages–ie, only the changes made on the local workstations–are sent through the network instead of the entire project file. As a result, data traffic is significantly reduced, drastically improving synchronization speed.

To learn more about Graphisoft ArchiCAD 13 with BIM Server go here.

ArchiCAD powered the design for a dynamic new museum in Odessa, Ukraine, which is the winner of the 2009 Fall ArchitectsJURY competition. Sivak Dmitriy, a student at the Odessa State Academy of Building and Architecture, designed the winning project in ArchiCAD.

Silvak Dmitriy's wins Fall ArchitectureJURY competition with this design for a modern art museum in Odessa. The entire design was created and modeled in Graphisoft's ArchiCAD 13 without any additional plugins or add-ons. (image courtesy of ArchitectsJURY Competition website: http://www.architectsjury.com/pages/competition/2009-fall-semester/winners )

The designer’s intention was to create a museum “using expressive, dynamic, modern forms to emphasize its role, and to create a new destination for visitors to the city.” The project was created without add-ons or plugins, which, according to Dmitriy, “shows how flexible ArchiCAD is. For the more difficult parts, I used ArchiCAD’s Mesh tool and Solid Element Operations.”

To learn more about Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD go here: www.graphisoft.com

To learn more about the winning competition visit this link.

Vectorworks News

The LaiserinLetter has featured a major article on Vectorworks Architect (VWA) as “Designer’s BIM” and talks about the changing realities of BIM in the industry and how Vectorworks Architect can play a staring role in helping industry players adapt and adopt to calls and pressures in the industry for Building Information Modeling.

Nemetschek North America will be present at COFES in April 15-18. The major invite only CAD event is a who’s who of industry action.

Vancouver’s Winter Games are over but not for PWL Partnerships Landscape Architects, Inc. who continue to work on with Vancouver’s Southeast False Creek (SEFC) neighborhood.

The architecture firm The Narrow Gate has been featured in the Boston Globe. The firm is a Vectorworks user and is committed to serving a higher purpose through design.

Lifecycle BIM and Cloud Computing Seminar: Onuma System 2010

The BIMStorm folks will be hosting two BIM events online starting March 23, 2010 and then on March 26, 2010. They are:

• Webinar 1 – Onuma System 2010 – March 23, Tuesday, 12 am EST, USA. Details: Will share new functionality and information with latest system and upcoming additions: updated user interface, Onuma to SketchUp, live links to Google Maps, Onuma to COBIE2 and more. To learn more signup here.
• Webinar 2 – Plan Haiti BIMStorm – March 26, 1pm EST. To learn more sign-up here.

To learn more about Onuma go here: http://onuma.com/

T-Splines is offering a free webinar on February 4, 2010, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST. Learn the basics of T-Splines for free in this webinar presented by Kyle Houchens (owner of The Outside Digital Art and Design) and Matt Sederberg (T-Splines co-founder). T-Splines for Rhino will be specifically shown as the presenters demonstrate the basics of using T-Splines inside Rhino to achieve the best organic modeling possible.

This event is perfect for you if you happen to be trying the T-Splines 30-day trial software package. To register go here:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/638998329

Cadalog Introduces SU Podium V2 Beta

SU Podium is a new-ish and popular photo-realistic rendering plugin for Google’s SketchUp modeling program and Cadalog Inc. has anounced Beta 1 for Version 2 of SU Podium. It is available now for existing SU Podium users.

01 - Image of render from SU Podium V2 beta 1.

You can read about it here, get the release notes and download the beta 1 package. SU Podium v2 has a completely different rendering/raytracing engine than SU Podium v1. In some instances you will get higher quality images without adding reflectioni or other properties, just straight “out of the box.”

ArchiOffice  and EngineerOffice Training

BQE Software, Inc., has announced that they are offering existing customers “special offer” training classes on ArchiOffice or EngineerOffice. To ensure that customers are utilizing ArchiOffice and EngineerOffice to its fullest the new Guided Learning Sessions will help you tune up your skills and get ahead of the curve. There are three classes offered. They are only available until Jan 29, 2010. Customers can call 800-371-0130 x2 for more details and sign-up.

Boston-based iRent LLC, the PC based software as a service (SaaS) provider, announced this week they have established a new partnership with IMSI/Design, the makers of the well-regarded TurboCAD product line. The new agreement allows iRent to rent out TurboCAD Pro on a monthly subscription basis. This new option for CAD end users can serve multiple markets particularly well during these tough economic times when businesses, particularly SMB’s need to watch cash flow circumstances carefully.

“SaaS is exploding in popularity, and 2D/3D CAD applications like TurboCAD, especially when they are enabled to be run locally on a PC, are perfectly suited to SaaS,” stated Bob Mayer, Chief Operating Officer of IMSI/Design. “We think using this sales model, our TurboCAD Pro product will especially appeal to both AEC and Mechanical engineering professionals.”

Workamajig Project Management Software Gets Key Updates

Workamajig, Web-based software and project management groupware for design and creative firms has been updated to support additional key functionality. New functionality has been moved to Adobe’s Flex and there are enhancements for Apple’s Safari 4.0.4, all rolled into the latest version 10.5.1.6.

Workamajig has also released additional enhancements for its Global Search capabilities, including new user-interface features. The company plans to kick off another Workology 2.0 Conference in April, 11-14, 2010, at the Hotel del Coronado resort in San Diego, California. Workamajig is a global leader in project management software for ad agencies and other creative disciplines. It works on both Windows and Mac platforms. For more information visit them here: www.workamajig.com

Apple Updates Boot Camp for Windows 7 – Will Aid PC CAD/3D on Mac

iTWire has a good article on Apple updating Boot Camp for Windows 7. Apple originally planned on this update for end of year 2009. Some Mac users are using Boot Camp to run such PC only CAD programs as SolidThinking, Rhino (though there is a Mac version of this…) and many others like the officially supported Windows-only versions of Autodesk software like AutoCAD.

Now with this critical update those Boot Camp users who would like to take advantage of Windows 7’s capabilities can tap those on their Mac hardware. To read the full article go here.

Punch Software’s Shark FX version 7 is available from Cadsoft Solutions Limited, in the UK, for pre-order now. The promotional pricing ends 31 January 2010 for existing users of all Punch CAD software and qualifying competitive software.

The new Shark FX v7 features a host of great new features including HDRI, Global Illumination (GI), and non-Photorealistic Sketch Rendering. There are over 100 new features in Shark FX v7. To learn more visit: http://www.cadsoftsolutions.co.uk/

Luxology Announces Chinese version of modo 401

modo 401 developer Luxology has recently announced a Chinese version of their award-winning 3D software package modo 401. This new version is immediately available from Pikatoons Inc, the exclusive distributor for Luxology software in China.

A localized version of modo 401 for the Chinese market was in demand, as the fastest growing large economy in the world continues to expand. “The Chinese market is steadily growing and this new localized software will allow us to deliver first-class tools and technology to customers in a broad array of disciplines,” said Ye Wei Zhong, president of Pikatoons, Inc.

To learn more about modo in China visit: www.luxology.com

solidThinking News

solidThinking’s latest newsletter had some interesting tips including one on rendering a room with its fast Final Gather rendering algorithms. Other tips can be found on its solidThinkingBlog site here.

solidThinking has garnered some top press reaction from many of the leading industry publications for its new solidThinking Inspired 8.0 product with its new morphogenesis technology. This has included an article in the New York Times and Wired Magazine.

And a solidThinking user has won the MYDA Millenium Yacht Design Award contest with its Prototipi Design. This is a really cool design that we encourage readers to check out!

An interesting patent filed by Apple this week suggest the Mac maker is working to develop innovative new ways of developing the user interfaces of its operating system software. Using a technology known as “head-tracking” a sensing mechanism in a camera would be able to track the physical movements of a user and thereby adjust the image on screen to react accordingly.

The implications for 3D are awesome. From a the patent application, “Using the detected position of the user, the electronic device may use any suitable approach to transform the perspective of three-dimensional objects displayed on the display.”

You can read a good report here on AppleInsider.

Live Interiors 3D Gets Roof Creation Tools and More

BeLight’s Live Interiors 3D 2.3 update adds new capabilities such as the ability to add roofs to a project with over 200 materials. An assistant helps the user insert roofs into their project automatically, thereby bypassing complicated physical modeling steps.

There are also new foundation thickness and elevation parameters, a QuickLook support function, a new fly-around tool and more. In addition this 2.3 update fixes many bugs. The update is free for current v2.0 users or later and the company is running a discount for the holidays.

To learn more visit them here.

3D Intro on the Mac

Ars Technica’s Dave Girard is publishing a 2-part introduction to 3D on the Mac. This was a surprise to see for us that Ars folks would run such an article but we are happy to see such a good read being produced.

Nvidia will supposedly introduce three new Nvidia Quadro graphics cards at Autodesk University aimed at speeding up standard operations in programs like AutoCAD. The new Quadro FX 380 LP is aimed at the desktop while the Quadro FX 3800M and Quadro FX 2800M are aimed at mobile platforms.

The desktop solution is a low-profile card with 16 processing cores and 512MB of GDDR3 memory running on a 64-bit interface. You can read more here.

Next Apple Mac Pro Workstations to Be 6-12 Core Xeon Monsters

According to a Polish website called PCLab Intel’s upcoming new six-core Xeon microprocessors will be up to 50 percent faster than the previous generation four-core Xeons in parallel operations. And, get this, they will use 50 percent less power.

Intel’s code-named Gulftown” Xeons will be implemented on a new 32 nanometer fabrication process and will be the company’s first six-core processors. They will feature 12MB of L3 cache, and if paired with another chip as is typical of Apple for its high-end workstations the upcoming Mac Pros will feature up to 12 physical and 24 logical cores.

The next Mac Pros are rumored to be coming in the first quarter of 2010. Apple is also expected to have short-term exclusive use of the new i9 based Gulftown six-core Xeons and has enjoyed such exclusive access to leading edge Xeons for the past two generations with the Mac Pro. These new machines should make wonderful 3D CAD and 3D rendering machines! You can read some additional information here.

Parallels vs Fusion

For those who continue to follow the story on virtualization on the Mac there is a good indepth article comparing the two leading virtualization packages for the Mac over at the Inquirer. You can read it here.

T-Splines has released T-Splines 2.1 for Rhino, which is now on sale for 599.USD. The company is also offering training in the US and in the UK. The next training event takes place on Nov 10, 2009, in Seattle, WA, followed by a training on Nov 17, 2009 in London. You can learn more about T-Splines training here. 

The company has recently added some impressive images to its T-Splines gallery that readers may want to check out. For more info on T-Splines for Rhino and Maya go here: www.tsplines.com/

Graphisoft ArchiCAD News – Events

Graphisoft has a full fall schedule of events planned for its new ArchiCAD 13 with Delta Server technology. There are “test drive” events planned for October through December, 2009 and “road show” events planned as well. 

Test drive events coming up include Seattle, Los Angeles, and Oakland, while road show events will hit Charlotte, Columbia, San Francisco, Charleston, Savannah, Washington DC, Boston, New Haven, Sacramento and Richmond. A complete schedule of events and dates can be found here.

Graphisoft will also be at Build Boston 2009 November 18-20, 2009 as well as other conventions later this year. 

C/Net Tests Indicate Snow Leopard Faster than Windows 7

C/Net has tested both Snow Leopard and Windows 7 in overall system performance and found that Apple’s latest big cat operating system is about 38.5 percent faster in multitasking with media apps and also more responsive as a whole. 

Battery life is also much longer in Snow Leopard than Windows 7 and can last up to 111 minutes in a stress tests compared to just 77 minutes for Windows 7. Mac OS X Snow Leopard lags only in historically weaker 3D graphics support. This last test result will surely be disappointing to Architosh readers on the Mac. 

C/Net tests indicate that without software drivers optimized for 3D tasks at the level that exist for Windows Snow Leopard is noticeably slower in both gaming 3D and professional 3D applications in tests such as Cinebench R10. We would concur with the 3D gaming results of C/Net but would challenge the results on professional 3D applications. Cinebench alone is not an indication of overall pro 3D app performance on the Mac.

To learn more go here.

The folks behind Copper Project, the online project management tool, admit they had a few teething issues with version 4.0, but the 4.1 release fixes all that. Plus, the new version is now blazing fast, they report!

A number of optimizations have taken place enabling some aspects of Copper Project to be 700 percent faster than before. It’s possible to setup a project with 10 tasks in less than 32 seconds. Editing, saving and deleting tasks and comments enjoy quick-fire response in the UI (user-interface).

There are new formatting options for your header, logo and login image. You can now “rollup project details” for a neater project presentation, and lastly the many bug fixes. 

If you are new to Copper Project, you can sign up for a 14 day free trial and compare various versions here. Companies using Copper Project include OglivyOne, Allstate, Motorola, Novell, Mercedes, Sony Pictures and many more household corporate names. 

SketchUp News

SketchUp Pro 7 users have a new option for online training with SketchUp Pro 7. The folks at Go-2-School have launched a new training program just for SU Pro 7 users. The online service is called Pro Accounts. 

Google has also updated Google 3D Warehouse. Users will notice a few changes including a new feature in the new RSS reader. If you have a favorite modeler and would like to keep tabs on them inside Warehouse you can now do so via RSS. 

Lastly, the SketchUp folks just hosted their first ever Super Modelers Conference in Boulder, Colorado. This blog posts has pictures and the full story.

Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac

While apparently a little off topic here, this tidbit is about the business side of things. And while it may be nice to pretend that all creatives like architects, industrial designers and 3D professionals on the Mac are happy to use Apple’s iPhone for all their mobile and telecommunication needs, the fact is many are not or are tied into the Blackberry as a platform where they work. And some just naturally love the Blackberry!

01 - The Blackberry Desktop for Mac is coming.

It looks like RIM is finally on the verge of a native version of Blackberry Desktop Manager for the Mac. It is currently in active late beta form and due to arrive in a month, ready for Snow Leopard or Leopard. 

Goodie features include simple and direct sync to iTunes, Address Book, and iCal. You will also be able to install and manage applications for your Blackberry right from your Mac desktop.

Autodesk has announced that Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams are now available for the newest versions of AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Revit Architecture, and AutoCAD Civil 3D software. 

Autodesk’s certification programs are designed to allow companies to validate their employee’s expertise and to allow professionals to gain an edge in a tight and competitive market. To learn more visit here.

upFront.eZine  Tours Russia

Ralph Grabowski of upFront.eZine tours Russia in his latest newsletter. He reminds us that some of the world’s best computer programmers are Russian, responsible for some of the world’s leading CAD programs like Pro/Engineer and other key software like parts of the ODA’s OpenDWG API. Grabowski will be touring Russia this coming September and will be visiting key Russian CAD companies responsible for prominent software packages like KOMPAS and T-Flex. 

Grabowski’s upFront.eZine along with Isicad will be co-sponsoring a roundtable in Russia titled: “Talking About the Future of MCAD: Which Trends Hold a Place for Our Future?” You can learn more about the details of this roundtable event here.

NavisCAD for iPhone

And Grabowski mentions a new iPhone application for viewing CAD models on the iPhone. This new iPhone app is NaviCAD, which is made to view and navigate SketchUp models inside Google’s 3D Warehouse.

This allows you to view COLLADA files on the iPhone. You can learn more about the app here at: http://www.navicad.com/ or alternatively read this brief report on the Khronos Group website or this report at DEVELOP 3D. 

NaviCAD for iPhone sells on on the App Store for just 0.99 cents. (USD.).

cadsoft solutions of the United Kingdom has announced that Punch’s Shark CAD product line, including Shark, Shark LT, and Shark FX have been updated with a service pack, release v5.5 build 838. This latest service pack contains over 35 corrections and enhancements and is recommended for all Shark product line users. To learn about Punch products including Shark go here.

OpenGL support added to REALBasic

REAL Software has released its new REALBasic and REAL Studio version 3 products. There are more than 100 improvements and 31 new features including, among other great things, OpenGL support for faster creation of 3D applications compared to traditional C-programming methods. 

The software is used to create programs for Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems, using both BASIC computing languages and visually-designed interfaces. The new OpenGLSurface control does require a knowledge of the OpenGL language. However, there are some open source projects that are implementing a RB3D-compatible API on top of the OpenGL for developers who currently use RB3D. 

REAL Software recently published an Introduction to REALbasic video on YouTube.com. 

VersaCAD update coming soon! Focus on Translators

The latest Archway newsletter mentions an upcoming VersaCAD update that will focus on updating its CAD translators, especially on the Mac. The Windows version will get faster and will now support multiple instances. VersaCAD will now have a different and better database engine behind it, paving the way for innovative future upgrades. To learn about VersaCAD go here: http://www.versacad.com/versacad/

Nemetschek North America, the makers of Vectorworks, hosted a three day event in Baltimore earlier this month for its global network of distributors, many of which are deeply involved in customizing Vectorworks for local markets and industries as well as providing product sales, support and training. 

From this global perspective on all things Vectorworks, Nemetschek NA is better able to steer the whole of the program so that it can better suit the vast needs of its users working around the world. 

In other Vectorworks news, the company has released Service Pack 4 for Vectorworks 2009. This update is recommended for all users as it improves both performance and overall stability as well as makes several tool improvements. The company has also introduced a new Spanish-language Vectorworks video library.

Ashlar-Vellum News

Ashlar Vellum has a new Design Explorer newsletter out (2nd Quarter 2009). Inside there is mention of new hatch patterns in Graphite v8, a new Graphite User Group starting, tutorials on YouTube and more. To learn more about Ashlar visit them here on the Web.

Architosh to publish detailed NX on Mac Interview Article 

We will be publishing a detailed interview article later this week on NX on Mac. This exciting new software develop bodes well for the Mac in the world of highend CAD and our interview will shed some light on where the Mac is going in this highend space. Stay tuned!

HyperShot 1.9 Preview – Webinar

Bunkspeed will be previewing HyperShot 1.9 today (why this company releases these announcements this late is beyond us!). The 1.9 update will feature a new bump mapping capability, improved texture manipulation, UI and workflow improvements and much more, says the announcement. 

The webinar is free and you can sign up here. It starts today at 10am PST.

Earlier this month DAZ 3D announced new versions of its 3D software packages. The free Daz Studio 3 and the Daz Studio 3 Advanced, which retails for 150.USD.

The free version offers improved OpenGL preview display support, new camera and light pointer tools and support for Pixar’s RenderMan-compliant 3Delight render engine.

Daz 3D Studio 3 Advanced is for more serious 3D animators, designers and illustrators and features Collada import/export for broad pro app interoperability, advanced render effects and shaders, animation keyframe editing, figure mixing and support for 64-bit computer systems. 

01 - DAZ 3D introduces new version of its popular 3D animation package.

The Advanced version comes loaded with 3D content by DAZ 3D that is ready to be rendered at the push of a button. Additionally, there is also the new Daz Studio Advanced Bundle, 500.USD, which comes with a suite of advanced content plugins. To learn more visit them here: http://www.daz3d.com/i/software/daz_studio3?_m=d

MAXON News

MAXON continues to swoop up awards for its CINEMA 4D software (aka: C4D). At the Macworld awards held in London on June 18, 2009, MAXON’s flagship application won the “Macworld Best Animation and 3D Product 2009″ award beating out Autodesk Maya 2009, Autodesk ImageModeler 2009, Carrara 7 Pro and Boris Continuum Complete 6. 

Citing the app’s great strengths Macworld said: “CINEMA 4D is now a fully cocoa-native app and of the few apps available that can take full advantage of Apple’s 6-bit operating system. This allows you to render hugely completed scenes in a single pass and we must say that it works well without a hint of drama.” You read more here on Business Wire.

e-on software Opens Competition

e-on software has announced the Vue 3D Environment Competition. This is the 4th edition of this competition sponsored by e-on software, makers of the award-winning Vue line of 3D environmental design and visualization software suites. 

There is over 11,000.USD in prizes to win from e-on software, MAXON, Pixologic, 3D Connexion, 3D Total, 3D World Magazine, and Cornucopia 3D. 

Judging this year’s competition will be representatives from ILM, Rhythm & Hues, LucasFilm Animation, MattePainting UK, Electronic Arts, Whiskytree, 3D World Magazine and 3D Total. The competition ends July 20, 2009. To learn more about participation please read this web page.

Smith Micro has updated Anime Studio creating two new products, Anime Studio Debut 6 and Anime Studio Pro 6. The former is for hobbyist who want to create their own cartoons and animations quickly, while the all-in-one Pro version is for professionals and digital artists. 

In addition to new and updated drawing tools and paint brush technologies, you can now upload your animations directly to YouTube from within Anime Studio 6. In the Pro version you can create, save and blend morph targets to combine character expressions and emotions. There are also improvements to the Sequencer to adjust timing and synching of audio and video tracks. Debut 6 retails for 39.USD while Pro retails for 199.USD. To learn more visit: http://my.smithmicro.com/mac/index.html

The3dStudio.com updates products

The3dStudio.com has announced they have updated their product lines and are now carrying more 2D and 3D software. The site now is carrying over 260,000 free and priced resources including 3D models, textures, tutorials, plugins, gallery art work, stock images, and software. To learn more visit them here.

Artlandia SymmetryWorks Updates

Artlandia has updated their SymmetryWorks plugin for Adobe Illustrator. There are now two versions of the plugin. SymmetryWorks 5 features new insertion mode, streamed export of finished patterns and support for new types of objects and pattern classes. SymmetryWorks LP is a combination of the above product and Artlandia LivePresents, which was released last year. This second plugin makes Illustrator pattern swatches editable, with simultaneous repainting of all objects that use the Swatch. SymmetryWorks 5 is 249.USD and SymmetryWorks LP is 364.USD. To learn more visit here.

iDevGames.com has a good review of Maxon’s Cinema 4D R11 software. The review is written by a long-time C4D user and veteran 3D user who makes some interesting comments about 3D applications that compete with C4D and the early days of 3D and game development.  To read the full review go here.

AC3D 6.5 is now out!

Inivis has announced this week that the latest AC3D 6.5 is now out and available for download. The program features several areas of improvement including but not limited to:

• Extrude by normal now enhanced
• Faster selection
• Ogre export plugin
• TCE improvements
• Speed optimizations (Windows only)
• Improved compatibility (Vista)

Inivis also has an AC3D iPhone Development Library. If you want amazing iPhone apps with 3D graphics look no further than the AC3D iPhone Development Library. With Memention’s AC3D reader lib you can easily output 3D models created in AC3D into iPhone apps in just a few minutes. For more information on this read on here.

Nemetschek News – Improved Knowledgebase and More

Nemetschek North America is improving things on its main website in an effort to better serve its customers and has announced that their Knowledgebase has been updated to better consolidate helpful information no matter what media format it has been produced in. Additionally, a new RSS feed is available for users to track the latest articles and items coming out by the company. 

Recently the company announced that Swiss architect and 2009 Pritzker Architectural Prize Laureate, Peter Zumthor is a longtime Vectorworks user on the Mac platform. He joins the ranks of the leading architects worldwide who have won the profession’s highest honor. 

Finally, the company featured one of its partners in its latest newsletter, AnimationWorks, a Vectorworks 10, 11, 12, 2008 and 2009 add-on application that allows the creation of complex camera or object animation entirely within Vectorworks. These animations are then saved as QuickTime movies. To learn more visit AnimationWorks 1.2 .

Part 3 of the HyperShot Webinar series continues today, May 21, 2009. The title is: Retouching, Understanding the Basics. Leon Carpenter, Bunkspeed Ambassador and 18 year veteran in the Rendering and Animation world, is returning to do a 4 part webinar series in May entitled, “HyperShot from Start to Finish.” This 4 part series takes a deeper dive into his popular webinar “Finishing in Photoshop” from April 2nd. 

In Part 3:

• Render passes revisited
• Building your layers in Photoshop
• Understanding the basics of adjustment layers
• Working with masks
• Adjusting your back grounds for more effect

Webinar is open for sign-up now and space is limited. To reserve your webinar seat go here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/803137249

Graphisoft News: BIM in the Middle East with ArchiCAD

Graphisoft has strengthened its presence in the Middle East and Egypt with BIM Engineering Solutions, a new distributor of Graphisoft’s award-winning suite of 3D design products for AEC. BIM Engineering Solutions, with offices in Dubai, Cairo and Alexandria, is well positioned to serve all the Middle East markets with a core team of 55 qualified engineers, architects and modelers and project managers. 

“At BIM Engineering Solutions, the BIM package consists of architectural, structural and MEP, and now will include ArchiCAD as a core feature. Working in a market where BIM is needed but not practiced, the scope for the services offered by BIM Engineering Solutions has created an incredible awareness among architects, engineers, construction companies and contractors in the region,” said Jonas Salih, International Sales Manager for Graphisoft. 

To learn more you can contact BIM Engineering Solutions in Egypt here: archicad@bimengineering.com or visit: www.bimengineering.com

e-on Software releases Ozone 4.0

e-on Software, makers of the popular Vue line of natural environment 3D creation software solutions, this week announced the availability of Ozone 4.0. 

Ozone 4.0 makes atmospheres come alive in your Vue environments. The software  implements cutting-edge spectral 2 technologies to help simulate and render atmospheric effects. Ozone 4.0 atmospheres provide an accurately simulated environment that affects all elements of the scenes, and behaves according to nature’s rules. 

To learn more and see sample imagery go here.

Nemetschek North America has announced that Vectorworks user Nathan Kipnis Designs has won Home of the Decade, an award given in the 10th anniversary May/June 2009 issue of Natural Home Magazine. “Vectorworks allowed me to very precisely model the home to fully envision the sun’s path during various times of the year, both inside and outside,” states Kipnis. “This was insightful for us in the office, as well as for the owners, as design was so integrally tied to the sun angles, views of Lake Michigan, and shading from several types of trees.” For pictures of the award-winning home click here.

Graphisoft’s MEP Modeler Helps BDSP Coordinate Building Services

BDSP Partnership is a 100+ strong international consulting engineering practice, specializing in the design of sustainable, energy efficient structures. Building services–heating, cooling, water supply, recycling, fire and security alarms, telecom, etc,–account for a growing proportion of the value of many major construction projects. However, the coordination of these services is often a major headache. From initial design stage, the size and complexity of the services has to be carefully planned.

BDSP Partnership tackles these challenges using ArchiCAD and its MEP Modeler application. BDSP director, Ian Dunscombe, says: “Using model-based design and the MEP modeller saves us loads of time and we can produce not only all the information needed but be confident that our own work is fully coordinated. And the information produced is something that architects, and even the client, can understand easily, making it great for coordination and communication purposes. The 3D model has great benefits at every stage.” 

To learn more about MEP Modeler and ArchiCAD by Graphisoft please visit them on the Web here.

Copper Project Version 4 Enterprise Edition is now out

The Copper Project folks have been busy for quite a long time but the results have been worth it they say. Version 4 Enterprise Edition is now available. The fourth version of this online project management software system (Saas, software as a service, tool) will help customers manage their information, time and money better than before. 

New in Copper Project v4 Enterprise Edition is an all new user interface that responds immediately to numerous feedback thanks to the implementation of AJAX functions to 90 percent of Copper. There is now real-time search, including searching for files that are uploaded to the system. 

Other changes include a redesigned projects module, simplified project screen merging tasks with projects, better project Gantt charts, faster ways to do simple items like associating related projects, allocating users, etc. There is a new Stopwatch Timer feature for those pros who need to track time that accurately, and numerous other little features that refine an already popular system. 

Click there to learn more.

MAXON is continuing to refined and optimize its excellent round-trip plugin for Vectorworks. The exchange plugin we previously wrote about here enables Vectorworks users to send models into CINEMA 4D R11 Architectural Edition for advanced rendering. After lighting, environment, and textures are applied within C4D, users can still edit the model back in Vectorworks and send updates back to C4D without undoing all the work setup in that application. 

The company also has a different plugin allowing users to send C4D models into Vectorworks for CAD and drafting work continuation. To learn more visit this post or MAXON’s site.

Google Earth Battles Microsoft

Google responded to Microsoft’s NASA partnership with Worldwide Telescope by releasing the latest Google Earth browser plugin–now with recorded tours! 

In addition Google has released a new layer for Google Earth for iPhone. The new Places layer enables iPhone Google Earth users to explore Places just like their desktop brethren. 

DAZ sweetens Model Library

3D figure super shop, DAZ Productions, Inc., has a new release on their hands. Their press release reads, “Get ready to meet the Girl of your dreams!” 

Adding yet another addition to their popular 3D figure library, Girl 4 is the latest figure model for 3D professional artists and hobbyist. Girl 4 comes complete with customizable body shaping, increased texture map resolution and greatly improved joint rigging. Created from DAZ 3D’s celebrated fourth-generation Unimesh™, the Girl 4 is fully compatible with all Victoria 4, Victoria 4 Elite and Aiko 4 head and body shapes, textures and poses, opening more options and new creative possibilities than ever before.

“DAZ 3D is recognized as an industry leader in the development of high-quality 3D models,” said Dan Farr, president of DAZ 3D. “I think this is due to our on-going commitment to making timely advancements in our figures that coincide with the needs of our artists. This version of the Girl is no exception. Her updated look and immeasurable compatibilities are sure to make her an even more compelling 3D figure overall.”

To learn more visit DAZ online here.

Google has issued a maintenance release for SketchUp 7 and SketchUp Pro 7 for all users and recommends they update SketchUp 7 at their earliest convenience. A new feature is the ability to place model underwater in collaboration with Google Earth and Google Oceans. You can read all about it here.

In other SketchUp 7 news Lucerne, Switzerland and Santa Rosa, California, have both submitted themselves as 3D modeled cities via the Cities in 3D Program, in doing so they joined others who view Google Earth as an effective way to promote their towns to virtual tourists, enabling potential businesses to evaluate a new site, and help city planners share design proposals. In other news the Google SketchUp Ruby API website has received a big overhaul. 

Autodesk’s AREA Website Highlights “Unity Game Engine”

Autodesk’s AREA website has an interview with Unity Technologies co-founder and CEO David Helgason. As some of Architosh’s readers may know, the Unity game engine is a hot new 3D technology platform. Actually what Unity is is an integrated game development and authoring software tool. It is both similar to Director and the Torque Game Builder insomuch as it is centered around a GUI environement.

Screencapture: Image of latest Unity Game Development running on Mac OS X, from the AREA interview with Unity CEO David Helgason.

In the interview Helgason talks about “democratizing game development” and how its users were stressing the importance to make it target iPhone and Wii games, in addition to Web-based and PC and Mac games. Unity has just been released for Windows for the first time, but its been hugely popular with thousands of game developers on the Mac for over four years.

Helgason tells AREA that part of the reason why Unity has the look-and-feel it does is because it was based around tools like Maya and 3ds Max as well as because it started on the Mac and they have an obsession with simplicity akin to Apple.

This is an excellent interview with tidbits on where Unity is oriented, what game platforms it will support in the future besides iPhone, Wii, and more interesting details. To read the interview go here.

Rhino News

In Rhino news the company (Robert McNeel) has announced a new Rendering contest, DOSLib 8.0 for AutoCAD 2010, nXt video tutorials for SketchUp and the announcement that AccuRender nXt is out as a new version. The AR nXt rendering engine is still in development but can be used with AutoCAD, Revit and SketchUp. It is only available for Windows however.