Strata Intros VR17 Release—For Flagship Strata Design 3D CX Application

The current version of Strata’s flagship application, Strata Design 3D CX is version 8. But this week the company introduced an update titled “VR17” that packs in numerous new features to CX 8. Let’s take a look at what those are.

VR17 Release in Detail

As the name of the update suggest, the VR17 release adds features to Strata Design 3D CX 8 focused on virtual reality (VR). The the major feature updates are Publish to VR and the new VR 360 Camera.

MORE: Product Review: Strata 3D CX 8.1

The new VR 360 Camera allows the user to easily create a rendering to be used by a smartphone app using Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, or online VR service like IrisVR’s Scope application. For architects, interior designers and planning professionals, creating instant VR imagery is as easy as locating the new VR 360 Camera object into the interior of your 3D model scenery. (see image 01).

01 – Strata VR17 release is an update to Strata Design 3D CX 8.

Publish to VR is another new feature that lets the user publish 3D objects to Strata’s inStudio VR over the network and let others view them using HTC Vive VR head gear.

Strata’s inStudio VR

Strata’s inStudio VR is Strata’s software that works with the HTC Vive device and provides an intuitive head’s up display (HUD) system for interacting and visualizing your models in immersive 3D environments.

MORE: Samsung Gear and HTC Vive Lead VR Survey But Magic Leap?

If users have models created in other 3D tools, they can also bring them into Strata inStudio VR via the Collada file format. Strata’s inStudio VR environment comes with a retail store module so product designers—a segment of the 3D market Strata has a strong hold on—can experience their latest designs within a store context. This means you can walk into the virtual store and place your virtual products on virtual store shelves.

Strata’s inStudio VR supports simulated real physics as you push and pull products into place, placing multiples on shelves, et cetera. There are 12 preloaded interactive staging environments (one is shown in the image below).

02 – Strata VR17 release is an update to Strata Design 3D CX 8.

This new feature set includes support for real time lighting so users can experience their products with various high and low lighting levels as well as shadow.

Availability

Strata’s VR17 update is available now and for a limited time Strata inStudio VR is free of charge. Strata says they will be adding more hardware configurations (HTC Vive is supported initially) and bringing more value to inStudio VR in the approaching months.

For more information, please visit the Strata website here.