- Architosh Staff (info@architosh.com)
- 30 Jul 00
Architosh Macworld
Expo Report -1
Our Macworld Expo reports are coming in a bit tardy due to the
new site but we will strive to focus in on news related to Architosh's
target audience. In particular, we'll focus on CAD, 3D, graphics
hardware, animation, and networking. In addition, we'll bring you
some extra special news and share conference session notes.
This Report: 3D modeling, graphics cards and FirstClass Intranet
Server
3D Modeling
Generally, this year's expo did not showcase any more 3D modeling/rendering
vendors than last year...with one big exception. This year key graphics
cards makers were on hand to help promote their cards for CAD/CAM/3D
users. This was an important thing to see as it indicates further
evidence of the growing importance of the Mac in the CAD/3D professional
market.
3dfx's booth had a large presence at the show featuring their Voodoo
5 card (more on that later) and in their booth was a guest vendor
theater where developers such as Nemetschek (VectorWorks), TGS,
Inc. (Amapi 3D) and Ashlar (Vellum Solids) demonstrated the 2D/3D
acceleration of their technical apps under the new Voodoo 5 card.
This was an important and impressive thing to see: new card vendors
teaming up with Mac CAD/3D vendors to help promote their products
to the Mac market.
Amapi 3D
Amapi 3D (version
5.1) was demo'd to a large crowd gathered around the 3dfx booth
on Thursday afternoon. The demo was very impressive and so was the
rendering speed with the new Voodoo 5 card. Amapi 3D is available
for both Mac and Windows. Some key features of version 5.1 are a
new smoothing tool which enables an artist to more easily create
organic shapes, such as those used in character animation, and a
revamped animation module.
A powerful Decimation tool allows you to dynamically reduce the
density of complex meshes while controlling and preserving key points
and polygons. Also valuable in this release is new Cinema4D export,
a powerful and popular animation and rendering program. Amapi 3D
seems geared toward character and organic modeling but provides
robust tools for a number of modeling purposes.
For architects in the crowd, Amapi 3D is surprisingly useful renderer/modeler
as well. A look at some architectural
examples at TGS's
gallery web site will prove the point.
A demo version is available for free download.
Vellum Solids
Ashlar Inc., the makers of Vellum
Solids 2000, Vellum 3D, and Vellum Draft were on attendance
at Expo this year as well, quietly tucked away inside the new Science
& Technology pavilion. Ashlar makes a serious longtime Mac CAD/CAM
product that also runs on all versions of Windows. If you are new
to Macintosh CAD and need to review a solid general 2D/3D CAD product,
this is it.
VectorWorks
Nemetschek North America
is the new name for Diehl Graphsoft, the makers of number one Mac
CAD product VectorWorks. Like Ashlar, Nemetschek was there as usual
as a sign of its strong Macintosh tradition and support of Apple.
Nemetschek N.A. has a very bright future thanks to its merger with
the German software giant, Nemetschek
A.G.
VectorWorks is now engineered for the addition of plug-in or add-on
modules, with upcoming modules for landscape architecture and mechanical
engineering coming next, after the very successful launch of VectorWorks
ARCHITECT, the first such add-on product.
Combustion
Discreet was
present at Macworld this year, a neat sign of the times. They were
there showing their Mac version of Combustion, a broadcast-quality
3D modeling, animation and video-effects program for the high-end
video/animation market.
Combustion's
market is clearly intended for the broadcast industry. If you are
interested in video and its integration with 3D modeling/rendering,
or vice versa, Combustion is a serious contender. One of the program's
strengths is its integration with 3D Studio Max, a widely used modeler/renderer
in the AEC market and a direct competitor with form-Z and Softimage.
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