Computer Graphics World articles from June 2001

Computer Graphics World archives from June 2001

The Next Big Thing.(Industry Trend or Event)
June 1, 2001... there's an old saying that there are two types of people who make forecasts: those who know they don't know what they're talking about and those who don't know they don't know. While that may be true, it didn't stop forecasters at the recent...

LETTERS.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2001... Fleshing Out Information I want to compliment you on the article "No Bones About It" on pg. 24 of the February 2001 issue. In particular, I appreciated the specific references to companies (pg. 30) that contributed to the triceratops...

CORRECTION.(Credit Ratings)
June 1, 2001... The article "Flying Deep" on pg. 44 of the March 2001 issue contained an incorrect reference to AutoCAD Inventor. The software program used to model the DeepFlight Aviator was Autodesk Inventor.

Revit Emphasizes Teamwork for Architects.(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Enhanced multi-user functionality and the concept of time, or 4D capability, are among the principal new features in the latest version of Revit Technology Corp.'s parametric building modeler for the AEC industry. In terms of multi-user...

Physics Plug-in for Discreet's 3ds max.(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... Discreet's reactor plug-in (not to be confused with Ascension's ReActor motion-capture system, also described in this month's Spotlight), is designed to enable advanced physics capabilities in Discreet's 3ds max 4 modeling and animation...

Graphisoft Targets Workflow with ArchiCAD 7.0.(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... ArchiCAD, Graphisoft's venerable architectural modeling software, has been updated with an eye toward improving workflow. To this end, the product now features tools for more efficient and consistent document management. Chief among these is...

New 3ds max Benchmark.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2001... SPEC/GPC has released its first benchmark test for systems running Discreet's 3ds max modeling and animation software. The benchmark, which is based on Version 3.1 of 3ds max, contains four scenes that reflect typical uses of the application in...

In Brief.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Maxon Computer (Newbury Park, CA) has acquired the rights to Smells Like Almonds (S/A), a set of procedural shaders for Cinema 4D, Maxon's modeling and animation software, from bhodiNUT (Sullivan, MO).... UGS (formerly Unigraphics Solutions;...

Active-Optical Mocap from Ascension.(Company Business and Marketing)
June 1, 2001... Ascension's $75,000 ReActor system uses active-optical technology to capture the motions of a single untethered performer and outputs the motion data in real time. The system's motion-capture area is delineated by a "cage" of bars embedded with...

Autodesk Streamlines Design Data.(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2001... It's not a CAD package; it's not a CAD viewer; it's not a PDM; and it's not an ERR What Autodesk's Streamline is, is a new data streaming service that will enable small- and mid-size manufacturers to share design data across the so-called...

From Point Clouds to Power Crusts.(Technology Information)
June 1, 2001... A new algorithm reconstructs polygonal surfaces from 3D scan data The emergence and maturation in recent years of 3D input technologies such as laser scanners, handheld digitizers, and computer vision techniques, have spurred a need for...

Scientists Dream of Jini.(Company Business and Marketing)
June 1, 2001... The Java-based Jini network technology gives rise to a distributed environment for scientific visualization Visualizing 3D fluid flows is one of the most computationally challenging tasks in scientific visualization. For that reason,...

A Matter of Perspective.(2D projective drawing system)(Technology Information)
June 1, 2001... A projective drawing system borrows from traditional illustration techniques to give architects more creative freedom What goes around comes around. For years, vendors of 3D modeling software have striven to develop tools that enable users...

Web-based Architecture.(Industry Trend or Event)
June 1, 2001... as an architect helping other architects align their practices with new technologies, I am often asked, "Is this, at last, the year of 3D CAD in architecture--especially since the Web makes 3D easier than ever?" To answer, I consider two...

WAR EFFORT.(Technology Information)
June 1, 2001... DIGITAL PLANES, SHIPS, SMOKE, AND SAILORS CRAFTED AT ILM HELP CREATE REALISTIC WWII BATTLE SCENES IN THE MOVIE PEARL HARBOR The movie has all the makings of a classic Hollywood epic: Set against the backdrop of America's entrance into World...

SIX DEGREES OF SIMULATION.(Technology Information)
June 1, 2001... ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS TURN TO VISUALIZATION TO PREDICT SIX KEY ASPECTS OF BUILDING BEHAVIOR In architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), every building is its own prototype, a one-off, an original. This approach places high...

PART TO ART.(Burrows NVisage technology that turns CAD assemblies into photorealistic 3D models)(Company Business and Marketing)
June 1, 2001... THE SAME CAD DATA USED TO DESIGN CARS IS BEING EMPLOYED TO MARKET THEM Virtual prototyping has brought sizable time- and cost-savings to the automotive industry. Now, in a demonstration of the synergy that computer graphics is bringing...

mix & match.(Product Information)
June 1, 2001... A PLETHORA OF PLUG-INS ADDS POWER TO AFTER EFFECTS Of all the effects and motion graphics software on the market today, After Effects is arguably the most popular. Developed by CoSA, purchased by Aldus, and acquired by Adobe Systems in...

Expressive Architecture.(Product Information)
June 1, 2001... During the past decade, artists and architects have endeavored to achieve photorealism in their works using the capabilities of 3D software. More recently, a different trend in computer graphics has emerged: a return to an artistic or...

OUT OF SYNC.(use of computer graphics for the crash scenes in the race-car film Driven)(Technology Information)
June 1, 2001... A digital car crash blends real-time and slow-motion effects It's not unusual for victims of violent car crashes to report having experienced the event in slow motion, as if they had been propelled into another dimension where seconds...

RED-HOT PROTOTYPING.(Chili's restaurant TV commercial)(Technology Information)
June 1, 2001... Designers spice up a miniature set by using RP technology to generate physical pepper models What do you get when you incorporate the zest of computer graphics technology with the traditional appeal of stop-animation using practical...

KNIGHT MOVES.(Product Support)
June 1, 2001... Players do battle in an on-line promo for A Knight's Tale Do you have the strength, dexterity, and endurance to become a knight? Find out by pitting your medieval battle skills against those of a friend or foe by playing the Web-hosted...

FreeForm V3.(SensAble Technologies modeling software)(Software Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... Interact with models via touch Digital artists often complain that although workstations are good at providing an experience for two senses-sight and sound--they don't provide a similar experience for the important sense of touch. A few...

TrueSpace 5.(Caligan's modeling tool)(Software Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... Enhanced modeling and animation tools highlight Caligari's latest Caligari's TrueSpace has been around for a number of years and has always offered a solid set of tools for a reasonable price. Version 5 builds on this legacy with a number...

Inventor 4.(Autodesk's mechanical modeling software)(Software Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... Autodesk facilitates 2D-to-3D transition Autodesk continues its aggressive release schedule with Inventor 4, the latest version of its mechanical modeling software. In this release, Autodesk has added more than 150 enhancements, aimed...

After Effects 5.(Adobe Systems graphics software)(Software Review)(Evaluation)
June 1, 2001... Adobe adds 3D to the mix Adobe Systems' After Effects has become the de facto standard for motion graphics and desktop compositing. Version 5 offers a significant number of advances that keep it ahead of the game and continue to make it an...

PRODUCTS.(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2001... SOFTWARE DESIGN ENGINEERING BROWSER-BASED DESIGN WIN 3G.web.decisions is a design environment that allows engineers to use their Web browsers to access and reuse CAD and engineering data. From a common URL, any member of a product...

INSIGHT.(Technology Information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2001... Visualizing airflow patterns surrounding a Harrier jet during landing provides critical information for enhancing the safety of the aircraft, which directs its exhaust nozzles toward the ground to land or take-off vertically or hover at low...