Albert Kiefer.(Portfolio)(a software specialist at Genicap)

While working on advanced plant research, Belgian scientist Johan Gielis discovered that any natural shape--circles, squares, stars, ovals--can be defined digitally by changing a few variables in one basic equation. This mathematical principle, which Gielis dubbed the Superformula, also is the underlying foundation on which the content creation software company Genicap was formed. Genicap's contention is that all graphic shapes derive from that single fundamental formula, and through the use of that formula (contained within its Supergraphx plug-ins or stand-alone programs), any computer graphics program can be enhanced to enable greater creativity and efficiency.

To illustrate the application of the Superformula, Albert Kiefer, 3D product specialist at Genicap, used the code to create naturally complex shell shapes that he calls Future Fossils. "I wanted to show the versatility of the Superformula, the infinite ways to vary shapes in 3D space," he explains. After mulling over several ideas about how to best explain this concept, he recalled a childhood friend's elaborate boxed insect collection that contained a variety of unique-looking creatures that belonged to the same species. This prompted Kiefer to digitally create a so-called species box, only this one comprises virtual shell-like shapes that evolved from the same family.

"Symbolically, the shells display digital diversity," Kiefer ...