Autodesk Reveals 2015 Versions of Its 3D Animation Tools

Autodesk unveiled 2015 release of its major 3D animation tools that include 3ds Max, Mudbox, MotionBuilder, Softimage, Maya, and Maya LT. Maya LT, which is the newest addition to the lineup is a cost-effective 3D animation and modeling tool for professional indie game makers. Maya LT 2015:

• Offers cloud integration through the Maya LT interface
• Unfold 3D for creation of UV maps from 3D models
• Substance material integration for applying materials generated in the Allegorithmic Substance Designer procedural texture creation tool to 3D models

Autodesk also declared the accessibility of the 2015 Entertainment Creation Suite for 3D animation and visual effects. 3ds Max, Maya, Entertainment Creation Suites, and Maya LT can be obtained in two configurations: as a perpetual license or desktop subscription.

With innovative new tools like Bifrost, redesigned core parts of the applications focusing on performance and user friendly features, the 2015 releases simplifies complex tasks and allows artists to use their creative power.

The new features in 3ds Max 2015 are mentioned below:

• ShaderFX
• Point cloud dataset support for reality-capture workflows
• New viewport performance optimizations
• A redesigned scene explorer so artists can manage large scenes
• ActiveShade support for the Nvidia Mental Ray renderer
• New Python scripting support

Mudbox 2015 includes streamlined mesh refinement for retopologizing and new Sculpt Layer and Paint Layer groups for organizing and identifying specific layers in complex scenes. Softimage 2015 is the last release of Softimage and helps in:

• Alembic caching
• Allowing enhancements to the ICE platform
• Animatable weight maps in Syflex cloth

MotionBuilder 2015 highlights on motion-capture workflow that includes:

• A new plug-in for Microsoft Kinect to capture body movements.
• Animatable Depth of Field and Follow Focus camera options that supports in re-creating real-world cinematography elements.
• A library with 100 commonly required character animations in FBXformat.

Maya 2015 has the Bifrost procedural effects platform that supports an artist-friendly workflow for complex simulation and rendering tasks and is applied to:

• Near-photorealistic liquids
• XGen Arbitrary Primitive Generator for easily creating highly detailed geometry, like hair, fur, and foliage
• Geodesic Voxel Binding for skinning characters
• ShaderFX, a new node-based visual interface for shader programming
• Support for Pixar’s OpenSubdiv libraries
• Enhanced polygon modeling tools
• Expanded UV options

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Published By

Tuhin Maity

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Sefaira is organizing PER/FORM Live Design Competition for building designer

Sefaira is going to conduct the PER/FORM Live Design Competition, a building design contest for expert designers to present their skills in Performance Based Design by integrating their superior talents with state-of-the art building design software.

The competition is arranged in two parts an online round supported with an unmatched live, in-person design competition to be held at the Pratt Institute in Manhattan on Saturday, May 17th. The prospective attendees can apply for registration during April 2. Winners will be selected in each of the two rounds.

In cooperation with platform sponsor SketchUp; architectural partner BKSK Architects; design partner, The Public Society; media partner Metropolis Magazine; and academic partner, Pratt Institute; Sefaira encourages architecture professionals and students based in United States and Canada to produce and present designs that follows the utmost standards concerning artistic form and building performance.

Participants can get free access to Sefaira's real-time performance analysis software and the intuitive 3D design tool SketchUp so that they quickly generate as well as iterate superior quality design concepts.

There will be experts who will provide the proper guidance to the participants for creating top most performance designs.

The winner will be chosen amid top 30 designs from the online round at the live event in NYC. Besides, thirty contestants from the online round will be eligible to participate head-to-head in the live contest.

Register for the event online

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Published By

Tuhin maity

www.sketchup4architect.com

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How to utilize various toolbars with Sketchup 2014

Choose ‘Toolbars’ which is available in View menu. A new window will be visible and the users can check or uncheck the toolbars that are associated with SketchUp. The users will be capable of drawing the toolbars to the top or side of their screen and imbed them. One of the buttons situated at the right side is tagged with “New” and the users click on it, an empty toolbar will be visible. The users will be able to draw respective tool buttons from the bars they live on to their new toolbar.

The users can also eliminate unused buttons by dragging them off a toolbar and into their modeling arena. But this can alter the look of the supplied toolbars. But if the users want to preserve them, select the ‘Reset All’ button. It returns the buttons to their original position devoid of changing the custom toolbar.

The “Large Tool Set” toolbar was quite peculiar in SketchUp 2013, but in 2014 it now performs itself and will put on view as a double column when put in the left side to the screen.

Some of the drawing tools (through “Getting Started” toolbar) come up with black arrows that point down close to the icons. Select the arrow and a drop down menu will be visible through which the users can avail some tools. The Circle and Polygon tools are now positioned at the back of the Rectangle tool and the Freehand tool is now afterwards the Pencil.

This feature will reorganizes the toolbars by the tools currently utilized up front and ready to perform. The newbie sketchup users become disoriented in the large quantity of icons available on screen. But customizing the toolbars, the users can keep track of their used icons and fulfill their requirements.

The Arc tool also contains a drop down, providing new techniques to sketch arcs which are very useful for newbie sketchup users. In order to get more updates on sketchup 2014, visit Bob Lang’swebsite

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Published By

Tuhin Maity

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Axis introduces interactive camera visualization tool for sketchup 3D CAD software

With the Axis Camera Extension for the Sketchup 3D CAD software, system designers can conveniently select Axis Network Cameras and insert them into 3D models of buildings. Different mounting positions and view angles can be evaluated through interactive camera views showing the respective camera coverage areas. Users can pan, tilt and zoom the cameras to determine the optimal setup for the best video surveillance coverage.

Axis Communications, the world leader in network video, today introduces the Axis Camera Extension for SketchUp providing interactive 3D models of Axis Network Cameras to aid in the planning and design of video surveillance systems. Users can place cameras directly into CAD building plans and visualize the areas the cameras will cover.

The new SketchUp extension from Axis allows users to see exactly how the cameras fit into the building layout and to easily spot if camera views are obstructed by columns or walls. This effectively reduces the risk of unexpected blind spots when planning and designing video surveillance systems.

Axis Network Cameras can be conveniently selected from the SketchUp toolbar allowing users to compare and evaluate different camera models as well as to determine the optimal camera mounting positions. Users can pan, tilt and zoom the cameras to adjust the field of view and define the optimal camera settings.

“SketchUp is a popular and easy-to-use 3D CAD software for security system design. With the new Axis Camera Extension, system integrators can use SketchUp to place Axis Network Cameras into virtual buildings to precisely plan camera view angles and coverage,” said Peter Friberg, Director of System and Services, Axis Communications. “As SketchUp integrates with Google Maps it makes it easy when working on city surveillance or critical infrastructure projects to get a good overview of the environment where the cameras are placed. The Axis Camera Extension allows system integrators to find the optimal camera model and settings for a given mounting position and significantly streamlines the overall planning and design process for video surveillance systems.”

Axis’ broad portfolio of video surveillance system design tools also includes Axis Coverage Shapes for Microsoft Visio and Axis Camera Families for Autodesk Revit.

The Axis Camera Extension for SketchUp is available today and can be downloaded free of charge from axis.com/tools. The Axis Camera Extension for SketchUp is initially available in English, more languages (French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese and Chinese) will be added in Q2, 2014.

Sketchup is a trademark of Trimble Navigation Limited.

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Published By

Tuhin Maity

www.sketchup4architect.com

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Sketch-A-Space Competition

Easter Seals and Google SketchUp are jointly launching the first online competition known as "the Sketch-A-Space contest" to create the perfect space design for an autistic person.
The autistic persons including thier families, friends, professionals and even architects are elligible to take part in the competetion.

To learn more about the competition

Rajib Dey
for sketchup4architect