Between the Lines

Connection Extension Released for 3ds Max Design 2010

Autodesk has released for download by 3ds Max subscription customers a new Connection Extension for Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010.
To download log into your Autodesk Subscription account: http://subscription.autodesk.com/

“Features and Benefits

1. Enhanced interoperability with CAD packages – Bring solid models from many of your favorite CAD packages into 3ds Max Design 2010 for visual enhancement or conceptual design and export them back as solids when you’re done. A new high-fidelity SAT data translator helps make it easier to move solids-based data between 3ds Max Design and Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, Autodesk® Inventor® Professional, or certain third-party CAD products without translating to polygons.
   
2. Extensive connectivity with Google™ SketchUp™ modeling software – A powerful new SKP file translator enables you to bring SketchUp scenes into 3ds Max Design with minimal effort and get straight to work rendering or enhancing the visuals. Also, 3ds Max Design can now read numerous free models from the 3D Warehouse section of the Google website.
   
3. Streamlined compositing with OpenEXR - Create professional-quality cinematic narratives. A rewritten OpenEXR translator makes it easier to work with compositing applications, enabling you to blend computer graphics (CG) animation with live action footage.
   
4. Intelligent workflows – Help save time and avoid costly geometry clean-up work with new, more effective workflows for dealing with complex scenes.”

I had some fun importing Google SketchUp model files for Salt Lake City. I downloaded the models from the Google SketchUp Free Model Warehouse for the Salt Lake City Library SketchUp Model and local Italian favorite Tony Caputos located about a block from me.

 

Cheers,
Shaan

Awesome Video - Autodesk 2009 Siggraph Show Reel

It never ceases to amaze me what Autodesk customers create using our products.

Fake or Foto – Take the Challenge

With computers and visualization software becoming more and more powerful it is getting more difficult to tell real from computer generated. Take this fun little challenge. I got 8 of 12 the first time and 12 of 12 the second time learning from my mistakes.

Take the Challenge

Using Autodesk Showcase I have two real-time renderings that are almost impossible to tell from a real object. Autodesk Showcase is downright amazing for visualization of your 3D content.

 

Cheers,
Shaan

3ds Max Design 2010 and AutoCAD 2010 DWG Interoperability

3ds Max Product Manager Ken Pimentel wrote a good blog post covering 3ds Max Design and AutoCAD 2010 DWG interoperability. The new subdivision meshes move easily between the two applications allowing greater collaboration with conceptual design and visualization team members.
Ken’s Blog Post: 3ds Max Design 2010: improved DWG interop

In addition to Ken’s post I created a quick AutoCAD 2010 new mesh object and subdivided it easily into an organic shape, then saved it as a DWG file. I was then able to import it into 3ds Max Design 2010 as a Subdivision Surface object. I can also use DWG to export back and forth and even to Revit as a Massing object.

There is also the new AutoCAD Visualization Suite which combines AutoCAD, 3ds Max Design, and Autodesk Showcase.

Now you can tickle vectors and excite pixels in your design flow!

Cheers,
Shaan

Animation Academy 2009 for Secondary Schools

This one is related to students and educators which is something myself and Autodesk 110% believe in as they are the future.

Autodesk Launches Animation Academy 2009 for Secondary Schools

“The six-part curriculum introduces students to 3D animation and visual effects technology while immersing them in core academic subjects such as science, math, language and arts. For the first time, Animation Academy includes Autodesk Mudbox digital sculpting software and Autodesk MotionBuilder character animation software, along with the Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya modeling, animation and rendering software.”

For further information on Animation Academy 2009, please visit http://www.autodesk.com/pr-animationacademy.

Great Example of AutoCAD and 3ds Max Used Together

Marcelo Eder Cunha an Architect from Brazil in a nice feature article in CGSociety describes his process for creating a architectural design for the cover of Ballistic Publishing’s ELEMENTAL3 “Homage to Sidonio Porto”.

Link to article from CGSociety

Parabéns a Marcelo!

Autodesk Impression 2 for Download by Autodesk Subscription Customers

Turn your DWG and DWF files into an impressive hand stylized rendering without having to break out those smelly ink markers, pencils, or talent. Unlike other methods you can update your rendered image when your DWG file changes instead of having to start all over again in the process. Images stylized in Impression provide another way to see the project instead of a exact 3D crisp rendering which communicates to some as a completed design, the 2D or 3D DWG files in Impression can give an impression of in process, quality style, and still pre-construction thinking and convey a different impression and much faster. Give it a try as you will see how fun and easy it is to impress others and sometimes it is hard to tell which was a watercolored, pencil sketched or inked marker rendering from what you output with Autodesk Impression.

The products that get this Autodesk Impression download benefit are:

AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD MEP, AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite,AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite, AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite, Revit Architecture Revit MEP, and Revit Structure.

Impression 2 will initially be available in English only.

New in Autodesk Impression 2

Users of the first release of Autodesk Impression, as well as the Technology Preview, will notice several new features and overall improvements. Enhancements include

• New options in the Import Wizards, including Layer Packing for improved drawing performance
• Enhancements to the Area Fill tool, which now offers five different methods for applying styles
• Expanded content libraries, including watercolor trees and pencil strokes in traditional lineweights: H, HB, 2B, and so on

New features include

• The Match Properties tool, used for applying the style, layer, or text properties from one object to another
• A new Power Fill tool fills multiple areas based on shared criteria such as shape, layer, CAD color, and lineweight
• The Drawing Performance Tuner, designed to improve application performance by packing objects on layers and modifying how styles are displayed
• The new Block Editor, which offers a seamless environment in which to create and edit vector-based blocks
• The Global Stroke button, which adjusts the stroke type and lineweight of geometry and inserted blocks

More About Autodesk Impression: http://www.autodesk.com/impression

Become a Member of the Autodesk Impression Community (FREE)

Become a member of the Autodesk Impression Community to stay current with all the latest developments and resources available for this product. Learn how Impression is evolving, find new content to use in your images, and share your experiences with other users. Benefits of membership include access to

• Content Sharing
• Member Discussions
• Blogs, Local Events, and Webcasts
• User-submitted Tips and Tricks

Membership provides you with up-to-date information on the latest developments with Autodesk Impression, and with tools to help you get started.
Go to http://impression.autodesk.com/community.

AutoCAD Rendering e-Book

Erhan Toker posted an 18 page detailed AutoCAD Rendering e-Book “Creating Render Materials in AutoCAD" from A to Z, for free on his Daily AutoCAD Blog. e-Book: Creating render materials in AutoCAD

Kudos and many thanks to both Erhan and Orhan for their excellent team in Turkey and all the knowledge they spread! The Daily AutoCAD blog is definitely a must subscribe RSS feed.

Amazing Technology to Resize Photos

The new smart image resizing, retargeting, and cropping technology for images and photos called seam carving is amazing and downright brilliant. This was an algorithm developed invented by Dr. Ariel Shamir and Dr. Shai Avidan. This is really cool and helpful to do instead of resizing an image with a focal area that gets distorted this method starts by letting you mark the important target to keep then in simple terms starts by removing parts of the photo or adding based on priority of the calculated horizontal and vertical seams.

Check out the Youtube video recording of a presentation at SIGGRAPH 2007 showing the pure magic and application of seam carving.

 

There is now a web 2.0 online free version. Check out a photo and resizing it and you can also carve someone out of a photo.

http://rsizr.com/

There was also a free plugin that added seam carving for Photoshop but it appears Adobe hired the person and then removed the free plugin download.

Cheers,
Shaan

Nice WIRED Article on Jos Stam of the Autodesk Maya Team

The Software That Will Take Digital F/X to the Next Level of Awesome

By Michael Behar WIRED MAGAZINE: ISSUE 16.01

     If you are into computer generated graphics and effects like those in major motion pictures then this article about one of the special effects rocket scientists might interest you. Jos Stam has been working on Maya render modules like Nucleus. Jos explains he could do 7D instead of just 3D.

 

Technorati Tags: Maya, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk, Fx, Jos Stam, Toronto, Nucleus, 3D, WIRED, Movie Effects