3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space
Published by 4th WAVE, Inc.
Issue #705 3/14/97
CONTENTS
Dynamic Pictures Releases Oxygen 402
Dynamic Pictures next week will make available the Oxygen 402, the 3rd board in their Oxygen line which already includes the Oxygen 102 and 202. The Oxygen 402 will be the industry's first quad-processor graphics accelerator, utilizing four Oxygen processors (the Oxygen 102 and 202 use one and 2 processors, respectively), reportedly offering four times the performance of the Oxygen 102. The Oxygen 402 features 32 MB of SDRAM. In addition, a new pricing structure will be put into effect:
Oxygen 102 8 MB SDRAM $995 (30% off original price) Oxygen 202 16 MB SDRAM $2,095 (25% off original price) Oxygen 402 32 MB SDRAM $3,695
http://www.dypic.com/oxygen402.html
ATI Technologies and SGI have announced an agreement under which ATI will bundle SGI's Cosmo Player VRML 2.0 browser with future 3D Rage accelerators (OEM and retail board products). Cosmo Player is supported on Windows 95, Windows NT and SGI platforms.
http://www.atitech.ca http://www.sgi.com/cosmo
MCAS GmbH, the makers of 3D-Calculator 1.4 ($50, for creating mathematical 3D mesh objects by formulas) and Shell-Maker 1.0 ($30, for creating shells and slughouses), has moved to a new address:
MCAS GmbH
Kapellenstr. 12 D-79189
Bad Krozingen Germany
Tel: +49-7633-949358
CIS: 100561,3542
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/blexow
Progressive Networks, the makers of the popular RealAudio software for the Internet, have introduced RealVideo for playing streaming video over the Internet. It is available integrated with RealAudio in the new RealPlayer 4.0 and RealPlayer Plus 4.0 software. RealPlayer 4.0 is available free from Progressive's Web site; the full-featured RealPlayer Plus 4.0 is available for $29.95. More than 60 sites reportedly already provide RealVideo content.
http://www.real.com/rvnba.html
Real3D Releases Pro-1000 API v2.0
Real3D (a subsidiary of Lockheed-Martin) has released version 2.0 of their Real 3D Pro-1000 Series API. The front-end software package comes bundled with graphics engines in the Pro-1000 family, and all current Pro-1000 Series users will receive automatic software upgrades. Key new functions include: morphing geometry support, immediate mode geometry and animation, LOD nodes, device hardware feedback, and improved ease- of-use features.
Intergraph - Higher Performance With 3D Pro 1000
Intergraph has announced increased OpenGL performance for their Intense 3D Pro 1000 accelerator through improvements in the OpenGL installable client driver (ICD). The improvements offer a reported performance increase of 47% over previous versions of the OpenGL driver, now delivering a CDRS Viewperf benchmark score of 19.59 at 24-bit color depths.
http://www.specbench.org/gpc/opc.static/index.html
Intergraph - Alliance With Imagination in Motion
Intergraph has signed a letter of intent with Imagination in Motion (IIM), a leading European 3D graphics facility, for a preliminary order of $3.6 million of Intergraph workstations. Specifically, the systems will be used in the production of an 80-minute 3D computer-generated animation, which will be the first feature-length film produced on the Windows NT platform.
Diamond Multimedia has unveiled the Monster Sound PCI-based audio accelerator, featuring "the same 3D audio technology used in NASA 3D sound simulators and theme park rides." Designed specifically to support Microsoft's DirectX APIs, Monster Sound is capable of providing up to 24 independent audio streams, a signal-to-noise ratio > 80 db and quad-speaker output. The accelerator utilizes A3D position sound technology from Aureal Semiconductor and audio CODEC components from Analog Devices Inc. along with Diamond's own Freedom 5600 multimedia ASIC. Monster Sound will be available in April along with a software bundle for $199.95.
CyberPak Now at Dave & Busters
Dave & Busters, the national high-tech entertainment and restaurant chain, has made an initial purchase of Virtual Images' CyberPak virtual reality systems for $160,000. Virtual Images, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toronto-based Outer Edge Inc., is a leader in real-time immersive VR development.
What: "Creating High-Performance 3D Content for the Internet" When: March 24-25 Where: San Francisco State University Multimedia Lab
The four half-day seminars are being held by Newfire (formerly Axial), Diamond Multimedia and 3D Labs. An invitation can be requested be sending email to events@newfire.com with "March Seminar" in the subject area.
A number of new products will debut at the upcoming NAB show in Las Vegas including:
Inscriber Character Generators (booth S3338): Will demonstrate InscriberCG Supreme and VideoCarte along with the Xtreme real time animation playback option.
Linker Systems (booth M7633): Showcasing Animation Stand for Mac, PC and SGI and introducing The Animation Stand - Ink and Paint for Windows NT.
PC Video Conversion (booth M8044): Demonstrating new HyperConverterCP scan converter. Will also demonstrate DoubleScan line doubler product and VIDisplay640 LCD panel interface.
Pinnacle (booth 8658): Introducing DVEXTREME, a Windows NT-based multiple-channel, real-time image store and retrieval system. This product will be introduced along with a number of other important announcements at a reception at 7:30am at Pinnacle's booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Intergraph: Announcements and demos including: StudioZ - new functions; ViZfx - new 3D plug-in effects; Desktop Video - introducing a Windows NT DVE system; RenderGL release 2.0; StudioZ RenderRAX - renderfarm demo. A special session will be held April 7 at Piero's Restaurant from 3:00-4:00pm (RSVP to cmschan1@ingr.com).
International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia
What: VSMM '97 When: Sept. 10-12, 1997 Where: University of Geneva, Switzerland Sponsors: International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia(VSMM), the International Federation for Information Processing(IFIP) and MIRALab-CUI (University of Geneva)
This third annual conference will cover a number of topics with an emphasis on multimedia, while also including human interface and sensing, intelligent systems and robotics, applications, and modeling and theory.
A call for papers has been issued. Proposals for panels on topics related to Virtual Systems and Multimedia must be sent to Prof. N. Magnenat Thalmann (thalmann@cui.unige.ch) before April 20, 1997.
http://miralabwww.unige.ch/~vsmm97/
705.3 trueSpace3 Arrives by David Lohse
Caligari Corp. has finally announced the release of the long-awaited next version of their popular 3D modeling and animation package with Caligari trueSpace3. trueSpace has been at the forefront of the Windows revolution in the world of 3D modeling and animation, bringing powerful and affordable 3D capabilities to mainstream PCs. Although Caligari has come under fire recently by trueSpace users for a perceived shift in emphasis by Caligari to their Internet tools and applications, trueSpace3 brings a slew of new features not found in other mid-level 3D authoring applications:
Metaballs (Live Skin) and Plastiform - As the first real-time implementation of metaballs available with direct manipulation, Live Skin provides a new unique method for organic modeling. Plastiform generates new surface particles by deforming objects with a "hot" engraving tool.
Collision Detection - Accurate collision detection is supported, along with sticky tool for creating complex models.
3D Paint - trueSpace3 is currently the only 3D program on the PC that offers integrated 3D painting capabilities, allowing users to paint textures or bump maps directly on 3D objects.
Plug-ins - trueSpace3 features an API available to 3rd-party developers for writing 3D plug-ins, as well as supporting 32-bit Adobe compatible plug-ins.
Animation - Improved forward dynamics, allowing users to apply physical properties to objects, and inverse kinematics which allows for complex animations.
Internet - Continuing with Caligari's concentration on the Internet, trueSpace3 features an integrated VRML 2.0 browser.
trueSpace3 supports Microsoft's Direct3D API, one the first 3D authoring packages to do so. In addition, trueSpace3 supports formats including AutoCAD, DXF, 3DS, WaveFront, .BMP, .TGA, FLIC, .AI, and JPEG. Bundled with trueSpace3 is Caligari trueClips, a CD-ROM of over 200 textures and 600 3D objects.
trueSpace3 will be available at the end of March of a suggested retail price of $795 or for an upgrade price of $199 if ordered prior to April 1 (after which the price will rise to $299).
705.4 Vsis, E&S and Diamond Announce 3DPro Based Product by John Latta
A product based on the 3DPro/2mp chipset co-developed by Mitsubishi's Vsis subsidiary and Evans & Sutherland, will be brought to market by Diamond Multimedia as the Diamond Fire GL 4000. The card uses 3DRAM for the frame buffer and CDRAM for texture storage. Due to ship in the April/May time frame this card begins at $2995 for a 15MB 3D-RAM and 4MB CDRAM configuration and $3,395 for a 15MB 3DRAM and 16MB CDRAM configuration. Users can purchase the CDRAM add-on module for $595 to go from 4MB to 16MB. When it ships this card is expected to support Heidi (3D Studio MAX), Pro/E (PTC) and Softimage. ViewPerf CDRS-03 performance of 23.8 was claimed and this compares to a $16,485 priced Intergraph RealiZm Z13-GT at 29.6. In response to a question GLQuake performance numbers were not available. Diamond will go direct for its OEM sales and it is setting up a new VAR group to sell into the VAR channel. Diamond will not use its traditional retail channel.
705.5 Softimage Unveils version 3.7 by David Lohse
At a small press tour held this week in New York, Santa Monica and San Francisco, Softimage took the wraps off of their forthcoming version 3.7 of SoftImage 3D.
Although they considered scrapping version 3.7 altogether to focus on Sumatra (the next-generation Softimage product expected to encompass the capabilities of SoftImage 3D, Digital Studio and Mental Ray), according to Daniel Langlois, the president of Softimage, they decided to release version 3.7 due to the large number of enhancements available now.
Softimage 3D version 3.7 features a number of new capabilities, many of which are targeted directly at the growing game developer market. Distributed, cross-platform rendering will allow content developers to easily convert a non-homogenous computer network into an efficient render farm, vastly ramping up production time in many cases.
A key new feature, developed specifically with game developers in mind, combines wireframe and shaded modes for modeling, allowing developers to see the vertices while working in shaded mode. Another new feature lets content developers get detailed specific information on models, including the total number of polygons in the model, the numbers of triangles and quads that make it up, and the number of non-planar polygons.
Other new features include a complete 3D painting tool for painting directly on textures or on the models themselves, an impressive "Kaboom" tool for interactively designing explosions, TrueType font support, export tools and attribute editors for a number of platforms including Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation, and a "swiftmouse" capability that maps mouse movements to command shortcuts.
Softimage 3.7 will be available at the beginning of April.
705.6 Transom Technologies Ships First Product by John Latta
Transom Technologies released its first product on February 14th, Transom Jack 1.1, only months after formation of the company in September 1996. This is based on the Jack human modeling technology developed by Professor Norm Badler and his laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. Jack, as software from the University, had 90 commercial users, and Transom Technologies has already converted approximately 75 of those to Transom Jack. The price is $19,900 and the current version runs on SGI workstations. Maintenance, enhancement and support costs 20% per year. In an interview with the WAVE Report, Transom President James Price stated that they will establish commercial software practices for Transom Jack including full support and regular releases and one major release per year.
Transom Jack has as its focus seven market segments: human-centered design, design for assemble and maintainability, workplace and task design, military simulation and training, games and entertainment, event reconstruction and commercial and industrial training.
705.7 Company Profile - Datapath - Setting a New Standard for 3D Tool Software by John Latta
The WAVE Report picked up indications of a hot software product, RealiMation by Datapath, following SIGGRAPH last year. Since that time we have been using RealiMation and RealiBench for 3D Performance Characterization at 4th Wave, the parent company of the WAVE Report. RealiBench has proved invaluable in our testing efforts. To gain more insights into the company behind these products we conducted an e-mail interview with its Managing Director, Brett Butcher, one of the founders of the company.
At Datapath there are approximately 50 people in a group of three companies: 25 in Datapath UK, 5 in Datapath GmbH (their German operation) and 15-20 in their UK distributor sister company (called TERMTEK). The company revenues are approximately $10M.
According to Brett, software is a very important area for Datapath: "We made a decision some time ago to avoid the 'consumerization' of the mainstream market for hardware, and develop software for that market instead. Hence the RealiMation-STE Desktop Professional edition at $500.00. RealiMation has been in development for over five years now and represents many man-years of effort. The development tools however reflect our on-going and growing commitment to the Visual Simulation and Games community. We intend to carry on our development of hardware, however, part of the reason for this is that knowing hardware makes us good at software."
Their flagship product is RealiMation 4.1, which began shipping at the beginning of February. This is a major underlying structural change for the 3D API which is at the core of Datapath's software products. According to Brett, the key changes, in part, include the following:
Images are handled very differently with the application now passing a pointer to an image thus allowing the use of video textures and backgrounds.
The lighting mechanisms were changed to create a light as a specific object rather than just living in an 'atmospheric'. The ability to override the lighting was added to allow applications to selectively pre-light objects or scenes.
The LOD (Level of Detail) was changed to include distance switching as well as projected area on an object-by-object basis.
Object caching was added to allow support for Image Generators (e.g., the Lockheed-Martin Real3D Pro-1000) and other retained mode sub- renderers (e.g., D3D or OpenGL) to operate more efficiently (sometimes - D3D often works better in immediate mode but they feel more retained mode devices will come along as time goes on (retained mode is where an IG or graphics engine holds a 3D object display list)).
Texture Layering was added where one can now have up to eight textures on a single material. (Hardware such as 3Dfx supports this with its multiple texture units - great for things like reflection and bump mapping effects).
Compression was added for RealiMation files (.RBS).
Other utility functions were added to the API and speed up improvements made including the ability to duplicate an entire hierarchy, fast database purging and object replacement.
Camera support was considerably enhanced to provide sheer and other extra functions to allow for stereo cameras and autostereo cameras (we have a client making 28 channel AutoStereo systems).
Although the above changes were made largely in the API, there were some small changes to the editor to make use of these API changes. Other usability features which were added included a face merge option for reducing polygon counts in large models, especially from CAD sources.
The viewer for RBS files, RealiView was considerably enhanced to be useable as a Netscape or IE3 plug in. This means that you can put your RBS files in your HTML pages (Which means that no VRML authoring is required). RealiMation also supports texture streaming based on direction of view.
This feature set can be seen by some as countering VRML but Brett counters that "We are not trying to go against the VRML stream in fact we are supporting it."
The company has been successful in having its software bundled with many products. The current bundles include: 3Dfx, Diamond, Leadtek, Number Nine, Omnicomp, and Real3D. A typical bundle includes a 45 day demo of RealiMation STE, RealiView (which includes the Internet plug- ins) and screen savers via RealiSave. Brett emphasizes that users can really try it all out for free. Another advantage is that these bundles show off the API capabilities.
When asked about product availability Brett stated that "Users can buy the straight STE-Pro edition from PC-Zone catalogue house and also from DEK software at (609) 424-6565. Developers can either buy direct or via our VAR channel which is just starting to open up. For example, S.A.I.C., OmniSIM in California will supply the full tools. This company also supplies an OEM version of the development tools with their SIMTools product. Datapath is also in negotiation right now with several other VARS and OEM's. Potential distributors can contact us direct."
In response to a question Brett responded that his company views "RealiMation as a very hot technology and as such it deserves to get both recognition and commercial success. My main aim is to make it a commercial success."
Brett also sees the industry as being too narrowly focused on Microsoft's Direc3D. He finds it interesting how Microsoft is strongly advocating Direct 3D but unfortunately with what he describes as the "wholly D3D route. D3D is fine, I just don't think it is all things to all folks as Microsoft claims it is."
In a broader context Brett finds it interesting how noise often outweighs substance in the 3D industry. He states, "I guess it is just that it is new and there are a lot of folks with only noise to offer."
Brett's describes his experience with the game community as one of surprise. That is, the response is binary to RealiMation - "...either mega-enthusiasm, or mega-disdain; hardly anything in between." He follows with "further investigation has told us that those who treat it with disdain are in fact afraid of it (it will steal my job). I think this is the most curious thing I have seen in a long while. The more switched on members of the games community are indeed now using the tools and are getting along great - with the view which reflects the following perspective 'Great I can make more games with the resources I have.'"
When asked to look forward Brett gave the readers an early view of the plans for V5.0. Developers should start to see V5.0 betas around the end of Q3 this year.
He stated that "The major changes for V5.0 will be towards the editor and the development tools usability (Whereas 4.0-4.1 really focused on getting the API right)."
Additions to the API for V5.0 should be fairly minimal but will include several important features. Actions will be able to have other events built in to them. Sound will be added by the addition of a microphone object (sound analogy of a camera), and speaker objects. The sound driver technology will be similar to the way in which they drive other display rendering technologies, at present, which use a driver layer. This will allow the sound to be independent too, as well as the image. (They are looking to work with other sound specialists in this area).
The database will have the ability for user-defined application data to be added to objects. This is presently possible in the memory run-time image of the worlds but not in the file.
The editor is where a lot of changes will take place. Besides the obvious capabilities in the API needing to be catered for (i.e. sound, etc.), Datapath will be adding more direct support for video texturing. Other changes will be the addition of time-line editing the action data, with trigger points able to hook up directly with chunks of 'C' or Java code. Another major feature in the editor that will come out in the maintenance release will be VRML 2.0 export from the STE. According to Brett, "We already have most of the features needed to produce 'point and click VRML worlds'. This will cement our lead in this market."
Datapath has also recently released a 3D benchmarking application based on Realimation (and bundled with the full version of Realimation) called Realibench. Although more 3D performance tests are beginning to appear in the industry, Realibench remains unique in its ability to run the same suite of tests across different APIs, including Direct3D, OpenGL, Glide and RenderWare. Realibench computes the average frame rate for any database supplied by the user (in RBS format) and features interactive toggling of rendering and texturing effects.
Datapath expects to be at SIGGRAPH this year. In their booth they are showing "all our stuff including some really wild new things."
Datapath is also currently in the process of opening its U.S. office in the San Francisco Bay Area.
S.A.I.C. e-mail contact John Dodd at postjrd@aol.com
705.8 Conference Report - Spring Internet World '97 - Los Angeles by John Latta
In conjunction with Microsoft, BackWeb announced that it will create a version of its client push technology that will be integrated with the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 due to be released this summer. BackWeb will also support Microsoft's Channel Definition Format standard for broadcast content. The effect of this announcement is that IE 4.0 users will be able to:
Personalize the delivery of any kind of content or software, including content that is not web based; Receive offline usage feedback; Do advanced schedule of content delivery; Do downloads of large files incrementally in the background; and Integrate the broadcast server with other systems in the enterprise.
BackWeb also announced new personalized broadcast channels. These include: BullsEye Internet News Service, GSEA World and online discount department store for GSA Employees, JAMtv whose "JAM Jukebox" is for personalized music and news, J-Bird Records for broadcasting background music, Stock-Line the Stock Traders News Network Channel, WorldNow OnLine for the delivery of local news and 55BroadNet the Global Community Sandbox for digital news and distance learning.
IDS announced that V*Ream Builder 2.0 will be available in the spring for $595. For users of Version 1.0 the upgrade will be $100. Version 2.0 is claimed to be the only VRML authoring package to allow users to edit native VRML 2.0. In addition, the software also supports cut and paste and drag and drop simplicity in the design of complex virtual worlds. Import capabilities include: VRML 1.0, Open Inventor, 3D Studio, RAW, and SGI WaveFront and trueSpace files. Also supported is Microsoft's DirectSound.
LiveCD 2.0 was announced which includes the special Xtras interface to Macromedia Director 6. The LiveCD System is based on client/server technology using LiveServer which links multiple clients or LivePlayers via the Internet. The focus of this technology is to ensure that hybrid media applications running on LivePlayers are updated in a timely and transparent bandwidth efficient manner. This technology uses the LiveServer Smart Push technology to trigger the Update Crawler which tracks the interests of the LivePlayers. Updates to the hybrid media are transparent and seamless. LiveCD also supports integrated fax, e- mail and chat capabilities.
The LiveCD System consists of the following:
LiveCD Publisher (Windows - $488) (Mac - $488) LiveServer for Windows NT (10 concurrent users) - $2,888 LiveServer for Sun Solaris (10 concurrent users) - $4,388
TGS was showing at the conference its 3Space Publisher a tool for creating 3D objects. A strength of this product is its ease of use which allows many users from Web developers to professionals to design 3D visuals. Included are 500 drag and drop 3D objects. Import capabilities include AutoCAD, 3D Studio, DXF, OpenInventor and VRML 1.0 and 2.0. Features supported include:
Ray tracking engine 5 movable lights Moveable cameras Animation engine 3D True Type fonts
Black Sun Interactive and Superscape
Announced that Superscape's Viscape browser will be integrated into Black Sun's client software Passport. The new version of Passport is available at their Web site:
For more information on the Black Sun Community Server visit
Announced the product Creative Inspire which allows for easy access to multimedia content on the Internet. This product brings a easy to use interface which also supports the popular plug-ins such as Real Audio, VDOLive, Shockwave and OnLive! Talker. Creative Inspire will also automatically update itself with these plug-ins are updated. Based on a channel concept Creative Inspire brings an Internet user interface which is media focused. Creative Technology announced relationships with 200 content providers. The software is available for download at the beginning of April at:
Demonstrated the first video technology that they claimed approaches television quality over the Internet. Available next quarter, this scaleable video technology adjusts the quality of the video based on bandwidth up to 30 fps over a wideband network. The demonstration was at 30 fps using a 512 kbps connection. VDONet claimed that over 700 sites are using its technology.
Announced the availability of the first authoring tool optimized for Intel's MMX technology. Internet 3D Space Builder 2.1 (ISB 2.1) includes:
Advanced VRML compression technology, including gzip import and export; Improved Geometry design functions; Multiple True Color rendering Engines; and Support for Intel's MMX instruction set
The retail price of ISB 2.1 is $89.95 for the packaged version and $69.95 for the download version.
Announced Atomic3D for the creation of 3D animation characters. This software supports facial expressions and lip synch. Its viewer program is called Neutron and to company is distributing 1 million copies on CD-ROM. It has a production tool Proton Pro ($995) for the creation of characters including facial movement and sound track synchronization.
Announced Director 6 Multimedia Studio. This is a major upgrade of the standard for multimedia authoring. Director 6 has taken on Web authoring functionality including streaming Shockwave movies, hybrid applications via Shocked CDs and browser scripting support. Director has a new user interface which provides for accessible objects and behaviors. Sprites are now full objects. A new floating Sprite Inspector and Sprite Overlay mode allow users to view and modify object properties on the Stage. Now object animation paths and displayed and edited on the Stage.
Director 6 is available for Windows 95, Windows NT, and Macintosh 68K and Power PC. The retail price is $999 with upgrades for $499.
Announced Liquid Reality Composer (LR Composer). The software is focused on ease of use point and click VRML authoring. This is the first software which enables users to integrate content creation and the playback window allowing them to manipulate objects in the actual 3D scene. The software will be available in April.
Announced version 2.0 of the Surround Video SDK and a new companion product Surround Video 2.0. These product enable the creation of full 360 degree panoramic photographs which can be used in web pages and multimedia titles. In addition, images can now be added to Office 97 documents.
Surround Video 2.0 ($395)and Surround Video SDK 2.0 ($495) will ship in April.
Internet Conference:
Copyright 1997 4th WAVE Inc.
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