ACADEMIA

Autodesk Media & Entertainment’s 3D Applications can be Displayed in VR Environments Using VRCO’s Conduit: Mechdyne Corporation today announced that its VRCO software division has expanded the compatibility of its immersive visualization solution to support native display of both Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max applications in a wide range of large scale virtual reality environments. With the enhanced Conduit package, designers may now display native Maya and 3ds Max models, in stereoscopic viewing modes, on large PowerWall and in walk-in immersive CAVE rooms driven by Windows and Linux PC clusters. VRCO, a member of the Autodesk Developer Network, also recently released Conduit for Autodesk AliasStudio 13 software. Advanced visualization capabilities enable creative designers to move beyond desktop tools to maximize productivity and better manage tight deadlines and development demands. Experiencing photorealistic virtual prototypes in 1:1 scale, with the added insight of stereoscopic depth, can help reduce the number of design iterations and/or physical models required for design reviews, thereby saving time and money while shortening development cycles. Realistic virtual prototypes can also improve collaboration among design teams for better decision making. The ability to work with native Maya and 3ds Max models in immersive environments has additional productivity benefits. Previously, in order to view these 3D models in VR environments, designers would have to port their data to a third-party viewing application, which may have required a software specialist and a significant amount of time. Since the third-party viewer does not allow changes to data in real time, revisions had to be noted, made in the native application, and then ported to the viewer again for further review. This process can cycle repeatedly. Porting to a viewer can also result in data integrity loss or compromises in image quality, potentially affecting the quality of collaboration and decision making. Conduit eliminates these potential pitfalls and streamlines the design review process. VRCO’s Conduit is software that duplicates the flow of three dimensional (3D) commands to multiple PCs, creating stereoscopic image formats and providing the multiple graphics outputs needed by large-scale visualization systems such as the PowerWall, CAVE and reconfigurable FLEX environments developed by Fakespace Systems. At the same time, Conduit enables compatibility with virtual reality tools such as motion tracking systems and input tools such as tablet PCs and hand-held wands. “We are pleased to expand our presence within the Autodesk Developer Network by enabling designers and animators to achieve more realistic modeling and viewing capabilities,” said Julien Berta, Conduit product manager for VRCO Inc. “Maya and 3ds Max produce powerful 3D models, and Conduit puts the content instantly in immersive environments, without disrupting the workflow.” "This new capability from one of the premier providers of large-scale immersive environments means that our customers in architecture, product design and visual simulation can experience all the benefits of 1:1 scale viewing. This supports our focus on ‘experiencing it before it's real’ to minimize the cost of design changes," said Ken Pimentel, senior product manager, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. Available today from Mechdyne and VRCO, Conduit can be integrated into existing software and/or visualization environments, or provided as part of complete, turnkey visualization solutions to meet specific requirements.