3D DIRECT • August 11, 2001

SIGGRAPH Special

by Abby Albrecht

To get you in the mood for SIGGRAPH, here's a small sampling of things to look for on the show floor. More show news will come in next week.

Interzart AG 3D Commerce will show a number of their products at Siggraph. Interzart 3D Snapper can turn any object into a 3D object, from a can to a car. With interzart code37, users will become the main characters in computer games, while interzart 3D scan systems help present products and people online in 3D.

VirCinity will present its visualization software Covise, a virtual reality-based collaboration scenario consisting of two networked VR-installations. In front of an immersive stereo projection system, you will be able to analyze the flow around an open Mercedes SLK convertible, while your partner watches your actions in front of a second system around the corner.

Immersion, a developer of force-feedback products and realtime 3D interaction technologies, will be demonstrating their products at SIGGRAPH. The CyberForce Glove is a whole-hand and arm force feedback device that not only conveys grounded forces to the hand and arm but also provides six-degree-of-freedom positional tracking that accurately measures translation and rotation of the hand in three dimensions. VirtualHand Studio is a software tool used for verifying, testing, and evaluating 3D digital models in realtime that allows for the direct import of 3D data from multiple sources to construct functional digital prototypes. MicroScribe 3D is a 3D digitizing system that captures the physical properties of three-dimensional objects and accurately translates them into complete 3D models on-screen. LightScribe 3D is Immersion's newest scanning product and utilizes advance computer vision technologies under licensed exclusively from Geometrix, Inc. Lightscribe 3D combines a low cost video camera, a hand held laser stylus, and image processing software.

Attitude Studio announced the upcoming U.S. debut of virtual superstar Eve Solal at Siggraph 2001. Attitude Studio will introduce the newest version of Eve on August 14, 2001 at 12:00 P.M. The artists at Attitude Studio developed Eve Solal as a way to illustrate their talent in building virtual characters. Eve Solal was brought to life with animation tools, including Vicon 8 motion capture, Alias|Wavefront Maya, Kaydara Filmbox, and mental image mental ray. Attitude's proprietary tools, including its Emotion Mapper, were used to simulate both body and facial muscle deformations, which helped to translate human emotional response onto the final model of Eve.

LightWork Design, a creator of computer graphics software for rendering, simulation, and visualization solutions, announced that the new LightWorks Sketch Rendering technology will be previewed at SIGGRAPH. The LightWorks Sketch Rendering product allows architects, product designers, and 3D modelers to instantly create impressionistic and stylized renderings of their designs. LightWorks Sketch Rendering is available as an add-on module to the LightWorks SDK and comes with a customizable interactive user-interface.

Exluna is releasing Entropy, a 3D rendering product. Entropy is the first offering of Exluna Look Development tools and technologies, which allow a digital artist to manipulate the appearance of 3D objects, using shading, lighting, painting, and rendering techniques.

Entropy will be unveiled at SIGGRAPH along with a first look at Exluna's bridge product for discreet 3ds max and 3D Studio VIZ, which is scheduled for release this fall. Entropy can function as either the primary rendering system or as a complement to an already existing 3D development pipeline. Entropy is priced at $1500 per CPU or dual-processor workstation and includes such features as selective raytracing, scanline rendering, multithreading, and robust management of highly complex scenes. A cross-platform solution, Entropy will ship with support for Linux on Intel, SGI Irix, and Windows NT/2000, with other platforms to follow. Translators for additional modeling, animation, and design packages will be announced shortly.

Abby Albrecht is the Web editor for 3Dgate. She has too many SIGGRAPH meetings scheduled. You can reach her at [email protected].