Hiperia3D News: September 2009

3DXplorer has reached its V5 version and is now online for everybody since today.

Altadyn, the developer of 3DXplorer®, the first browser-based plug-in-less 3D platform for live collaboration, announced today full release of 3DXplorer version 5, available immediately online.

3DXplorer V5 is a major release bringing unique, first-of-its-kind and innovative features to the growing web3D market.

New Features Include:

Over-the-Cloud Distributed Resources: efficient, reliable, flexible and secure cloud-based network architecture.

New Applications : 3DXplorer V5’s new packaging enables customers to start with the 3DX/Platform, free of charge, then upgrade to applications such as 3DX/Online Meeting, 3DX/Meet in 3D or 3DX/Conferencing, depending on their needs.
Finally, 3DXplorer V5 integrates the recently announced new product 3DX/Conferencing under the same user account and the same interface, together with existing products 3DX/Online Meeting and 3DX/Meet-in-3D.

White Label Software: for marketing partners and includes increased possibilities for customizations.

Avatar improvements: additional choices and categories of avatars, capacity for more than 100 avatars simultaneously in a single space.
V5 avatars can now be represented in two levels of resolution: low poly (or low-resolution) avatars, adapted for large conferences, or high poly (or high resolution) avatars adapted for smaller groups.
Intranet installations with unlimited number of rooms (3DX/Enterprise Edition).

3DXplorer being browser-based with no download required, enables users to collaborate live, leaning on their set of distributed resources. Primary resources which can each be on a different server on the cloud are:

The application: 3DXplorer
Static data including the 3D space, and all related 2D/3D content
Dynamic synchronized data including the multi-user session service, the streamed data server for presentations, remote access, the chat server.

DeepView 5.7 Free: Insert 3D Models In Word, PowerPoint, or Adobe PDF
(Read more...)

VRML/X3D Recent News August-September 2009
(Read more...)

Last month there were some news about VRML and X3D. You can see VRML is not dead, still.

AccuTrans 2.11.5 Released

AccuTrans 3D has made some changes to improve its interface and added some other features that may be of value for VRML users. Remember that AccuTrans is only $20, and allows to convert 3D models between lots of file formats. You can read a previous review of Accutrans here.

Google Sketchup as a VRML authoring tool

Days ago, the amazing worldbuilder Tito published an article on Sketchup Pro used as a tool for building VRML sceneries. Read it to discover the possibilities of this tool for VRML authoring, on WBandD.

Picture by Mikelo

New VRML Creator features in 3D Planets

3D Planets announced in our community, WBandD, the following:

"As 3D Planets continues to grow and expand we are continually adding new features to help keep our community interesting and fresh.

We are pleased to announce that we have now opened a new area for 3D Item creators called the "Nebula" where members who upload 7 or more items can have their own separate store to showcase their work!"

3D Planets is a community based on Blaxxun with more than 12,000 members. Read more in WBandD.

View3DScene 3.4 release - advanced texturing

Kambi VRML Game Engine continues improving and now it's the turn for its VRML and X3D viewer, View3DScene. It has incorporated some stunning effects for texturing like:

All X3D multi-texturing nodes implemented
All X3D cube map nodes implemented
All X3D 3D texture nodes implemented
RenderedTexture node is implemented: a texture rendered from a specified viewpoint.
New extensions to easily make projective texturing and shadow maps within your VRML/X3D worlds.
Anisotropic texture filtering

cubemap kambi vrml game engine

Also, NURBS support both for X3D and VRML has been implemented. Seems that ViewScene and Kambi Game Engine are the implementations of VRML and X3D that have the biggest number of graphical features implemented.

I think Kambi VRML Engine is turning in one of the most stunning VRML/X3D viewers and engine out there. Read the interview to its creator.

Altadyn Conferencing Product Enables Large Number Of Attendees
(Read more...)

The new 3DXplorer Conferencing Product enables over 100 participants in a 3D room, with just a browser, no download required.

Altadyn, the developer of 3DXplorer, the first browser-based plug-in-less 3D platform for synchronous collaboration, today announced the release of its new product, 3DX/Conferencing, with immediate availability.

Tailored for large virtual 3D conferences, easily accessible to attendees with no download, the new product has been tested successfully with 100 avatars on mainstream infrastructure, with standard office computers.

3DX/Conferencing can be used even far beyond this number, with infrastructures offering higher bandwidth and stronger computers.

Important cost reductions and time savings are now possible when corporations organize meetings and conferences with large numbers of attendees such as New Product Launch Meetings, Seminars, Sales Kick-off meetings, HR On-Boarding, Corporate Trainings, Social Events and more.

3DXplore platform is the most accessible 3D web platform, as it runs on all computers including Macs, with any browser, and unlike other solutions, it does not require any software download, nor any open port, thus enabling participation from attendees behind firewalls and from restricted IT environments.

3DX/Conferencing features include:

• Large Numbers Of Avatars Using Only Standard Office PCs & Bandwidth:
- Multi-user session with instant messaging and/or integrated VOIP
- laser pointers to engage & direct attendees
- seated pose to watch presentations

• Multiple avatar categories:
- high resolution VIP avatars, typically used for presenters;
- low resolution Guest avatars, typically used for guests attending large conferences

• Manage Your Virtual Conferences Easily:
- includes set-up tool with preset time-zones, password options, invitation creator, etc.
- includes meeting tracker that logs meetings and meeting attendees

• Desktop & Application Sharing:
- share an entire desktop at any resolution, and show slides, an Excel sheet or a web page to the
audience, or display any application within 3D spaces

• Bring Your Products & 3D Objects Into The Room:
-use for product launch, product demos, equipment training, sales kick-off, etc.

• Multi-Presenter Functionality:
- share & display multiple screens & applications simultaneously

• Enlarged Presentation View:
- select any shared screen to view presentations in an enlarged pop-up window

• Create Fully Customized 3D Spaces:
- replicate training facilities, corporate headquarters, classrooms, conference rooms, etc

To read more about 3DX/Conferencing:
http://www.3dxplorer.com/static-v3/3DX_conferencing.html

Life On Line Last Episode Of This Series, Back In October
(Read more...)

DAZ 3D Web Exporter: Your Models In Any Web Page
(Read more...)

The Blender Gamekit Book: Make 3D Games With Blender
(Read more...)

Many people know that Blender is a free and open source 3D creation suite that has grown over the years to become one of the most powerful tools for 3D.

What many people may not know is that Blender includes a game creation kit. You don't need to program to create games with Blender, just this book and some time playing with the CD that comes included with it.

To create games, you just need to build your 3D objects with Blender, and then use the game engine of Blender to make your 3D game. This is done by clicks and pull-down menus, with no coding at all.

The Blender Gamekit is a book published by "No starch press" and written by several authors. When you have the book in your hands, you can see the neat design of the cover and the quality of impression. It has lots of illustrations and reading it is like following a series of tutorials, where you see what you must do in every step.

blender gamekit1

The way you should read it is just like you follow a tutorial: from the beginning to the end, following all the steps. That way you will soon be creating games with Blender. Of course, you can always go to Blender forums and wikis, to widen your knowledge.

The CD contains lots of examples that are referenced in the book, and also the game "Yo Frankie!", a huge project of game based on the Blender game kit. You can copy all these games to your hard drive and alter them to learn how to do games, and create games based on them.

The games in the CD are playable. Pay special attention to "Yo Frankie!" that was developed since 2008 by many people from the Blender community. In chapter 12, the book explains how many effects of this game are done, including things like dual-player split screen, physics, animations, and all kind of things that will show you how Blender has a real gaming engine.

On chapter 9 the book even tells you the basics on doing network games, multiuser games with Blender and Python. This needs some code but the author of this chapter tells you how it works and what you must do, being the only part in the book that shows code.

Other interesting chapter are, for example, chapter 10, where you are told how to create bones and animate your 3D meshes, and 11, where you can see that with Blender you can not only create arcade games but also intelligence games in 3D like the memory game that illustrates this chapter.

blender gamekit2

Chapter 13 is a reference to the Blender Game Engine, containing things like multi-texture materials, GLSL shaders, sensors for time, keyboard, mouse... This chapter is very extensive. You will appreciate it once you have mastered all the previous chapters.

You can get the book at the editor's site, or in Amazon (that may offer some discounts like now they're doing).

"The Blender GameKit" is the book for you if you want to go beyond modeling and turn yourself or your team into game developers at no cost.

http://nostarch.com/blender_gamekit.htm