Co-Founder Of Total Immersion: About The Future Of 3D (Read more...)

Bruno Uzzan, co-founder and CEO of Total Immersion ( www.t-immersion.com ), send us some reflections about the real practical use of 3D. Total Immersion is the global leader company in augmented reality. They develop all kinds of solutions in 3D through augmented reality that solve real problems or enhance a real experience. He answers to the question "Where is 3D taking us?", which can be re-formulated as "Where is the future of 3D?"

According to Bruno Uzzan, part of the answer lies in augmented reality (AR). AR - which blurs the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream - is, for increasing numbers of consumers, the front line in the 3D revolution. It's the way that millions are now getting up close and personal with 3D, via near-tactile experiences.

"This isn't your father's 3D. In an earlier era, 3D in films - typically h or r or films -- was used as a trick, a f or eground element. In this post-Avatar era, 3D is now the depth of the environment, a way to immerse the audience and create hyper-realistic experiences. The 3D phenomenon is part of a profound transition in expression, from analog to digital - not at the expense of the analog world, but as an adjunct to it. In short order, we will begin to consume entertainment differently, we will begin to shop differently, we will begin to see differently."

According to Uzzan, what's missing - what the industry needs now - is "community engagement around a vision of both 3D and AR as transformative platforms f or experiential advertising, marketing, education and entertainment."

About Total Immersion
Total Immersion ( www.t-immersion.com ) is the global leader in augmented reality. Through its patented D'Fusion® technology, Total Immersion blurs the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream. Leading the augmented reality category since 1999, the company maintains offices in Europe ( France and UK), North America and Asia. Total Immersion supports the world's largest AR Partner network, with a diversified portfolio of more than 80 best-of-breed solution providers worldwide. Find the latest news about Total Immersion at: http://blog.t-immersion.com.

TinEye: Search For The Original Images And Copies (Read more...)

TinEye is a search engine that helps content creators and art lovers. For content creators like painters or digital artists, photographers and others, it helps you to track ilegal uses of your images. For art lovers, it helps you to identify the author of that image that you like so much.

When you enter the url of an image in TinEye, it searches for that same image on Internet. Even if the image was altered or cropped, it will recognise the image, and show you the results and urls where they are located.

If you are searching for the author of an image, you just look for the bigger image, that hasn't been cropped, and visit that url to see if that's the author's page.

If you are the copyright owner, you can check if the sites that have your images are fan sites, legal uses, or just people making money from your work without your permission.

TinEye is one of the first implementations of image recognition for fair use of copyrighted or copylefted images. Remember the article about Semantic Copyright ? TinEye is the same idea, that is now a reality.

http://www.tineye.com/

Everything 40% Off With Content Paradise Coupon (Read more...)

40% OFF EVERYTHING

Savvy shoppers save 40% on any software title at Content Paradise now through October 31, 2010. That's right, pick any product and save a whopping 40% when you buy now.

COUPON CODE:
BIGSCARYSALE

One per customer. Not valid with any other offers, discounts, trials or special upgrade pricing. Sale ends 10/31/2010 at 11:59pm PST

This includes Software, like Poser or Anime Studio!

Free BVH Files (Read more...)

The Carnegie-Mellon motion capture library has been conversed to make it compatible with the Daz (daz3d.com) 3rd-generation and 4th-generation characters such as Aiko3, Aiko4, Victoria3, Victoria4, Michael3, Michael4, and so on. Over 2500 separate BVH files are available, with an index.

You can get the files at:

http://sites.google.com/a/cgspeed.com/cgspeed/motion-capture/daz-friendly-release

Or you can go to www.cgspeed.com and follow the Motion Capture link from the left-side navigation bar.

All of the files are free, and they're bundled into a small number of ZIP files.

Training videos:

Part 1: http://www.vimeo.com/13777740

Part 2: http://www.vimeo.com/13777422

Xnormal: Generate Your Maps (Read more...)

Xnormal is an application with interesting texturing features:

Generates normal, ambient occlusion and displacement maps.

If you have a high poly model, it can also take its texture and project it into the lowpoly version of that mesh, even if it has different topology (different polygons).

Includes a 3D viewer that has shaders and realtime shadows and glow effects.

Comes with some useful tools like height map - normal map - cavity map - occlusion - tangent/object space and spherical harmonics tools.

Xnormal is free and just asks for bug reports, feedback, mention it in the things you do with it, or just send them examples of art made with it.

http://www.xnormal.net/

Renderosity COUPON: 10% Off min. spent $10 (Read more...)

Coupon for Renderosity Marketplace

Code: 102210B10P10

Deadline: Tuesday, October 26th

Discount: 10% Off

Applies if you spend at least: $10

Suggestions:

Metal Generation
Themed Poser DAZ
$ 5.62
By hiperia3d, emmaalvarez

Beach Scenes Creator
Themed Poser DAZ
$ 9.37
By hiperia3d, emmaalvarez

Livin' In A Mushroom
Themed 2D Poser DAZ
$ 13.35
By hiperia3d, emmaalvarez

Ace Of The Skies
Poser DAZ Themed
$ 13.35
By hiperia3d

Twinity: Virtual New Yourk Now Open! (Read more...)

3D online social community Twinity, the virtual world based on real people and real cities, has the ribbon cutting for the opening of its second US metropolis: Virtual New York. People from all over the world can now visit and even live in the city online 24/7.

Berlin, 22 October 2010 – Twinity, the virtual world based on real people and real cities, is very excited to announce the opening of its fifth international city: Virtual New York!

From 22 October 2010 Twinity takes the Big Apple to the next dimension and opens a realistic replica of the area south of Central Park in 3D. The starting point of Virtual New York is at Grand Army Plaza and from there the online community can spread out to explore the city and it’s world famous landmarks like the Trump Tower, Solow Building or the Pulitzer Fountain to mention just a few.

The city that never sleeps will live up to its name this weekend with lots of events, contests and parties. The opening will be on Friday, 22 October at 9 am EST/3 pm CET. Do not miss out and check the event calendar on twinity.com.

New York is a multicultural city and so is its virtual counterpart. It’s easy to find a new home, settle down and start a new living with the help of Twinity’s real estate market. Exclusive 3D living space is available for all members to hang out with friends or start a business and make a fortune in the virtual world.

The virtual world Twinity is currently in public beta. Register for free membership at www.twinity.com and start exploring the world today.

Unity Book: Learn 3D Game Dev By Example (Read more...)

Packt Publishing has a new title about Unity, about how to build 3D games of all kinds: “Unity 3D Game Development by Example. Beginner’s Guide”.

This book will be reviewed soon here at Hiperia3D News, but if you want to get it now, I can tell you it looks good, and you can get it at Packt Publishing.

This is what you will learn from this book :

    * Find out how people are using the amazing new Unity 3D game engine
    * Develop and customize four fun game projects, including a frantic race through hospital hallways with a still-beating human heart and a catch game with a jilted lover that morphs into a space shooter!
    * Create both 2D and 3D games using free software and supplied artwork
    * Add motion, gravity, collisions, and animation to your game objects using Unity 3D's built-in systems
    * Learn how to use code to control your game objects
    * Create particle systems like shattering glass, sparks, and explosions
    * Add sound effects to make your games more exciting
    * Create static and animated backdrops using multiple cameras
    * Build crucial elements you'll use again and again, like timers, status bars, title screens, win/lose conditions, and buttons to link game screens together
    * Deploy your games to the Web to share them with friends, family, and adoring fans
    * Discover the difference between game skins and mechanics, to earn more money from your games

You can read a sample chapter here.

There is also an offer to get the 2 books of Packt about Unity. Look at the book’s page at Packt Publishing.

MakeHuman: Open Source 3D Human Model Builder (Read more...)

MakeHuman is a software to build human 3D models similar to Poser. The difference is that it is focused to modeling these figures, and that these models try to be anatomically realistic, not always ideal.

You can modify the human mesh using parameters for each body part. After that, you can export the mesh, to be used in your 3D modeler or application. You can then alter and use this mesh with compete freedom, as MakeHuman is GPL, and the meshes produced are yours to be used.

http://www.makehuman.org/

IMMERSIVE TECH SUMMIT 2010 TO HOST MIND-EXPANDING AFTER-PARTY, COURTESY OF MINDSHARE LA (Read more...)

LOS ANGELES (October 18, 2010) – As if a full day of reality-shattering presentations and experiences weren’t enough, those on hand at this week’s Immersive Tech Summit 2010 (www.immersivetech.org) will need to save room for dessert.  Tricks and treats will take the form of a masquerade ball, conceived and executed by Mindshare LA, at Los Angeles Center Studios.

Immersive Technology Summit 2010 is the world's first gathering of experts and aficionados dedicated to exploring the technological reaches of imagination. “Immersive technology” refers to software and devices that blur the barrier between the physical and digital worlds, thereby creating “immersive” experiences. 

Kicking off at 7 p.m. and running till the wee hours, the latest Mindshare extravaganza will feature a mysterious program and 15+ interactive installations, including the Vortex Dome.  In addition to “Magical World of Immersive Technology” with ImTech’s Nathan Makino, Mindshare LA’s Program of Mystery will include:

· Seeing Dark Matter, from Ali Vanderveld, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago

· The Vanishing of the Bees, from writer and filmmaker Maryam Henein

· 10 Minute Wicca, from Seamus McKeon, Wicca High Priest and bacon enthusiast

· Big Red, one of the world's most talented balloon artists

            “The October Masquerade is always our favorite event of the year,” said Doug Campbell, Mindshare LA Curator and Co-founder.  “Besides adding an element of mystery, it's always fun to see an astrophysicist explain aspects of the cosmos in a fancy mask or silly costume.”

            Drawing Angelenos from the cultural, technological and business worlds under the tagline “Enlightened Debauchery,” Mindshare LA surrounds presentations from entrepreneurs, artists and academics with an ongoing open-bar party, and includes live music, artistic and technological installations from a variety of creators. 

“This after-party is an ideal complement to the Summit – creative, experiential and a true extension of the day,” said Makino, ImTech CEO.  “MindShare LA is joining our effort to bring communities together, with technology as an engaging means to that end.” 

Organized by Immersive Tech (ImTech), a new Los Angeles-based non-profit think tank, Immersive Tech will feature a full complement of industry speakers, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and product demonstrations, theater presentations in a 50-foot hemispherical dome, networking events and insider access to new technologies.  Through the collaborative efforts of Panasonic USA , Ronald James Television and the c3: Center for Conscious Creativity, the Summit will be documented in 3D.

Among the speakers at the event: Dr. JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, founder of UC Santa Barbara's Allosphere; John Smart, Chairman of the Acceleration Studies Foundation; and Greg Hyver, Vice President of Business Development, for BCINet, Inc.  Evans & Sutherland is the headline sponsor and Adobe and Virtual World Web are event benefactors.  Contributors include AV Concepts, BCInet, Big Look 360, Blict, Clearlens, Doppel Games, Fixed 8 Lighting, Global Vision Communication, Immersive Media, Metaio, Monster Energy, Ogmento, Parrot AR Drone, Robo Dynamics, Social Animal, Syyn Labs, TOOB, Total Immersion, UPrinting.com, Virtusphere, Vortex Immersion Media, c3: Center for Conscious Creativity, and xRez Studio.

Immersive Technology Summit 2010 is the first of what will become an annual conference, with focused seminars and special events held throughout the year.   ImTech marks the kickoff of an organized and enthusiastic effort to engage the Southern California community in a conversation around these emerging technologies.  The next event is slated for Q1 2011.

Five Immersive Tech awards – “the Immys” -- will be presented at the Summit, in the categories of arts/entertainment, health sciences, research/education, communication, and interface.   In the spirit of the budding immersive tech community, fans are invited to vote for their favorites at www.immersivetech.org/immys. 

To purchase tickets for Mindshare LA, or to find more information about the event and featured speakers, visit www.mindshare.la/.

For more information on ImTech sponsorship, please contact Nathan Makino at nathan@immersivetech.org.

About Mindshare LA

Mindshare LA is a monthly event which serves as a platform for networking and idea-sharing among professionals and scholars from a range of creative disciplines. Combining multi-media presentations with music, food, drink and art, Mindshare LA is focused upon community building and intellectual exchange in Downtown Los Angeles.

Media contact for Mindshare LA:

Doug Campbell
Co-Founder, Curator

401-419-8999
doug@mindshare.la
www.mindshare.la

About Immersive Tech

Immersive Tech (ImTech) is a non-profit think tank, based in Los Angeles and dedicated to promoting the development and adoption of immersive technology.  The organization seeks to provide a new medium for human creativity, and sees boundless potential with the creation of perceptually-real, immersive environments.  For more information, visit http://www.ImmersiveTech.org.

New Rendering Plugin For DAZ Studio (Read more...)

Pret a 3D is developing a new plugin for DAZ Studio 3 that will extend the rendering capabilities of Daz Studio achieving a quality never seen before, without having to use IBL lights.  An experience so good you'll want to buy a bigger computer.

They make this using an external render engine, LuxRender, already often used with Blender, SoftImage, and other 3D applications by many people. LuxRender is a physically based and unbiased rendering engine. Based on state of the art algorithms, LuxRender simulates the flow of light according to physical equations, thus producing realistic images of photographic quality. It's free, GPL licensed software. Pret a 3D has made a plugin to make it work for DAZ Studio, that translates DAZ Studio shaders to this render engine.

http://www.luxrender.net

With the new plugin you will have instant preview of materials, and will be able to do amazing things like turning any OBJ into a water effects, render scenes outside Studio, allowing you to continue work in Studio while rendering, stop and resume any render, multi-processor/hyper-threading ready, network rendering, and other features of LuxRender now available for DAZ Studio 3.

As LuxRender is unbiased rendering, expect long render times, but you can stop it when you are satisfied with the result, anyway.

Visit the software page at http://preta3d.com/  The makers have said that the pricing will be very affordable for most people. The first versions were available for purchase only for Premium Club members at DAZ. We are still expecting a public release for all members and versions of DAZ Studio.

Active Worlds’ CY Awards 2010 Nominations Open (Read more...)

The nominations for CY Awards in Active Worlds open today, October 15th, 2010.

You have 10 days until 25th to vote in the different categories.

The ceremony will be on November 13, 2010, and they have invited me to go, as well as all the readers of Hiperia3D News.

Remember that you don’t have to be a citizen to go, you can also enter as a tourist, and witness this special event, like some kind of Oscars to those who have done more for the Active Worlds community along the year.

Read more information about CY Awards, dates and all that at their website.

K-3D Open Source Procedural 3D Modeler (Read more...)

K-3D is a free ( GPL license, open source ) modeler that uses procedural and parametric modeling techniques. This means that the properties of objects are adjustable through the interface and changed at any point.

It also includes an advanced undo/redo system that ensures you to be able to correct any mistake where other applications won't let you undo or redo.

http://www.k-3d.org/

Vue 9 (Read more...)

Vue is the premiere solution for creating, animating, and rendering natural 3D environments, providing unrivaled natural scenery creation, precise artistic control, leading-edge performance.

E-on Software announced on the new features of the upcoming Vue 9. If case you missed it, here they are:

- EcoSystem 4: dramatically reduced flickering, optimized rendering and memory management for Dynamic EcoSystems, and more...

- Relighting: to instantly adjust the lighting of the scene after the render completes, lights can be turned on and off, colors can be changed, all in real-time!

- HDR Multi-Pass Rendering,

- HyperBlob Technology: convert HyperTextured MetaBlobs to polygon objects with user defined LOD - ideal for the creation of extremely rich and detailed rock formations,

- Improved Terrain Editor: new Decal and Smear brushes, automatic Terrain Retopology, Sculpting and Painting masks, Terrain Canvas extension, Contextual brushes, custom terrain brushes...

- Custom Interfaces: Create simplified high-level controls and access these controls directly from the material editor, the terrain editor or the object editors!

- Interactive Network Rendering,

- Auto Saving and Scene Snapshots: this unique and innovative technology automatically saves the scenes in the background, while working, without slowing the user down in his flow!

- And much more like Rocky Mountains fractals, Inverse Kinematics, Cloud Radiosity, Real-World units, Catmull-Clark subdivision, improved texture management, native Cocoa, new interface design, ...

The entire Vue 9 product line, including products for 3D Artists, and products for 3D Enthusiasts, is scheduled for release Q4 2010.

More information on the full Vue product line: www.eonsoftware.com/vue

 

DAZ Studio 3 Advanced For $1.88 (Read more...)

Hurry! All Platinum Club members can get DAZ Studio 3 Advanced For $1.88 instead of the $150 it costs.

Just today! Run! If you’re reading this, hurry, the offer will end in few hours!

Click here to get DAZ Studio 3 Advanced for $1.88

TOTAL IMMERSION NORTH AMERICA GM GREG DAVIS SELECTED TO SPEAK AT CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS 2010 (Read more...)

LOS ANGELES (October 4, 2010) – Total Immersion (www.t-immersion.com), the global leader in augmented reality (AR), today announced that Greg Davis, North America General Manager, has been chosen to participate in the educational program at CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS™ 2010, which will take place in San Francisco at Moscone Center West, October 6-8.

Davis has been selected to speak at two sessions – “Adventures in Storytelling: Augmented Reality,” presented by the Producers Guild of America– New Media Council in the Mobile Content in Motion track, and “Taking In-Game Advertising to the Next Level,” which is part of the Mobile Applications track. In the former, Davis will explore what AR means for storytellers and producers of traditional media. He will join a panel of pioneers – moderated by Brian Seth Hurst, CEO, The Opportunity Management Company, Inc. – who will map out the present and multi-dimension future of augmented reality.

In the second session, Davis will address the rise of social networking and augmented reality in mobile games, and how both trends have taken the long- hyped area of “advergaming” to new levels. He will be joined by other executives in the mobile industry, including moderator Melissa Harkcom, Director, F&L International, who will share their perspectives and experiences in the mobile marketplace.

“Greg will certainly contribute insight and expertise to our discussions on the critical technical, business and policy issues facing the wireless industry,” said Robert Mesirow, CTIA vice president and show director. “CTIA Educational Sessions are designed to present attendees with best practices and actionable intelligence from market segments that have successfully implemented mobile strategies to improve business performance.”

“Both of these CTIA sessions testify to the robust growth of augmented reality,” Davis said. “Platforms for AR are proliferating, from the desktop to mobile, the cloud, consoles, set top boxes and more.  Truly, it’s AR everywhere -- and we’ve only just begun.”  

About CTIA Shows

CTIA shows bring together all industries advanced by wireless technology for intense business, learning and networking. CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS™ 2010 takes place in San Francisco , October 6-8. International CTIA WIRELESS^® 2011 takes place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando , Florida , March 22-24. Visit www.ctiashow.com.

CTIA–The Wireless Association^® is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices and initiatives, and produces the industry’s leading tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington , D.C. Visit www.ctia.org.

Mesh Import In Second Life (Read more...)

Linden labs plans to add mesh import to Second Life. This functionality would allow content created in the mainstream 3D creation tools, such as Maya or Blender, to be imported directly into Second Life, using the COLLADA format.

It is in closed beta testing now. Soon it will be open beta, and any resident can get involved in the testing.

Read more at SL Blog