Vray Update

Vray Update

Zbrush + Vray

Zbrush + Vray

Design Charette from SketchUp Basecamp

A couple of weeks ago I went to Boulder to attend the 4th SketchUp Basecamp. SketchUp has hosted this gathering every couple of years, to get users and programmers together to discuss what's planned, what should be planned, what people want to see, and to see examples of how some SketchUp experts are using the software. There are always a bunch of us third-party product people running around as well, including writers like myself, trainers, rendering engine companies, dynamic component producers, and the like.

I plan to write up my impressions of the entire three days, but first I wanted to post about the design charette - the main activity on the third and final day (which ended around lunchtime).

"Charette" is a term I hadn't heard as an engineering student. It is generally used in architecture, when a group of students or designers need to come up with a problem-solving design in a short time. The Basecamp charette participants were told to form groups of about 10, and the assignment was to either design the classroom of the future, or some sort of organizational system for storing educational technology (tablets, printers, etc).

I ended up not participating myself (got involved in a couple of meetings instead), and I wasn't there when the results were presented (lunch meeting!). So I don't know how many groups opted for the organizer and how many did the classroom. But I do know who won, because I know most of the members of that group!

So imagine that you and some colleagues have TWO AND A HALF HOURS to come up with a design and get it into some sort of presentational format. Rather high pressure! But these are SketchUp experts, who are also fluent in LayOut, so great things were happening.

My friend Eric Schimelpfenig was on the winning team, and he sent me the winning model as well as the LayOut (presentation) file. Here are some shots of their design. For each image, click to view the entire thing - you might not get the full image in the blog format.

The overall view shows one enclosed classroom, surrounded by lots of landscaped outdoor space. (I assume this is located somewhere NOT being pounded by Hurricane Sandy, as we are right now...)

This view of the classroom, minus roof, shows the main room with circular desks and a loft area with beanbag (!) chairs. 

There aren't many (if any?) doors that close. A nice flower garden with paving stones is just off (and visible from) the main classroom.

Behind the classroom is an area with interactive signage.

Here's the greenhouse with solar roof:

And this is the open-air Council House.

Next to the Council House are some CSA-style vegetable plots, and the overlook features a human sundial.

Heading back into the main classroom area, there are some flat screens where the kids can see and chat wtih their fellow students across the world.

Have you noticed the translucent people? You can find them by searching for "silhouette" in the 3D Warehouse. These are components that always face the right way, and their black color was made translucent - an easy way to get a quick and dirty rendering without using any other programs.

Various views of this design, along with larger detailed views, were assembled into a LayOut document, which was then presented to the charette judges.

Congrats to the winning team! I'm not sure if the they had a team name, but here are the participants:

Zack Mertz

Rashad Al-Ahmadi

Mike Tadros

David Pillsbury

Jeffrey Orkin

Wyatt Thompson

Bertier Luyt

Yael Kadem

Eric Schimelfpenig

John Pacyga

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Improve usage of BIM during early design phases

When I was collecting ideas for a book chapter on BIM (that seemed to never have emerged after that), I collected 10 ideas, which I believe still reflect good recommendations to improve the usage of BIM during the early design phases. These ideas are related to BIM software, but you can apply them in any flavor, as long as you can model with Building Elements, Spaces and have control over representation.

Introduction

This article gives an overview of several recommendations and tips, to better apply BIM applications and BIM methodologies, in the context of the early design phases. Many of these tips are applicable in any BIM application and they are based on experience gathered from teaching, researching and using BIM software.

Sometimes they could help software developers to improve the workflow of their particular BIM implementation.

Tip 1 : Gradually increase the amount of information

In the early design phases, the architect makes assumptions and lays out the main design intent. There are several different aspects which can assist this process to cope with a gradual increase of detail and information.

Scale-Sensitive objects allow the design to properly reflect the scale of focus

The display of a window on a scale 1:100 is necessarily simplified, while the same object, with the same parameters on a scale 1:20 should display more detail, especially with regard to the connection of the frame to its enclosing wall. Most current BIM systems allow this to occur automatically, but when extending the library of “objects” or “families” or “symbols”, it is important to take this into account.

Start with generic elements

Walls, floors and roofs can typically be composited from several layers of applied materials, but in the early design phases, this can wrongfully suggest that the design information is more elaborate than it actually is. It is more important to indicate a wall to be an exterior, load-bearing wall and maybe distinguish between a select few project variations, rather than on very specific compositions.

While not readily available in common software implementations, it is possible to automate the replacement of generic or default elements with specific and more detailed compositions, e.g. through scripting. But currently, this has to be done by either modifying the generic structure or by manually assigning a more specific composition.

Tip 2 : Make Mass Models and Volume Studies

Most BIM tools support the Masterplan Scale Level with Mass Modeling tools. And in some cases, there are even automated routines to generate regular building elements from these mass models.

Unfortunately, this is commonly implemented as a one-way process. It would be good that BIM developers realize that allowing the user to freely migrate between Scale Levels and Design Phases can better support the design process. (FWIW, this was the main topic of my PhD in 2007)

To some extent, the applications even support this, but not as fully as possible. E.g. we noticed when using this in AutoCAD Architecture, that once you generate the walls and floors from the Mass model, that there was no way back. Modifying the Mass model did not properly reflect on the generated elements.

Tip 3 : Model with Spaces/Rooms

Closely related to Mass models are Spaces or Rooms. While most BIM software supports the notion of a Room or Space or Zone object, it is sometimes closer to annotation than to modeling. In e.g. Revit, you can only insert Rooms when the enclosing walls, floors and roofs have been modeled. And while you can model with standalone Zones in ArchiCAD, they only present all their features when the enclosing elements are available and used for Zone generation. This is remarkable, from the point-of-view of the designer, as the room or space is probably one of the most fundamental design entities, directly reflecting how the model proposes a solution for the design program or brief. However, even then it is of utmost importance to use the Room/Zone/Space features to indicate functions and generate listings early on, which can be performed without much effort. Such listing are invaluable for quick program assessment and project cost estimation. And they do form the basis for energy analysis too.

A good example of this was our usage of building function analysis we performed for a recent study of elderly care centers. Based on 2D PDF and CAD drawings, used as an underlay, we traced the different floor plans using the Zone tool in ArchiCAD, with a custom set of categories. While we attempted to be precise, initially, time constraints enforced a more sloppy and fast approach at peak time for some later cases. However, it did allow us to have a spatial overview of the projects, distinguishing between e.g. circulation, technical rooms, leisure and sanitary rooms, as well as administrative spaces, to be compared between the case studies. In addition, we could present a 3D spatial model, with automatically generated listings alongside. It provided more flexibility, although most of the analysis was still carried out in a spreadsheet.

A concern we still has was deciding between modeling the net spaces in between the walls or the gross area and volume, up to the outer extents of the facade. Ideally, you'd have both, but you might not want to model both.

Tip 4 : Don’t import SketchUp models into BIM software

While most current BIM software supports the import of SKP models and even interprets the faces as actual walls, floors and roofs, it is better not to rely on this functionality. In most cases, the SketchUp model is good “as is”, but not “well-formed”. It is not built up to the accuracy or the structure expected for a correct and manageable BIM model.

However, if you do insist, don't bother modeling the thickness of walls and roofs in SketchUp. Use it for where it shines most: exterior volume studies. It is however possible to load this model as a reference object, to assist proper remodeling with actual BIM tools, similar as using 2D drawings as underlays.

Tip 5 : Design on grid and on axis

In most cases, to have flexible and sound models, it makes sense to ensure that walls, columns and beamse are properly aligned on grids and placed on axis. While not all BIM applications use Grids as actual design entities, those that do allow the user to more properly embed design intent in the model and have clearer indications of connectivity, adjacency and general topology in the building. A good design grid setup will allow faster modeling and allow for a faster design workflow.

Tip 6 : Model as little as possible...

While BIM software presents an enormous array of tools and functions, it is wise to adhere to an approach of least effort.

Model as little as possible, with as few elements as possible in as few files as possible.

For construction documents and for technical details, it is good to have detail and larger project can benefit of division into several files, but in the early design phase, it is better to try to be efficient.

• Strive to use the minimal amount of entities and control them with as few parameters as possible.
• Don’t split elements (e.g. use a full floor and wall and ignore the interconnections at this stage).
• Adapting the model to design changes is much more flexible and efficient with a smaller set of objects to master.

Tip 7 : Represent for concept

While it is tempting to embed photorealism in the design process, it is only a by-product and can often lead to false assumptions. It is advisable to limit some aspects of representation, ensuring that all visual output clearly reflects the immaturity of the design.

• Ignore texturing or fall back on simplified materials;
• Avoid hatching, especially when the scale would not present this properly;
• Limit the amount of annotation to basic room tags and some major dimensions (e.g. height levels);
• Use conceptual colors, clearly indicating function and design intent, rather than materiality;
• Make all cut elements pure black; don't show wall, slab and roof layers at this stage.

Tip 8 : Use simple templates

A good template is the key to productivity. However, it would be naive to assume that a single template should cater for all phases in the design process. It would be good to have a very basic design template, small and without clutter, with a subset of functions and materials.

Postpone the use of extensive templates to the later phases in the design process. If the user needs to scroll to get through the list of materials, line types, layers, compositions or other settings, then the template is too extensive. Less is more indeed.

Tip 9 : Use external references and images

BIM models are often the collection of information from different sources, such as site measurements, images, reference documentation. While all these documents belong in the design, they should be kept outside of the model. If supported by the software, use underlays, external maps and pictures.

Do not "import" CAD drawings, especially when they can generated additional clutter, such as layers, line types or annotation styles. (However, if your software supports underlays/XRefs, then you can attach the CAD drawing and yet retain your own BIM template structure).

Tip 10 : Use the right tool for the right job, but keep only one master

A hybrid usage of applications is quite common. The design can be elaborated in modeling, drafting and BIM software and at the same time in visualization and simulation tools. However, to ensure consistency, maintain a single master model; which is, preferably, the BIM model.

If necessary, host other parts of the design in the main BIM model, e.g. by inserting or referencing external geometry and keep the original for all design changes. 2D information can also be hosted, as flat drawings or as PDF documents.

If at all possible, automate the updating of changes or the workflow.

This is actually very similar to game development, where “assets” (geometry, textures, sounds, animations) can be created in several applications, yet a full pipeline is established to ensure that different people all work on the same project. Updates to these assets are reflected in the authoring environment.

A good example can be experienced in a visualization process. E.g. you can "link" an ArchiCAD model to Cinema4D for rendering and animation and even link this model to Unity3D, for realtime exploration. Updates to the BIM model reflect in the visualization model and consecutively reflect in the realtime model. The exact same workflow is also supported between Revit, 3ds Max and Unity.

Another motivation to keep using the BIM model as the master geometry for visualization are the flexible representations. In a pure modeling software, your geometry is "as is" (unless you apply a fully parametric process). But in BIM, this geometry can be regenerated based on different criteria: e.g. layer settings, scale level, building phase, level of detail (e.g. load-bearing only; finishes) and also cutout sections. And you don't have to export the whole model as one single file. When you create complementary views in the BIM software, you can export the model in chunks and then assemble them in the visualization software.

Conclusion

While all of these 10 “rules” can only be taken as recommendations and can be disregarded at times, it is our belief that they can assist with a proper application of BIM in the early stages of the design process. These suggestions have been motivated to counter some skepticism regarding BIM, as many people are convinced that BIM should only be utilized when the design is crystallized. This would be unfortunate, as the main advantage of using BIM is the possibility to better inform the designer about the project and its performance (e.g. cost, energy, esthetics) and improving or adapting the project should be done preferably during the early design phases, when this kind of modifications is still possible.

The next mind map is a more graphical summary of the 10 tips/recommendations...

Moment of Inspiration > Mac version available for beta testing

MoI (Moment of Inspiration) has been around for quite some time, as a standalone modeler for Windows. It is developed by the former creator of Rhinoceros 3D and focuses on freeform geometry primarily. The phrase "SketchUp for MCAD" is sometimes heard to describe this software.

This is a NURBS modeling application, with a particular attention to user interaction and a minimal interface. You can use it mostly using a mouse or even a pen (e.g. from Wacom) and I assume that it would work mostly fine even on a touch screen. Could the OSX version be a hint of a possible future iOS version for iPad? I don't know, but it makes sense and would be really welcomed.

The interface is mostly icon-based and is not crowded at all (unlike many other CAD applications). The tools are easy to understand (especially when you have been using a program like Rhino before) and there are no commands to type or menu's to step through. There are shortcuts you can use, however, to get more productive.

Modeling is fairly interactive and everything can be seen fully shaded in the viewports. When you activate a tool, sometimes more tools are visible in an opening sub-panel and the options for the particular tool are displayed above the tools in an additional part of the side pane.

MoI in action (with some annotations by me)

All the usual basic commands are available, from extrusions and lofts, to sweeps, revolves, a set of primitive solid objects and Boolean operations. There is also a set of Curve creation tools and especially the sketching of a curve makes sense in this application.

But it is also a real CAD application, so you can edit curves with their control points, use snapping and coordinates and import/export to other software.

It's native file format is the same as in Rhino: OpenNURBS (*.3dm), but it can export to IGES, sat, STEP, obj, stl, 3ds, lwo, fbx, SketchUp and even AI (Illustrator) using a projected view. You can read some other formats too:  OpenNURBS, IGES, SAT and STEP and Illustrator files (ai, eps or PDF format). So you can easily integrate this application with other software.

It is a commercial, closed-source application and the Windows version was about $295, so I expect the OSX version to have the same price, when it is officially released. You can test the beta-version for free and there is a trial for the Windows version available.

Info on http://moi3d.com/osxbeta.htm

Open IFC Tools : Open Source IFC Libraries and software

Open IFC Tools (http://www.openifctools.org)

This is a set of Open Source (for non-commercial use) libraries written in Java. It should work on Windows, Linux and OSX.

They follow a modular approach, where different packages are being released in order:

1. Open IFC Java Toolbox
2. Boolean Modeller
3. IFC-loader for Java3D
4. 4D Scheduling Assistant

Currently, only the Toolbox is available, together with a Java Webstart demonstration to launch the software directly from a browser. This automatically installs the necessary extensions for Java3D, OpenGL, GlueGen.

I tried the web-demo but first had to update Java3D on my Mac (as mentioned on http://www.openifctools.org/Open_IFC_Tools/mac_java3d.html).

This viewer loaded the ArchiCAD file without problems and displayed it adequately. You get a view on the actual IFC code, a 3D visualization, the hierarchic object tree of the Spatial structure and the particular attributes of selected entities, which is exactly what you need from a viewer.

The yellow color is the highlight color of the wall I selected, on the ground floor ("Gelijkvloers" in Dutch). It displays the wall information, the ID (unique), the Name (as named inside ArchiCAD) and the connectivity with other objects.

This is quite comparable to what is provided by Solibri Viewer, so the implementation is fairly complete.

For an end user, you might be a bit scared away with all the nitty-details from the IFC files and indeed, a literal display of what is inside an IFC file can be pretty daunting, when you are accustomed to a more user-friendly display from e.g. ArchiCAD or Revit.

2012 will be more mobile and synced

This is a short post talking about mobile CAD. Posted from my new phone.

This year I want to take a look at BIM, model viewing and sharing on mobile devices, hopefully on different platforms. So far I'm impressed by BIMx and Magicplan, but there is much more.

Autodesk ForceEffect for iOS : Interactive force diagrams

Yesterday, I installed a new (and currently free) app from Autodesk onto my iPhone, called Autodesk ForceEffect (check it out in the App Store).

With this app, you can draw a 2D schematic of beams, nodes and forces. It will allow you to quickly assess the reacting forces into a structure. The examples included with the app also show you that a photograph can be used as an underlay, to sketch on top of them, e.g. to check a structure in the field.

Gallery showing diagram over photo background

While the iPhone screen is quite small for my not-too-small fingers, it works quite handy: there are automatic guidelines that constrain the direction and alignment of nodes you draw. You can switch units between metric and imperial and use gestures for scaling (pinch), panning (two finger swipe) and editing (single touch). Moreover, while it is hard to sketch an exact size for a truss, you can fix the length be entering the exact value on the dimension line and this will be enforces, even when you start moving nodes around.

Draw nodes and forces with your fingers

Click on a truss, and you get the acting forces (in color, with direction to show pressure or tension).

You can generate a report, which could be used to help you enter the exact nodes and sizes and forces in a FEA software afterwards, when you want to go a step further.

Automatic Report

This is exactly the type of app I would have loved while being an architectural engineering student, quite some years ago. It's intuitive, interactive and free (for the moment?). You'll need an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to be able to use the software, but I wouldn't be surprised if they will port it to other devices in the near future as well.

DAZ 3D gives away their Pro software for free

In an unusual (or panic?) move, 3D software developer DAZ 3D gives away its three major content creation and rendering software for free for a limited time (29th of February 2012). These are unlimited and complete software applications, which used to be commercial before. All software is available for Windows and OSX.

Check http://www.daz3d.com

Which programs are available?

DAZ Studio Pro 4 (used to be $430)

This is a program to load, pose, animate and render 3D characters. You can load models (free and non-free content is available). One of the novel features is the "Genesis" character model, which can be adapted parametrically, so a single basic model can be tweaked and reshaped in different variations.

Character modeling is beyond the reach of the average 3D modeler, so being able to use a dedicated software might make it more feasible.

What's the catch? Well, most models, accessories, poses and bundles will not be free. E.g. the Victoria 5 bundle is about $150. Just to give you an idea.

Bryce Pro 7 (used to be $250)

Bryce has been an original, albeit alternative, program to create mostly fantasy landscapes. It changed ownership a few times, but is still around.

What's the catch? Additional content, materials, rendering options are not free.

Hexagon 2.5 (used to be $150)

This is a modeling application which can be used to create models, sculpt them into finer detail, set up the texturing layout and prepare them for rendering (which has to be done in external software).

What's the catch? Only till 29/2/2012.

So this is a good deal, but you have to take advantage of it quite soon.

What is Cinema 4D?

Cinema 4D is a 3d program to make 3d-images and animations. A big difference compared to a 2d-program like mspaint or photoshop is that you work in another dimension, so you can add deep to your images. The you can add lightning, and different type or surfaces to your objects you've drawn. Other programs like cinema 4d is 3d studio max, lightwave, blender or Maya.

The new animated movies are made in some of theese programs, for example movies like Finding Nemo or Shrek. So it's powerfull programs if you know how to use them

The New Windows 8 OS and the Stereoscopic 3D Support in It

The new Windows 8 OS from Microsoft has been officially out for a few days already and you can get it and upgrade to it or get it with the purchase of a new PC. The big question is if you should do it now, wait for some time before going for Windows 8 or not even think about upgrade for the time being or at all. You can say that the most worked on part of the new OS is the new interface designed for mobile devices such as tablets or computers with touch screen interface, but that can also be considered as the biggest drawback for the users of traditional computers that are used to things like the Start button and programs menu as are missing it. Sure there are other improvements as well and changes that are considered “for the better” for the user, but do all users think they can actually benefit from them. Actually the overall user impressions from the new Windows 8 seem to be more negative than positive, even though people are saying that the new OS works faster and is smoother compared to Windows 7.

And here comes another important question, does Windows 8 work well for stereoscopic 3D use, something that probably a lot of people that are into stereo 3D are asking about. There have been some changes in the video driver model used in Windows 8 and the makers of graphics processors have already implemented and released drivers supporting this, however there might be trouble with other drivers for different hardware, though drivers for Windows 7 might still work if they are digitally signed. There might be some issues for a while with games using different DRM solutions or cheat protection algorithms, preventing you from running certain games, but hopefully these will soon be resolved. Another thing that you might have trouble with if going for the new Windows 8 are all those workaround solutions and tricks that you might’ve used successfully under Windows 7 for making different older or not officially supported 3D hardware working.

My advice for now is not to be in a hurry to go for Windows 8, or at least not as the sole OS you have on your computer. If you want to check it out and try migrating to Windows 8 slowly, then you better start with it installed as a second OS, or even in a virtual machine, as you might have trouble making all your hardware work, trouble with some of the software you are used to working with, or you may not like the new concept at all and decide to skip it and wait for the next major OS release, or at least for some updates or tools to make the transition easier. I already have Windows 8 as a second OS installed, more out of curiosity an to try it out and test various things, including stereoscopic 3D support as well. If you’ve already installed Windows 8 and have tried it, you might’ve faced some issues and here you can share your trouble making things work properly in stereoscopic 3D mode, so that we can find a solution that will work in Windows 8.

I’ll start with one very useful tool that I’ve found out about, a tool that actually makes Windows 8 useable for me, it is called Windows 7 Explorer for Windows 8 (Ex7ForW8) and what it does is to replace the new Windows 8 shell with the one from Windows 7, bringing you back the Start button and menu from Windows 7 into Windows 8. You need to have an installation copy of Windows 7 as the software needs to copy the Explorer.exe executable file from it (it is not included with the installer) and you can easily revert back to the standard Windows 8 shell should you decide to do that as some point. Feel free to share not only your problems, but also some other interesting things that you’ve found out to be useful for you in Windows 8 in the comments below.

Stereo 3D Video Playback on Acer Iconia Tab W700 Windows 8 Tablet

Cyberlink has recently announced full compatibility with the new Windows 8 OS in the latest update for their PowerDVD 12 software allowing you to playback Blu-ray 3D movies and stereoscopic 3D videos on systems using the new operating system. Cyberlink has also released PowerDVD Mobile for Windows 8, a software that is specially optimized for multimedia playback on tablets with Windows 8 (note it is Windows 8, not ARM-based tablets with Windows RT), offering similar tile-based interface like the one of the Windows 8 Start menu. I was however more interested in trying PowerDVD 12 on a Windows 8-based tablet and luckily I’ve had an Acer Iconia Tab W700 handy to test with. The Acer W700 tablet uses Mobile Intel HM77 Express chipset and comes with a 3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3317U Processor and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 along with a micro HDMI connector for use with external displays, making it a perfect combination for playing back 3D movies and videos. The hardware does offer support for Intel’s InTru 3D technology that is required in order to be able to output 3D content using HDMI 1.4 frame packaging for example to Blu-ray 3D movies on compatible 3D HDTVs or other 3D-capable displays.

Unlike on a computer used for work, desktop or laptop, where I really don’t like much the new Tile-based Start menu, a real productivity killer for me, on a tablet it is really handy. The Acer W700 tablet comes with a 1920×1080 resolution IPS LCD panel in an 11.6-inch display which is not a problem for the Start menu, but makes the standard Desktop and everything running there quite small and hard to use just with the touch panel (adding a wireless Bluetooth mouse is a kind of a solution). So the new PowerDVD Mobile for Windows 8 could actually be quite handy when you don’t need 3D support as it plays back not only video, but also music and photos. Using the standard PowerDVD menu is not a problem with the touchscreen display of the W700, however when playing back 3D videos you’d probably want to have a mouse handy due to the specific requirements in order to be able to make things work. You’ll have to select the external 3D HDTV in my case a Panasonic 3D Plasma to be the only monitor in order for PowerDVD to detect and activate properly the 3D support of the Intel GPU (not Clone or Extend Displays). So you end up with a working touchscreen on the tablet, but no image on the tablet and the image displayed on the bigger 3D HDTV, believe me it is not very easy to navigate this way, so a mouse is a must have. Other than that everything is working just fine, 3D videos play just fine and the 3D mode is automatically activated on the display. If you want to be able to play Blu-ray 3D movies you’ll need to either get an external Blu-ray device that uses USB interface (the tablet comes with USB 3.0 support) or to backup the Blu-ray 3D movie into an image file that you can transfer to the tablet.

I should warn you that not every tablet out there with Windows 8 will be able to play stereoscopic 3D video on an external 3D-capable display like the Acer Iconia Tab W700 is capable of. The reason for that is the fact that the more affordable tablets with Windows 8 do not come with Core i-series of processors, but instead use the relatively new Intel Atom Dual-Core Processor Z2760 that according to Intel has been designed especially for Windows 8 tablets. This Intel Atom processor doe not come with graphics supporting HDMI 1.4 or the InTru 3D technology, two things that are required for playing back 3D video on active 3D-capable displays – 3D HDTVs, 3D Projectors or 3D monitors. You could still be able to make this work with passive 3D HDTV though by using direct Row Interleaved output to the TV set instead of relying on HDMI 1.4′s frame packaging method. This however will still probably be a no-go option for Blu-ray 3D movies as the Atom processor will probably not be powerful enough to decode the 3D MVC streams in real time, though I still haven’t personally tried that, but it should work Ok with most 3D videos.

I’m also interested to see some ARM-based tablets running Windows RT, wondering how these will handle stereoscopic 3D content if they can. Actually I’m not sure if the RT version will have native stereoscopic 3D support like the Windows 8 does and Microsoft isn’t helping much in telling us clearly if it does or not. Not to mention the fact that Windows RT will have much less software available for it initially, but still it is interesting to see what Microsoft has come up with on that front as well.

what is 3ds max

Autodesk® 3ds Max® and Autodesk® 3ds Max® : 

Design software provide powerful, integrated 3D modeling, animation, and rendering tools that enable artists and designers to focus more energy on creative, rather than technical challenges. The products share core technology, but offer specialized toolsets for game developers, visual effects artists, and motion graphics artists along with other creative professionals working in the media design industry on one hand; and architects, designers, engineers, and visualization specialists on the other.