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Luxology

Modo learns to speak NURBS

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NURBS may be the standard surface representation for CAD, but that doesn’t mean they’re ideal for all design jobs.

For conceptual design of organic shapes (for example, a motorcycle tank), there are certainly better choices. One surface type that’s become popular for this is the Sub-D, or subdivision surface.

Modo, from Luxology, is a 3D modeling, rendering, painting, and animation application that’s particularly popular with designers, because of its artist-friendly way of working. It uses SubD surfaces. Now, with the addition of a plugin developed by IntegrityWare, Modo SubD surfaces can be converted to NURBS surfaces, and exported via IGES, SAT, STEP, and Rhino file format to CAD systems.

If your job is to design beautiful things that can be manufactured, you ought to look at Modo. It’s far more fun to use than most CAD programs.

Luxology’s press release follows:

 

Luxology Ships Power SubD-NURBS for modo

Exporter Lets Users Prototype Virtually Any Organic Surface in modo and Convert the Results into NURBS-based File Formats 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — April 19, 2012 — Luxology® LLC today announced the immediate availability of Power SubD-NURBS for modo®, a plug-in that allows designers to automatically convert Subdivision surface meshes into NURBS-based CAD formats that can be exported directly to standard CAD systems.

Developed for Luxology by San Diego’s IntegrityWare, Power SubD-NURBS bridges the worlds of highly flexible Subdivision surface modeling and CAD-accurate NURBS representations. With this new plug-in for modo, industrial designers in the early stages of the design process can quickly create concept models that can be exported and refined within the users’ CAD systems. The plug-in exports IGES, SAT, STEP, and Rhino file formats for compatibility with leading CAD packages. Additionally, modo materials assigned by the designer can be used to derive surface boundaries in the resulting file for maximum control.

“Organic NURBS surfacing is no longer strictly the domain of T-Splines!” said Branden Coker, 3D artist and Power SubD-NURBS beta tester. “When you can model in modo and export at will to your CAD package of choice, you gain a powerful workflow. modo and NURBS are two great tastes that taste great together!”

Power SubD-NURBS comes on the heels of another CAD-centric Luxology product; the CAD Importers for modo. While CAD Importers provides new tools for loading CAD data into modo; Power SubD-NURBS addresses the other side of the equation – the export of parametric surface data from modo into CAD systems. Together, these products allow designers to effectively integrate modo in to the design process as both a flexible organic modeler and as a high-end visualization tool.

Power SubD-NURBS for modo brings my workflow to the next level,” said Pascal Beeckmans, Power SubD-NURBS beta tester. “I can now combine the freedom of Subdivision surface modeling with the superior accuracy of NURBS technology. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Pricing and Availability

Power SubD-NURBS for modo 601 is available immediately for Mac OS X and Windows (32 and 64 bit) at US$595. The plug-in can be purchased on the Luxology website or via authorized Luxology resellers worldwide.

About modo

modo is an innovative 3D modeling, painting, rendering, and animation software designed to accelerate the creation of world-class designs and ultra high-quality renderings. modo’s modern workflow and advanced toolset easily deliver enhanced productivity for design visualization, game development, film/broadcast, package design, and graphic arts. A favorite tool among many designers and artists, modo’s flexible toolset offers one of the fastest paths to content creation on the PC and Mac.

About Luxology

Based in Mountain View, Calif., Luxology® LLC is an independent technology company developing next-generation 3D content creation software that enhances productivity via artist-friendly tools powered by a modern underlying architecture called Nexus®. Founded in 2002, by Allen Hastings, Stuart Ferguson and Brad Peebler, Luxology is home to some of the top 3D engineering expertise in the industry. More information on the company, its licensable Nexus technology, its flagship product modo® and a gallery of images from the active modo community is available online at www.luxology.com.

About IntegrityWare

IntegrityWare Inc. is a company that specializes in high performance, high quality geometric modeling software. Founded in 1996, IntegrityWare Inc. has provided software libraries for successful applications in Optics, CAD, Measurement, Automotive, Data translation, Geological, Architecture, NC, and Design Visualization.

info@luxology.com

www.luxology.com

Surface deformation software

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Kickstand launched a campaign to evolve StretchMesh Surface Deformation software into Open Source technology – opening the door for artists working in Maya to incorporate the surface deformation technology into their 3D workflow. The initiative allows programmers and developers of software programs such as Autodesk 3D Studio Max and Softimage, NewTek LightWave, Luxology modo, and Maxon Cinema 4D to incorporate advanced surface deformation functionality in future product releases.

StretchMesh introduces new techniques and gives polygonal geometry a “stretch” quality for better control over the movement and skin elasticity of 3D modeled characters. The software features advanced relational vertex and shape preservation technology, offering animators and technical directors working in feature film, broadcast, and game development the ability to create smooth character deformations using Maya software.

StretchMesh takes advantage of multi-threading in Maya software, and incorporates several features for advanced character animation including greater flexibility and performance when animating collisions with primitive sphere and primitive curve colliders, the ability to pain an influence on a collision object for per-vertex control over collision behaviors, curve attractors provide the ability to pull vertices toward the closest point on  a curve, and a “Scale Safe” mode that allows users to scale a mesh while safely preserving its initial shape.

Kickstand

www.kickstand.tv

Luxology ships modo for SolidWorks Kit

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For years, SolidWorks users have achieved photorealistic images of their designs by leveraging the PhotoView 360 application, built with Luxology rendering technology. Now, Luxology announces new tool that facilitates the use of the company’s modo software for advanced visualization by SolidWorks users. The new modo for SolidWorks Kit simplifies the importation of SolidWorks models into modo while maintaining user interface conventions familiar to SolidWorks users.

The kit expands modo’s native functionality with additional options for efficiently importing parts and assemblies while providing flexibility on how the model is organized for visualization purposes. Inside modo, users are presented with a familiar SolidWorks-style layout and navigation controls, along with drag and drop support for changing materials and selecting lighting environments. A complete list of the new features in the modo for the kit is as follows:

Enhanced SolidWorks Import: allows additional import options for bringing SolidWorks parts, bodies, and assemblies into modo. Benefits include reduced memory usage for large files and the ability to use instances for ease of editing and reduced overhead.

PhotoView 360 Compatibility: models open in modo with the same appearance and decal information as seen in SolidWorks

Familiar Navigation for SolidWorks Users: user interface and navigation is similar to SolidWorks and PhotoView 360 so users have a comfortable and consistent set of controls

Efficient Tools for Selecting and Reorganizing Imported Models: help users with the complex task of re-organizing model data so that it is easier to apply materials. Imported data can be selected by appearance, part, body, or face and new layers can be created in modo to highlight specific parts of the design.

Library of Additional Materials: 350 material presets (PAD presets) beyond those included with modo let Kit users mimic real world surfaces like leather, carpet, tinted glass, and mesh grills – or even “x-ray” materials that reveal interior portions of the designs

Studio Environment Set 1 Kit: set of 51 HDRI spherical images complete with ground planes for easily obtaining professional-quality studio lighting for product shots and engineering visualizations

Training Videos: prepared by experts in both SolidWorks and modo, these videos guide users in the SolidWorks-specific user interface, CAD tools, workflow, and rendering creation

A webinar detailing the highly-anticipated modo for SolidWorks Kit and conducted by SolidWorks expert and Luxology Registered Trainer Paul McCrorey, will be held on April 28, 2011 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. PDT. For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.luxology.com/store/modoforsolidworkskit/.

Luxology

www.luxology.com

Luxology launches modo 501 software

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modo 501 delivers 3D modeling, painting and rendering in a single package for PCs and Macs. The software includes 3D modeling and sculpting tools, animation, and network rendering.

New features:

Pixar Subdivision surfaces have been added for sharper creases and improved transferability.

Sculpting tools now work on multi-resolution meshes, facilitating both coarse and fine adjustments to surfaces as needed.

The advent of RayGL facilitates realism in modo viewports to merge modeling and rendering.

Animation rigging is simplified with a visual connection editor.

You can direct the Preview Renderer to work first on areas under the mouse. The Preview Renderer will also now progressively resolve to near final image quality.

One Click modeling tools and improved Snapping accelerate common modeling operations.

Rendering is both faster and cleaner. modo 501 gains, on average, a 30-40% increase in rendering speed. Depth of field quality is enhanced and bump and displacement mapping is crisper. Fur can now display Kink and Frizz effects, and a new Occlusion texturing option generates worn and weathered effects automatically.

Sculpting stroke performance is enhanced.

Animation playback is approximately 2X faster on some rigged scenes

Plug-ins can create geometry parametrically, which can be also converted to a mesh. A sample gear generator plug-in is provided with numerous options for gear spacing and spoke placement.

Procedural textures can create key-framed, multi-channel textures.

Tool plug-ins extend the modo toolset by providing ways to create and edit geometry.

Command plug-ins enable the development of native C++-based actions.

Product includes an introductory release on 64-bit Mac OS X.

New content includes large libraries of 2D and 3D procedural textures.

For an online visual tour of new modo 501 features plus visit: http://www.luxology.com/modo/tour

Luxology

www.luxology.com