| Realsoft
3D Version 4.0 - Article as appeared
in CGW magazine
Open design
and NURBS tools highlight new release
By Jeff Paries
Known previously as Real 3D, Realsoft 3D,
a modeling, animation, and rendering package
from Realsoft Graphics Oy, underwent a complete
rewrite as well as a name change to avoid
conflicts with a graphics accelerator manufacturer.
Today, the $700 program boasts a new open
design as well as NURBS modeling tools,
advanced animation capability, and 3D painting
tools, among other features. The software
currently is available for Windows platforms,
however Linux and SGI versions were scheduled
for availability in the near future.
The most important innovation of Version
4 is its open design. For example, at the
highest level, a new user can blend existing
materials to achieve new combinations by
dragging and dropping multiple materials
from the material library onto a target
object, and controlling the materials through
a compact set of controls. Visual Shading
Language (VSL) wizards and templates handle
the details of shader construction. Beyond
this, power users can implement unique shading
effects and customize the rendering pipeline
thoroughly by including suitable VSL elements
into the materials. More adventurous types
can implement and plug in material effects
through the open API using standard C/C++
programming tools.
Another innovation partly related to the
software's open design is the modular design
of the GUI. Realsoft 3D has a completely
configurable user interface that makes it
possible to start using the program with
just its basic, easy-to-use tools. As you
gain skill and knowledge, you can add more
advanced tools to the working environment.
The software also offers features such as
compass menus; rational subdivision surfaces
featuring creases, point weights, and an
unlimited number of channels per vertex;
NURBS modeling (the software previously
offered B-spline modeling tools); construction
history; metaballs; advanced choreography
animation; advanced skeletons; post effects;
3D painting; dynamics; and particles.
Subdivision surface modeling enables you
to model complex organic shapes without
much thought for the details of the underlying
mesh; you do the modeling, the software
does the work. The subdivision surface modeling
in OpenGL rendering mode is especially impressive,
enabling you to easily see and manipulate
the wireframe overlay on the shaded model.
Equally impressive are the particle and
dynamics systems within Realsoft 3D. The
dynamics system incorporates rigid and soft
body dynamics, which solve quickly and accurately
and enable you to incorporate real-world
physics to control motion and collisions
between objects. Some available physics
options include mass, electric charge, surface
friction, rebound energy, elasticity, rigidity,
inertia, center of gravity, velocity, and
spin. The simulations of dynamics incorporate
gravity, magnetism, and fluid dynamics,
as well as explosions.
None of the features listed above would
be worth much if the end result from the
renderer weren't of high quality. With 64-bit-per-channel
raytracing and scanline rendering, however,
there's nothing to worry about. The renderer
offers control over ray recursion, fields,
volumetric effects, multiple reflection/refractions,
and the level, mode, and threshold of antialiasing.
I found it easy to achieve excellent results.
The software is fully multi-threaded, supporting
symmetric multiprocessing and cross-platform
distributed network rendering to produce
completed frames as quickly as possible.
One of the few aspects of the program that
I found bothersome were some of the default
keyboard shortcuts. For example, toggling
F2 causes the Select Window to show or hide
(the Windows default for pressing F2 is
Rename). While using the program, I found
myself constantly hiding the Select Window
accidentally, and then wondering what I
did wrong. Likewise, the default keyboard
shortcut to add a distant light source is
SS (ALT+0167), which doesn't exist in key
form on an English keyboard. Fortunately,
the keys can be reprogrammed easily.
In addition, because Version 4 is a complete
rewrite and still new, you might find yourself
wanting specialized tools to perform certain
tasks, such as creating plants or trees.
As of yet, few such tools have been developed,
so you'll need to model and animate such
objects on your own for a while until some
third-party developers have the opportunity
to augment the program.
Overall, however, you will find, as I did,
that Realsoft 3D v4 is an excellent addition
to your toolbox at a reasonable price.
A site builder for a global interactive
agency in Portland, Oregon, Jeff
Paries has written three books on
Hash Inc.'s Animation:Master.
Realsoft 3D Version
4.0
Price: $700
Minimum system requirements: Windows 95/2000/NT;
Intel Pentium; 64MB of RAM
Realsoft Graphics Oy
www.realsoft.fi
Computer Graphics World
magazine, February, 2001
Article online source link can be found
here.
|
