RPC Creator: Where Did You Get That RPC?

June 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

Every few days, we receive a customer submitted project that include unique “new” RPCs. My typical response is: “Cool, that’s a new RPC!” Where do you get these “new” RPCs — you create them yourself! Sure, we have thousands of RPCs available but, sometimes, you or more likely your client want custom content. For years, we’ve distributed a free tool to create 2D RPCs for your own use and a paid tool that enables you to create 3D RPCs. For RPC 2D Content, all you need is our ArchVision Creator software (free) and a matted out image (RGB and alpha).

My favorite summer inspired RPC is from WATG (Irvine). Expert, Scott Brown, used ArchVision’s RPC Creator to make custom RPC dolphins to enhance a project. (Dolphins remind me of the beach. I love vacationing at the ocean with my family and this time of the year is great for dolphin watching in South Carolina).

It’s a pretty easy process to make your own custom RPCs. We’ve seen branded coffee baristas and fast food counter clerks to IKEA chairs and a client’s dog. And, I also have users tell me how much they love adding their clients into their renderings.

Thousands of new RPCs are sitting on servers around the planet. And again, I say, “Cool!” Of course, I’m a little biased when it comes to RPC Content.

How do you get a copy of RPC Creator to create your own 2D RPCs for Free?

You can download the RPC Creator here. Once installed this tool creates an authorization request code. Send this to support@archvision.com and the Customer Service team will send you an authorization code.

Getting Started is Easy
All that you need is a photo editing software (to create the alpha mask), a photo, and the RPC Creator. You can view a usage tutorial here: Getting Started

Just a few steps in RPC Creator and you can output an RPC file that will work with all of the RPC tools, cross platform just like the 2D RPCs you purchase from ArchVision.com. More advanced users looking to create multi-view RPC content can get increased functionality via RPC Creator Pro.

Beyond creating cool content, there are some other benefits that come along with creating custom RPCs. Complex 3D models can be rendered and turned into RPCs making them use much less memory and render faster as a planar RPC object instead of a high poly model. All of the Mass Edit and Population features can also be applied to the RPC format unlike other object formats.

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ArchVision RPC License Plans: Which One is Right for My Firm?

June 23, 2011 by Leave a comment

Lately I’ve received a lot of questions about the differences between the ArchVision Software License and the RPC All Access Ultimate License. I wanted to take a moment and try to elaborate on the two of these.

We’ve streamlined our product line and now offer two annual license plans. The ArchVision Software License is designed for customers who prefer to purchase RPC Content separately and / or create their own RPC Content and only require an RPC Plug-in for their application. The RPC All Access Ultimate License is designed for users who want on-demand access to every RPC Plug-in (3ds Max, Photoshop, AutoCAD, etc) and RPC People, Tree, Vehicle and Object we offer.

What do I need to start using RPC Content in my projects?

  • RPC Content
  • RPC Plug-in (licensed)


    • I already own RPC Content
    You need a licensed RPC Plug-in(s). ArchVision RPC Content requires a licensed RPC Plug-in (versioned) or enabled licensed application to place and render RPC Content. Many users prefer to purchase RPC Collections for specific projects and / or create their own custom RPC Content using ArchVision’s Creator Software — those users need only purchase the ArchVision Software License (single seat) which includes RPC Plug-ins for 3ds Max, 3ds Max Design and Photoshop and does not include RPC Content.

    I need RPC Content and RPC Plug-ins
    The RPC All Access Ultimate License includes every RPC Plug-in and RPC Content object we create — and is a floating license. This is the “everything-you-need” package. Sold for $499 per year. If you purchased this separately, it would be well over $25,000 in RPC Content and Plug-ins.

    I hope this quick overview helps you decide which license plan is right for you. No matter which plan you select, you will need to download and install your RPC Plug-ins using ArchVision Dashboard (RPC All Access Ultimate users get their RPC Content here too).

    Here’s a 2 minute ArchVision Dashboard usage video to help you further:

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    RPC Support in Navisworks Profiled in AUGIWorld June 2011

    June 22, 2011 by Leave a comment

    The June edition of AUGIWorld arrived in my inbox yesterday. I “flipped” through the magazine and read a couple articles that caught my attention. One features Norton Healthcare, which is just down the road in Louisville, KY and the other profiles Southland Industries use of Autodesk’s Navisworks.

    “Navisworks Manage, from a Contractor’s Perspective” (pages 36-40) by Chris Lanahan, BIM/Cad Manager at Southland Industries includes discussion on placing and rendering RPCs in your projects. The expert walks you through a recent large hospital project he completed and provides numerous insights into his workflow. There are several useful screen grabs that highlight materials/texture mapping, lighting, ArchVision RPC placement, effects and rendering. He also discusses the merits of providing clients visuals, to impress, win jobs and communicate design concepts. (Of course, we like this quote: “The next tab to visit is RPC. This tab is used to add fairly realistic people into your renderings.”) If you’re a Navisworks user, the article is worth a read.

    Image Credits: AUGIWorld, Southland Industries, ArchVision, Autodesk

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    RPC Mass Populate Feature: How to Fill a A Large Space Fast

    June 20, 2011 by 1 Comment

    Mass Population

    If you’ve ever worked on filling a parking lot and had to place content one-by-one, you know the time it takes. The RPC Plug-ins for 3ds Max and AutoCAD solve that dilemma with the Mass Populate feature.

    It’s an easy-to-use feature which allows you to place RPC Proxies (place holders) and then easily populate them with RPC Content. The features enables you to control distribution and randomization of RPC Content placement enabling you to get “the right feel” required for your project.

    Customers routinely share renderings and animations with us (we invite you to share your work). One project that took advantage of the Mass Populate was for one of Disney’s Florida PGA Golf Courses. Renderings and animations included heavily populated tree lined fairways. In a matter of a few clicks, they achieved the desired look using the Mass Populate feature and RPC Trees. And, so can you!

    Ready to give it a try? I’ve got an easy step-by-step tutorial video for you below and more information in our help documentation.

    Spacing Trick

    When I was planning my blog post, I started looking back at some of our archives. ArchVision introduced the Mass Populate feature in the early ArchVision days. When it was first introduced, the feature added immediate value to end users. Today, it continues to do so. I still enjoy some of our ‘vintage’ tutorials – I reformatted one so I could share it with you:

    Spacing Trick

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    How a Trip to Nepal Sparked Conversations about BIM…

    June 15, 2011 by Leave a comment


    Earlier this year, I took off on a trip with friends to Nepal. One of my longtime friends, who resides abroad, was able to join us. He was excited to take a break from the reality of never-ending construction, growth and the finance world of Singapore. He’d recently finished up a contract with the impressive AEC endeavor Marina Bay Sands Casino.

    I was looking forward to the Nepal adventure almost as much as I was to catch up on what life is like Singapore vis a vis its explosive growth. Singapore itself is an amalgamation of cultures and it is a wonder (from an outside perspective) that the work ethic and culture is so singularly focused on the betterment of the state. In that vein, productivity and outcome are critical to success. My friend described the process of managing the massiveness of the overall project – “the data and the specifications” and communicating it out to engineers, designers, vendors, marketing and his area of expertise: finance. BIM technology saved the project money and time.

    Once we landed, we left the realities of work behind for the surrealism of Nepal and its awe inspiring lands.

    Catching up on some blogs today put Singapore back on the radar. BIM expert Phil Read’s recent blog post ‘Revit In The Classroom’ showcases Singapore’s investment in BIM in higher education (Singapore’s Polytechnic Institute Student Projects) . It was nice to see RPC Content featured in student projects and it was a reminder that the use of BIM technology is fast becoming the standard even in this remote island nation. (Autodesk’s Phil Bernstein offered some Singapore BIM insights in his May 11 blog post: Questions of Productiveness, Here and Abroad).


    Next week one of the most relevant AEC conferences, the Revit Technology Conference North America 2011 will be held. If you can’t work it into your schedule, I encourage you to follow some of its founders and speakers for BIM insights and industry trends.

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    If It’s Useful to an AutoCAD 2012 User, It’s in the AutoCAD Exchange.

    June 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

    The Autodesk Exchange in AutoCAD 2012 is now live and features a wide array of add-ons (free & paid):

    • Plug-ins (yes, the RPC Plug-in for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Civil 3d is in there)
    • Standalone applications
    • Content (including RPC People, Tree, Cars & Objects Sample Content)
    • Books & Training Materials

    We’re distributing our RPC Plug-in for AutoCAD 2012 for free and we’ve also included demo Plug-ins and sample Content for use in a wide array of other Autodesk apps! Here’s a quick tutorial to help you get up and running once you’ve downloaded the Plug-in from the Exchange.

    How Do I Find the Autodesk Exchange?
    Only one way for now. AutoCAD 2012 users access the exchange in-app via the ‘Apps’ tab. We encourage users to check it out.

    Step by step instructions: Accessing the RPC Plugin

    Feedback
    We’d like to know what you think about the exchange! Once you’ve tried it, drop us a note.

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    New RPC Plug-in for AutoCAD 2012. Now featuring Drag & Drop.

    June 8, 2011 by 3 Comments

    AutoCAD 2012 is now available. In its latest incarnation, AutoCAD 2012 supports RPC Content drag & drop from the ArchVision Dashboard. Now it is possible for RPC All Access users to search for content and drag it directly into their scenes. The ArchVision Dashboard does the rest. No need to locate content, map it and configure the RPC Plug-in to recognize it. Just drag and drop and users are ready to render. The RPC Plug-in is supported by many flavors of AutoCAD including AutoCAD Architecture and Civil 3D. Celebrating nearly 25 years as the original computer-aided design tool, AutoCAD 2012 has more features than ever before.

    View the process of installing the RPC Plug-in for AutoCAD, downloading content and placing it into a scene in the following video tutorial:

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