Pro-Viz Texture Collections Now Available in ArchVision RPC Format

April 21, 2015 by Leave a comment

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ArchVision (Lexington, Kentucky USA) and 3dRender (Sheffield, UK) are pleased to announce a new partnership.  Effective immediately 3dRender’s Pro-Viz People collections now include RPC versions of the content.   The Pro-Viz People collections make available 500 high quality people textures as PNG, JPEG and now RPC, perfect for enhancing architectural renderings.

As RPC, users will experience a much simplified workflow in Revit, 3ds Max, Autocad, Microstation, FormZ, Rhino, Modo and Photoshop.  RPC enables one-click placement and drag & drop into select applications simplifying the workflow by removing the tedious process of creating native geometry and materials traditionally needed to get PNG & JPEG formatted textures into 3d models.

“We’re excited to partner with 3dRender on this new initiative to make the world’s best architectural entourage available as RPCs” said Randall Stevens, CEO of ArchVision.  “Having Pro-Viz People textures in the RPC file format will be a welcomed addition for thousands of RPC customers around the world.”provizcomplete500

The RPC platform not only enables dramatically simplified workflows for placing and managing architectural entourage in 3d models but also provides search & tagging of content inside ArchVision Dashboard, mass editing and placement tools, cloud rendering support and new non-photorealistic stylization of content inside Autodesk Revit via Entourage Workshop. The Pro-Viz RPCs will appear, pre-tagged, within ArchVision Dashboard for ease of organization and search.

“Publishing our extensive architectural texture collections as RPC makes our customers investment more valuable.  Features such as ArchVision’s new Entourage Workshop for Revit bring an entirely new capability to our collections” said Tim Barrett, Owner at 3dRender Ltd.

Use of the RPC platform requires a separate license available at archvision.com.  The Pro-Viz collections including the new RPC format are available for purchase at 3dRender.co.uk and at archvision.com.

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About ArchVision Inc.

ArchVision’s mission is to improve design modeling and visualization with content and content management software solutions. We do that in several ways. Our RPC (Rich Photorealistic Content) technology provides render-friendly, image-based architectural entourage primarily in the form of people, tree & plant, and automobile content to customers around the world. RPC was selected by Autodesk as the default tree & planting solution that ships with Revit.  ArchVision’s Dashboard content management platform provides content organization and search tools for managing vast amounts of design content as well as plug-in and license management.

RPC has become the defacto-standard solution for managing architectural entourage with support for the leading modeling and visualization platforms and solutions including Autodesk Autocad, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk 3ds Max, Bentley Microstation, Robert McNeel & Associates Rhino 3D, The Foundry Modo, Autodessys FormZ, Chaos Group V-Ray, Accurender nXT and Adobe Photoshop.

For additional company or product information or to inquire about the RPC SDK, contact ArchVision at +1 859.252.3118 or email support@archvision.com.

About 3dRender Ltd

3dRender Ltd is the creator and distributor of Pro-Viz(TM) 3D texture and image entourage products, designed specifically for use in high-end architectural visualization.

Our Pro-Viz(TM) products are used by thousands of CG artists worldwide, along with many of the industry’s leading architects and visualization studios, including Foster+Partners, Red-Vertex, Atkins Global, WZMH Architects, VisualWorks, LAUBlab KG (the creators of VRAYforC4D) & many others.

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Why Architects Hate Entourage

March 12, 2015 by Leave a comment

Most arch visualization folks hate entourage. They hate seeing people in their renderings. They hate that they have to try to reproduce the world “around” their structures. They hate anything that breaks the realm of photorealism. They hate having to painstakingly place individual people in their scenes. They hate that the model of car they personally drive isn’t readily available to drop into their model. Haters gonna hate.

But you know who loves entourage? Clients! They love seeing their mall parking lot full of cars (customers!). They love seeing rows of semi trucks docked behind their warehouse (customers!). They love seeing life brimming in their restaurants, concert halls, sports venues and retail shops (customers!). We can talk about how entourage helps communicate scale; blah, blah, blah. In the end, customers want to feel great about their new project. Anything you can do to convey warm, happy thoughts about how well the project is going to be received transmits those happy thoughts. Architectural entourage can help.

In late 2013 I wrote a post titled Rendering vs Presentation that outlined our view of the changing visualization workflow in the design industry. The democratization of visualization is changing who is creating the communication work-product, what tools they’re using, and the usefulness in various parts of the design/customer-interaction process. No longer is visualization relegated to “that guy in the corner” who is the only one with the tenacity (read crazy enough) to master the tools used to create photorealistic renderings. Rather, visuals generated from 3D models are being used to convey design intent in presentations at key points throughout the design process.  A new generation or two of new hires joining the workforce with 3D skills combined with less costly software solutions translates into  value understood by practitioner and client alike.

Entourage WorkshopOne of our goals in 2014 was to increase the usefulness of RPCs within Revit by providing users with the tools they need to customize the look and feel of the RPCs in their scenes. Entourage Workshop was born. Entourage Workshop is a Revit add-in that lets you create and apply Styles to RPC people and trees in your model. These Styles control the type of geometry and appearance (color, transparency and brightness) of the RPCs in your model allowing you to achieve photorealistic and non-photorealistic presentation results.

Entourage Workshop lets you create reusable Styles for achieving silhouettes of people or trees, control the model-view geometry of the RPCs in your scene including removal of the “base” and fine-tune the brightness of the RPCs to better match your scene in the various rendering modes.

There’s a love/hate relationship with entourage. We’ve heard thousands of stories over the years. The goal of RPC and Entourage Workshop is to help you learn to love entourage. Give your clients visuals, chocked-full of entourage, with your own personal Style. What’s not to love!

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The Power of Universal Tags

November 18, 2014 by Leave a comment

We’ve been hard at work on the ability to easily convert 2D textures into RPC and now have a new Dashboard-integrated RPC Creator tool in widespread use. Converting your PNG and TIFF cutouts into RPC is as easy as dragging and dropping those alpha-masked images onto the Drop Zone within the RPC Creator. Add a Name and Height and an RPC is generated complete with a custom icon and preview. As an RPC you’ll find many advantages over the original PNG or TIFF format including automatic Sketchup-style “Face Me” capabilities within applications like 3ds Max, Revit and Autocad. For those of you who have gone through the process of trying to get your 2D cutouts to play nicely in those apps you know how many steps it takes to accomplish what should be a simple task. RPC makes that pain go away.

We’re also introducing the first of a series of organizational tools designed to make finding the right content easy. Accompanying the RPC Creator is a new Tag Editor. The Tag Editor lets you add Tags (metadata) to the RPCs you create. These Tags make content searchable within Dashboard. We’re also introducing a visual tag-cloud feature called Filters that presents the Tags that have been added to content in an easy-to-navigate visual interface. Click on a Tag or Tags and quickly filter to the content you need.

Filters

As we began working on these new features we thought about how best to help you organize and make use of your content. We made several observations:

Observation #1: Everyone knows tagging can be a powerful organizing tool but there’s one big problem… nobody wants to spend time tagging things.

Observation #2: A lot of the content you use is also being used by other people around the world.

So why not take advantage of the fact that the same content is in use across the globe and let Tags automatically follow the same content? With Dashboard we have the ability to do just that! We’re excited to introduce a concept we call Universal Tags. Here’s how it works. We don’t share your content. In fact, your content never has to leave your local environment for Universal Tags to work. We create a unique identifier for each piece of content and use that to track the Tags associated with the content. The effect is that when you introduce a piece of content into your own environment that has been viewed in Dashboard by someone else, we essentially get an up-vote  for common Tags that have been associated with that content. After a specified number of up-votes the Tags can be converted to public tags.  If no one has added tags or you’re the first to introduce the content to Dashboard you’ll have to add your own tags. It’s a powerful network effect, as tags are added by one person everyone benefits!

As you know, information is only as useful as it is accurate. So it’s up to you to add meaningful tags. The Tag Editor will let you remove Tags that you don’t find useful and we use those as votes as to the value of that Tag to others.  We also use this concept to automatically provide a Name and Height to RPCs during the RPC Creation process so assigning a descriptive name and accurate height helps everyone.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these new features.

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Dashboard 2.1 Adds Viewport Mode and Channel Filters

August 6, 2014 by Leave a comment

A new version (2.1.5) of Dashboard has just released that includes a couple of significant features we think you’ll enjoy.  You can download the latest installer at https://archvision.com/dashboard/download.
 
Viewport
 
Viewport for Dashboard is a new 3D viewing mode that lets you preview your RPCs in full 3D.  For 2D motion RPCs (2.5D) it will also let you scrub through the animation sequence with a simple time slider.
 
Viewport_mode
 
Besides being a great new RPC preview tool Viewport for Dashboard can drastically improve your work flow for using RPCs in Photoshop.  If the name Viewport sounds familiar it might be because you’ve been using the RPC Viewport plug-in for Photoshop.  That plug-in allows you to open and view RPCs directly in Photoshop, choose a viewing angle, and open the chosen view onto a new layer.  Sounds ok but for anybody whose used the tool to place lots of RPCs the process can be tedious.  When you use the Viewport plug-in directly in Photoshop it has to close each time in order to place the content on a new layer meaning you have to go back into the menu to initiate it each time.  Viewport for Dashboard replaces that workflow.
 
Now when you preview an RPC directly in Dashboard using the new Viewport viewing mode you can choose your viewing angle and click the Render button.  A small thumbnail will appear just below the Render button that you can then drag & drop directly into Photoshop.  If you’re using Photoshop CS5 or above the new rendered view of your RPC will be placed on a new layer as a Smart Object that you can scale and place within your scene.
 
We think you’ll find this new work-flow to be a huge time saver when using your RPCs in Photoshop.  Hopefully you’ll love us for it rather than cursing us for not having it sooner!
 
Filters
 
We’re continuing to roll in expanded features to the core of Dashboard.  With this new release you’ll see the addition of Filters at the bottom of the browser.  
 
Filters_1
 
The idea is to take meta data associated with content and use it as a Tag Cloud.  That Tag Cloud can then be used to filter content being viewed in each Channel.  For example, if you click on the People Channel and open the Filters panel you’ll see all of the Tags currently associated with the content in that Channel.  The Tag Cloud will by default sort by Popularity of the tag but you can also choose to display them alphabetically.  Clicking on one of the Tags will filter the content within that Channel to show only those RPCs that have that Tag.  Pretty simple.  Choose an additional tag from the cloud and you’re performing a boolean “and” search.  Clicking on “female” and “sitting” will show you only the RPCs of sitting females. There’s also a new “local only” option on the Filter bar that lets you choose to see only content that resides locally (ie. already downloaded).

 
Give it a try! It can be a huge time saver.  We believe the concept of filtering rather than explicit searches provides you with an alternative quick way to drill down to just the right content in an intuitive, visual interface.  

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Fresh Update: V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max Now Supports 3ds Max 2015

May 29, 2014 by Leave a comment

V-Ray_Andrey-Kobushenko

A new update for V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max 2015 is now available for download. In addition to support for 3ds Max 2015, Chaos Group has added a new VrayPointParticleMtl material. This is a free update for current V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max users.

This update also includes:

  • V-Ray: Added option to the .vrmesh exporter to automatically create a Multi/Sub-Object material when exporting multiple objects in a single file
  • V-Ray RT CPU: Added lights include/exclude list support
  • V-Ray RT: Implemented showing Safe Frame when rendering in a viewport
  • VRayProxy: Added option to render particles as points
  • VRayProxy: Added option to enable/disable Alembic full names support in visibility lists
  • V-Ray MetaballsVRayProxy: Added support for hair and particles color channels from Alembic
  • VRayProxy: Make the “Animation offset” parameter animatable

    • To purchase additional licenses or for more information, please visit: ArchVision.com for the latest on feature update availability. Click product version for current purchase options.

    Licensed users may access the update directly from Chaos Group here.

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    Revit Technology Conference 2014 is Right Around the Corner!

    May 28, 2014 by Leave a comment

    RTC NA 2014

    Just outside of Chicago, in Schaumburg, IL, Revit leaders from around the globe will convene at the Revit Technology Conference North America June 19-21, 2014 to talk about all things BIM. Last year’s event in Vancouver, British Columbia was stellar and this year promises even more. Focused on both user and BIM manager interests and needs, the schedule of classes alone is worth the trip. Add-in some of the finest Revit representatives attending from top firms and you’ve got the making of a Perfect BIM Storm!

    ArchVision will exhibit and host one-on-one and small group user meetings during the conference. We’d enjoy the opportunity to sit down with you and show you what’s new with ArchVision’s tools and how they can help improve your workflow today. Let us know if you’re in the area or better yet attending RTC NA 2014!

    See you there!

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    Autodesk 360 Rendering Support Enabled for ArchVision RPCs

    May 21, 2014 by Leave a comment

    ArchVisionDashboard_CloudSupport

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    V-Ray 3.0 Enables up to 5x Faster Rendering and a New Flexible Licensing System

    February 27, 2014 by Leave a comment

    Courtesy Chaos Group | Fin Design

    Courtesy Chaos Group | Fin Design

    Chaos Group’s V-Ray 3.0 is a complete solution for lighting, shading, and rendering and is built to handle production at any size. V-Ray 3.0 seamlessly integrates into your workflow and provides the flexibility and control you need and want.

    V-Ray 3.0 introduces new licensing choices and plans to enable you and your team to get exactly what you need:

    Workstation Licenses
    In V-Ray 3.0 the User licenses and Render Nodes are licensed separately. This unifies licensing across applications and reduces the cost for individual User licenses.

    Universal Render Nodes
    A major part of the V-Ray roadmap includes the development of universal V-Ray assets that can be shared across multiple 3D platforms. With the release of V-Ray 3.0, universal V-Ray Render Nodes support distributed rendering and network rendering on multiple host applications.

    What this means to users:
    When you purchase an upgrade or a full license, you receive a GUI workstation license and a render node license to enable rendering on your workstation or a render node. You now have the flexibility to purchase additional render nodes to align with your rendering requirements. It’s that easy.

    Purchase Options
    Workstation and Bundle Licenses available here.

    Have more questions?
    We can provide quotes to you for your studio, assist with set-up planning and help you determine what will best meet your needs. Contact us at support@archvision.com or call us Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm ET, +1 859.252.3118 ext 103.

    Filed under Announcements

    V-Ray 3.0 Launches: Faster Ray Tracing and Rendering Performance

    February 4, 2014 by Leave a comment

    Image Credit: Artwork by FAMA, Courtesy Chaos Group

    Image Credit: Artwork by FAMA, Courtesy Chaos Group

    V-Ray 3.0 introduces a powerful set of new features and improvements. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade, now is the time to invest in an improved production-focused rendering engine:

    Artist-friendly Controls
    Designed with new and experienced users in mind, V-Ray 3.0 offers a simplified user interface with fast access to common settings.

    Render set up is now faster and easier with V-Ray 3.0’s Quick Settings. Artists can choose from a variety of production presets and fine tune quality with slider controls. And a new V-Ray Toolbar puts all popular V-Ray tools in one place.

    Faster Ray Tracing and Rendering Performance
    Optimizations to V-Ray’s ray tracing core make rendering in V-Ray 3.0 significantly faster. Depending on scene complexity beta users are reporting speed increases up to 5X.

    Faster Feedback
    Using a powerful path-tracing engine, V-Ray 3.0’s new Progressive Image Sampler delivers instant feedback to artists and makes look development faster and more intuitive.

    An improved V-Ray Frame Buffer adds Lens Effects and advanced color corrections for Contrast, HSL, and Color Balance.

    Production-Focused Tools
    New tools designed to give artists more control and flexibility include Max Ray Intensity, Probabilistic Light Sampling, Reflection/Refraction Trace Sets, and Render Mask to specify exact render regions with an object selection or image mask.

    Open Source Workflows
    Support for open source tools and formats include Alembic 1.5, Deep Images and OpenEXR 2.0, programmable OSL shaders, and advanced color management with OpenColorIO.

    V-Ray 3.0 also introduces new licensing and pricing policy:

    Here are the highlights:

    • Universal render nodes to be used across multiple 3D platforms (V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max and Maya will be the first tools to support the universal render nodes).

    • Workstation Licenses to reduce the cost for an individual user license.

    Purchase Options
    Workstation and Bundle Licenses available here.

    Have more questions?
    We can provide quotes to you for your studio, assist with set-up planning and help you determine what will best meet your needs. Contact us at support@archvision.com or call us Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm ET, +1 859.252.3118 ext 117.

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    Two Simple Fixes for Revit Drag & Drop Issues (Recently Discovered)

    January 17, 2014 by Leave a comment

    Last week there were three separate support incidents where users experienced difficulty with Drag & Drop. These were caused by something my team had not encountered before. In each case the users were dragging and dropping RPCs from Dashboard into Revit 2014 but nothing was appearing in the project. Upon troubleshooting we could not find any incorrect configurations that would account for this inability to Drag & Drop.

    After hours of trying to reproduce and determine the cause of this, I called in the aid of ArchVision’s Development Team (the code wizards). They quickly analyzed thousands of lines of code to discover explanations for these issues. It turns out that there were actually two separate issues that have very simple fixes. First I will explain the causes and then the simple solution.

    Cause # 1: Missing RPC Family Template file.

    When Revit is installed a special family template folder is created in C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RAC 2014\Family Templates\English_I (location varies slightly by Language pack). RPC Family.rft must be present inside this folder or Drag & Drop cannot be performed. The problem occurs when non-default install locations are used. Inside Revit the location of the Revit Family File path is shown by clicking on Revit–>Options–>File Locations.

    family_location

    This can be resolved by downloading the following file and putting it into the directory specified in “Default path for family templates file”

    Download the necessary file here: RPC_Family.zip
    It will need to be unzipped for Revit to recognize it. Once in place simply restart Revit and Drag & Drop will work.

    Cause # 2: Language Pack Issue.
    The second Drag and Drop issue was caused by an issue with non-English language packs. The Development team has resolved this with 2 special patch files contained in a zip. Please download these here:
    AVRevitPlugin.zip

    Unzip these files and extract them to C:\Program Files (x86)\ArchVision\Revit Plug-in\2014 replacing existing files of the same name. Restart Revit and Drag & Drop will work.

    As always, if you experience any issues at all, please contact ArchVision Customer Service at support.archvision.com.

    Filed under Tips, Tricks & Tutorials Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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