Computer Graphics World

October 2008 5 Procedural Ships Urban Modeling Tool PRODUCT: MODELING Procedural, a newly formed software company, debuted its unique procedural modeling solution, CityEngine, which is now shipping. The urban-modeling tool enables users to model entire cities as much as 10 times faster than with previous solu- tions, making it ideal for architectural visualization as well as computer games, feature fi lms, and Web applications. CityEngine contains a number of procedural modeling tools for generating large-scale urban layouts. At the software's core is a unique shape grammar for effi ciently creating detailed building models; the grammar supports a rules-based produc- tion scheme of architectural content at arbitrary levels of detail. The software can produce as many buildings and objects as desired, and in any style or mix of styles. Within one pass, users can generate large scenes with mid-detailed buildings; for scenes with high-detailed buildings, they can submit the job in batches. Moreover, the software enables users to create high-resolution street network models, and include elements such as roads, sidewalks, and street furniture. Once created, the imag- ery can be edited and rede- fi ned, and the 3D buildings can be exported in various fi le formats, allowing for fl exible integration into existing produc- tion pipelines. Software rendering can be achieved through Pixar's RenderMan and Mental Images' (Nvidia) Mental Ray (including instancing and delayed read archive). CityEngine is priced at $6950 per license. Vendors released interesting product information at SIGGRAPH 2008. In the next few issues, we will be highlighting this news in both our Product Spotlight and Back Products sections. You can also obtain information from our Web site at www.cgw.com. This month's Spotlight section looks at some of the 3D modeling and animation software announcements. AutoDesSys Grows BonZai 3D PRODUCT: MODELING AutoDesSys, makers of FormZ, a general-purpose solid and surface modeling software, has unveiled an addition to its 3D software line: BonZai. A new 3D modeler, BonZai was devel- oped to fi ll the demand for a quick, easy, geometrically robust approach to 3D content creation. The software enables designers to express themselves graphically, with the ability to advance their idea to the next level of detailed solid modeling and production, all the way to fabrication if they so choose. While an offspring of FormZ, BonZai is a different tool that offers a different approach to 3D modeling. It supports the conceptual and sketching stages of design, as well as accurate and robust models that can be used for construction drawings and can be smoothly rendered, animated, and fabricated. BonZai offers the basic tools designers need to present their ideas in a 3D representation. Like FormZ, it supports solids and NURBS curves and surfaces, multiple platforms, real-time Booleans, and import/export fi le translators. It also contains all the classic modeling tools (extrusions, sweeps, transforma- tions), smart 3D drawing, dynamic graphic editing, a reshape tool for easy sculpting and shape editing, and advanced inter- active rendering with shadows, transparencies, and textures. It also ships with more than 200 free materials (texture maps) and a content library for trees, furniture, and entourage elements. BonZai 3D will fi rst go to a public beta before being released. Pricing has not been released yet.

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