Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/997232
18 cgw | e d i t i o n 2 , 2 0 1 8 pipeline, it oen inspires the customer to come back for different end uses in VR, AR, and rendering. The beauty of Slipstream, says Light- works CTO David Hutchinson, is that com- panies can work with their own intellectual property, without having to send it off to an agency to create a visualization or applica- tion, and they retain the ability to change up the work, redo, and repeat. Foundry's Project Bunsen Foundry found out a lot about the com- plexity of CAD data with its acquisition of Luxology in 2012. Luxology had been trying to expand its market for its modeling and animation tools by offering visualization tools to designers. Aer the Foundry acquisition, the com- pany took a look at the challenge by adding its own understanding of pipeline develop- ment. From its work in compositing, special effects, asset management, rendering, and even AR/VR content development, Foundry has created Project Bunsen, developed originally for the AEC industry – which, again, wants to have a way for people to under- stand buildings and other projects. However, the amazing thing about the current times we're living through is that even as companies work on developing products, the requirements coming from customers are shiing with advancing capabilities. Bunsen is seen as a tool for all types of design and engineering cus- tomers who might want to create a visu- alization, and even as the end purpose for the visualizations might be changing, the basic requirements are pretty simple. The process of getting data out of CAD and into a creative platform requires the data to be simplified and delivered in a structured way. The process has to be scalable and repeatable. Foundry uses the cloud to process data and ensure scalability. Summary As people try to use CAD models, they're always faced with translating the data into usable forms by other soware programs. There have been plenty of translators de- veloped for this purpose, and usually they are used in conjunction with other tools to help move the data along the pipeline. Tools like Datasmith, Slipstream, and Project Bunsen are actually the culmina- tion of work that's been going on for a long time to try and make the system of design to visualization easier and more predict- able. The general-purpose use of game engines has become one more very useful tool because game engines enable artists and developers to work within a visual environment to create interactive content. If VR and AR were to go away – which no, no, they're not! – there would still be a need for these tools, and as a result of their existence now, CAD models are going to become more widely used in marketing, entertainment, sales, virtual design ... you name it. Kathleen Maher is a contributing editor to CGW, a senior analyst at Jon Peddie Research, a Tiburon, CA-based consultancy specializing in graphics and multimedia, and editor in chief of JPR's"TechWatch." She can be reached at Kathleen@jonpeddie.com. V I R T U A L R E A L I T Y