Light ROM 6/LIGHT-ROM 6.iso/demos/polytran/nugraf/nugraf.txt

Text File | 1996-04-28 | 14.0 KB | 255 lines

For Immediate Release

            Okino Computer Graphics, Inc.
            6271 Dorman Road, Unit # 6
            Mississauga, Ontario
            L4V 1H1, Canada.
            Phone: [phone]
            FAX: [phone]

Contact:
Robert Lansdale
Okino Computer Graphics
[phone]
Internet: [e-mail]

Okino Computer Graphics Ships Advanced Rendering, Visualization and
Model Translation Tool for Microsoft Windows 95/NT.

NuGraf Rendering System for Windows 95/NT Raises the Standard for High Quality
Visualization & Data Translation Software.

Toronto, Ontario - April 8, 1996 -- Okino Computer Graphics today released
the NuGraf Rendering System, an advanced photo-realistic rendering,
visualization and high quality 3d model translation program available for
Microsoft Windows 95 and NT. Emphasizing dependability, speed and ease of use,
the NuGraf software provides a wide assortment of seamlessly
integrated 3D tools that accelerate each step of a design, visualization or
data translation project. Industry standard geometry import and export filters,
realtime scene manipulation functions, 3d model manipulation processors,
3d extruded font generation and high quality, fast "photo-realistic"
production rendering tools all combine to form an integrated and comprehensive
work environment for 3d data visualization.

"The NuGraf Rendering System represents the culmination of over eight years
of intensive research and development," said Robert Lansdale, President &
CEO of Okino Computer Graphics, Inc. "This development effort has produced
a significant new professional productivity tool for the Windows-based 3D
graphics market which allows beginner and power users alike unprecedented
access to data import/export, data manipulation and 3d rendering capabilities.
The robustness, dependability and feature set of the NuGraf Rendering System
are second to none, and priced under $500 it is the most comprehensive and
complete visualization package for the Windows-based market available today."

Market Applications

The unique combination of robust import filters, real-time data
manipulation, and strong rendering support makes the NuGraf Rendering System
ideally suited to a wide variety of market applications. Such applications
include architectural model rendering,
engineering studies & visualization, industrial design visualization,
GIS and USGS DEM data studies, furniture point-of-sale presentations,
interior design projects, high quality and accurate batch translation
of 3d data files, and the generation of 3D corporate logos. It is also
ideal as a versatile and easy to use teaching tool to explain and exemplify
the concepts of 3d rendering and 3d computer graphics in general.

For 3D PC game designers, as an example of a specialized market application,
the NuGraf Rendering System software provides a number of unique features not found
in other integrated 3d packages. For example, game designers can use NuGraf's
powerful USGS DEM or DXF import modules to import large (20MB) landscape
databases (including roads, GIS features and landscape topology), have the data
automatically optimized into 3d polygon meshes for efficient game engine
rendering, then have the data exported as 3D Studio files (with proper
segmentation into 64k maximum polygon objects).

Another specialized market application of the NuGraf Rendering System software
is for the import, manipulation and visualization of DEM (Digital Elevation
Model) data published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). These
datasets typical run on the order of 1Mb to 20MB in size. NuGraf's
specialized USGS DEM import converter allows these data files to be imported
quickly and optimized for efficient and interactive viewing. Computers with
as little as 16MB of memory can import and interactively manipulate these
datasets at their full 1:1 resolution. As part of the import process 2d
texture maps or 3d procedural textures to be easily assigned to the data
which provides for final realitic rendered images of the DEM data. The NuGraf
Rendering System software is the only known 3D package capable of performing
these visualization operations efficiently and quickly on a Windows-based
machine.

Efficient, Bottleneck-Free Design

Throughout the development process of the NuGraf Rendering System
significant effort was made to remove all performance bottlenecks often
encountered with other 3d rendering and visualization packages. By
utilizing a streamlined internal pipeline organization, the software
can effortlessly accommodate large polygon datasets (50,000 polygon
and greater) on minimally configured Windows-based computers with as
little as 16MB of memory. Fast and memory efficient data import filters,
mouse-interruptable user interface functions and an efficient renderer
(which allocates memory resources on a per-pixel or per-object basis)
all combine to form a highly integrated and high performance visualization
system that is not susceptible or prone to performance degradation.

Graphical User Interface

The NuGraf Rendering System's versatile user interface provides for fast and
easy access to all elements within a 3d scene. Key features include real-time
OpenGL shaded viewing of objects, fast and transparent redraws, interactive
placement of camera and lights, and the selection of materials using snapshot
icons from a large material library. In addition, the multi-function
"Selector Window" allows users to create complex object hierarchies using
drag & drop operations, perform hierarchical picking, assign or edit
materials, and quickly access all geometry, lights, cameras, materials and
textures with simple point and click operations. Underlying the graphical
user interface is over 60 detailed dialog boxes which allow every aspect
of a scene database, including all material attributes, to be numerically
edited. Access to the large 6Mb online help file (which is also provided as
a printed 600 page manual) is never more than a button push away.

Industry Standard Import and Export Filters

The NuGraf Rendering System supports all of the most popular industry-standard
3d geometry data formats by means of plug-in geometry filters.
These allow NuGraf to exchange 3d data, of any size or complexity, with
virtually any external modeling, CAD, landscape (DEM) or design package.
Supported formats include 3D Studio, Alias PolySet, DXF, IGES, Lightwave,
USGS DEM, Vistapro and Wavefront. The converters have been developed by Okino Computer
Graphics over a period of 8 years and all are complete implementations of their
respective file formats. These are some of the most advanced, robust and feature
rich implementations of these formats in any 3d rendering or visualization
package. The 3D Studio and Lightwave converters, in particular, have been
carefully crafted so that files can be loaded and rendered with NuGraf so
that they appear exactly as they would in their respective native programs.

For CAD-related visualization projects, the NuGraf DXF reader is one of the
most complex and full-featured available. Import by block, layer, one layer,
entity or color. Auto-weld/unify/smooth. Converts raw polygons & extruded
entities into optimized meshes. Fast "pre-scan" mode to find names in DXF
file. Allows 2d drafting diagrams to be converted into 3d objects. Properly
mitres all polyline corners. Handles up to R13 binary & ASCII DXF. Retains
block hierarchy info. Reads camera views. Caps extruded entities.
Reads in huge DXF files (20Mb DXF files on a 16Mb is no problem). Precise,
accurate and fast.

Included with the program is an intuitive batch conversion utility that
allows high quality and high speed translation between the various file
formats outlined above in addition to OpenGL, POV, Renderman RIB and VRML.
Unlike most data translation programs which only translate geometry and
vertex normals, the NuGraf Rendering System translates all geometry, normals,
color, (u,v) texture data, U/V tangent vectors and opacity attributes; in
addition, it converts all materials (including all shading attributes),
texture images, lights, cameras and geometry hierarchy so that the exported
file is ready to load and render in the destination program. No other PC-based
software produces a higher quality file translation than this software.

Photo-Realistic Rendering

At the core of the NuGraf Rendering System software is Okino's renowned and
state-of-the-art photo-realistic rendering engine. This is the same rendering engine
that, since 1991, has been licensed for use in other OEM and third-party
CAD packages. Eight continual years of development has resulted in a high
speed and highly memory efficient renderer capable of creating dazzling photo-realistic
images of complex 3D scenes, all on a typical PC computer with minimal memory.
Typical rendering times are under 1 or 2 minutes on a Pentium-class machine
and typical memory usage is under 8MB for a complex 50000 polygon scene. This
is one of the best renderers currently available in any 3d rendering package.
When used in conjunction with the 3D Studio import filter, the NuGraf
renderer can import and render any 3D Studio file, including all shading,
texture mapping, background color schemes and atmospheric effects, but with
higher accuracy and visually better results.

The renderer includes such advanced features as fast shadow generation,
automatic planar and cubical reflection mapping, color/bump/transparency
texture mapping, analytic texture filtering, analytic scene anti-aliasing,
alpha channel usage (for decal mapping), field rendering (for
good temporal anti-aliasing in animations), unlimited layers of textures,
a hybrid A-buffer/Z-buffer rendering algorithm and output to a wide variety
of industry standard file formats, the Windows clipboard and Windows-compatible
printers as 1-bit through 32-bit images (including
accurate alpha channel support). Realtime color quantization is also utilized
so that images displayed on a 256 color monitor appear as good as 24-bit
(16 million color) output.

3D Font Generation

Creation of broadcast quality 3D extruded text is a snap using
the NuGraf Rendering System's "3D Font Wizard". Click on some predefined
options, enter some text, visually choose from a list of TrueType fonts,
visually choose from one or more materials and the NuGraf Rendering System
software will do the rest by creating a scene which will be ready to produce
a perfect  rendering on the first pass. Nothing could be simpler.

Unlike other font creation packages, the NuGraf Rendering System's font
creator allows complex fonts with holes (such as the "Confetti" font) to be rendered quickly
when combined with the hole capabilities of the NuGraf renderer. In addition, the
3D text is created as a multi-part hierarchical object so that users
can quickly select and modify any aspect of the text (back, front, side, bevels,
letter, word or sentence) just by clicking on its respective entry in the "Selector Window".

Standalone Renderers

A standalone, cross-platform version of the NuGraf renderer is also
available for DOS, Windows 95/NT, SUN Microsystems, Silicon Graphics
and DEC Alpha computer architectures. It renders native NuGraf scene
files as well as Autodesk 3D Studio binary files.

Available Through VARs

The NuGraf Rendering System is available through a growing number of
Value Added Resellers (VARs) in the design, CAD and multimedia markets.
The product is also available directly from Okino Computer Graphics, Inc.

Pricing and Availability

The suggested U.S. domestic retail price for the NuGraf Rendering System
is $495. Dealers and resellers may sell for less. To locate an authorized VAR
or for customer inquiries, please contact Okino Computer Graphics at
[phone] or toll free at (888) 3D-OKINO (1-888-336-5466).

Academic pricing is available to qualified students, faculty and
schools. Single student copies may be purchased for $195 (U.S.D). Volume
discounts are available for classroom use starting at $995 (U.S.D) per 10
copies.

System Requirements

The NuGraf Rendering System operates efficiently with 486- or Pentium(r)-based
computers equipped with Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51 or higher, 16MB of RAM,
a SVGA video card, and a hard disk with 25Mb of available space. 3D hardware
accelerators are supported, but are not required.

NuGraf Developer's 3D Toolkit for OEM Vendors

The core NuGraf technology, called the NuGraf Developer's 3D Toolkit,
is available separately for licensing to OEM vendors and third party
software developers. The toolkit is ideal for the development of
interactive 3D rendering applications or to augment existing
modeler/visualization/CAD apps with advanced rendering technology.
It is available for wide range of computer platforms
and operating systems, including 32-bit DOS, Windows 95/NT, SUN Microsystems,
Silicon Graphics and DEC Alpha.

Company Background

Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Okino Computer Graphics specializes in
the development of 3D photo-realistic rendering, visualization and model
translation technology. This technology is currently used with Okino's
NuGraf Rendering System end-user consumer product as well as its NuGraf
Developer's 3D Toolkit product for developers, software publishers
and OEM vendors. For more information on Okino Computer Graphics, please
call 905-672-9328 or login with a World Wide Web browser at
http://www.okino.com.

NuGraf is a registered trademark and Okino is a trademark of Okino Computer
Graphics, Inc. Autodesk and 3D Studio are registered trademarks of
Autodesk, Inc. Windows 95 and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks
belong to their respective holders.

Attn: Editors. Screen snapshots and artwork are available for your
magazine use by visiting http://www.okino.com/press/magpics.htm and saving
the images to your machine by clicking over each image with the right
mouse button and saving the image to your local disk.