Page 20 - Developer

be implemented with a either in the visualization goods in both directions software (though Maya
single cone trace, while (such as real-time effects) (see: Team ForTress 2 hats and 3Ds Max plug-ins are
ray tracing often needs or computing (real-time and skylanders figures, for available, too). It’s a direct
hundreds of rays. Third, rendering) end of the example), creative game and intuitive way to animate
since opacity and color spectrum as necessary. developers will no doubt a character, and you get
accumulate during the AMD launched four new want to keep their eyes and immediate results. Right
trace, pixels hidden behind FirePro graphics cards, ears on the democratization now, the Quma can only
other opaque pixels can be each of which use AMD’s of 3D printing tech. animate bipeds and is only
cast aside for optimization. Tahiti GPU. The flagship 3D Systems (http:// shipping in Japan, though
Finally, by only updating card is the FirePro W9000, cubify.com) practically support for quadrupeds
the parts of the scene that which has 6GB of GDDR5 launched the 3D printing (and international sales) is
have changed, Epic can memory and can hit industry in 1986, and the in the works.
optimize the calculations processing rates of up to company’s new Cubify IPi Soft showed off a
even further. Martin four teraflops, as well as ($1,300) is a consumer- markerless motion-capture
showed off a lit scene from lower-end W8000, W7000, oriented 3D printer with a software system called iPi
the Unreal demo which and W5000 models. Like small (5.5-inch) printing Qumarion human Motion Capture 2.0, which
demonstrated indirect NVIDIA’s Maximus, the platform. Combine this input device. uses your PC and one or
lighting and ambient new FirePro cards are with 3D3 Solutions’s two Kinect sensors (or even
occlusion. If you’d like designed to integrate (www.3D3solutions.com) webcams/digital cameras)
to know more, you can heavy visualization tasks Kinect-based 3D scanning to let you create your own
find Mittring’s slides such as design, and heavy system ($599)—which mocap studio, use the
and some sample video computing tasks like lets you capture a 3D object CyberGlove Systems proprietary software to clean
here: http://advances. rendering, into one system. and use its software to (www.cyberglovesystems. up and edit the animation
realtimerendering.com/ Meanwhile, ARM had its produce an exportable mesh, com) typically develops post-capture, and convert
s2012/index.html new quad-core Mali-T604 complete with diffuse texture technology for military, it into commonly used file
GPU on display. Several information—and you might scientific, and engineering formats (including GBX, BVH,
applications were running just have what it takes to applications, but the new and Collada). The capture
on the new GPU, each kickstart the consumer 3D CyberGlove II system was area is around 7 by 7 feet,
focused on specific features. printing market. demoed with a rigged but can expand to 20 by
The bottom line is that the Acute3D (www. character in MotionBuilder. 20 if you implement more
Mali-T604 delivers significant acute3D.com) takes a Eighteen sensors lining the cameras. There is a trial
GPU processing power for different approach with its hand and fingers of the glove version of the iPi Mocap
“Emerald” NVIDIA
Tesla GPU-Accelerated real-time physics, particle Smart3DCapture software are mapped to the joints of Studio software on iPi Soft’s
Supercomputer simulations, and advanced suite, which builds 3D a rigged digital character; web site, and the iPi Recorder
lighting, which will give models from simple slip the glove on and move software is free. Pricing
GPU ComPUtinG
mobile developers more photographs—no scanning your hands and fingers, and for the iPi Motion Capture
GPU computing—the power to play with in their hardware required. you will pose and animate software line is $295 for the
practice of using your games. (Samsung mobile Smart3DCapture consists of the figure accordingly. You Express version (supports
powerful GPU along with devices have already begun two programs: S3C Scanner can use one glove to drive one Kinect, no multicamera
your workstation’s CPU to employ the Mali GPU.) scans individual objects, more than one character support); $595 for the
to speed up calculation- and S3C Surveyor produces at a time, or you can use a Basic version (supports up
heavy tasks—has gained Botmill 3D 3D surveys of physical pair of gloves to animate to two Kinects and three or
significant momentum in printed part. locations. In one demo, several characters. The four video cameras); and
computer graphics lately, Acute3D representatives connection between your $1,195 for the Standard
and NVIDIA, AMD, and ARM showed how Surveyor could hand movements and the version (two Kinects, three
all showed off their new capture entire cities with corresponding animation to six video cameras, and
gear for the next year. satellite photo and street- doesn’t feel particularly can track multiple people.
NVIDIA announced based panoramic data— intuitive at first, but it doesn’t
the second generation of handy, perhaps, for game take long to adapt to it.
the Maximus workstation CheaP 3D devs looking to quickly SoftEther (www.
platform, which combines PrintinG prototype a large city level. softether.co.jp/en) was on
its Quadro and Tesla cards hand to show off Quma, a
into one system so artists 3D printing was at CharaCter jointed, anthropomorphic,
can use the same system Siggraph in a big way this animation aiDs USB-based input device
to model, texture, light, and year—not because it’s that looks like a small toy asset
animate heavy datasets, a new topic per se, but Character animation robot. Quma is essentially a DeveloPment
then render in real-time because it’s getting cheaper is a tedious process, so miniature, real-time, motion- aPPliCations
or even run simulations (read: within the four-figure we weren’t surprised to capture system; it has 32
while designing. Maximus limit of a typical credit card). see plenty of tools and sensors in its joints that From models and
is a scalable system, so Considering that we’re services on display that capture its position and send textures to animation and
artists can choose to seeing more crossover promised to streamline the the data to a rigged digital special effects, you can’t
focus processing power between digital and physical animation workflow. character in its proprietary make games without art

18 game developer | october 2012