Okino Computer Graphics Announces An Industry First - Accurate Animation
Translation Between 3D Studio, Lightwave & DirectX Formats.
Toronto, Ontario - March 1, 1998 - Okino Computer Graphics today released its much anticipated object and camera animation conversion software for Windows NT/95/3.1 and Silicon Graphics workstations. Available in version 2.1 of its award winning PolyTrans and NuGraf software, v2.1 is the first to offer high quality, bi-directional and accurate animation conversion between 3D Studio (.3ds format), Lightwave and DirectX (export only) file formats; SoftImage support to follow shortly. Where animation conversion was not possible before, animators can now seamlessly convert all forms of articulated models (such as Character Studio animations) and camera motion paths between the most popular 3D gaming and multi-media animation file formats.
Okino continues to break down the barriers of transferring data between the major 3D animation and modeling packages by providing seamless scene conversion, and now in v2.1, seamless camera and hierarchical object animation conversion. This follows shortly after Okino's recent addition to its conversion software: trimmed NURBS, IGES 5.3 (CAD), OpenFlight (VisSim) and ACIS SAT (for solid model conversion).
"The importance of a translator which allows the animator to move freely between platforms and 3D animation packages cannot be underestimated," said Tim Donnely, Lead Animator & Artist at Interplay Productions. "Animation translation software has been essentially non-existent until now. Okino has broken down the final barrier between packages: the Holy Grail of animation data conversion. Freedom!"
"With interoperability being the buzz-word of the late 90's, these new state-of-the-art animation conversion capabilities in PolyTrans and NuGraf allow the ultimate freedom for animators to model in one program, animate in another, and render in a third." said Robert Lansdale, President & CEO of Okino Computer Graphics, Inc. "Most notably, 3DSr4, 3DS MAX and Lightwave users can now freely exchange animation and scene files, complete with meshes, materials, textures, auto-bitmap conversion, lights & cameras; animation data can also be exported to popular DirectX file format. This will greatly benefit the animation industry in 1998 and beyond by providing a conduit between animation packages where animation conversion was once thought impossible. I am pleased to see Okino tackle these hard problems and provide dependable solutions at a cost effective and affordable price."
An Understatement: Animation Conversion is A Hard Problem.
If a single, definitive statement must be made about animation conversion it would be "animation conversion is a very hard problem. Period." Unlike 3D geometry conversion, for which polygon and NURBS translations is fairly straightforward and well understood, animation conversion is a new and uncharted territory for which the mathematics used by all the major 3D animation packages are completely different and incompatible � this is the crux of the animation conversion problem. For example, the Lightwave animation package uses Euler rotation mathematics whereas DirectX and 3DS MAX use the more preferable `quaternion' form of pure rotation mathematics � quite incompatible forms of mathematics when viewed in the context of animation conversion. To overcome this and many related problems, Okino Computer Graphics has aggressively developed a cutting-edge and proprietary "animation conversion engine". This "engine" simulates the animation methods and mathematics of the most popular 3D animation packages such as Alias & 3DS MAX (for their hierarchical animation channel structures), Lightwave (Euler rotation methods), DirectX & 3DS MAX (quaternion rotation methods) and SoftImage (Bezier interpolators). It is this manner, the engine can import animation data in its native format, "play it back" with accuracy, then resample (modify) the animation data for the desired export animation file format.
Dependable Animations Conversions Through "Keyframe Resampling"
The key to the success and quality of the animation conversions is through a unique and proprietary "keyframe resampling algorithm" that forms the very heart of the animation conversion engine. This resampling mechanism implicitly understands the animation mathematics (Euler, quaternions, angle/axis, Bezier, TCB, linear, etc.) used by all of the supported animation file formats and can accurately "resample" or "re-map" keyframe data from one form of mathematics to another. This is crucial to the conversion of 3D Studio animation data to Lightwave, as an example, for which quaternion rotations must be converted into the older and less-preferred method of Euler angles (explicit X/Y/Z rotations). In addition to keyframe resampling, the animation conversion engine provides for "keyframe reduction" which allows an animator to remove redundant or unnecessary keyframe values. This latter algorithm is user controllable and has many benefits, including the removal of oversampled keyframes from motion capture data.
PolyTrans & NuGraf, An Overview
Okino's stand-alone PolyTrans Model Translator for Windows and SGI was released in August 1996 and has gone on to become one of the most acclaimed and respected 3D geometry translators. Unlike most translation programs which only convert basic polygon geometry, hierarchy and some shading information, PolyTrans is unique in its ability to convert every aspect of a 3D model file; this includes all geometry (meshed polygons with recursive holes, NURB and bicubic patches, and quadrics), object hierarchy, pivot points, smoothing data (vertex normals), (u,v) texture coordinates, bump mapping information (tangent vectors), lights, cameras, all texture projection methods and animation (for specific formats). Okino's NuGraf Rendering System is the elder sibling of PolyTrans that includes, in addition to everything in PolyTrans, high-end scanline and multi-threaded ray tracing (for product visualization), material editing, bitmap and procedural texture mapping, texture projection methods, extended user interface and font editing. NuGraf received the "IEEE Technical Excellence Award" from IEEE CG&A Magazine in 1997.
Notable users of Okino's software include Acuris, ATI, Disney, DPS, Dreamworks, EDS, HP, Hughes, Infobyte, IBM, Intel, JPL, LEGO, MIT Media Labs, PIXAR, REM Infographica, Westwood Studios and major 3D game development companies such as Acclaim Entertainment, Broderbund, Electronic Arts, Interplay, Lucas Arts, Microprose, Namco, Sierra Online, Stage 22, Virgin Interactive, Virtual World Entertainment, Williams/Bally/Midway and many others (more are listed at http://www.okino.com/conv/users.htm).
Supported Import and Export File Formats
Okino's NuGraf & PolyTrans programs support the following extensive list of 3D formats: 3D Studio, 3D Studio MAX (via native plug-ins), ACIS SAT, Alias PolySet, Apple 3DMF (Quickdraw-3D), DirectX, DXF, Fractal's Detailer, IGES 5.3, Imagine, Lightscape, full Lightwave, OpenGL C Code, OpenFlight, POV 2.0/3.0, Pro/Engineer .SLP, Renderman RIB, Renderware, SoftImage .hrc models and scene databases, Solid Edge, StereoLithography .STL, Strata StudioPro, trueSpace, USGS DEM, Vistapro, VRML 1.0/2.0 and Wavefront OBJ (both polygons and NURBS). The converters have been developed by Okino Computer Graphics over a period of 10 years and are complete implementations of their respective file formats.
Applicable WEB pages
Available Through VARsThe following are pertinent pages on the Okino WEB site relating to this press release:
NuGraf and PolyTrans are available through a growing number of Value Added Resellers (VARs) in the design, CAD and multimedia markets. The products are also available directly from Okino Computer Graphics, Inc. Fully functional demonstration versions (with minor limitations) are available through Okino's Internet WEB site at http://www.okino.com/nrs/demos.htm (NuGraf) and http://www.okino.com/conv/demos.htm (PolyTrans).
Product Pricing
To locate an authorized VAR or for customer inquiries, please contact Okino Computer Graphics at (905) 672-9328 or toll free at (888) 3D-OKINO (1-888-336-5466).
System Requirements
NuGraf and PolyTrans operate efficiently with Pentium®-based computers equipped with Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 95, 16MB or 32MB of RAM, a SVGA video card, and a hard disk with 25Mb of available space. 3D hardware accelerators are supported for Windows 95 and NT but are not required.
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 within Okino's NuGraf Rendering System product, its PolyTrans data translation program (and byproducts) and its NuGraf Developer's 3D Toolkit. For more information on Okino Computer Graphics, please call 905-672-9328 or visit Okino Computer Graphics' Internet WEB site at http://www.okino.com.
Documents Available Electronically
Attention editors. This document, as well as screen snapshots and related documents for the Press (in Word for Windows format) can be obtained electronically by visiting http://www.okino.com/press/magpics.htm.
NuGraf and PolyTrans are registered trademarks of Okino Computer Graphics, Inc. Okino is a trademark of Okino Computer Graphics, Inc. Microsoft, Windows and SoftImage are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Editorial Contact:
Robert Lansdale
Okino Computer Graphics
T: (905) 672 9328
F: (905) 672 2706
Email: lansd@okino.com
WEB: http://www.okino.com