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Okino's Continually Evolving Translators Provide Vital Link Between SoftImage® and Other 3D Software Packages
Toronto, Ontario - October 1, 1997 (revised February 4, 1998) -- Okino Computer Graphics today released its long awaited SoftImage import/export translation modules, version 2, including full trimmed NURBS support, that plug-in to Okino�s award winning NuGraf Rendering System and PolyTrans Model Translator software products. These modules provide a vital new link between Microsoft�s SoftImage|3D animation package and other popular 3D packages or file formats such as 3D Studio MAX, IGES 5.3 (full implementation), ACIS SAT, DirectX, DXF, Lightwave, OpenFlight, Pro/Engineer, QuickDraw-3D, Strata StudioPro and many others (as listed below).
The new plug-in modules are the first to provide bidirectional translations of entire SoftImage scene databases to and from the most popular 3D file formats. In the tradition of all Okino translator modules, the resulting translated files are "Render Ready" meaning that they can be loaded and rendered in the destination program (SoftImage, 3D Studio MAX, Lightwave, etc.) with little or no changes necessary. The translation process accommodates polygonal meshes with holes, trimmed NURBs, bicubic patches, hierarchy, vertex normals, (u,v) texture coordinates, every material and texture mapping parameter, lights, the camera viewport and automatic bitmap conversion to/from the SoftImage .pic bitmap format.
"The addition of the NuGraf software and its new SoftImage import/export plugins to our 3D game development toolset truly changed our efficiency," said Mark T. Aro, character animator at Sierra Publishing. "In the past I would cringe when converting a SoftImage file to 3D Studio MAX. No longer do we have to go through the grueling and painful process of converting to a DXF file and then going through the headache of remapping and texturing everything. When I discovered that this new software converted everything from meshes & textures to lights and cameras I was ecstatic. We ordered copies for the entire SoftImage team that same day."
"We are very excited about the release of these new SoftImage import/export modules for our NuGraf and PolyTrans software packages," said Robert Lansdale, President & CEO of Okino Computer Graphics, Inc. "Users of all popular 3D animation and modeling packages, in addition to SoftImage usrers, now have a powerful new tool to translate entire SoftImage scene files cleanly, accurately and quickly between other popular animation programs and file formats. No longer will these users have to spend hours re-creating the texturing, materials, lights and cameras of translated files since these new modules do it for them automatically. The automatic conversion of bitmap files to/from the SoftImage .pic file format will also be a welcome addition to all users of SoftImage|3D."
The "NuGraf Rendering System" and the "PolyTrans Model Translator", Overview
The "NuGraf Rendering System" is Okino's premier software product that provides users with an efficient and powerful environment for importing data from a wide range of sources, assigning materials/textures/lights/cameras to the scene and creating high quality, photo-realistic images. It has recently awarded the prestigious "IEEE Excellence Award" for 1997 and was also chosen one of the top 10 new products of 1997 by IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications magazine. NuGraf's uniqueness comes about from its ability to import huge files (such as 20MB DXF) files, weld & optimize the imported data, setup the scene and create a final photo-realistic image in under two to three minutes total on a Pentium-class machine. A core component of the NuGraf software is its wide array of import and export translation modules which allow complete scene files to be read into the program for immediate rendering or for scenes to be exported to other 3D file formats for rendering by external software packages.
The PolyTrans Model Translator is a derivative of the NuGraf Rendering System that does not include the photo-realistic renderer, the material and texture editors or the 3D font creator. PolyTrans, however, does run cross-platform under Microsoft Windows, DOS, SUN and Silicon Graphics whereas NuGraf only runs under Windows NT and 95.
Notable users of the NuGraf and PolyTrans software include Acuris, ATI, Disney, DPS, EDS, HP, Hughes, Infobyte, Intel, JPL, LEGO, MIT Media Labs, PIXAR, REM Infographica and major 3D game development companies such as Acclaim Entertainment, Blue Sky Software, Broderbund, Electronic Arts, Ion Storm, Microprose, Namco, Red Orb, Sierra Online, Virgin Interactive, Virtual World Entertainment, Williams/Bally/Midway and many others. Please visit http://www.okino.com/conv/users.htm for a much longer list of some of our notable users.
Industry Standard Import and Export Filters
The NuGraf Rendering System and PolyTrans programs support all of the most popular industry-standard 3D geometry data formats by means of plug-in geometry filters. These allow NuGraf and PolyTrans 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, ACIS SAT, Alias PolySet, Apple 3DMF (Quickdraw-3D), DirectX, DXF, Fractal�s Detailer, IGES 5.3, Imagine, Lightscape, Lightwave, OpenFlight, OpenGL C Code, 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. The converters have been developed by Okino Computer Graphics over a period of 9 years and are complete implementations of their respective file formats. Coming next are support for Electric Image FACT and Microstation DGN formats.
Benefits to SoftImage Users
Some of the major benefits SoftImage users will gain from using these new import/export translator modules include:
- Robust and dependable import and export of IGES 5.3 files. This import converter provides an alternative method to import IGES files in addition to the problematic IGES converter shipped with each copy of SoftImage.
- Bullet-proof and robust import of DXF files. The NuGraf/PolyTrans DXF reader reads in and converts literally any DXF file then optimizes it into a render-ready model.
- Very strong and production-worthy support for the Lightwave and 3DS Studio file formats, among others. These translators import and export complete scenes files, bitmaps and all related information.
- Batch conversion of 3D geometry files as well as batch conversion of 2D bitmap files between the SoftImage .PIC file format and other bitmap formats.
- Access to robust polygon processing tools which can take impossible-to-render datasets and turn them into renderable models. Functions include auto-welding, auto-unification of normals, reorientation of normals, removal of double sided polygons and more.
- Strong support for getting the popular CAD-related "STL" format into and out of SoftImage as well as guaranteed conversions of Pro/Engineer "SLP" files
- A QuickDraw-3D import/export converter set that actually works with many of the broken 3DMF files that are currently floating about the Internet.
- Excellent support for the MultiGen OpenFlight file format which is a popular format amongst SoftImage users.
Applicable WEB pages
The following are pertinent pages on the Okino WEB site relating to this press release:
Available Through VARs
The NuGraf Rendering System and PolyTrans are available directly from Okino Computer Graphics and through a growing number of Value Added Resellers (VARs) in the design, CAD and multimedia markets. Fully functional demonstration versions (with minor limitations) of the software, along with the new SoftImage plug-in modules, are available through Okino's Internet WEB site at http://www.okino.com.
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
The NuGraf Rendering System operates efficiently with 486- or Pentium(r)-based computers equipped with Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 or higher, 16MB 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.
PolyTrans operates efficiently with 486- or Pentium(r)-based computers equipped with Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 or higher, 16MB 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. PolyTrans also runs under IRIX 4.2 or greater for Silicon Graphics machines.
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 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
PolyTrans and Okino are trademarks and NuGraf is a registered trademark of Okino Computer Graphics, Inc. Autodesk and 3D Studio are registered trademarks of Autodesk, 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