Architosh Staff ([email protected])

24 Aug 2004

 

Mac 3D: Microspot's new Modeler - Building A Modular Technology Foundation on Mac OS X

This month during SIGGRAPH week the venerable UK-based software developer, Microspot Limited, introduced Modeler, a new 3D modeling application exclusively for the Mac OS X platform. It's not every day that a developer comes out with a new design application exclusively for Mac OS X -- eschewing Windows completely -- but it seems to be happening with greater frequency. In fact, judging from the attention the platform gained (or stole) at the recent SIGGRAPH show in Los Angeles (see our SIGGRAPH coverage here) you wouldn't think for a moment that it be natural that Microsoft's Windows OS dominated the general personal computer market at all. But it does...and yet with each passing year Apple's "the designer's platform" seems to grab more headlines and exclusive software technology in the areas of video, audio, animation and even 3D modeling than its share with seem to justify.

Modeler

Microspot's new Modeler is no exception. This all new application is developed exclusively for Mac OS X using some open-source technology called Quesa that extends the life of older Apple QuickDraw 3D code. Architosh has covered the formation the Quesa group in the past. Additionally, Richard Coulling, Managing Director of Microspot, spoke previously with us of looking into Quesa to take their innovative 3D World application into the OS X future. As it turns out Microspot's new Modeler is an extension of their older 3D World application.

Note: Read our full interview with Microspot's Managing Director, Richard Coulling.

Modeler is a modeler targeted aggressively at the low and mid-end of the market. The purpose of the program, according to the company, is not to compete with the likes of high-end modelers like formZ and Electric Image, but rather to provide a "basic modeler" that is easy to use and allows Microspot Interiors users to create and model their own furniture and interior items. The product is targeted at architects, interior designers, furniture designers and others with an interest in basic 3D modeling and visualization.

Modeler includes a full compliment of basic 3D solids for Boolean modeling as well as manipulative shapes for rotation or path modeling. To view the model you can set up viewing angles and light the model with a range of lighting objects in addition to general and sun illumination. Individual objects can be precisely positioned and sized/resized as well as rotated.

OS X's transparency technology is placed in Modeler at the object info palette level with adjustable transparency sliders, sliders for gloss and mat and rendering color brightness. 18 individual palettes provide the interface controls in Modeler. A Navicam palette provides 360 degree rotation control about any point in the scene as well as control of the camera.

Complicated objects can be created by sweeping bezier curves in space. A Section palette provides bezier curve point editing and creation in order to create intricate profiled shapes like mouldings and furniture objects. Speaking of furniture, a Libraries palette is where you organize and access model library data.

When it comes to textures on your models Modeler provides basic texture mapping, including the ability to map a QuickTime movie to an object. After modeling and rendering you can export your models as JPEG, GIF, TIFF or native Photoshop files for further manipulation or use.

Modular Foundation

Lastly, Modeler is extensible architecturally. While the product is firstly aimed at providing 3D support for Microspot's Interiors 3D design software, it is a general modeler foundation from which the company plans to expand upon. Microspot has shared with us some of its future plans for adding on to Modeler. You can read about them in our executive interview here.

Microspot Modeler requires Mac OS X (10.2 Jaguar) or higher on at least a G3-class computer with 128 MB of RAM or higher.

Learning More - The Interview

To learn more exclusive details about Modeler read our executive interview with Microspot's managing director, Richard Coulling.

For more information go to: www.microspot.com

Related:

Quesa Group has QuickDraw 3D API on Mac OS X

Product Review: MacDraft 5 by Microspot Ltd.

Mac CAD: Microspot Limited Announces Interiors 3.4 for Mac OS X

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