05/11, 2:06am
Awarded patent on 3D biometric object detection
Apple, which has been working and gaining patents for 3D and face-recognition technologies for several years, was awarded another one yesterday for a novel way of creating 3D models out of two-dimensional data. The work in this area started in earnest when Apple purchased Swedish firm Polar Rose in 2010, and has wide implications for commercial applications. One application could be for future iOS or Mac security logins.
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04/27, 10:00pm
Uses parallax view for 3D perspective
Google has further enhanced its use of WebGL to now add more 3D perspective to buildings seen on its MapsGL project, an alternative version of Google Maps (which received the improvement in March). The improvements now add a "parallax" view that allows users to pan around buildings and see them from different angles while still in overhead view. The buildings become translucent in order to avoid obscuring roadways or other landmarks while panning, and are most noticeable on taller buildings.
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04/24, 6:30pm
Change will allow for 60FPS 3D
Sony announced Tuesday that all owners of its Digital Cinema 4K products will be able to apply a software upgrade to their projectors that will improve the frame rate for video playback. The upgrade will improve image quality both in 2D and 3D content, raising the maximum frame rate from the standard 24 frames per second (FPS) to 48FPS for 2D content and 60FPS for 3D content.
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04/23, 9:30pm
3D program incorporates numerous changes
Autodesk has released a demo version of Maya 2013, originally released earlier this month, which is now available for 64-bit Intel Mac users running Snow Leopard (10.6.5 or higher) or Lion with a certified graphics card. The new version introduces numerous changes to the program, but has met with some criticism from users, who complain that Maya is not keeping up with the pace of changes set by competing programs such as Blender and Modo.
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04/19, 12:05am
Both offer significant new features
Hot on the heels of the day's earlier release of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (Developer Preview 3), Apple has released a new beta of the forthcoming Safari 5.2 as well as a preview of programming tool Xcode 4.4, reports AppleInsider. Both updates bring noticeable new features to the programs, but both are only for developers and require an Apple Developer account to access. Safari gains SVG filters and other improvements, while Xcode now supports 3D documents.
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04/17, 6:10pm
Compatible with AutoCAD, other 3D programs
Flush with success from its iOS product line, Autodesk is expanding its presence on the Mac platform by releasing a "technology preview" version of Inventor Fusion, its first 3D direct modeling software for the Mac. Users can open and edit 3D models from other programs and incorporate them into new or existing designs, including those from AutoCAD and other Autodesk programs.
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04/12, 2:00am
3D program adds sky, irradiance, gamma abilities
E Frontier and Mirye Software are teasing features of the next version of Shade, the two companies' 3D rendering, modeling and animation program. The new version, called Shade 13, is accessible through Shade X, an early-access channel for paid subscribers. So far, the companies have offered sneak peeks at three new features: advanced irradiance caching, real-time gamma correction and a sky-generation feature.
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03/30, 1:30am
Would use various techniques to gauge depth
A patent has been awarded to Apple for "Image Capture Using Three-Dimensional Reconstruction," a method that may improve upon existing 3D imaging devices such as still and video cameras by overcoming the weaknesses of the two main types of 3D sensors already in existence. As outlined in Apple's patent application, currently devices can approximate depth but can't accurately reproduce 3D geometry, while other sensors are better with shapes but bad with depth.
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03/19, 11:25pm
Tech allows viewer to focus beyond glasses
Microsoft has filed a patent application for a "laser-scanning virtual image display," which is described as a compact display system that can be built into glasses, helmets or goggles. Head-mounted displays are not new, however the patent application describes a method for projector-based presentation rather than placing a small LCD panel directly in front of each eye.
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02/29, 3:00am
All nine new models will arrive next month
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month, Panasonic showed off its new lineup of camcorders for 2012. With the arrival of the new models imminent, the company has announced pricing for its range of consumer and prosumer HD camcorders, ranging from $1,200 down to $250. The top of the line is represented by the 3MOS sensor-using HC-X900M, while other models offer full HD, 3D and even a waterproof design.
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02/15, 11:35pm
Content to be aired on BBC HD channel
The BBC has reportedly committed to broadcasting some of the London 2012 Olympics Games in 3D. Events to be aired in 3D include the Olympic Opening Ceremony, the closing ceremony, the men's 100m final, and the nightly highlights program, among others.
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02/08, 4:55am
Sony tries new approach with 3D Library concept
Sony is attempting to reinvigorate consumer interest in its 3D products in Australia by introducing 3D lending libraries in its Sony Center stores. The new Sony 3D Library offers users who own 3D-capable TVs the opportunity to loan 3D digital imaging products including video cameras, as well as 3D movies and 3D games. The first of its kind program is offering users the opportunity to try the items out for three days free of charge and is available to customers regardless of whether their 3D TV is a Sony Bravia or otherwise.
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02/07, 7:00pm
New rendering engine simulates environment, time
Architects can take their designs to the next level, creating fly-throughs that offer physical simulation of light, reflections, time-of-day adjustability, water and sky renderings to achieve extremely realistic presentations based on Google SketchUp drawings with e-on Software's LumenRT 2, now available for Mac and Windows. The plug rendering solution for SketchUp uses an entirely new rendering engine that brings Vue environmental technology to design drawings.
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02/03, 10:20am
3D at budget price
HP is among the many companies embracing 3D technology, and its 2311gt monitor aims to make the technology an affordable upgrade. The 23-inch monitor works as a standard 2D display, or as a 3D panel when combined with passive 3D glasses. In our full review, we will see how the company’s passive 3D technology stacks up against pricier active-shutter tech.
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01/13, 6:50pm
Company premiers 55" OLED model
LG showed off a range of new products this week at CES, including a number of new TVs. Electronista took an early look at the company's 2012 lineup, which includes many 3D models and a 55-inch OLED flagship that stunned the crowds with its extreme contrast ratio and color saturation.
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01/05, 11:35pm
New tech to be displayed at CES
Toshiba has announced that it will show off several upcoming products next week at CES, including a waterproof tablet and a large glasses-free 3D TV. Aside from the waterproof tablet, which also offers wireless charging, the company will show off a different model that integrates an OLED display.
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01/04, 5:05pm
Models range in size from 19" to 70"
Westinghouse has announced that it will formally unveil its 2012 television lineup next week at CES in Las Vegas. The forthcoming offerings will include an expanded size range from 19 to 70 inches, including LED-backlit and traditional CCFL-based models, along with 3D-capable TVs and a thin bezel design.
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01/03, 8:25pm
Packages to launch in March
LG is currently teasing new 3D home theater systems that the company plans to show off next week at CES in Las Vegas. The products include three separate packages, each pairing the one of the company's Cinema 3D televisions with different bookshelf speakers, towers, subwoofers and center channels.
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12/28, 10:40pm
3D UDTV expected to arrive next year
LG has disclosed additional details surrounding an 84-inch 3D TV that is expected to arrive on the market sometime next year. The panel is capable of displaying 4K content with 3840x2160 resolution, though it also displays in standard 1080p resolution.
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12/21, 10:30pm
Demos allow users to try at no charge
Completing its line of Vue 10 offerings, E-on Software has now issued the Personal Learning Edition (PLE) and trial versions of its Vue 10 3D landscaping and digital nature creation programs. The PLE edition allows users to try out and learn Vue 10 Infinite and xStream indefinitely, while the trial version of Vue 10 offers users a chance to work with Vue 10 Esprit, Studio or Complete with some limitations for 30 days.
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12/19, 11:45pm
Service available in North America, UK, Japan
Samsung has announced that its Smart TVs finally have been paired with support for YouTube videos in 3D. The service was first noted earlier this year at IFA, where Samsung claimed it would have exclusive access to YouTube 3D videos for a short time.
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12/16, 8:30pm
Can now export as still or animated models, more
Mirya Software has updated its 3D modeling, animation and rendering cross-platform program Shade to version 12.1, bringing with it a new FBX exporter, which allows users to export static and animated models to all major 3D applications and development tools. Poser users can also directly import Poser scenes (using Poser 9 or Poser 2012). The update also incorporates many user-requested fixes and improvements.
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11/30, 2:00am
On-screen display, Solaris/Linux support
The SpaceMouse Pro is debuting at the Autodesk University conference in Las Vegas this week, a new 3D mouse for professional 3D software users. The mouse features a six-way sensor, ergonomic design, an on-screen display that provides visual feedback on function key programming, a total of 15 tactile buttons (including five QuickView keys for 3D view angles), intelligent function keys and a controller cap that "flies" around 3D models.
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11/29, 6:00pm
Extensive update adds speed, 64-bit gains
Barely a month after the last major update, Avis Nocturna has upgraded its 3D terrain rendering program TerraRay to version 6.0, bringing with it a 25-50 percent performance gain thanks to an optimized renderer, which also now fully utilizes 64-bit processors. The new version also features volume-based cloud rendering, new rock presets and a new algorithm to generate them, a new grass algorithm and other various improvements.
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11/25, 9:00pm
From theme packs to Vue 10 Complete
The Vue 10 product line, the top-end products of which were made available to its professional customers as a pre-release six weeks ago, is now shipping for the company's 3D Enthusiast and 3D Artist markets. The new releases run from the free starter application Vue 10 Pioneer and associated theme packs all the way to Vue 10 Complete, which lets artists create fully animated eco-systems with terrain, plants and sky.
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11/23, 7:30pm
Could pave the way for Kinect-like abilities
The USPTO has awarded Apple a patent on 3D object-recognition technology that goes well beyond the current face recognition already included in apps such as iPhoto and the iOS 5 camera application, allowing a device to "build" a 3D face or object by analyzing the curves, contours and shadows of a 2D image. Such technology would give Kinect-like detection and recognition capabilities to cameras such as those found in iOS and Mac devices.
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11/09, 7:30pm
123D Make allows laser-cut 3D models
Computer-aided design (CAD) software maker Autodesk is promoting new technology the company has recently acquired by pushing out two new programs -- one of which is currently exclusive to Mac -- that take designs or photographs and help turn them into viable 3D models for either computer use or physical objects. Joining the company's earlier 123D and 123D Sculpt are the new 123D Catch (for Windows) and 123D Make (for OS X), Architosh reports.
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11/08, 12:20am
Full HD projector with 1,250-lumen lamp
LG has introduced a new projector, the CF3DAT, that will be headed to customers in the company's home country of Korea. The projector features Cinema 3D technology, enabling users to view 3D content in HD resolution when wearing inexpensive polarized glasses rather than relying on more expensive active-shutter frames.
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11/01, 10:00pm
Studio version includes iVisit 3D panoramas
Artlantis 4 has been released, featuring a much-improved rendering engine, as well as many other quality and performance improvements. The update features and improved method for working with multiple objects and an average rendering time that is twice as fast as the previous version. There are also productivity improvements and (in Artlantis Studio) support for iVisit 3D panoramas. Additionally, the company has released five libraries of 3D rendered vehicles.
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10/24, 5:30pm
Adds natural erosion, depth of field, more
TerraRay 5.1 is an update to the affordable 3D landscape generator program from AvisNocturna, now adding new post-processing effects such as depth of field, depth tint and bloom filters as well as a new "natural erosion" tool to simulate water erosion. The app's rendering times and live preview have also been made significantly faster, with improved terrain detail, and more sample scenes and materials to work with have been added.
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10/13, 1:10pm
Beta now available to Chrome and Firefox browsers
Google has incorporated WebGL into Google Maps. The improved app,
Google MapsGL, leverages computer-based hardware 3D graphic acceleration to provide richer visuals and animations. The functionality, availabile as a beta, initially will be supported on Chrome 14+ or Firefox Beta.
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09/27, 10:55pm
Other studios expected to follow suit
Sony has reportedly sent a letter to theater owners notifying them that it is planning to stop paying for 3D glasses. The studio currently foots the bill for supplying 3D glasses to moviegoers, however the policy is estimated to cost the company approximately $5 million to $10 million for the most popular global releases, according to a Hollywood Reporter report. Even the cost for smaller films is said to reach $1.5 million to $2 million, or approximately $0.50 for each ticket sold.
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09/21, 10:45pm
Now 64-bit in both Mac and Windows versions
OptiTex, in partnership with DAZ 3D, has announced a version of its Dynamic Clothing Engine for Mac that leverages the 64-bit nature of OS X as well as a corresponding update for the Windows version to enable 64-bit operation. The plug-in is used with DAZ 3D to allow users to apply dynamic clothing sets to figures created in the program, and user can easily alter fabrics, garment sizes and style variations.
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09/20, 9:05pm
Now 64-bit, on sale for a limited time
Smith Micro has launched a new version of its popular 3D human and animal figure creation app Poser, now at version 9, and Poser Pro 2012. Both programs let users create and animate 3D characters, using 3GB of included content and 70 pre-set figures to customize. The new version offers Vertex Weight Map Rigging support, subsurface scattering and rendering performance improvements, with Poser Pro gaining Collada support and a fully 64-bit rendering engine.
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09/20, 6:25pm
Base increases almost 60 percent in two years
As Businessweek notes, it took Autodesk, the 3D and CAD software company best known for its industry-standard software AutoCAD -- nearly 30 years to build up a customer base of 12 million customers. But a single iPhone app -- the $2 Sketchbook Mobile, released almost exactly two years ago -- has increased the company's user base by almost 60 percent, bringing in seven million new users. The company also saw a 14 percent rise in revenue.
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09/15, 3:30am
Huge speedups in viewport switching, more
Nemetschek Vectorworks has announced their 2012 product line, which includes Vectorworks Architect, Renderworks, Fundamentals, Spotlight and new Landmark and Designer editions. The new versions have over 100 performance usability improvements, including significant speedups when navigating or switching between viewports and design layers, Lion compatibility, enhanced 3D modeling, improved IFC support, an instant access Push-Pull tool and more.
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09/13, 7:15pm
Could lead to 'virtual' knobs, keyboards, more
Apple has, over the years, patented a number of ideas that dealt at least on some level with 3D interfaces, but today's patent for a projected "image area" where 3D manipulation could be realized emanating out of future mobile devices -- if practical for the company to implement -- could have major implications for future gaming, interfaces and other user interactions, going beyond the movement-sensing technologies of devices like Microsoft's Kinect, reports Patently Apple.
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09/09, 8:10pm
Split-screen allows TV, internet use together
Epson will be bringing a new line of 2D/3D "Full HD" home theater projectors and one new model of pro cinema projector to dealers and outlets in October and November. The units feature extremely high refresh rates and 2,400 lumen brightness to help combat the main complaint with 3D television: lowered brightness and picture quality. The units can also "split the screen" allowing for two inputs (such as TV and internet) to be used at the same time.
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09/09, 6:10pm
Smartphone offers 3D display, 3D camera
Sharp has unveiled a new Aquos smartphone, the SH8298U, which will be initially offered to customers at Japanese carrier SoftBank. The device is focused on 3D capabilities, built around a 4.2-inch glasses-free display with qHD resolution. Users can also capture 3D video and stills from a dual-camera configuration with two eight-megapixel sensors.
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09/08, 7:10pm
PowerLite Pro Cinema 6010
Epson has introduced its first 3D home theater projectors: the PowerLite Pro Cinema 6010, Home Cinema 5010/5010e and 3010/3010e. All of the projectors feature 1080p resolution and active shutter 3D, driven at 480Hz. The 6010 and 5010/5010e models are claimed to offer 200,000:1 contrast ratios and up to 2,400 lumens of color or white light output.
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08/31, 7:55am
Sony brings 3D HD OLED headset to market
Sony has unveiled the world's first 3D compatible head mounted display, the HMZ-T1. The device, first shown at CES in January as a prototype, is equipped with two 1280x720 pixel OLED panels each measuring just 0.7-inch diagonally. When worn, the two panels combine to give the user an experience the equivalent of watching a movie theater-like 750-inch screen.
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08/29, 5:40pm
Adds new cameras, grass presets, more
Less than a month after the last major update, Avis Nocturna has released version 4.5 of its 3D landscape modelling program TerraRay. The new version sports new camera types, including a birds-eye view. The water renderer has been improved, and the company has added more material generators and 3D preset models, including a new grass preset. To celebrate the new release, the software -- which is sold exclusively through the Mac App Store -- is on sale for a limited time.
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08/24, 2:10am
Developer on Diablo, Battle.net, Marvel Universe
Unite '11, the fifth annual developer conference for publishers using the Unity development platform for games and 3D, has announced that its keynote speaker will be Diablo and Diablo II co-creator and lead programmer David Brevik, president and COO of Gazillion Entertainment. Brevik will address the changes in the game industry, the growth of "social" games, free-to-play business models, download distribution and other topics. The conference features four days of activities.
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08/17, 7:15pm
'Lite' version also available
Allegorithmc's texture and material processing 3D software Substance Designer has arrived on the Mac platform with the new version 2, along with a "lite" version, both of which enable 3D artists to create and improve texturing pipelines, creating huge quantities of dynamic textures and filters. The new version adds vector painting, a material layering system and a cache system that improves overall performance by 25 percent.
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08/12, 9:05pm
Also adds compatibility with DWG 2011 files
IMSI/Design last week updated their popular TurboCAD Professional for Mac to version 6., bringing with it full Lion compatibility as well as a half-dozen new features, including 3D design features for doors, walls and windows, better formatting of objects and dimensions and automatic wall dimensioning, reports Architosh. The company also makes a 3D DWG file viewer for iOS devices.
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08/02, 7:10pm
Now handles GoPro, Panasonic 3D files natively
Stereoscopic 3D utility Stereo3D Toolbox LE from Dashwood Cinema Solutions has reached version 3.0, bringing with it new nesting tools for building side-by-side compound cliips, additional types of 3D output, the ability to work directly with GoPro 3D and Panasonic AG-3DA1 H.264 files in Final Cut Pro X without transcoding or muxing, and the Global Output Mode feature from the professional version, Stereo3D Toolbox.
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08/02, 12:25am
Exec claims 3D gaming not well received
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello has reportedly downplayed the significance of 3D technology in the gaming market. In a shareholder meeting, the executive suggested 3D gaming has yet to prove profitable. The company is said to be focusing instead on social and web-based features.
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08/01, 7:00pm
Offered 3D flyover mapping technology
A Swedish 3D mapping company -- originally developed and owned by auto maker and defense contractor Saab -- called C3 Technologies has been bought and shut down by a mystery buyer, reports Nyteknik.se. The promising technology, which offered highly-realistic 3D aerial and ground maps of large cities to a far greater extent than employed by Google or Microsoft, has been purchased by a non-Asian company in a deal worth $160 million.
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07/25, 12:00pm
Part of LG's Thrill 4G smartpnone marketing launch
LG, as part of its marketing launch for its Thrill 4G smartphone, will be broadcasting recorded excerpts from a concert from the group Jane's Addiction. LG will give 100 ticket holders from tonight's live concert its new phone and have them take videos in 3D. LG will then create a 60-minute documentary from all the footage and air it on the "LG Thrill YouTube 3D" channel starting August 4.
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07/22, 7:20pm
Study funded by Samsung
Research partially funded by Samsung has found that 3D video causes more eye strain and fatigue than content displayed in 2D. Participants in the study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of California-Berkeley and published in Journal of Vision, were asked to gauge eye fatigue, pain in the back or neck, and vision clarity.
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