The sky's the limit with Artlantis 4.1's new HDRI Backgrounds feature

Artlantis 4.1 continues to dazzle and amaze with a rich set of excellent new features, including the new HDRI Background environments option. We're going to break down exactly what an HDR image is, and how you can start using them today to help create an immersive, detailed environment with realistic ambient lighting effects in your renderings.

High Dynamic Range Image (or Imaging) is a method of capturing a higher range of lighting intensities in an image by taking multiple photographs of the exact same view at a variety of different exposures. Through the use of software, the photographs are merged into a single HDR image file, which can then be manipulated in different ways through the use of tone mapping. Tone mapping enables the full range of intensities in the image to be utilized at will, creating anything from a subdued effect that simply better balances the contrast between light & dark areas of the image, to an extremely exaggerated effect where the high contrast creates an otherworldly atmosphere.

In 3D rendering applications like Artlantis, HDR images tends toward the more subdued, balanced use of background imagery to create realistic-looking immersive 360-degree environments. But, because the full range of lighting exposures are embedded into an HDR image, that same image can also serve as a light source for the scene, creating highly convincing ambient lighting on the surfaces of the 3D model.

What does all this mean, then? Simplicity! Select your HDR image in the Perspective Inspector: Environment settings: Background settings, then click on the HDRI button to turn on HDR lighting and adjust the intensity. Optionally, you can still add a heliodon (with or without shadows and lens flare) to create additional daylighting effects in an HDRI-lit scene. Now, it's your turn to download the free HDRI samples and try it out on your model in Artlantis 4.1!

Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

Download the HDRI Samples

Artlantis 4.1 Pricing and Ordering

Architory: History of Western Architecture App

Check out this cool App from Hudsucker Studios:

• Interested in Architecture but never had the time to take a course?
• Don't have the patience to read through a 1,000 page textbook?
• Want to encourage your child's budding interest in Architecture?
• Impress your friends with your newfound knowledge.

Architory organizes and presents over 100 notable architects and their works from the Renaissance to the modern era, using carefully selected images and written commentary. Architory is a simple but effective app to help you quickly become familiar with the architects who made significant contributions to western civilization thru their works.

Architory is the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in Architecture. Version 2.1 now includes a Glossary, as well as a Twitter feeds of popular blogs. Learn the history while keeping up-to-date with news and issues concerning Architecture.

Once fully downloaded all images are viewable off-line without the worry of being disconnected.

Due to the large file size please be patient and download over a wi-fi connection.

Suggestions of Architects and Works to include in future updates are always welcome.

Future updates will always be free.

Enjoy!

Abvent's 3D rendering technology opens Palace doors to millions

Google's World Wonders Project allows visitors to explore many ancient and modern World Heritage sites thanks to Street View, 3D modeling and other Google technologies. As of June 14, visitors can now explore the Palace of Versailles, the gardens, the King and Queen's State Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors in Street View. Modeled in SketchUp Pro and rendered in Abvent's Artlantis and iVisit 3D, the 3D models of Versailles on Google Earth offer nearly 200 hectares of views.

To mark the opening of the Palace history gallery, the Palace of Versailles and the Cultural Institute chose Google's SketchUp Pro and Abvent's Artlantis to create a trip back in time using alternative presentations of the collections, physical models and 3D reconstructions.

"We are pleased and proud to participate in such a monumental project," said Xavier Soule, CEO of Abvent. "The Versailles 3D Projects have opened the Palace doors to millions of people in ways that only 3D rendering technology could have made possible," he added.

Thanks to SketchUp Pro and Artlantis, visitors to the site can now learn about the Palace of Versailles in a fun and educational way. For example, the Versailles 3D Project videos transport visitors to the Palace 'From Louis XIII to the French Revolution', 'After the French Revolution', and 'From gardens to Trianon palaces'.

Visitors will also appreciate the interactive aspect of the site using Abvent's iVisit 3D Panoramas. These 360° panoramas display the Palace and gardens at different stages of development from 1624 to 2012.

Coming soon: 3D scale models for mobiles

Versailles and Google will soon make it possible for visitors to the Palace to immerse themselves in its history using their mobile phones and tablets. Developed in partnership with Abvent, this application will be available through the Google Play Store and the iTunes store. In addition, tablets will be provided to tour guides who wish to illustrate their group tours.

Visitors will be able to view the Palace in the period of their choice by facing the Royal Courtyard, the Chapel or the gardens with their mobile phone or tablet. The phone/tablet opens a window on the past by superimposing on the Palace of today the construction from the reign of Louis XIV.

For more information about the exciting Versailles 3D Projects, click here!

Abvent launches Artlantis 4.1, powered by Maxwell Render

PARIS, June 11, 2012 – Abvent announced today the release of Artlantis 4.1, powered by the Maxwell Render engine from Next Limit Technologies. This latest release combines the speed and ease-of-use Artlantis users have come to rely on with the power and physical accuracy of Maxwell Render. As the fastest stand-alone 3D rendering application developed especially for architects and designers, Artlantis 4.1 takes architectural visualization to new heights. ...

Click here for the full press release, and to learn about all the great new features Artlantis 4.1 has to offer...

Important info for Artlantis users re QuickTime!

Artlantis Users on Windows: Do Not install the latest update for QuickTime (version 7.7.2) as Artlantis will stop working.

If you already installed this update, don't panic! Follow these steps below to fix Artlantis.

• Uninstall QuickTime 7.7.2

• Delete the folder: C:/users/admin/AppData/LocalLow/Apple Computer

• Install an older version of QuickTime from the link below

Older Version of QuickTime

iVisit 3D for Artlantis 4 brings middle school designs to life!

The year 12 Graphics students at King's Christian College in Australia have been busy designing new middle school classrooms as part of a proposed refurbishment.

The students developed the plans using ArchiCAD and Artlantis, and then produced virtual tours of the proposed spaces using iVisit 3D. Visitors were able to view the spaces that are due to be refurbished in 2013.

Thanks to the 'wonders of modern technology', you, too, can see the new classrooms designed by the students. Click here!

If you haven't tried iVisit 3d yet, why wait? iVisit 3D was developed especially for architects and designers to allow Artlantis 4 users to view and share panorama renderings on the web, iPad, or iPhone. Click here to download iVisit 3D!

Render[in] 2 for SketchUp features iVisit 3D!

Paris, May 7, 2012 – SB2 announced today the launch of Render[in] 2, a fully-integrated, real-time radiosity engine developed for SketchUp Free and Pro users.  Powered by Artlantis 4’s rendering engine, Render[in] 2 gives SketchUp users the high-definition, realistic renderings they've been looking for, in a robust, easy-to-use application.

Render[in] 2:  New features
Import background image:  With Render[in] 2, users can import a background image for scenes. This new function makes it possible to insert the model in its real site and thus, show it in its future environment.

Export to Artlantis 4:  Render[in] 2 offers users the power of Artlantis, allowing them to export their work from Render[in] 2 to Artlantis.  Users can quickly and easily complete presentations in the fully-adapted Artlantis environment.

Neon: Colors applied to surfaces can be turned into light sources. In Render[in] 2, users can easily adjust the power and the color of lights.

Bump map:  Render[in] 2 allows users to apply an independent bump map to simulate an optional relief of surfaces.

iVisit 3D:  Developed especially for architects and designers, iVisit 3D is an innovative, easy-to-use, 3D presentation tool that allows users to view and share panoramas on a web page with a Flash™ player or on an iPad or iPhone.

Render[in] is fully-integrated into SketchUp and uses the same settings, so learning how to create high-definition renderings is fast and easy.  Once the model is ready, Render[in] brings designs to life, by offering realistic additions like a 3D sky, four types of clouds, and modifiable lighting sources.  Render[in] also offers additional texture settings to choose from, like specular reflection and shininess, and auto-bump for materials.

Render[in] 2 is available for US$160.00 from www.renderin.com  Render[in] 1 users can upgrade to version 2 for US$80.00.

-end-

For more information, please contact:
press@renderin.com

BIMES: I finally learned why they call Artlantis as Sexy!...

BIMES: I finally learned why they call Artlantis as Sexy!...: Hi Everyone! It has been sooo long that I could not write on this blog. I am really very sorry about it. As you know I was travelling...

Good news for Revit 2013 users!

The export plug-in for Revit 2013 to Artlantis 4 is now available for downloading! The Artlantis export plug-in offers a direct transfer from Revit into Artlantis, without the need for intermediate file formats. During the export, special entities are automatically exploded. Artlantis’s .atl file format is cross platform; it can be read on both Macintosh and Windows.

Let’s see in detail what Artlantis can recover from your Revit model:

• The geometry
• All cameras for parallel views
• All cameras for perspective views
• The shading color and transparency of materials with their names
• The geographical position of the Sun active for the parallel view that is used for the export.

Click here to download!

ArchiCAD plug-in update from Abvent

Abvent has released new export plug-ins for ArchiCAD 14, 15, SE 2011 and SE 2012 export plug-ins to Artlantis 2, 3 and 4.

Fixes:

• In ArchiCAD, when the geometry was too far from the origin, it would cause an offset of the position in Artlantis when merging a scene or using the Use Reference File command;

• When updating an Artlantis 2 scene with objects through the ArchiCAD export plug-in's Use Reference File command, the geometry disappeared.

Artlantis Pricing and Ordering

Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

Download the Export Plugins