3d modelling - vector

tool: Autodesk 3ds Max

Purpose: 

Autodesk 3ds Max (formerly 3D Studio MAX) is an open source graphics software tool used by video game developers, motion picture studios and architectural visualisers for modelling and animation projects. One of the most advanced 3D modelling tools in the industry, 3ds Max has been utilised by many CGI-animated films such as Avatar and 2012 to generate computer graphics alongside live acting.

Features: 
  • Create parametric and organic objects with polygonal and freeform tools
  • Character Studio enables life-like virtual character animation
  • Scene Explorer provides hierarchical views of complex scene data and analysis
  • Wide range of creative textures, planar mapping and layering options
  • MAXScript built-in scripting language automates repetitive tasks and assists with new tool and interface development
  • Multiple user collaborations
  • Customisable and intutive user interface
A&H use case 1 description: 
The project created a highly detailed 3D computer reconstruction of the site of the Theatre of Pompey, linked to its extensive textual, photographic, and graphic documentation.
A&H use case 2 description: 
The project used 3ds Max to produce life-size 3D models of Greek and Roman comedy and tragedy masks from their original miniatures.
A&H use case 3 description: 
The project used traditional 3D modelling to reconstruct architect Labrouste's bridge, which was used in a pilot cinematic investigation digitally exploring architectural history.
Creator: 
Autodesk Inc
Practice-led research: 
Animation
3d graphic design
3d modelling - vector
Data structuring and enhancement: 
Animation
3d modelling - interactive
3d modelling - vector
lifecycleStage: 
creation
structuring
publishing
Data publishing and dissemination: 
Interface design
Resource sharing
Tags: 
Animation
3d graphic design
cgi
open source
3D Software
computer graphics
3d imaging
video_games
cinema
3d modelling
architecture
Alternate tool(s): 

Maya, Poser, Blender

Software/programming languages used: 
3D Studio Max
Autodesk 3ds Max
Platform: 
Microsoft Windows
Licence: 
Proprietary
Specifications: 
Autodesk Drawing eXchange Format (DXF)
Maya binary (.mb)
Maya ASCII (.ma)
Maya IFF (.iff)
Alias StudioTools (.wire)
OpenFlight (.flt)
Wavefront (.obj)
RenderMan (.rib)
RealTime Game format (.rtg)
Game Exchange 2 (.ge2)
STEP (.stp .step .ste)
IGES (.igs .iges)
VRML (.vrm .vrml)
By danafarra at Wed, 09/06/2010 - 17:11

project: E-Curator: 3D colour scans for remote object identification and assessment

Grant Holder: Ms Sally MacDonald
The E-Curator research project "3D colour scans for remote object identification and assessment" is a project at UCL Museums and Collections. This project draws on UCL's expertise both in curatorship and in e-Science. It takes advantage of the presence at UCL of world class collections across a range of disciplines and of a state of the art colour scanner, the quality of which is unequalled in the UK. [read more]

tool: ArcExplorer

Purpose: 

ArcExplorer is a custom mapping tool that can be used in a web browser. ArcExplorer allows you to perform a range of basic GIS functions such as display, query and retrieve data.

Features: 

• Display and query a variety of standard data sources including ESRI shapefiles, ArcInfo coverages Images, ArcIMS services
• Pan and zoom through multiple layers and identify, locate, and query geographic and attribute data.
• Symbolize data based on attributes contained in the data layers to create thematic maps.
• Perform basic spatial analysis tasks on the geographic data
• Freely distributable data

A&H use case 1 description: 
ArcExplorer was used in the Montréal l'avenir du passé (MAP) project to create a historical GIS research infrastructure for mapping the city of Montréal.
Publisher: 
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
Creator: 
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
Software/programming languages used: 
ArcExplorer
Data capture: 
Use of existing digital data
Specifications: 
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
JPEG
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
Portable Network Graphics (PNG)
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
Bitmap (BMP)
Java
Communication and collaboration: 
Graphical interaction (asynchronous)
Suite: 
ESRI Explorer
Discipline: 
Archaeology
Classics and Ancient History
History
Data analysis: 
Spatial data analysis
Data publishing and dissemination: 
Web browser scripting
Tags: 
GIS
geography
Geospatial computing
Geospatial technology
Strategy and project management: 
Documentation
Practice-led research: 
2d illustration
3d modelling - vector
Alternate tool(s): 

ArcGIS Explorer, worldKit, GeoCommons

Data structuring and enhancement: 
2d modelling - raster
2d modelling - vector
3d modelling - interactive
3d modelling - vector
Geo-referencing and projection
Licence: 
Freeware
Platform: 
All major operating systems
lifecycleStage: 
structuring
analysis
publishing
By natalie.hutchinson at Mon, 29/03/2010 - 10:41

tool: ERDAS Imagine

Purpose: 

ERDAS Imagine is a suite of geospatial authoring software. The suite contains a raster graphics editor and remote sensing application that performs advanced remote sensing analysis and spatial modelling to create new information. ERDAS IMAGINE can also visualize results in 2D, 3D, movies, and on cartographic quality map compositions.

Features: 

• Image Analysis, Remote Sensing & GIS
• Parallel Batch Processing
• Spatial Modeling
• High Performance Mosaicking Engine in IMAGINE Advantage
• Expanded Change Detection Tools (with Zonal Change Detection)
• ERDAS ER Mapper Algorithms
• Converts over 190 Image Formats to all Major File Formats, including GeoTIFF, NITF, CADRG, JPEG, JPEG2000, ECW and MrSID
• Implements Comprehensive OGC Web Processing Service (WPS), Web Coverage Service (WCS), Web Mapping Service (WMS) and Catalog Services for the Web (CS-W)

A&H use case 1 description: 
The North Sea Palaeolandscapes project used ERDAS Imagine to analyse 3D seismic datasets acquired on the United Kingdom continental shelf and explore Late Quaternary and Holocene geology over the area of the Southern North Sea.
Publisher: 
Earth Resource Data Analysis System (ERDAS)
Creator: 
Earth Resource Data Analysis System (ERDAS)
Software/programming languages used: 
ERDAS Imagine
Data capture: 
Remote sensing
GPS and total station surveys
Specifications: 
Javascript
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
JPEG
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
Java
C
Ajax frameworks
J2EE
Erdas Macro Language (EML)
Communication and collaboration: 
Resource sharing
Video-based interaction (asynchronous)
Suite: 
ERDAS Imagine
Discipline: 
Archaeology
Classics and Ancient History
History
Data analysis: 
Content analysis
Overlaying
Visualisation
Statistical analysis
Data publishing and dissemination: 
Desktop publishing and pre-press
Tags: 
GIS
Remote sensing
Geospatial technology
Raster image
multispectral images
Strategy and project management: 
Documentation
Human factors analysis
Practice-led research: 
2d illustration
3d modelling - vector
Alternate tool(s): 

SPRING, Virtual Terrain Project (VTP),

Data structuring and enhancement: 
2d modelling - raster
2d modelling - vector
Animation
3d modelling - interactive
3d modelling - vector
Geo-referencing and projection
Licence: 
commercial
Platform: 
All major operating systems
lifecycleStage: 
creation
structuring
analysis
publishing
By natalie.hutchinson at Mon, 29/03/2010 - 10:22

tool: ArcGIS

Purpose: 

ArcGIS is a suite of software that comprises of Desktop GIS, Server GIS, Mobile GIS, and Online GIS. ArcGIS is a platform for building a complete geographic information system (GIS) that lets you easily create, edit, and analyse geographic knowledge on the desktop; publish data, maps, globes and models to a GIS server and/or share them online; and use them on the desktop, on the Web, or in the field.

Features: 

• View and query maps
• Manipulate shapefiles and geodatabases
• Data manipulation, editing and analysis
• Mobile device enabled

A&H use case 1 description: 
ArcGIS was used in the Mapping Medieval Chester project to integrate geographical and literary mappings of the medieval city using cartographic and textual sources and using these to understand more how urban landscapes in the Middle Ages were interpreted and navigated by local inhabitants.
A&H use case 2 description: 
ArcGIS was used in the Troodos Archaeological and Environmental Survey Project to investigate the relationship between people and their environment, from the Neolithic period to the present day on the island of Cyprus. ArcGIS was used to gather, analyse and map geomorphological data.
Publisher: 
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
Creator: 
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
Data capture: 
Geophysical survey
GPS and total station surveys
Specifications: 
eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
Java
Microsoft's .NET Framework
COM
Visual Basic
TCP/IP
Unified Modelling Language (UML)
Visual C++
Delphi
Data publishing and dissemination: 
Disk publishing
Desktop publishing and pre-press
Collaborative publishing
Resource sharing
Communication and collaboration: 
Audio-visual interaction (synchronous)
Resource sharing
Graphical interaction (synchronous)
Software/programming languages used: 
ArcGIS
Discipline: 
Archaeology
Data analysis: 
Collating
Indexing
Content analysis
Overlaying
Visualisation
Spatial data analysis
Data structuring and enhancement: 
Cataloguing and indexing
2d modelling - raster
2d modelling - vector
3d modelling - interactive
3d modelling - vector
Geo-referencing and projection
Graphical rendering
Alternate tool(s): 

GRASS (Geographic Analysis Support System) GIS, ThinkGeo

Tags: 
GIS
Geospatial computing
Geospatial technology
Strategy and project management: 
Documentation
Practice-led research: 
3d modelling - vector
Platform: 
All major operating systems
lifecycleStage: 
creation
structuring
analysis
publishing
Licence: 
commercial
Suite: 
ArcGIS
By natalie.hutchinson at Mon, 29/03/2010 - 10:08

tool: RivEx

Purpose: 

RivEx is a river network tool designed to run under ESRI ArcMap 9.1. It allows for quality control and analysis of the river network and creation of node layers.

Features: 

• Process connected river centre lines
• Generate new node layers for the nodes of the network
• Attribute your network including stream order
• Convert your network to a measured network
• Re-orientate (flip) network polylines
• Quality controlled snapping of sites to the river network
• Export river network data to KML (Google Earth) format

A&H use case 1 description: 
RivEx was used in conjunction with ESRI ArcMap on the North Sea Palaeolandscapes project to map the river network that was part of the prehistoric landscape stretching from the English Channel to the Norwegian coast line.
Publisher: 
RivEx
Creator: 
Duncan Hornby
Data publishing and dissemination: 
Desktop publishing and pre-press
Specifications: 
eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
C++
COM
Visual Basic
OWL
Communication and collaboration: 
Graphical interaction (asynchronous)
Data analysis: 
Visualisation
lifecycleStage: 
structuring
analysis
Discipline: 
Archaeology
History
Data capture: 
Use of existing digital data
Data structuring and enhancement: 
2d modelling - raster
2d modelling - vector
3d modelling - interactive
3d modelling - vector
Geo-referencing and projection
Graphical rendering
Tags: 
GIS
River mapping
habitat surveying
Strategy and project management: 
Documentation
Human factors analysis
Alternate tool(s): 

MotherPlanet

Practice-led research: 
2d graphic design
2d illustration
3d graphic design
3d modelling - vector
Texture design and mapping
Virtual world modelling
Platform: 
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows XP
Software/programming languages used: 
Rivex
Licence: 
commercial
By natalie.hutchinson at Fri, 19/03/2010 - 15:15

tool: Mercury Amira

Purpose: 

Mercury Amira is a multifaceted tool that allows for integration, manipulation, and visualisation of large sets of data. Automatic and interactive segmentation tools support processing of 3D image data.

Features: 

• One platform for visualizing, analyzing and presenting
• Very large data sets are easily accessible with specific readers
• C++ coding wizard for technical extension and customization

A&H use case 1 description: 
Amira was used on the North Sea Palaeolandscapes project to visualise and analyse the vast amounts of data that were collected.
Publisher: 
Visage Imaging GmbH
Creator: 
Mercury Software Systems
Data publishing and dissemination: 
Desktop publishing and pre-press
Specifications: 
C++
Communication and collaboration: 
Graphical interaction (asynchronous)
Data analysis: 
Content analysis
Image segmentation
Visualisation
Spatial data analysis
lifecycleStage: 
structuring
analysis
publishing
Discipline: 
Archaeology
History
Visual Arts
Data capture: 
2d scanning and photography
3d scanning
Geophysical survey
GPS and total station surveys
Data structuring and enhancement: 
2d modelling - raster
2d modelling - vector
3d modelling - interactive
3d modelling - vector
Geo-referencing and projection
Virtual world modelling
Tags: 
Visualisation
3d data capture
2d imaging
3d imaging
Strategy and project management: 
Documentation
Alternate tool(s): 

Avizo

Practice-led research: 
2d graphic design
2d illustration
3d graphic design
3d modelling - vector
Image manipulation
Platform: 
All major operating systems
Software/programming languages used: 
Mercury Amira
Licence: 
commercial
By natalie.hutchinson at Fri, 19/03/2010 - 12:21

tool: Adobe Photoshop

Purpose: 

Adobe Photoshop is an editor for still images. It is equipped with a diverse range of processing tools, enabling users to create or modify content through the use of drawing tools, filters, or other plug-ins.

Features: 

• Tightly integrated with other Adobe suite software
• Photoshop functionality can be extended by add-on programs called Photoshop plugins which act like mini-editors that modify the image.
• Can utilise the colour models RGB, lab, CMKY, Greyscale, binary bitmap and duotone.
• Reads and writes raster and vector image formats

A&H use case 1 description: 
“The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland” project has used Adobe Photoshop to edit digital images in both TIFF and high JPG formats of Romanesque sculpture in Britain.
Publisher: 
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Creator: 
Adobe Systems Incorporated
Specifications: 
JPEG
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
Portable Network Graphics (PNG)
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
Bitmap (BMP)
Adobe Illustrator (AI)
Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Fireworks
Data analysis: 
Image feature measurement
Image segmentation
Visualisation
Data capture: 
2d scanning and photography
Communication and collaboration: 
Graphical interaction (asynchronous)
Software/programming languages used: 
Adobe Photoshop LE
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe photoshop Elements
Suite: 
Adobe
Data structuring and enhancement: 
2d modelling - raster
2d modelling - vector
3d modelling - interactive
3d modelling - vector
Graphical rendering
Image enhancement
Image restoration
Photogrammetry
Alternate tool(s): 

GraphicConverter, 36-image converter

Tags: 
Image enhancement
Image manipulation
Photoshop
Photo editing
Practice-led research: 
2d graphic design
2d illustration
3d graphic design
3d modelling - vector
3d scanning
Photography
Image manipulation
Photomontage
Platform: 
Microsoft Windows
Mac OS X
Licence: 
commercial
lifecycleStage: 
creation
By Valentina Asciutti at Tue, 02/02/2010 - 17:32

tool: TurnTool

Purpose: 

TurnTool is a suite of tools that enable 3D models to be created and viewed in a low-bandwidth environment. The suite consists of two components: a TurnToolBox plug-in for integration with 3D Studio Max, Autodesk Viz, Cinema4D and ArchiCAD that allows these software applications to export objects into the TurnTool format; and a TurnTable Viewer plug-in that is able to recreate the 3D model in a windowed environment or web browser.

Features: 
  • 3D modelling
  • ActiveX viewer
  • Low bandwidth use
A&H use case 1 description: 
The Adolphe Appia at Hellerau project used TurnTool to export a model of the performance space within the Hellerau Festspielhaus building in Dresden, Germany.
A&H use case 2 description: 
The Body and Mask in Ancient Theatre Space project publishes 3D depictions of Greek and Roman mask miniatures relating both to comedy and tragedy and publishes them online through TurnTool.
A&H use case 3 description: 
The Pompey Project used TurnTool to create a web accessible 3D model of Rome’s first permanent theatre.
Creator: 
TurnTool ApS
Publisher: 
TurnTool ApS
Data publishing and dissemination: 
General website development
Data structuring and enhancement: 
3d modelling - vector
lifecycleStage: 
publishing
Tags: 
modelling
3D model
3D object
TNT format
ActiveX
Javascript
Platform: 
ActiveX
Licence: 
commercial
Software/programming languages used: 
TurnTool
Specifications: 
TurnTool (TNT)
ActiveX
Javascript
By garethknight at Tue, 19/01/2010 - 13:00

project: Stonehenge Riverside Project

Grant Holder: Prof M Parker Pearson
The Stonehenge Riverside Project was initiated in 2003 with the overall aim of better understanding Stonehenge within its changing monumental and natural landscape context, especially through investigation of the hypothesis that Stonehenge (in its Phase 3) formed one half of a larger complex as a stone circle associated with the dead, in contrast to a timber circle associated with the living at Durrington Walls. After five years of field investigations (landscape survey, geophysics, earthwork survey, excavation) and re-appraisal of previous interventions within the Stonehenge landscape, the [read more]

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