Among the upgrades are: RTT Advanced Materials plug-ins for photorealistic rendering of 3D objects and materials, a database within Viz|Artist for the storage of the complex materials associated with the RTT shaders, full Viz|Artist compliance for the entire product line, new Visual Data Tools (VDT) plug-ins for increased financial and statistic database functionality, and enhanced interactivity with touch-screen devices.
At the recent NAB convention in Las Vegas, Vizrt introduced new “RTT Advanced Materials” plug-ins for Viz|Artist for the first time. RTT AG is a Munich-based provider of real-time visualization technologies and services. This package of RTT shaders allows Vizrt users to visualize 3D objects and surfaces in photorealistic quality. With the new shaders, graphic artists now have a wide selection of new background materials, computer-generated objects, and animation to create photorealistic graphics.
The plug-in package provides Vizrt users with a selection of materials, including carbon, lacquered wood, metal, glass, bump maps, and many more effects. The RTT shaders react to light sources, basis textures, settings, and materials specific to Viz|Artist 3.0, such as color, shininess, and opacity. In addition, the user can draw on a wide selection of presets, such as ready-made wood alternatives.
To better manage the RTT Advanced Material shaders, there is a new object type in Viz|Artist that enables the user to store complex material consisting of the basic color settings, textures, and shaders into the Viz|Artist database. Vizrt plans to expand upon the "RTT Advanced Materials" package systematically in the future.
Additionally, the Vizrt product line is fully Viz|Artist 3.0 compliant. Viz|Artist is now supported from Viz|Trio CG, Viz|Content Pilot content management, Viz|Ticker, and Viz|NLE plug-ins. All products can utilize the enhanced feature set of Viz|Artist 3.0.
Also new to Viz|Artist 3.0, Visual Data Tools (VDT) plug-ins for Viz|Artist 3.0 can be used to display any type of statistic or financial data. VDT plug-ins enable the creation of charts and diagrams, and includes plug-ins for modifying, importing, exporting, and storing data from databases such as Microsoft Excel and Access.
Viz|Artist 3.0 now supports multi-touch devices, such as when multiple users simultaneously interact with graphics on a touch screen for sports results or stock prices, for example.
Another new plug-in called “Action Model,” created in collaboration between Vizrt and Media Seasons, was shown for the first time at NAB. This plug-in is designed to animate complex 3D models and characters, such as animated football players, horses in motion, and so on.