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Autodesk® Showcase™

Facilitate informed decision making using realistic imagery from 3D design data, and an environment in which to present and review designs.

Overview

Autodesk® Showcase™ software addresses the important issues that affect decision making in the design process:

• Design review and decision-making processes require too much time and expertise.
• Physical prototypes limit the evaluation of multiple design variations.
• Low-quality digital prototypes hinder the design approval process.
• Data preparation for visualization and review is too time consuming.
• Design models change while preparing imagery for design reviews.
• High-quality design presentations can be created only by visualization experts and consultants.

Discover how Autodesk® Showcase™ can help you make informed design decisions.

Make Better Decisions, Faster
Autodesk® Showcase™ software enables users to create accurate, realistic imagery from 3D digital design data to not only convey form, but also incorporates environmental context to communicate brand character. Showcase™ helps users meet the demand for new concepts and variations by providing an environment in which they can present and review designs to make important decisions. The result is a streamlined design review process in which decisions can be made efficiently and economically.

Images That Inspire Confidence
Use high-quality prototypes to evaluate multiple design variations and streamline the design approval process. Autodesk® Showcase™ software helps users reduce the time and cost of building physical prototypes to present a range of design options. Use a variety of materials and geometry during presentations, and switch between variations with a single mouse-click. Facilitate the approval of designs by using Showcase™ to bypass client or management reluctance to approve designs based on low-quality digital prototypes. Autodesk® Showcase™ software generates digital prototypes with superior visual fidelity that accurately represent real-world materials, lighting, and environments. It also provides users with the ability to interact with digital prototypes in real time.

Making Visualization Accessible
Autodesk® Showcase™ software makes realistic, interactive visualization accessible to designers and provides the sophisticated control required by visualization experts by combining advanced technology with an unparalleled user experience. The simple user interface enables designers to easily create photorealistic design presentations. Showcase™ provides all the tools to prepare, process, and present 3D design data in a single application, thus reducing the time and expertise normally required to prepare data for high-quality visualization. Showcase™ allows design model changes while preparing imagery for design reviews, significantly reducing preparation time and enabling design and visualization work to be done in parallel. Ready-made materials and environments simplify the process of setting up and lighting a scene by enabling users to combine image-based lighting and computer graphics technology to create high-quality visual effects.

Features & Specifications

Data Preparation

Import 3D models from Autodesk® AliasStudio™ or CAD software, and convert them to a format suitable for high-quality, interactive visualization.

Visualize Data from Autodesk® AliasStudio™ or CAD Applications

Import 3D data from AliasStudio™ software or CAD software packages for visualization. Supported formats include Autodesk® AliasStudio™ WIRE, STEP, IGES, SGI® OPENInventor, STL, and CSB. Autodesk® DirectConnect data translators are available for other CAD formats, including JT, UGS NX, and Catia® V5 and may be purchased separately.

Maintain Organization and Visual Information from Source

Preserve information imported from Autodesk® AliasStudio™ or CAD files to make best use of work completed in the 3D authoring package. Organizational information—such as groups, layers, and levels of detail—is maintained. Autodesk® Showcase™ software uses material information for preliminary material assignments to reduce the time required to apply virtual materials.

Design Model Updates

Showcase™ retains information about which parts were removed, where they were positioned, and which materials were applied. As a result, design work can continue in parallel while the visualization team prepares for important design reviews – without spending time redoing visualization work on updated models.

Optimization of Data for Visualization

Large 3D models must be optimized for visualization so that high-quality results can be displayed at interactive frame rates. Models are tessellated upon import to create polygon representations of the original model. The quality of this process determines the fidelity and accuracy of the displayed image. Autodesk® Showcase™ tessellation algorithms produce the highest-quality results with the lightest geometry for interactive visualization. After the initial tessellation and inspection of the model, users can selectively retessellate files to achieve the desired result.

Users can automatically create multiple levels of detail (LOD) upon import to improve interactive performance of large models and preserve detail for close inspection. For simpler handling, surfaces are automatically stitched together upon import based on proximity to adjacent surfaces, layer organization, and material assignment. Surface stitching streamlines material application and results in higher-quality, crack-free tessellated models.

Data Organizer

Reorganize data for easier access during the visualization process. Organize data by components or material, and rename without affecting original data organization.

Ambient Shadows

Create more realistic results by simulating natural shadowing. Showcase™ renders and assigns ambient shadow textures to all or parts of a model. Users gain finer control of ambient shadows and the ability to create ambient shadows for polygonal data. A ground plane is automatically included for accurate lighting on the underside of models.

Model Symmetry

Add the missing half of symmetrical models by mirroring geometry or by creating symmetrical objects upon import if they exist in the originating file.

Presentation Authoring

Prepare models for visualization and design review presentations. Apply realistic materials to the model, and place it into an environment for context. Prepare several variations of materials, environments, and model components for review.

Realistic Materials

Make virtual prototypes look real using a library of high-quality, customizable materials. Choose from an extensive library of common materials (car paint, glass, leather, metals, and plastics) created by visualization professionals. Adjust materials using controls based on real-world parameters.

Photorealistic Environments

Visualize models in a variety of high-quality environments. By combining image-based lighting (IBL) and computer graphics technology, Autodesk® Showcase™ software provides ready-made environments to minimize the time and effort required to set up and light a scene. Choose from photo studio setups, surface evaluation, and image-based lighting environments, including lighting, floors, and backgrounds. Apply ambient shadows, additional lighting, and ground shadows to make models look even more realistic.

Design Alternatives

Set up design alternatives using different geometry, materials, or positions, or create combinations of existing alternatives. During presentations, switch between alternatives or combinations with a single mouse-click.

Preset Dynamic Sequences (Shots)

Quickly set up dynamic camera movements to highlight important features for review. Use camera tilt controls to add interesting effects. Simply select the type of transition and view at the beginning and end of the shot, and Showcase™ creates the shot automatically. Access these cinematic shots during presentations with a single mouse-click.

Real-World Size

Calibrate displays to real-world dimensions to provide reviewers with a better understanding of the actual size of objects.

Turntable Animation

Assign models to turntables, and define the interaction with the turntable. Turntables combined with alternatives facilitate the evaluation of subtle differences in multiple design alternatives.

Enhanced Lighting Controls

Visualize designs with greater realism, while focusing on important design details. Lighting improvements make it possible to create lighting effects that persist when changing environments, as well as environment-specific lighting.

Presentation, Review & Decision Making

Autodesk® Showcase™ displays 3D design data with the realism and accuracy required to make crucial design decisions. High-performance display technology allows smooth movement and interactive display of large models.

Cinematic Presentation

The Autodesk® Showcase™ user interface can be hidden so reviewers can concentrate on the image.

High-Resolution Image Creation

Designers can frame the image they want and save the current view in one of several standard image formats at their resolution of choice.

System Requirements

Operating System:

• Windows® XP Professional

Recommended Hardware Configurations

Desktop User/Setup Workstation

These recommended workstation configurations for preparing data emphasize CPU power for file translation and graphic computations.

Minimum:

• 2 CPU or dual-core 3.0 GHz Intel® or equivalent AMD® CPU
• 2 GB RAM
• NVIDIA Quadro® FX3400 (256MB Graphics memory)
• 200 GB, 7,200 RPM Hard drive

Recommended:

• 4 CPU or quad-core 3.4 GHZ Intel® CPU or 4 CPU / quad core 2.2 GHz AMD Opteron® CPU
• 4 GB RAM
• NVIDIA Quadro® FX4500 (512MB Graphics memory)
• 200 GB, 15,000 RPM Hard drive

Visualization Studio / Presenter Workstation

The recommended workstation configurations for presenting emphasize graphics (GPU) power and memory to provide a high degree of interactivity when presenting large, high-quality models.

Minimum – Single display:

• 2 CPU or dual-core 3.0 GHz Intel® or equivalent AMD® CPU
• 2GB RAM
• NVIDIA Quadro® FX4500 (512MB Graphics memory) or Quadro® FX5500 (1GB Graphics memory)
• 200 GB, 15,000 RPM Hard drive

Recommended – Multiple display, cluster configuration

Three or more machines, each with:

• 2 dual-core 3.0 GHz or greater Intel® or equivalent AMD® CPU
• 4 GB RAM
• 2 NVIDIA Quadro® FX4500 with SLI bridge or FX5500® graphics with SLI bridge
• 200 GB, 15,000 RPM Hard drive

This configuration requires the addition of a compatible genlock device to synchronize the graphics cards for multiple screen displays. All machines in a cluster must have the same hardware configuration.