Building designers can use Stingray to make their BIM-informed visualizations interactive in real-time through a direct link from the engine to 3ds Max
Today, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) Europe 2015, Autodesk announced the release of Stingray, a real-time engine that can be used to create high quality 3D games, or be applied in the AEC industry to make BIM-informed 3D visualizations in 3ds Max fully interactive in a real-time environment. It means going anywhere in the model and seeing everything as you would in the physical world. The Stingray engine is built on the powerful, data-driven architecture of the Bitsquid engine, which Autodesk acquired last summer.
The new Stingray engine has profound implications for building designers, as it creates connected workflows with Autodesk 3D animation software like 3ds Max, which already supports a BIM process. The Stingray engine features a live link ability with the latest version of 3ds Max, which makes it possible to have changes made in 3ds Max happen immediately in the Stingray engine. To understand the impact of this new capability within 3ds Max, let’s take a look at the state of a BIM workflow using Autodesk solutions before today’s announcement.
The Stingray engine allows designers, owners and stakeholders to access and visualize a building model in real-time to fully understand the scale, feel and experience of the building before construction starts.
Building designers using Autodesk Revit software have had the ability to easily import models into 3ds Max to create stunning, photo-real images and animations to communicate design intent. It’s a workflow that’s been widely accepted in the AEC industry and plays an integral part in the design process. Now, with the Stingray engine, Revit models can be brought into 3ds Max to be made visually stunning and then imported to the Stingray engine to be made fully interactive, allowing users to explore “what if” design changes in a compelling visual environment not unlike a first person walk-about in a physical building. The real advantage of this is that it allows designers, owners and stakeholders to access and visualize a building model in real-time to fully understand the scale, feel and experience of the building before construction starts.
The Stingray engine features a live link ability with the latest version of 3ds Max, which makes it possible to have changes made in 3ds Max happen immediately in the Stingray engine
As a powerful real-time rendering engine, Stingray will help power Autodesk’s vision for connected visualization within a BIM process. The abilities that Stingray offers are the first step towards a connected future where software like Revit, 3ds Max and 3D environments like the Stingray engine, work seamlessly together to allow users to truly understand a design. By allowing real-time control, design changes and challenges may be quickly communicated in a compelling, visual way.
"We are opening a new door in the way buildings will be designed now and in the future that allows a live, interactive connection to designs," said Amar Hanspal, Senior Vice President, Autodesk. “Imagine being able to meet your stakeholders for a tour of your building design model in a virtual space while collaborating to inform the design process. We are excited about this technology as it will help enable better decisions to be made prior to construction, where it gets really expensive to make changes."
More Information, Pricing and Availability
For more about the Stingray engine and how it is fueling a new design process for AEC professionals, visit http://autodesklivedesign.com. Be sure to also check out this video and podcast with Angi Izzi, Senior Strategy Manager for Architecture, Autodesk and Rick Davis, Design Visualization Industry Manager, Autodesk.
Stingray is expected to be available as a desktop subscription download starting August 19. For more about Stingray, including availability and subscription pricing information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/stingray.