BUSINESSLETTER
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News |
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 US survey reports: standardized GIS software helps to reduce costs. US consulting firm Booz Allen has recently conducted a survey, commissioned NASA, that measures the efficiency of geographic information systems (GIS). The study focused on the questions of economic efficiency, comparative advantage and the return of investment (ROI) of developing GIS projects with ISO and OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) international standards as opposed to proprietary formats. The cost comparisons clearly favoured the ISO standard 3D formats. |
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 Online market survey 3D-GIS Software. German research institute i3mainz (institute for spatial information and measurement techniques) is now offering a market overview of 3D geographic information systems (GIS), which helps business to gain a better insight into the actual market for such systems. The official website contains all the relevant data which has also been published in the 2005 book entitled “3D Geoinformation Systems: Basics and Applications” - by Volker Coors and Alexander Zipf. The online version of the revised and updated content is now available.
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X3D standard to ease CAD data exchange. Despite the billions of dollars invested in CAD (computer aided design), it is still complicated and expensive to exchange 3D data formats created with disparate proprietary CAD applications. The integration of CAD data into software applications like distribution, marketing and training is not only complicated and costly but also time consuming. X3D, the successor to the ISO standard VRML format, has now been extended to facilitate CAD data exchange and use in real-time 3D applications. The X3D CAD component enables end-users to integrate complex CAD assemblies and work with them in a real-time environment whilst leveraging all the power of the X3D specification and other web standards.
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 tarakos to offer an open 3D viewer. tarakos GmbH, Magdeburg, Germany, has developed and marketed five factory process optimization solutions based on Bitmanagement’s visualization software. This family has now been completed with the addition of an open viewer to visualize 2D/3D simulation output from tarakos products. The viewer has been customized for tarakos’ special needs according to the BS Customization Program from Bitmanagement. This initiative of Bitmanagement involves branding with a company’s corporate image, custom user interface and menu design, and optional feature addition or product integration based on customer requirements.
www.bitmanagement.com/documents/BSCustomizinProgram_E_20060118.pdf |
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Bitmanagement engages Indian company for software testing. A renowned software company in New Delhi carries out ongoing extensive testing of our 3D software BS Contact. This is in line with Bitmanagement’s global software resourcing strategy. We utilize talented software engineers from China, Eastern Europe and even further afield in creating 3D content. Development of the VRML and X3D standards is progressed by an international team through the Web3D Consortium, the standardizing body based in Monterey, California, of which Bitmanagement is member of the board. Our headquarters in Berg, Germany, focuses on the development of the core software for our clients. The software testing facility in India rounds off Bitmanagement’s resourcing strategy – i.e. to provide our customers with the best in software solutions based on global expertise at a competitive cost. |
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New Applications and Products |
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 Goodyear – marketing in 3D. Tire manufacturer Goodyear recently utilized the 3D software BS Contact for education and marketing purposes. The company presented their tire range by means of the “Goodyear game” in seven countries. Players of the game choose a car and set of tires from the showroom and take their car onto the test track where various driving challenges await.
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 Diamonds visualized in 3D. BS Contact VRML / X3D powers a new application for diamond simulation using realistic reflection and refraction shaders, that enables parametric control of diamond characteristics and integration with gem grading and e-commerce systems. Many diamond characteristics like caret weight, size, dimensions and color can be modified real-time. Therefore the individual requirements of jewellery customers can be fulfilled in a visual, interactive and accurate manner. Find this customer application and many more on our web site.
www.bitmanagement.com/demos/customer_apps.en.html |
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Steam locomotive fans’ dreams come true. The operators of a steam railway from 1932 (which is still in operation today) have probably fulfilled a lifelong dream by developing a railway simulator in 3D. This enables enthusiasts to learn about and operate a steam locomotive – virtually but very close to reality. The simulator clearly illustrates the inner workings of these early machines and was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for factory processing and automation, Magdeburg, Germany. The simulator is based on BS Contact VRML / X3D from Bitmanagement Software.
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Announcements / New Releases for BS Contact |
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 Bitmanagement announces BS Contact 7.0. The new version 7.0 of our visualization software BS Contact VRML / X3D, in addition to enhancing support for ISO standards, enables users to render real-time 3D to video and supports occlusion geometry and the JPEG2000 format for textures. This new functionality enhances multimedia development and deployment of audio/video/web-based real-time 3D and augmented reality applications. |
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 New update of BS Exporter for 3ds max. Version 2.0 of the BS Exporter for 3ds max adds support for DirectX9 shaders. Shaders are small C-like programs written for programmable graphics chips (GPUs), that enable highly realistic real-time 3D materials (for example glass, water and metal). Shaders are supported in BS Contact and are a recent addition to the X3D specification. The BS Exporter for 3ds max also sports a redesigned user interface, which closely matches the operational simplicity of the recently released BS Exporter for Blender. The exporter is compatible with 3ds max versions 6 through 8 and completes our BS SDK authoring tool line-up. The BS Exporter for 3ds max is available exclusively to purchasers of the BS SDK. |
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 BS Contact Geo. With this new variant of BS Contact 3D visualization software family, we add a real-time 3D solution designed specifically for the needs of geographic information system (GIS) users. Support is planned for large geo-referenced datasets, multi-format import and other associated functions.
www.bitmanagement.de/documents/BSContactGeo_E_20060125.pdf |
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Releases |
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 BS Contact supports mobile solutions. As previously announced in our November 2005 business letter, BS Contact Mobile will be available in Q1/06. This software makes it possible to experience high-performance, interactive real-time 3D scenes on mobile equipment like handhelds and mini laptops. A beta version of BS Contact Mobile is available for download from:www.bitmanagement.com/download/playerdownload.en.html |
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 BS Exporter for Blender. The BS Exporter for Blender is a free export plug-in for the hugely popular open-source 3D authoring package, Blender. This new product offering from Bitmanagement Software empowers the Blender community to create realistic, high-performance interactive 3D scenes based on the international standard X3D format, and deployed via BS Contact VRML / X3D.http://www.bitmanagement.com/products/bs_exporter_blender.en.html |
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Technology |
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 BS Contact VRML / X3D supports JPEG 2000 wavelet compression format. From version 6.210 BS Contact supports the new JPEG 2000 wavelet compression format. JPEG 2000 is the successor to the JPEG format. It can produce better image quality in smaller file sizes and also supports alpha transparency, optional lossless compression, 16-bit color and mandatory image metadata. It is especially good for compression of the images that are typically applied to 3D models (repeating/tileable textures) for delivery over the Internet.
www.bitmanagement.com/technology/jpeg2000/jpeg2000.en.html |
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 BS Contact VRML / X3D supports Firefox. From February 2006, BS Contact will be available with full support for the Firefox 1.5 web browser. Support includes a native Firefox extension installer (xpi file) and full javascript access to BS Contact’s API. Firefox has strong standards support, is fast, has pioneered many new web browsing innovations and popularized tabbed browsing, making it a viable alternative to the dominant web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer. |
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3D Trade Fairs – Domestic and Abroad Bitmanagement präsentierte sich auf Messen. Hier einige Highlights: |
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Cyberworlds 2005 – Singapore. Virtual Reality trends have been the special highlight in Singapore. Sun Microsystems for instance foresees a trend towards more horizontal, “thick client” applications, which is expected to supersede the model of “thin client” – server architectures. SGI (Silicon Graphics) predicted the beginning of the age of “real multimedia”. Integrated 2D/3D applications, audio and video streams (media convergence) offer entirely new possibilities for communication, says SGI. Augmented reality applications were also a significant highlight of the show.
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Systems 2005 – Munich. At this leading business-to-business fair Bitmanagement presented their stereoscopic visualization software BS Contact Stereo. Bitmanagement shared a booth with other complementary companies like 3D CC, Germany, who demonstrated stereoscopic hardware technologies from power walls to stereo screens.
Download press report of Systems 2005 |
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EuroMold – Frankfurt. EuroMold, the largest business fair for machine tools and injection molding, design and product development, ended on December 3, 2005. The show presented new applications in the virtual and augmented reality area and demonstrated the benefits for the machine tool and product development industry.
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Defence engineering and procurement fair – Bonn. Besides software and hardware applications and new trends in defence technologies, the show placed much emphasis on networking. Bitmanagement presented a software solution for disaster prevention, which was developed for our French partner, EMI. Moreover, Bitmanagement demonstrated a defence application for our Canadian partner, Object Racu. A compact and inexpensive solution for stereoscopic simulation of a jet aircraft was also demonstrated, which made possible to watch the plain interactively and in real time from all sides.
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The last word - Commentary - Geoinformation and GIS in 3D - the topic of year for 2006In the end - The Swiss Forum for Geo-Information and GIS in Q4 2005 has confidently predicted that the field of geo information will be definitely become the hot topic of 2006. Spotting this trend early, search engine companies such as the market giants Google and Microsoft are scrambling to extend their reach to geographical solutions and applications. The media too seem remarkably interested in informing their readers about geographic solutions as evidenced by the extensive coverage when Google launched “Google Earth” in early autumn last year.From our point of view, ongoing 3D standardization efforts are contributing to a rapidly accelerating awareness of geo solutions and the benefits they bring. Therefore we see a clear trend towards enhancing 3D geographical software systems with web-based, real-time 3D functionality. Nonetheless, customers often prefer complete software solutions from a single vendor, so the markets will not be surprised by our announcement regarding “BS Contact Geo” in this issue of our business letter. BS Contact Geo will leverage the already proven performance, stability and standards compliance of the BS Contact platform into the burgeoning arena of GIS. Yours Axel Koerfer For any questions, comments or suggestions in relation to Please visit our forum if you have a technical issue
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This business letter is an offer of: |
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