The current private beta release of Vray v3.6 is getting ready for a Public Beta release after some awesome results and examples from formZ users.
We are hoping to have a releasable public version in a few weeks.
Are you ready? We are and we believe we have what will be the next most valuable tool in your digital toolbox!
Some first facts:
1. V-Ray for formZ is running on both WIN and OSX.
2. We are requiring that you have the latest version of formZ 8.5.
3. V-Ray for the most part will need the same machine specifications as you need for formZ itself. If you have more CPU power and RAM that’s fine too. If you have a ‘Cuda’ based GPU cards then bring it on!
4. We are going to be looking for images and projects to share as part of our marketing efforts. What ever you can share with us we’d appreciate it.
5. This is Beta software. Although we recognize it as a stable release please use caution when using the plugin. Work on files that you know you have backed up or that you will not risk your livelihood on.
If you’re interested please drop us an email at vray@formz.com with examples of your best rendering work. If you can give us an idea of the amount of time you think you can dedicate to testing on a weekly basis that would be helpful too.
The Maxwell Render 4.1 release is a big one. If you haven’t updated to Maxwell 4 yet, now is the time.
If you are an existing customer, and want to upgrade your Maxwell Render 3.2.1.5 for any modeller at here. Just pick your 2 plugins ( Studio can be one choice )
If you’re new to Maxwell and want to kick the tyres first, download a trial copy. Please come back here and we can help with your new version.
Please note: The following is oriented to the formZ implementation.
DENOISER
There’s now an integrated denoiser. When enabled, there will be NO noise in your final rendering. This means Maxwell-quality renderings in a fraction of the time it took previously – in either CPU Production or GPU mode. Expect 2x – 8x faster architectural visualizations.
LIGHT MIXER
Next up, we have a new Light Mixer. When used in conjunction with Fire, you can interactively fine-tune the contribution of all lights and emitter materials in your scene from one convenient panel. It’s a lot like Multilight, inside formZ.
LIGHT GROUPS
Maxwell for formZ supports formZ Light groups both in the Light Mixer and in Multilight. Intensity-override groups are represented as a single slider in both environments.
ONLINE MATERIALS
Using materials from the online materials database in formZ is now just a click away.
NEW MATERIAL TYPES Xrite AxF and TableBRDF material types are now supported directly by the plugin.
RELEASE NOTES
Changes
• Integrated Denoiser support. (Maxwell Options > Engine tab)
• New Light Mixer for interactively balancing intensity of lights, light groups, onf material emitters. (Extensions > Maxwell Render > Light Mixer…)
• formZ Light Group support: All lights in a formZ light group with intensity override are now represented by a single Multilight slider. (Enable in Maxwell Options > Translate tab)
• Improved access to MXM file browser. (Material Parameters > Maxwell Representation > Referenced MXM option)
• Improved access to online MXM gallery browser. (Material Parameters > Maxwell Representation > Referenced MXM option)
• Direct support for X-Rite AxF Materials (Material Parameters > Maxwell representation).
• Direct support for TableBrdf Materials (Material Parameters > Maxwell representation).
• Support for rendering with the number of available logical processors, minus a specified number. (Set a negative number in Maxwell Options > Engine Tab > CPU Threads)
• Plugin now uses central Maxwell installation.
• Update to the Maxwell 4.1 engine.
Fixes
• Grass Modifiers using formZ material option now restored correctly on open.
• Denoiser At Each SL/At End parameter now correctly saved in project.
Learn the best 3d modeling program for architecture and design.
Longtime form•Z user Evan Troxel has created an amazing new way to learn 3D modeling with form•Z. Whether it’ll be your first time opening the program, or your 300th, you’ll learn techniques that will ensure your success in building and visualizing the best 3d models you’ve ever made. Using the powerful tools form•Z puts at your fingertips, you’ll be inspired and ready to make more great designs with your newfound skills and tools.
This course has more than 6 hours of form•Z video training. Unlimited viewing allows you to watch the videos at your own pace and use them as reference for years to come.
As a special introductory offer Evan is offering $100.00 off the course thorough April 21st. Click here for details and to view a few sample lessons.
HOW TO GET THE BEST 3D PRINTED ARCHITECTURAL MODELS
On a regular basis we have people and companies from around Australia approach us to 3D print scale models of their buildings, developments and projects. The results are very impressive and we often get positive feedback from our clients including hotel developers in Brisbane pitching to investors, apartment planners in Sydney looking to better understand their space and an Architect in Melbourne who uses 3D Printing to show clients his plans and drawings. However there is usually more preparation that goes into these models than most but done properly you’ll be wowing your audience and giving them a real foundation to see the projects potential .
Below we’ll run through common issues and how to get a well priced robust model from your current full scale (1:1) CAD models.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURE
COST
The first step taken is usually for you to internally decide on a budget, as downstream this will affect the size of the models and therefore to what degree the files may need to be adjusted to account for small details.
As a guideline on 3D Printing costs:
A building printed at a size of 360 x 300 x 300mm will cost between $2,400 to $8,900 + GST
A building printed at a size 0f 250 x 200 x 200mm will cost between $1,200 to $2,700 + GST
A building printed at a size 0f 150 x 100 x 100mm will cost between $180 and $420 + GST
The reason for the variation in cost depends mainly on how much material your part will use, how much machine space it occupies and how risky it is to print. The larger the part the more this has an effect.
You can optimise the cost with the following techniques :
Hollow your building and any other thick enclosed parts out and remove the base, so you end up with a ‘shell’ of the buildings. This significantly reduces the amount of material used and therefore the cost.
Nest parts of the building in your file if possible.
SIZE/SCALE
With a budget in mind we can work out how to get the largest scale for your structure whilst coming in at/under cost. The size is one of the most important factors and is influenced by price, however other considerations are detail sizes, maximum printable size, orientation and likeliness to warp/deform due to thermal stress.
Min. Detail Sizes
In almost all architectural jobs we’ve done the original files need to be modified to account for details that become too small to print when scaled down from the full size. Anything under 1mm at printed size has a risk of being broken during the cleaning of the parts, so if something is 10mm thick full scale then at 1:10 scale it will be 1mm which is fine, though at 1:20, 1:100, 1:200 etc scale then this becomes undersize. The common workarounds to this are either to remove it all-together if they are ‘nice to have’ but not ‘need to have’ details, or to thicken/exaggerate the details at full size so that when they are scaled down they are thick enough to print.
Particular features to keep an eye on are stairs, balustrades and railings, pipes, windows etc.
Max. Printable Size
The largest we can print in one go is 340 x 340 x 580mm so the model will either need to be smaller than that or split into sections. If you are wanting to do a development for example try splitting it into lots.
SECTIONING AND SHELLING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
If a part is too large to print in one piece it’ll need to be sectioned into smaller pieces which can be printed and assembled afterwards.
It’s best to try avoid cutting the part on a uniform section where a join line will be obvious, aim to cut it somewhere more obscure or somewhere that will be covered by something else.
Shelling a model is an important step in aiding it’s printability, it will also help reduce cost. The idea of shelling something is basically to preserve the outward appearance of the building etc, though inside is completely hollow and featureless. If you do want interior detail like rooms, fittings, furniture etc then you can include this and an alternative is to have the roof separate so that you are not trapping large quantities of loose powder inside.
The following was a tutorial is about creating a padded chair in formZ that was recently uploaded on the formZ forum/Tutorials page in response to a question raised on how to model this particular type of chair.
So one of the formZ forum members (FZnoob) took up the challenge and he said it was best to use the Sub-D’s toolset. So If you go through these instructions any user of formZ PRO 8.5 will be able to see the power of these tools to generate a very close likeness.
Troy Design Media is an experienced 3D Visualisation company using formZ 3D modeller as well as Maxwell Render to produce the following great images. Troy has 15 + years of experience in architectural 3D visualisation with companies as large as Meriton Properties in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast to smaller bespoke design/visualisation projects.
After spending 4 years at the University of Canberra studying Industrial Design full-time, Troy Bray his began working career as a technical illustrator with the NSW Fire Brigades for the Training Manual Project Team. Drawing became his unique passion and then his aspirations evolved which secured him a role with Meriton Apartments as a Graphic Designer. His duties included designing marketing collateral, in-house presentations and DA submission boards for all of their building projects.
After 2 years with Meriton he then travelled abroad and supervised a team of ten architectural illustrators in China. As a team they secured international work supplied by developers for Commercial and Residential Building Developments. As Creative Director he instructed the team to produce world class illustration and marketing collateral for their clients across the globe. His time in China was productive and cemented his position in the architectural industry.
After returning to Australia, Troy grew a Freelance business over the next ten years securing work all over Sydney. As a part – time endeavour Troy taught his design expertise at Enmore Design College to the Design and Entertainment students using packages in Adobe Creative Suite and Form Z – 3D. During his time as a freelancer he has designed a number of retail outlets including a Dessert Shop, Beauty Salons and a number of office fit outs.
His latest interest which spans outside of the architectural industry includes Game Design for mobile and tablet devices. He continues his pursuit in the architectural design industry offering first class solutions to complex problems and is always available for suitable positions that are of significant interest.
dacode – a Melbourne based 3D specialist company: dacode imaging with Maxwell Render has excelled in producing some of the best 3D images for architects Internationally and Australia wide.
The following images are some recent examples that have all been created for clients using formZ 8.5 for 3D modelling and then using Maxwell Render v3.2 either via the formZ /Maxwell plugin or via Maxwell Render Studio, where there, in some cases has been some additional modelling imported in other formats for enhancing reality. Maxwell Render offer unbiased realistic rendering that is fast to set up and produces arguable the best 3D rendering results available – no compromises.
da code design pty ltd
44 Little George Street , Fitzroy , Melbourne VIC 3065
Email: dacode@netspace.net.au
contact Phillip Hyams – Director
telephone 03 9415 1311
mobile 0400 577 613
We are pleased to announce that the formZ 8.5.3 update is now available. This update includes a number corrections and enhancements to issues that were reported, including the addition of the FBX Translator, many Component improvements, better handling of Notes and Dimensions, many Performance improvements, Export Image: DWG no longer creates duplicate segments, a larger cursor option for high resolution displays, and more — as noted in the attached PDF file:
To Update formZ 8.5.0. 8.5.0.1, or 8.5.0.2, just use the formZ Help Menu: Check for Update command to automatically update your software.
If you have any issues with the automatic updates, we will be releasing the “app only” updates from the link below tomorrow(or you can re-download 8.5.0.2 from there today):
When the UP Box was first announced our CEO Michael Tyson knew we had a 3D Printing Solution using formZ one that would utilise the larger build area of this new 3D Printer and to take advantage of the 3D design power of formZ. The first thing that came to mind was a 3D Printed Guitar!
The body was designed and printed in four parts on the new UP Box 3D Printer using a unique PLA filament called PolyMax PLA, due to its high strength and resistance to warping. The project was successful due to the combination 3D Design skills by Michael Tyson and some helpful advice from myself.
This guitar is a hybrid of the latest 3D Printing Technologies with traditional Guitar Luthier techniques, utilizing a maple neck and mahogany block fitted in the body to provide traditional tonal qualities.
To create the 3D Design we used FormZ 3D Design Software and if you want to modify the design this is the design software to use. We find FormZ really easy to use and it exports to perfect stl files ready for your 3D Printer. By using FormZ and 3D Printing we were able to add designs to the body which would be difficult with conventional wood working techniques. The playing card suite design is a good example of this. In addition we have designed the guitar so you can easily change to different 3D Printed Bodies in under 45 minutes. You will never get tired of your guitar.
Having personally made a 1959 Gibson Les Paul replica from scratch we have found printing the shell of the body out of PLA with a Queensland Mahogany block dramatically streamlined the process of making the body.
We had 6 days to finish the guitar before we had to leave Adelaide to go to Melbourne to showcase our guitar for National Manufacturers week. In that time we had to paint, finish the electronics and cut the Queensland Mahogany to insert into the body of the guitar. SPOILER ALERT… we succeeded. We painted the guitar with a coat of plastic primer followed by a coat of high build primer. After some light sanding we added a base coat of blue metallic paint with a clear coat of lacquer. We were pleased that when we plugged the guitar in for the first time there were no electronics issues with minimum fret buzzing. With some TLC and truss rod / bridge adjustments we were able to fix the fret buzzing and set up the guitar with the right action and intonation tuned to D Standard. These are all processes and things you need to tackle when making a traditional guitar made of timber, so there were no red flags.
After a stressful week finishing the guitar, we traveled to Melbourne for National Manufacturers week and showcased our 3D Printed Guitar for the first time at the UP 3D Printer Stand! People were amazed and for the first hour some patrons didn’t even notice it was 3D Printed. With Mikes quick ingenuity we managed to make a low budget sign explaining the guitar for those who thought I was a lost busker. Unfortunately we only had one day free to showcase the guitar but it was a great experience and it was great to meet up with some of the key people from BuildTak and Polymaker!
The following weekend we had a stand at the Mega Toy Fair, it was a great event and with the help of our distributor we had a competition to give away an UP Mini 3D Printer. It was great to see so many people take an interest in our Printers and our guitar.
Adelaide based photographer Vueey Le was kind enough to help us out and took some really amazing high quality photos of our guitar for us to upload onto our social media pages. We also uploaded a Youtube video showing off how the guitar sounds! A few days later our good friends at PolyMaker wrote a great indepth article on our guitar which spawned some great online attention and discussion including an article from 3ders.org. We were even featured in a 3D Printed electric guitar face off article on 3dprintingindustry.com!
It was great seeing this project receive so much attention in Melbourne, Adelaide and online, and it was a great opportunity to get people excited about the possibilities of 3D Printing.
If you’re interested in making your own 3D Printed Guitar on the UP Box or on another 3D Printer, you can download the STL files for this print here! For the best results we recommend you print with PolyMax PLA as it is stronger and more durable then ABS and standard PLA.
3D Printing Solutions is pleased to provide the STL Master files for our 3D Printed Guitar. This project has taken the internet by storm and we have had so many requests for the STL Files it was hard to resist sharing them.
Important Conditions of use
By downloading our 3D Printed Guitar STL Files you agree to the following:
3D Printing Solutions 3D Printed Guitar SLT file are for personal use only.
You will not upload or pass these files on to any other person of party
You will direct other interested users to our internet site to download the stl files
You will not sell or profit from these files
You will not sell or profit from any Guitars that you may make from these files
These 3D Guitar STL files are copyright (2015) and the property of 3D Printing Solutions
You will not upload our 3D Guitar STL file to any Website or Internet resource with out our written approval
Hope you enjoy the printing your own 3D Printed Guitar go to their site for these details:
The other was a serious tool for real Business and Consumer applications created by formZ PRO and printed on the 3D Up Box Printer. With new materials like the new PC-Plus PolyCarbonate 3D Printing filament products that need to withstand high tensile strength can be made on desktop 3d printers thanks to high tech 3D Filament manufacturers like PolyMaker.
We thought it would be fun to design and print a Car Style Scissor Jack for our PolyMaker PC-Plus PolyCarbonate challenge. We designed the Scissor Jack from scratch using FormZ Pro 3D Design Software. The FormZ Pro Software made the task of creating the Nuts and Bolts a breeze and to create the gears that keep the jack stable as it rises we used the FormZ gear making tool which saved a lot of time. We Printed the components using PolyMakers PC-Plus PolyCarbonate filament using Our UP Box 3D Printer. This jack was printed at 0.10mm resolutions using the finest fill settings.
We decided produce the entire Jack using 3D printed materials as we did not want the results influenced by materials like steel. All of the jack components were printed with PC-Plus Poly Carbonate with the exception of the white non slip cap which was produced from PolyFlex.
The test result was fantastic with the Jack lifting 240kg (almost a quarter tonne). Further more the Jack showed no sign of strain or stress after the lift.
We hope you have enjoyed using form•Z free and have been able to appreciate its capabilities in your 3D design work. form•Zpro and form•Z jr are based on the same interface as form•Z free and offer a much larger set of tools, features and file translators. Time to consider our formZ Free Upgrade to PRO and be ready to take your 3D designs to the next level, we are pleased to offer form•Z free users the chance to upgrade to form•Z pro or form•Z jr at a significant discount through October 31, 2015.
Save A$350.00*** off of form•Z pro or form•Z pro with RenderZone bundle. Order on line at
Not sure yet? You can try form•Z pro or form•Z jr using the 30-day trial versions here. A comparison chart of the form•Zpro and form•Z jr features can be found here.
We hope you take advantage of this time-limited offer and take your 3D designs to the next level.
