TeamUp demos Multi-Optics cloud rendering system
TeamUp, the start-up co-founded by cult Lagoa Multiphysics developer Thiago Costa, has demoed its cloud-based Multi-Optics rendering system at Siggraph 2012.
The firm has an impressive pedigree: key TeamUp staff include co-founder and chief scientist Arno Zinke; Dov Amihod, formerly of Matrox; and legendary former Softimage product manager Jason ‘Chinny’ Brynford-Jones.
Stream once, run anywhere
The Multi-Optics technology runs on any platform, from a desktop machine to an Android or iOS tablet or phone, with no software installation required: the system simply streams data to and from the cloud.
Pricing has not been disclosed, but will be on a monthly ‘service subscription’ model.
According to Costa, Multi-Optics has been designed with collaboration in mind, with the goal of minimising back-and-forth between team members, or between client and studio.
Detailed features still to be announced
Multi-Optics is still in beta, and there is very little information on the TeamUp website, although the speed and realism of the renders in the teaser video above should whet most potential users’ appetites.
However, the official press announcement notes that it’s capable of “accurate representation” of complex materials, including hair, sand, cloth and volumetrics.
If you missed seeing it at Siggraph, you can register on the TeamUp website via the link below to get early access to the technology when it is released commercially later this year.
PRESS RELEASE (Excerpts)
TeamUp, a newly formed company built on the guiding principle that 3D should be accessible to everyone, everywhere, today announced its Multi-Optics™ renderer and real-time 3D collaboration. The TeamUp platform is completely Cloud-powered, so customers have access to the fastest machines available and do not have to download, install, license or setup anything before working with 3D content.
Thiago Costa, co-founder of TeamUP, and founder of the critically acclaimed physics platform, Lagoa Multi-Physics, said, “We decided early on that TeamUp would offer a fundamentally collaborative experience. Creating content is already a collaboration between several parties, but the tools and workflows are all tied to desktops, render farms and so on. Sharing projects in a group effort requires a huge overhead in the creation process,” said Costa. “3D rendering is traditionally the slowest and most complex process. The back and forth with clients and peers can become tedious and costs a lot of time through miscommunications and scheduling consensus. We built TeamUp to truly improve this experience, so creative teams and their clients can see the same render live, edit and make decisions in real-time on multiple devices, and arrive at the look they want for any 3D asset.”
Arno Zinke, TeamUp co-founder and the scientist behind the Multi-Physics technology explained, “One of our techniques to achieve such high quality results is to take physical objects and measure their many optical properties to come up with an accurate representation. This way we can make hair, sand, cloth, metals, volumetrics, and many complex materials look real,” said Zinke. “Besides providing a constantly growing library of materials, users can also create their own materials from these fundamental properties.”
Product Pricing and Availability
TeamUp is currently in BETA on all standard OS platforms and Apple iPad OS. TeamUp is expected to be available in autumn 2012 as a Cloud-based, monthly-paid service subscription.