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Dynamite VSP Version 2.0 | Release Notes

Release Date

28th May 2004 (Version 2.02)

Major New Features

  • Compatibility with Autodesk VIZ 2005 and 3ds max 6.x.
  • Dynamite VSP is now Arenium Enabled which allows the direct import of models from Arenium enabled MX model files. This feature is currently based on Arenium Version 2.0 technology.
  • Feature Interpretation which allows the automated population of visualisation scenes with animated or static objects. This is achieved through automatic assignment of Dynamite VSP styles to predefined MX string label masks. This new feature works in association with the GENIO Import Panel and Arenium MX Model Import Panel.
  • Optional network licensing.
  • New parametric object plugins specifically designed for the creation of highway guard rail and railways.
  • Updated parametric object plugins for gantries, lamp columns and road markings.
  • Improved country kit object libraries featuring a wider selection of vehicles, trees and sky textures.
  • New Animation Editor which simplifies the process of editing the acceleration/deceleration of animated objects.
  • Improved performance.

New Features In More Detail

VSP Preferences Panel

  • Dynamite VSP Country kits can now be located in any local or network directory.
  • Changes to selected country kit now only take effect after restarting Dynamite VSP.
  • Arenium options tab added.

Dynamite VSP Explorer

  • Improved layout to Dynamite VSP Explorer Panel.
  • Dockable Dynamite VSP Explorer Panel in Autodesk VIZ 2005 and 3ds max.
  • New Dynamite VSP object cloning tools have been introduced.
  • The vehicle type for any vehicle object may now be modified.
  • A new shape reporting option has been implemented. This feature allows a list of coordinates for each point in a selected shape to be listed and printed if desired. This feature may be accessed by right-clicking the appropriate shape item in the CSP Object List Panel, or by pressing the Report... button in the CSP Shape Parameters Panel.
  • Imported shapes and surfaces may now be updated from the Dynamite VSP Explorer Panel as well as the VSP Properties Panel.
  • Dynamite VSP Explorer panel is now automatically updated after a MAX file is merged in the current scene. It was previously necessary to manually refresh the Dynamite VSP Explorer panel following a file merge operation.
  • It is no longer possible to deactivate primary branches of the Dynamite VSP Explorer Panel due to the introduction of performance enhancements in this release.
  • If the CSP Sky Parameters Panel is opened when a non-standard environment map is being used, the controls within the panel will be disabled. Previously, an error would have been generated.

GENIO Import Panel

  • All GENIO formats are now supported by Dynamite VSP.
  • Improved triangulation optimisation routines for imported MX data via Arenium, which can reduce the vertex count by up to 50%.
  • Accuracy from imported GENIO data has been improved when importing data from large coordinate systems. It remains important to define global shift values prior to import.
  • Feature Interpretation has been implemented.
  • Global shift values can now be modified until the first objects have been imported in any scene. Previously, once set these values could not be changed.

Dynamite VSP Object Libraries

  • New parametric object plugin introduced specifically for the creation highway guard rail and railways. Can also be used for modelling walls, fences and posts at regular intervals. Rail object definitions may be saved in Rail Object Styles for recall at a later time or for use in conjunction with Feature Interpretation.
  • Additional parameters added to the Dutch parametric gantry object, and New Zealand gantry object introduced.
  • Additional parameters added to parametric lamp column object, such as single/double arm and arm length/angle.
  • New library of real world 360-degree panoramic sky textures which are provided under license from Marlin Studios. CSP Sky Parameters Panel updated accordingly.
  • New library of standard and tropical tree textures included which are provided under license from Marlin Studios.
  • New vehicle library included consisting of additional cars, a lorry and a bus.

Object Placement Style Editor

  • New Dynamite VSP object attachment tools. It is now possible to attach an object placed from the Object Placement Style Editor to any another placed obect. This means that any update to the position of a parent object also affects the associated child object(s). Thie feature is useful for associating signs with parent gantry objects. If the gantry is ever moved, any associated signs will also be updated accordingly.
  • The Country Kit Resource Manager Panel may now be opened directly from the Object Placement Style Editor by right-clicking any INI file in the object library list. This allows object INI file definitions to be easily created or amended whilst placing objects in the scene.
  • Object INI file definitions may be grouped into sub-categories, or different types of objects within the same object category. For example, it is now possible to organise vehicles in sub-categories of cars, trucks, buses, and trains; or organise signs in sub-categories of mandatory signs, advisory signs, road marking symbols, etc.
  • Individual elements in an Object Placement Style may now consist of random selections from any object library category or sub-category. This means that it is now possible to place a random selection of vehicles, in a range of positions and body colours all from within a single operation.
  • Vehicles can now optionally tilt to match the longfall (slope) of a parent shape without the definition of a parent surface.
  • If a parent shape is deleted, all related placed objects are now automatically baked to their current XYZ position. This effectively allows MX strings to be used as construction lines. They may be removed from the scene once object positions have been finalised to improve scene performance and compatibility with other systems.
  • Where the scene animation length is automatically increased to animate an object over a specified distance, the object is now correctly animated over the full specified distance. Previously, the object came to a halt after reaching the original scene animation length.
  • Problem fixed whereby animation keys created by Dynamite VSP in 3ds max 5 resulted in the placement of an accelerating object. This error did not affect Autodesk VIZ or earlier versions of 3ds max. All animated objects are now assigned a constant speed by default.
  • Problem fixed whereby objects suddenly lost their bearing or direction when reaching the end point of a parent shape.
  • New Dynamite VSP Animation Editor implemented which allows object acceleration, speed and offset to be easily edited.

Road Markings Style Editor

  • Completely rewritten parametric road marking object plugin has been implemented.
  • New parameters include adjustable crossfall of the road marking geometry and horizontal offset from parent shape.
  • This new implementation offers improved performance, a greater range of parameters, and more control over the optimisation of marking objects.
  • This new implementation also solves a minor bug affecting road marking geometry which was common only to 3ds max 5.
  • Road markings are now only automatically frozen if the freeze road markings control in the CSP Scene Settings Panel is manually activated.

VSP Object Properties Panel

  • Performance of this panel has been improved, particularly in relation to the update of imported objects.
  • Object update functionality now takes forest boundary objects into account.
  • Object update functionality is now also available for individual objects from the CSP Surface Parameters and CSP Shape Parameters panels.

Other

  • Dynamite VSP is now Arenium Enabled (based on Arenium Version 2.0 technology).
  • New license management system has been implemented which facilitates the introduction of network licensing.
  • Feature Interpretation
  • Rail Object Styles and Feature Interpretation Styles.
  • Both Forest Lite as well as Forest Pro from Itoosoft are now supported. Forest Lite is available free from Itoosoft but does not allow the use of surface mapping, exclude boundaries, or random tree maps.
  • Dynamite VSP material definitions are now loaded into each scene on demand and only when they are actually required. It is no longer absolutely critical that these object definitions are placed in specific slots in the 3ds max material editor, although they will still be placed there by default.
  • Dates are now displayed in the same basic format as the current Windows Regional Settings.
  • An undo facility has been introduced for many Dynamite VSP operations. In addition, many more standard 3ds max operations may now be undone whilst Dynamite VSP is active.
  • The maximum steps value in Swept Object Style Editor has been increased from 100 to 500.

Compatible Host Applications

  • Autodesk VIZ 4.x
  • Autodesk VIZ 2005
  • Autodesk VIZ 2006
  • Autodesk 3ds max 5.x
  • Autodesk 3ds max 6.x
  • Autodesk 3ds max 7.x