RTT Introduces New Software Versions

Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 25, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Industrial designers are creative minds. With high-quality visualization tools, they transform product ideas into realistic virtual models in real time, providing an ideal foundation for a new dimension of product presentation. Designers received industry-leading solutions and services from Realtime Technology AG (RTT AG).

Twice a year, the Munich high-end visualization specialists surprised the industry with an update to their multiple-award-winning software. The new features in RTT DeltaGen 8.0 and RTT PictureBook 4.0, formerly RTT Portal, were expected soon to dominate industry discussions. The new software was scheduled to be available from mid-July 2008.

RTT DeltaGen featured a fundamentally revised visual concept and made working on a virtual model more comfortable than ever for designers. The components required for material creation were integrated into the new interface, enabling every visualization step to be carried out directly. The especially clear new GUI allowed designers to edit models more intuitively than ever. The individual steps of the visualization process were simplified and shortened.

$$$$

Users could access individual parameters such as materials, shaders, and textures much more conveniently. Numerous presets made it easier for designers unfamiliar with RTT DeltaGen to get started, allowing them to achieve the desired high-quality design result quickly.

RTT DeltaGen 8.0: Faster and More Convenient Results

RTT DGScale technology was integrated into RTT DeltaGen 8.0. In the RTT RealTrace module, for example, this enabled optical effects to be displayed even faster in real time. Because RTT’s ray-tracing technology used the powerful processors of modern graphics cards (GPUs) rather than the CPU, the enormous number of calculations required by RTT RealTrace could be processed particularly quickly. Multi-GPU support distributed these calculations optimally among the available processors. Designers benefited from faster execution through higher frame rates and smoother motion.

RTT RealFluid: The Visual Link Between Engineering and Design

In collaboration with Visenso GmbH, a leading provider of virtual-reality software for analyzing calculation results, RTT AG developed the CFD (computational fluid dynamics) module RTT RealFluid, substantially extending RTT DeltaGen’s functionality. RTT RealFluid enabled photorealistic visualization of flow-simulation data and thus the presentation of physical processes in the context of vehicle or product design.

$$$$

Designers could now visualize flow simulations for vehicle, aircraft, and ship exteriors and interiors at previously unattainable quality. It was possible, for example, to display the distribution of forces on a vehicle or airflow in an interior and use these animations in presentations, design reviews, or marketing campaigns. This allowed designers to work particularly closely with engineers and aerodynamics specialists and analyze changes to vehicle and aircraft models even more precisely.

RTT RealFluid therefore provided a powerful tool for developing optimal solutions at the intersection of design and engineering. For the first time, flow simulations could be illustrated at the highest level of photorealistic display quality, making it easier and faster to reach decisions that met the requirements of designers and engineers.

RTT Immersive: Entering the Virtual Model

The new software version added several functions to the RTT Immersive module. Designers received comprehensive support for working on virtual models easily and precisely. When making important design decisions, responsible staff could not only view a model in three dimensions but also navigate intuitively around the virtual model using a tracking device.

$$$$

Designers could select control windows that allowed them, among other things, to choose different navigation modes, analyze a model through measurements and sections, or assess design alternatives and animations. The person responsible for design controlled all navigation directly, enabling decision-makers to experience the virtual model emotionally.

RTT DirectAutoCAD: High-End Visualization for Everyone

Until then, use of RTT DeltaGen high-end visualization software had largely been restricted to large companies and departments. Smaller architecture and design offices generally used Autodesk AutoCAD or DWG-compatible systems to create CAD data, meaning they could not previously use high-end visualization solutions such as RTT DeltaGen directly. RTT DirectAutoCAD changed that. Designers could convert their source data very quickly and prepare it for rendering.

RTT PictureBook 4.0: Transparent Management of All Design-Relevant Data

Version 4.0 significantly expanded the RTT PictureBook asset-management system and presentation platform, formerly RTT Portal. Material management was closely linked to RTT DeltaGen and the workflow was centralized. Designers could access a server-based database, and the various materials could always be kept up to date. This made collaboration within teams or across multiple locations considerably easier.

$$$$

With WebDAV access, designers could easily access and edit data directly from applications without downloading it first. Employees without visualization software on their computers could now also view 3D scenes as interactive 2.5D QuickTime previews, gaining an impression of the 3D model’s high quality. External designers at partners or suppliers could also use RTT PictureBook. The new version offered protected access to the system from outside company firewalls.

“With RTT DeltaGen 8.0 and RTT PictureBook 4.0, we have once again significantly improved our multiple-award-winning solutions. Our software is now even more powerful, user-friendly, and intuitive. With the RTT RealFluid CFD module and the RTT DirectAutoCAD conversion tool, we are addressing additional industries and making RTT software accessible to a broader user base. This has laid the foundation for further growth,” said Christoph Karrasch, co-founder and executive board member of RTT AG.

RTT DeltaGen 8.0 and RTT PictureBook 4.0 were expected to be available from mid-July 2008.

Further Links:

• More information