Friday, July 27, 2012

What building product manufacturers are on your BIM object wishlist?

What building product manufacturers are on your BIM object wishlist?

There are exciting changes coming to Objects Online, and we are asking for your help in shaping the future of our company. Please take our 5 minute survey and share your thoughts with us. Your input will help us make sure we're contacting the manufacturers that YOU want to see in the BIMobject Portal.

 Participate in our Survey

Exciting Changes In Store for Objects Online


Exciting Changes In Store for Objects Online

During an election year, there is always a heightened sense that change is in the air. We may not know which way the winds will blow, but when we participate, we become part of a change process that keeps things vibrant, healthy, and renewed. Here at Objects Online, we are also undergoing some exciting changes this year, and your input can make a difference.

In April of this year, Objects Online became a BIMobject franchise. Our goal at BIMobject is to close the gaps that often exist between building product manufacturers and architects by offering a portal where thousands of high-quality information-rich manufacturers' BIM objects can be downloaded in a variety of BIM formats, at no cost to the end user. Furthermore, we are actively developing solutions to bring the portal to you, directly within your BIM software, allowing you to skip the trip to the website...smart, fast, and easy! Sound good?

This is a departure from the original Objects Online business model, where our customers visited our website and paid for the content they downloaded. We believe the BIMobject approach is a better way to serve the industry we know and love, providing a win-win for both architects and manufacturers. As a result, we have decided to discontinue all existing CAD and BIM-related object sales on Objects Online, effective August 1, 2012. We will be rolling out a completely new, streamlined website soon that will continue to focus on the Artlantis product family, while bringing you important news and information regarding the offerings from BIMobject.

Here's where your input can help. There are thousands of manufacturers out there, and we want to know which market segments and manufacturers are most important to you. If there are manufacturers you specify regularly, do they currently have BIM objects? Could their BIM catalog be improved or more fully developed? How would you rate the quality of the accompanying information? What source(s) do you use when searching for and specifying a product? Do you have contacts in or related to the building manufacturing industry who you feel we should be talking to? These are just a few conversation starters...feel free to elaborate. You can participate in our survey or contact us directly, but the important thing to take from all this is that we want to hear from you. We appreciate your loyal support of Objects Online over the past 15 years, and we want to continue to serve you for the next 15 years and beyond in ways that meet or exceed all of your expectations!

 Participate in Our Survey

 Contact Us Directly

 Visit BIMobject

 Visit Objects Online

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

How to find, search, and sort on the BIMobject portal. Also sharing objects on social media.


This video shows how to find, search and sort on the BIMobject® Portal using the different filters available. The website is fully functional without an account, however you will need to login if you want to download an object.

This makes it easy for you to share the links to the different products you find interesting, via social media for instance. Since there is no requirement to log in, you can be sure that the information shared is accessible and visible for everyone.

 Watch the Video

 Visit BIMobject

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Artlantis 4.1 Plug-ins

Artlantis 4.1 Plug-ins
Artlantis 4.1 has a different file format than that of version 4.0. Therefore, the exporters have been updated. The following export plug-ins are now available to download;
  • ArchiCAD 14 and 15 (16 installs Artlantis 4.1 export plug-in by default)
  • Vectorworks 2012
  • Revit 2012 and 2013
  • SketchUP 8

Artlantis 4.1 can open all .atl files belonging to the previous versions. As a result, users owning an earlier version of their CAD software can also choose Artlantis 4.1 for their visualization tasks. The Artlantis project file can easily be updated in case they need to change the CAD model by using the reference file feature from inside Artlantis: File menu > Use Reference File

 Download the Export Plug-ins

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

 Artlantis Pricing and Ordering

All's Well That's Maxwell

All's Well That's Maxwell
The standout feature in Artlantis 4.1 is undoubtedly the optional Maxwell Render engine. Maxwell Render is legendary for its physically accurate rendering engine, generating hyper-realistic images that rival photographs. With the addition of this engine in Artlantis, you will have access to both the fastest rendering engine and the most accurate rendering engine on the market today...truly the best of both worlds. We'll discuss some of the logistical issues with the new Maxwell Render engine, then delve into some of the important benefits, to give you an indication of where the Maxwell Render engine might best fit into your workflow.

The Maxwell Render engine is automatically installed with Artlantis 4.1 and runs in a watermarked demo mode for 30 days. To use it to generate a rendering, simply select "Maxwell Render..." under the Inspector menu. Naturally, to achieve the higher levels of quality possible with the Maxwell Render engine, there is a significant rendering time increase when compared to the Artlantis engine (could be 5, 10, or even 20 times longer, depending on how long you let it run), so it's important to do some testing to get a feel for what to expect so that you can plan your projects accordingly. Because it is an add-on product licensed from Next Limit Technologies, the purchase of a separate serial number is required. At this time, there are no upgrade or side-grade discounts on this product for existing Maxwell Render owners.

Even if you already own the stand-alone Maxwell Render product, there are some compelling reasons why the Maxwell Render engine for Artlantis is a good investment. First, because Artlantis offers a faster rendering engine, it makes sense to start your rendering project in Artlantis to be able quickly produce preliminary renderings. Should the need arise to create higher quality renderings using the Maxwell Render engine, you'll already have most of your project set up done...just a few tweaks (i.e. applying the dedicated Maxwell Shaders to reflective and refractive surfaces, such as metals and glass) and you're ready to go. Furthermore, the Artlantis user interface is simpler to use and easier to master, so there is no need to get bogged down in the complex interface of the stand-alone Maxwell Render software in order to get the benefits of its rendering engine. Finally, the Maxwell Render engine costs $250 less than Maxwell Render stand-alone, making it an incredible value for both Artlantis users and existing Maxwell Render users alike.

Try the new Maxwell Render engine out for yourself and see what it can do for your renderings.

 Maxwell Render Pricing and Ordering

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

 Artlantis Pricing and Ordering
 Maxwell Render Tutorial - Reverse a normal for neon effect

 Maxwell Render Tutorial - Easy reflections and shininess settings

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Artlantis 4.1 - Using adapted Maxwell Render Shaders


In certain cases, to maximize the accuracy of renderings calculated with Maxwell Render engine, you may need to use adapted shaders. They are able to react properly to the engine's capacity. This is why you'll find specific Maxwell materials converted into Artlantis shaders right in the basic media Catalog.

 Watch the Video

 Download the Artlantis 30-day Demo

 Maxwell Render for Artlantis Pricing and Ordering

We the People Promo...A Popular Uprising

We the People Promo...A Popular Uprising
The popular uprising has begun. The people have taken to the streets, and they're on sale! No, this is not some vulgar red light district sale. This is a red, white and blue special. From July 4 through August 15, you can take home one or more selected collections of Artlantis Animated 3D People for a great price.

In order to keep the peace, we are pleased to offer you a savings of $17.76 on each of the selected Artlantis Animated 3d People volumes. Since no tea party is complete without cream and sugar, we're sweetening the deal by offering an additional 5% discount if you purchase all 3 collections in one order (by using coupon code "people+5%" during checkout).

 We the People Product Pricing and Ordering

 Preview Animated 3D People Business 1

 Preview Animated 3D People Casual 6

 Preview Animated 3D People Workers 1