I'd like your permission to interact with you and keep you in the loop. If you've found anything useful or helpful at all that I've put out on this site or twitter, please take a minute (or probably less) to add your contact information on this page so I can focus my conversation and decisions with those of you that have an interest in them. I'm tinkering with ideas and thinking about what I'm doing next with Method.

So in case you missed the link, here it is again.

Thanks so much. Your time is greatly appreciated!

Evan

P.S. Please spread the word to anyone you might think would benefit from the stuff I do on this site. Thanks!

I started using FormZ back in 1994 at version 2, and quickly realized how powerful it was as a 3d modeler, specifically for architectural projects. It's great for other types of things too, but we make buildings here right? There are tons of high end modeling tools to add to what you probably already know in Bonzai3d and SketchUp that can help take the ideas you imagine and actually be able to build it in 3d.

It plays well with others too. You can import and export tons of different file formats so you can take files back and forth to Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, 3DStudio Max, Artlantis, and many many more. It also supports plugins including Maxwell Render.

I could go on and on because I'm so excited by this release, but you should really check it out for yourself. There is an upcoming webinar for you to see it in action first-hand.

In part 2 of this series we'll continue the exploration of our design study to highlight numerous visualization and presentation features in form•Z 7 that accelerate and simplify lighting, materials, rendering, fabrication, and multiple design concepts.

You will experience:

- Faster texture mapping of your scene with new automatic texturing and drag-n-drop materials.
- New "live" dynamic manipulation of materials directly on your objects.
- Efficient lighting of your scene with new drag-n-drop dynamic lights.
- Updated Sun position palette for quick and dynamic global sun positioning.
- The ease of setting up a Global Illumination rendering of your scene.
- How components are easily utilized to quickly visualize multiple design concepts.
- And numerous other new quick and easy techniques for visualizing and fabricating your design.

The webinar will be followed by a question and answer session.

Register for the Webinar on November 17th here. Disclaimer: As with any beta software, your mileage may vary. You'll want to save often and probably not use it for actual paying work. 

You can download the free public beta here. 

Here's an example of one of those stylistic renderings you see of 3d models where there's a combination of solid and wireframe halves coming together at a section cut in the model. I've been doing this type of rendering for a long, long time and I thought I'd make a video showing you how to do it too. It's a fairly easy process that involves your 3d modeling program and an image editor like Photoshop.

Learn more at Next Limit.

Sometimes when you're modeling a project the size of a building, you need to be able to get inside and focus on objects obscured by the outer geometry. In this video tutorial, I show you four ways to get in there so you can do just that.

This is something Bonzai3d and FormZ are really good at, and you can apply these techniques to other 3d modelers like SketchUp and Revit as well.

Sang wants to take the Norton for a ride

Maide Control is an exciting new app for your iPad from Maide that does two things. First, it allows you to control your computer wirelessly and present your SketchUp or Rhino model from your iPad. Second, it lets you use your iPad as a 3d mouse (like a 3dConnexion device) during the modeling process. It costs $4.99 from the App Store, and you also have to download a free piece of software for your host computer to establish the connection between the two.

Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer — that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

— Steve Jobs

Design has meaning.

I've had Steve Jobs' Harvard Commencement Speech open in one of my browser tabs for a few weeks now, and if you need a kick in the ass, you should watch it.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Now go out and create something. Make something that lasts. Something that's yours. Stop thinking about the now, and start thinking about the future.

Maxwell Render has put my video tutorials up on their YouTube Channel if you prefer that method of consumption. 

Click here, and then on the right side of the layout, select the video you'd like to watch. More will be added as I make them.

Chances are if you read this blog by coming here often, following the RSS feed or have liked the Facebook page then you are already in-the-know about what I've been posting about lately. But if you're not already subscribed to the infrequent newsletter, I wanted to give you all a heads-up that a new one is coming out early next week. Here's your chance to get a copy personally delivered by my trained monkeys to your electronic mailbox. Just sign up by clicking here.

This video tutorial covers how to setup exterior lighting and renderings using the various lighting strategies available in the Maxwell Render plugin for Bonzai3d. I cover the three most commonly used light types: Physical Sky, Sky Dome and Image Based Lighting (aka IBL or HDRI). This video also shows you how to position lights in Bonzai for the best results, whether you have Maxwell or not.

You can download more Maxwell Skies here when you're using Physical Sky lighting.

Next: Part 4 - Interior Lighting & Rendering (Coming Soon)