Procedural did update CityEngine 2010 to it’s latest release 2010.2, the latest version of its city creation software based on unique procedural techniques. CityEngine 201 can be used in 3D city modeling in urban planning, architecture,simulation, game development, and film production. The software is used by companies such as Pixar, Dreamworks, Foster+Partners, Zaha Hadid, Rockstar North, Blizzard, Microsoft, IBM, MIT, Harvard, Stanford and by us here at StrongMocha.

Procedural also introduced CityEngine STUDIO. The new version is suited for small studios in architecture and entertainment which want to realize the full potential of CityEngine or do not qualify for the low-priced CityEngine INDIE.

Highlights of CityEngine 2010.2 are interactive editing of dynamic city layouts, node-based rule authoring, and a sketching tool for facades. In addition to that, CityEngine 2010.2 includes advanced block subdivision, modeling of curved streets, new rule operations for instancing and asset search, native Collada® support for assets, export instances with the new FBX® 2011.3, and many more.

Key Highlights of CityEngine 2010.2:

• Improved GUI for the Node-based Rule Editor (Visual CGA)
• City Wizard with new night city template (see picture above)
• Facade Wizard enhancements with new tutorial
• Support for FBX® 2011.3 and RenderMan® export on 64-bit
• CityEngine STUDIO introduced

Earlier version of CityEngine 2010 did feature already:

• Procedural Street Network Construction
• Import of Street Networks or Lots
• Scripting 3D Buildings
• Parametric Modeling of 3D Buildings
• Map-Controlled City Modeling
• Batch Export of 3D Models
• Dynamic City Layouts
• GIS Data Import
• Node-based Rule Editor
• Facade Wizard
• Support of industry-Standard 3D Formats
• Python

Not all versions of CityEngine 2010 support the same level of features, some version like INDIE supports less features. To compare the different features that are available in each version of CityEngine contact Procedural or take a look at the details on the Feature Comparison Chart.

Cities that you build in CityEngine 2010 can be exported into your favorite animation program through a variety of export format like Wavefront OBJ, Autodesk FBX, Autodesk 3DS, COLLADA DAE, MentalRay MI,Renderman RIB. The available export format varies by the version of CityEngine. Some versions have less export features then others (Details  can be found on the Feature Comparison Chart).

Picture below shows a CityEngine generated City loaded into Cinema 4D R12.

More CityEngine resources:

• CityEngine 30-Day Free Trial
• CityEngine Product Brochure
• CityEngine Client List & Customer Success Stories
• CityEngine Help
• CityEngine FAQ
• CityEngine Kowledge Base
• CityEngine Video Turorials

Martin Tomka the key person behind Simartom.com has released T-Gen  2 a tree and plant generator which fully integrated into Softimage XSI.  Many Softimage XSI tools are supported to change materials, geometry or  hierarchy. Almost all parameters of T-Gen can be animated.

T-Gen 2 features:

• New core – On average T-Gen 2 is 3x-4x faster
• New Dynamics – you can now use XSI forces to simulate tree and plant dynamics.
• New distribution options – new distribution types are random and point distribution.
• New noise types – you can now use perlin noise to get more natural look of branches.

• Advanced appearance and distribution settings
• Node-based tree and plant hierarchy
• Multicore support
• Plant dynamics
• Geometry optimization
• Animatable trees and plants
• Intuitive interface
• Seamless XSI integration
• Powerful free version
• Export of plants

See also:

• T-Gen Documentation
• T-Gen Tutorials
• Feature list
• T-Gen Downloads

T-Gen 2 should work with XSI6.02, XSI6.5, XSI 7.0, XSI 7.5

(There is a bug in XSI 7.5 that prevent you from using more than 1 force. In older versions you can connect up to 100 forces.)

Speedtest T-Gen vs. T-Gen 2

Force Test (New Dynamics Feature)

Distribution Options

T-Gen Manager

BlurBeta Tools (Version 3.01) is available. Blur Studio did include in the tool set a lot of the tools that Blur uses in production, now available for you. Blur Studio has a quick description list for BlurBeta Tools.  Blur Studio worked on Tabula Rasa, MX vs. ATV Untamed,  Transformers: The Game, Empire Earth III,  A Gentleman’s Duel Teaser,  The Simpsons Trailer, Warhammer Fantasy, NFL on FOX, Harry Potter Phoenix Spots and many more projects. Take a look at Blur’s Animation reel

BlurBeta Tools includes helpfull tools and plugins for 3ds max and XSI

Max

• Max Main Tools
• Max Modeling Tools
• Max Animation Tools
• Max Camera Tools
• Max Rigging Tools
• Max Utilities Tools

XSI

• XSI Main Tools
• XSI Rigging Tools
• XSI Animation Tools
• XSI Camera Tools
• XSI Modeling Tools
• XSI Selection Filters
• XSI Utility Tools
• XSI UI Tools

You can download Blur Studio’s OpenSource Tools directly from Blur’s web site:

• Max Tools and Plugins Installer (download from Blur’s web site)
  
• XSI Tools and Plugins Installer (download from Blur’s web site)
  
• documenation installer (download from Blur’s web site)
  
• production resources installer (download from Blur’s web site)
  
• offsite tools installer (download from Blur’s web site)
  (This includes ALL of Blur’s tools. Only install if you already know what tools to use)

Bradley Gabe published a new XSI 7 video tutorial XSI ICE: An Artist Tour part 2

Bradley Gabe breaks down the steps of a production scenario into discreet problems, explaining how each can be solved, and how to find the right nodes for solving.

1) Filter emission using weight map
2) Difference between Random and Turbulize
3) Using a Turbolized Color map to trigger simulation
4) Setting up a simple state machine
5) Using timers to change states

ICE: An Artist Tour #2 — Production Primer from Bradley Gabe on Vimeo.

Bradley Gabe shows some fundamentals of using factory ICE nodes for creating particle effects:

1) Simple emission
2) Add Gravity
3) Randomize particle attributes
4) Add interaction with other scene geometry

ICE: An Artist Tour #1 from Bradley Gabe on Vimeo.

Bradley Gabe picks up from the first video tutorial (XSI 7 ICE Video Tutorial: Building a Force from a Curve Video Tutorial) where he created a Curve Flow Force effect. By duplicating and modifying mostly existing nodes from this effect, combines three forces into a vortex force: Enjoy the XSI 7 Video Tutorial: Vortex Control with ICE.

1- Curve Flow Force: Generated from tangent to curve
2- Curve Attraction Force: Generated by subtracting point position vectors from cloud point to closest point on curve
3- Axial Force: Generated by taking the cross product of vectors from forces 1 and 2

Vortex Control from Bradley Gabe on Vimeo.

Bradley Gabe shows in his XSI 7 Video Tutorial how you can creates a static particle emission, then drives point animation using vectors pulled from curve tangency.

ICE Demo: Building a Force from a Curve from Bradley Gabe on Vimeo.

New ICE videos and video tutorials available at SOFTIMAGE in the Softimage community:

http://community.softimage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=86

• Geometry Instancing – Characters & Walk Cycles
• ICE: For Dummies…
• Faking Shattering in ICE
• Spawning Fireworks with ICE
• Introduction to ICE Particles in XSI 7 Demo
• Introduction to ICE Deform in XSI 7 Demo
• ICE Vignettes – what’s possible with ICE in XSI 7
• and many more…