IOMEDIA created a 12-minute film and interior images for the Frank Gehry-designed Museum of Tolerance, Jerusalem. The firm’s goal was to communicate the museum’s message of peace in Jerusalem. © IOMEDIA.

Manufacturers and other non-entertainment companies that rely on 3D animation and vfx for design and marketing purposes face many of the same challenges as those working in entertainment. The two groups — assisted by the software companies that serve them — are starting to share information and assets to solve these mutual production problems. The convergence is happening mainly in areas such as manufacturing, architecture and medicine, where engineering or scientific data can be used to create everything from 3D product visualizations to marketing and training materials, and even further for interactive games, television or films.

Daniel Wexler of NVIDIA sees industry support for sharing of information and assets between entertainment and non-entertainment entities.

“At a high level, there are initiatives to enable that sort of sharing to be effective,” says Daniel Wexler, senior software developer in NVIDIA’s digital film group, who is currently working on the Gelato film-quality renderer and whose past experience includes creating scientific visualizations. “Companies like NVIDIA, as well as the software companies, are very supportive of these new file formats, and are actively involved in developing, as well as advocating them. But there are still stumbling blocks on a practical level.”

3D file interchange formats include COLLADA, developed by Sony Computer Ent., which is supported by companies such as Softimage, and FBX, developed by Alias before it was purchased by Autodesk.

“3D asset standards are not as evolved as 2D,” advises Gareth Morgan, senior product manager at Softimage. “All the content creation tools are in competition,” he notes, so there has been little incentive to collaborate on standards. But that should change, as customers — many of whom not only use multiple software packages but also need to incorporate existing 3D data files of various types — demand more interoperability.

While all users of 3D animation face similar challenges, they often have different objectives, terminology and methods of communication, all of which can be barriers to sharing assets and information. This is one area in which Autodesk has been focusing its consulting efforts, including its Creative Bridge program, launched by Alias prior to the Autodesk merger to help clients’ marketing and design/manufacturing departments collaborate better.

Atlanta-based Shaw Science Partners creates videos and interactive projects featured at medical conventions. It has helped launched products such as Viagra (left) and Aricept, © Shaw Science Partners.