you can fly!?
Make 3D models from 2D images & photos in seconds

Archipelis Designer

just trace it!

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Just draw an outline from a background image to make it a 3D with the same image textured on it!
trace images to turn them into 3D

After that you can change the polygon count, the texture, view it in various styles, arrange the position and size, rotation and shape of the created objects, save to 3D file formats for further editing, and even view in 3D stereoscopic (anaglyphic) mode - accelerated in 3D!
Archipelis Designer - A first look


- What is Archipelis Designer?

Archipelis Designer is a software that creates 3D models in a different manner:  it's possible to create a 3D model simply and quickly by drawing it. Just draw the contour of the various shapes of the model (for example the head, the body, legs...) and Archipelis automatically merges them and applies a texture which comes from the image you just traced. It is possible to use a picture as a background and follows the contours on it. Or you can use a blank view and just draw the shapes you want from scratch.

Thus, very simply and in just a few seconds or minutes, it is possible to create "photo-realistic" organic models and to export them in widespread 3D formats like VRML, OBJ and more. Then you can use your favorite tools to add bones and rig the new creature for professional animation. Or you can import it to Quidam, Carrara, TrueSpace, Curvy-3D, Amapi & Hexagon and other 3D tools for further reshaping and editing the 3D mesh, and of course you can also take it straight into a game engine like 3impact.



Archipelis Designer is great fun software by itself - and it's even better when used with other tools for
3D modeling & editing and
2D imaging & animation:
Using Archipelis Designer with N-sided's Quidam:
post work and zooming transitions in the above animation created in PD Pro
 



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New Pricing!
January 2008 - Announcing new, lower price for Archipelis 1.1
Archipelis Designer : $55




Announcing The SL Exporter
January 2008 - Convert models from Archipelis into Linden Lab's Second Life, with the all new SL Exporter for Archipelis!



What's New in v1.1?
  • it's faster!
  • Free update from 1.0 for current customers
  • Save to several new formats:
  •  .obj (Alias/Wavefront/Maya),
  •  .wrl (VRML),
  •  .off (OFF),
  •  .asc (for 3DS Max),
  •  .dxf (DXF),
  •  .x (Direct X),
  •  .stl (STL),
  •  .x3d (X3D)
  • Prossibility to include models into Google SketchUp
  • Also: Automatic generation of program: C program for rendering models based on OpenGL


 





timelapse screen capture  of Archipelis Designer in action:



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A fun companion for your
digital photo image editor!
powered by Project Dogwaffle



Archipelis Designer - Features:

  • Trace 2D image details to 3D
  • Draw 2D shapes to build 3D objects
  • Viewing Modes: Wireframe, Cartoon, environment reflection map, textured,...
  • Control / change surface decimation (adjust polygon count)
  • re-position & re-shape the 3D objects
  • Merge and Cut 3D shapes that overlap
  • Organize and manage object parts into groups
  • apply colors to objects
  • drag-and-drop new textures into scene, and show them applied to the 3D objects in the scene so far
  • Stereoscopic view: anaglyphic (red/blue) display mode with dynamically controllable angle, separation and more!
  • Painting Embossed (displaced) maps in separate image editor of your choice (ms paint, dogwaffle, ...)
original model
 painted
greyscale map
 map applied as displacement
 map applied as displacement

  • Save to 3D format: .obj (wavefront), .wrl (vrml),...
After drawing and creating a 3D object, you can save it to some  popular 3D formats, such as VRML and Wavefront OBJ. They include the uv addresses for texture mapping, and you can use the original image from which you traced and created the 3D shapes.

Example: after saving the rhino as OBJ file, we loaded it into Carrara and placed it with the texture in several instances and at various orientations and sizes. This took just a few minutes to create and a few more minutes to render! We then did some post work to add footprints in the snow behind the baby rhino, and a few snowfall filter fx and other special fx (sunset red above horizon and fog grey cold fx below horison) using Project Dogwaffle.

Winter-Rhinos
Rendred in Carrara - Click images for larger versions (800x600)
a group of rhinos
straight rendering in Carrara
with Global Illumination
 a group of rhinos
after postwork
with Project Dogwaffle


Desert Rhinos
rendered in Carrara
desert rhinos

A Camel at Sunset

Just a few easy steps to transfer a camel from a photograph (image courtesy of Klipsi) into a 3D scene.

3D Camel reconstruction in Archipelis Designer,

Rendering in Carrara [click image for slideshow]
Going Beyond... with Quidam.
Using N-sided's tool to further modify the 3D mesh created in Archipelis Designer
Archipelis Designer to Quidam
the amazing shrinking head

Using Archipelis Designer to convert 2D logos to 3D
click here for more info





to probe further:

Archipelis
 homepage

forums:
yahoogroups




For further editing and morphing, reshaping and fine tuning: use Quidam, by N-sided.

"I'm n-sided!..."
I'm n-sided!



Archipelis Designer:  Videos

you can use Archipelis Designer to draw shapes traced against a background image - but you don't have to. This is also a very fun tool to use for easy 3D modeling. If you can draw blobby shapes, round shapes, any shape - you can build 3D models!