Turbo Squid, a company that promises “the world’s largest library of ready-to-use 3D content,” announced the upcoming release of a plug-in for LightWave that will enable users to have more convenient access to the rapidly growing number of 3D models and digital assets in the Turbo Squid system. The plug-in was announced today at the SIGGRAPH 2001 trade show.
It allows users to launch Turbo Squid from a menu directly within LightWave and works with versions 5.6 and 6.5 of LightWave for both Mac and Windows. In addition to plug-in support, Turbo Squid has also ported thousands of its models including vehicles, anatomy, animals and furniture to the LightWave format, according to David Avgikos, president and CEO of Turbo Squid.
Turbo Squid allows users to purchase digital content, download it and import it directly into their projects. In addition to LightWave models, Turbo Squid users can acquire textures, motion capture files and materials.
The company also announced several partnerships with other companies. For one, they’ve entered a strategic alliance with Softimage, the animation and special effects division of Avid Technology. Softimage will integrate Turbo Squid’s Web client with the SOFTIMAGE/XSI NetView feature, while Turbo Squid will host a collection of assets in Softimage’s dotXSI format on its Web site.
Turbo Squid also announced an agreement with Right Hemisphere that offers direct access to the Turbo Squid marketplace for 3D content and digital assets from within version 3D Exploration. Right Hemisphere’s 3D Exploration 1.8 includes a direct interface to connect users to the Turbo Squid marketplace, and access 3D content for use in any kind of 3D content creation. Right Hemisphere creates 3D graphic production solutions.