Realviz announced plans to bring its Image Processing Factory to the Mac in stages throughout this year. Image Processing Factory is comprised of four different products developed for computer graphics professionals involved in image processing, 3D modeling, animation or special effects.
The company first plans to introduce Stitcher, a US$800 software application that enables you to create panoramic images (up to 360 degrees by 360 degrees) out of horizontally and vertically overlapping photos. Stitcher files can then be exported to 2D compositing software to be used as mattes or to 3D software for environmental mapping.
Next out of the gate will be ImageModeler, a $4,500 “image-based modeler” designed to make 3D models out of 2D pictures. The 3D model can then be texture mapped with the original source material, and exported to other 3D applications for further editing and refinement.
Realviz plans to show off Stitcher for OS X at next month’s NAB 2001 trade show in Las Vegas, Nev.; ImageModeler for OS X will debut at this summer’s Siggraph convention in Los Angeles, Calif.
Realviz Vice President of worldwide marketing Guillaume Duboc recognizes that the Mac platform is popular with designers, and said that his company is responding to popular demand by porting its applications.
“Our first two products to be ported, Stitcher and ImageModeler, in particular provide the simplest solutions available for designers to build immersive panoramas and photo-real 3D models,” said Duboc.
The company also said that Mac versions are planned for the other two components of the Image Processing Factory — ReTimer, a motion sequence editing program; and MatchMover, a 3D camera tracking application. Details about their release schedule will be offered later this year.