International Newsletter vol.36 2010/9
9.9.2010 FORUM8 Co., Ltd.
  ----Headlines----

--------New Product Introduction and Marketing News--------
-Analysis Support International Service New
-UC-win/Road Ver.5.0

-------Conferences, Training and Seminars
-FORUM8 Design Festival 2010-3 Days November 17-19, 2011 New

-Upcoming conferences FORUM 8 is participating New
-Seminar schedule in Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul is announced below Updated

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 New Product and Service Introduction and Marketing News
 
Announcement of launching Analysis Support International Service

Service overview and features

FORUM8 will launch an International (English, Chinese, Korean) service of our UC-win/FRAME(3D), Engineer's Studio(TM) and geo technical analysis service on September 20, 2010.

This service has had more than 500 customer cases since the service started in 2004, providing high accuracy analysis results and high quality services to civil engineering structures by using advanced methods like dynamic non linear analysis geotechnical dynamic FEM analysis.
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International versions including English version of UC-win/FRAME(3D), Engineer's Studio(TM) and geo-technical analysis services (GeoFEAS3D, UWLC, LEM3D, VG-Flow), are the target software of these services. They have been used overseas and been revised for international market and are being recognized as Japanese-made superior software in the academic market.

FORUM8 started enhancing the service standards for English, Chinese, Korean language market as well as Japan and will also support customers overseas. These services are for customers overseas and Japanese customers involved in international business.


UC-win/FRAME(3D) and Engineer's Studio(TM) overview, customers

UC-win/FRAME(3D) has been employed by more than 1500 customers in Japan and abroad including construction consultant, construction companies and academics market since its initial release in 2001. Engineer's Studio(TM) was released in 2009. Engineer's Studio(TM) supports Non-linear plate element and it also has advanced analysis functions including 64bit solver.

FORUM8 is actively involved in research projects. Forum8 was the winning team for 2 consecutive years in the contest sponsored by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention in Japan: "C1-2 E-Defence Pre-analysis contest of Full scale RC Pier Earthquake Resistance Experiment, fiber model" with UC-win/FRAME(3D) in 2009 and "C-6 E-Defence Pre-analysis Contest of Full scale RC Pier Earthquake Resistance Experiment using nature mortar"
with Engineer's Studio in 2010.

Related URL:
Winning the contest
FORUM8 web site: Analysis support page

Overview of geotechnical analysis software series and analysis history

These products allow the geotechnical analysis and model creation for FEM model. This technical support will serve users who assess and investigate the liquefaction effect caused by the earthquake (including the assessment of raised underground structures, remaining amount of displacement by the liquefaction), the increased underground water resulted from the concentrated heavy rain, the decreased stability of the ground, the slope stability, its stability quantitatively after the counter measure work, the bearing capacity of foundation, and 3D countermeasure works. Our technical staff will provide support for this analysis support service. We provide simple and convenient 3D FEM analysis services which can be performed a series of tasks from data creation to visualization of analysis results.

Geo Technical Series products:
GeoFEAS3D/2D (Geotechnical Finite element Elastoplastic Analysis Software), UWLC (Dynamic effective stress analysis for ground), LEM (3D slope stability analysis), VG Flow (3D seepage analysis)

Related URL:
FORUM8 web site: Geo technical analysis support page


UC-win/Road Ver.5.0 - 1

UC-win/Road Version 5 development has been completed: the main new features are as follows:
  • 3D display features: FBX models, LOD, text display function, advanced weather visualization
  • Accuracy of driving simulation: Improved vehicle dynamics model, improved audio, linkage with Senso Drive
  • View angle controls: Navigation features
  • Data linkage: FBX file compatible, Point Cloud Data Plug-in option
  • UC-win/Road for SaaS: SaaS server function (sold separately)
  • Data creation: rivers, 3D text models

1. FBX file compatibility
  • FBX is a file format developed by Autodesk. To enable easy 3D data exchange between 3D applications, Software Development Kit (SDK) for FBX, samples and FBX viewer are provided by Autodesk free of charge.
    FBX data import function was developed to extend the file formats supported by UC-win/Road. During the data import, material attributes, textures and the polygon information, which are included in the FBX data, are imported and can be used in UC-win/Road as 3D models.

    Previous versions of UC-win/Road have been able to import 3ds files, but this file format is not officially documented, thus, full compatibility with 3ds is not possible. From this version, FORUM8 plans to update features regarding 3D models with focus on the FBX, with the view to develop functions for exporting to FBX files, and compatibility with animation, light source and view angle data within FBX files.
    File format Version
    Autodesk AutoCAD DXF (.dxf) Version 13 and earlier.
    Collada DAE (.dae) Version 1.5 and earlier.
    3D Studio 3DS (.3ds) All versions.
    Alias OBJ (.obj) All versions.
    Comparison between data imported as 3ds and data imported using FBX FBX compatible file formats and their versions


2. LOD function
  • LOD function is used to adjust the resolution of the display according to the size of the display, when elements are depicted in a 3D environment. By lowering the resolution of smaller elements, the processing time can be reduced without badly affecting the quality of the visualization. This technology enables us to increase the number of elements that can be visualized simultaneously, and in some cases, improves the system performance.
    In UC-win/Road version 5, as shown below, we have developed and improved the LOD function.

  • MD3 character
    Now, MD3 characters are displayed in three phases of LOD. Maximum LOD utilizes the same methods as before. In the second phase of LOD, the character is displayed on rectangular panes. The textures of the front and the side views are generated internally from the 3D mesh data which will become the basis of the character.
    In the third phase, the character is displayed as a bar or a dot. In addition, users can alter the view angle to switch between various the LODs.
    Original mesh / Side texture / front texture
    MD3 character generated by the LOD second phase

  • Shadow
    Elements to be used for shadows can now be selected to optimize the display speed of shadows.
    The texture size for shadow generation can also be altered, enabling the adjustment of the resolution of the shadows.

  • Lake and Pond
    To visualize the reflections on the lakes, images in the 3D environment has to be generated twice. However, since the quality of the images on the lake surfaces is unimportant in most cases, the resolution of the reflection on the lake surfaces can now be lowered.

  • 3D trees
    Three more phases of LOD are now available and UC-win/Road version 5 now has four phases of LOD in total for 3D trees
    • First Phase: Maximum LOD display
    • Second Phase: Static 3D trees - unaffected by the wind
    • Fourth Phase: 3D tree displayed on 4 intersecting panes
    • Fifth Phase: 3D tree displayed on 2 intersecting panes

3. Creating rivers
  • River creation is now improved in UC-win/Road version 5 - just like with roads, planar and longitudinal linear alignment is now possible.
    In addition, the cross-section of rivers can now be edited, enabling the creation of natural and artificial rivers.
    Sample river model
Following features of brand new UC-win/Road are...

4. Improvement in road section editor
5. Vehicle dynamics
6. UC-win/Road for SaaS Plug-in>> UC-win/Road for SaaS
7. Navigation function
8. Improved audio
9. 2D/3D texts

To see the full text of the article, visit UC-win/Road Ver.5.0on Up and Coming web magazine.
Conferences, Training and Seminars
FORUM8 Design Festival 2010-3 Days
November 17-19, 2010, Tokyo Japan

http://www.forum8.co.jp/english/fair-e.htm
  • Wednesday, November 17th FORUM8 Design Festival Day1
    The 4th Design Conference
    Main hall : Special lectures, VR, civil engineering and traffic sessions
    Sub hall : DS and architecture and construction sessions
  • Thursday, November 18th FORUM8 Design Festival Day2
    The 11th International VR Conference
    (The 11th UC-win/Road Conference and the 4th International VR Symposium)
  • Friday, November 19th FORUM8 Design Festival Day3
    The 9th 3D VR Simulation Contest
    Waiting for your entry ! Send your data no later than Tuesday, November 2
Detailes of the festival will be introduced soon.

Upcoming conference and trade shows

FORUM 8 will participate the following conference

DSC 2010 EUROPE - Driving Simulation Conference 2010 - Europe
9 - 10 September, 2010, France
http://dsc2010.ensam.eu/
The conference of the latest driving simulator technique and the poster session will be held.
  • UC-win/Road Driving Simulator : Driving experience with SUBARU type of experience simulator
  • SensoDrive : The vehicle control system can be checked and verified on PC before assessment of actual vehicle.
15th National Engineering Design Software Conference
16 - 17 September, 2010, Halpin, China
Organized by: Software application group of China civil engineering academy

This event is held once in every two years in this large city in China. The themes for this year are "CAD/BIM Design process " and "Process flow project, corporate and corporate informatization".
* Two research papers describing UC-win/Road for SaaS, Engineer's Studio(TM) are posted on the collection of papers.
  • Solutions for China : UC-1 Series RC Section calculation, Bridge abutment design, Retaining wall design, Temporary sheathing work design
  • Engineer's Studio(TM) : 3D VR for cloud computing environment
  • UC-win/Road Driving Simulator : Driving experience with SUBARU type of experience simulator

2nd Shanghai International Disaster Reduction and Security Exhibition 2010
Shanghai International Disaster Reduction and Security Exhibition
13 - 15 October, 2010, Shanghai, China
Dujiang yan City, Sichuan
http://www.china-disaster.com/
The solutions for ensuring safe and untroubled living conditions through crime prevention are showcased. Fire prevention management and safety management are the main themes that will be covered.
  • EXODUS : The evacuation analysis software for architecture environment / marine environment / aeronautical environment
  • Risk Solution

17th ITS World Congress, Busan 2010
25-29 October, 2010 Busan, Korea BEXCO
MLIT(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), MLTM(Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs), Busan City, Korea Highway Corporation, ITS Korea
http://www.itsworldcongress.kr/
The specialists in car industry, IT engineers are gathered from all over the world and they will be giving presentations on their own research, exchange the latest information, and discuss business.
"Scale model car and VR : UC-win/Road for RoboCar(R)"
  • Driving Simulator corner
  • MR/AR Corner
  • Cloud VR Corner
  • Special giveaway, presentation of the new product under development (1) The latest VR function experiment "UC-win/Road Ver.4" (2) The new age of VR simulation! "UC-win/Road Ver.5"

Overseas Training and Seminars

Seminars in Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul will be held on the following schedule.

Venue:
Shanghai - Shanghai Seminar room (FORUM8 Technology Development(Shanghai) Co., Ltd) MAP

Beijing- eMapgo Technologies(Beijing)Co.,Ltd URL


Seoul : FORUM8 Korean Office, Seoul Address
Seminar Date City
UC-win/Road VR   September 14th, 2010 Shanghai 
October 5th, 2010 Seoul 
October 14th, 2010 Beijing  
October 15th, 2010  Shanghai 
UC-win/Road Advanced   September 9th, 2010  Seoul
September 16th, 2010  Beijing 
October 19th, 2010  Seoul 
Engineer's Studio(TM), 
Engineer's Studio(TM)(2D)) 		 September 17th, 2010  Seoul 
UC-win/FRAME(3D) October 18th, 2010 Shanghai 
VR-Studio(TM)  September 28th, 2010  Shanghai  
October 28th, 2010  Seoul 
Allplan October 20th, 2010 Shanghai
 EXODUS/SMARTFIRE  October 13th , 2010  Seoul 
October 22th , 2010 Shanghai 
Temporary sheathing work design for Korean regulations  September 24th, 2010 Seoul
RCcross section calculation for China   October 27th , 2010 Shanghai  
Participation Fee
Participation Fee Free


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