Dx Studio Overview

Overview

DX Studio is a complete integrated development environment for creating interactive 3D graphics. The system comprises of both a real-time 3D engine and a suite of editing tools, and is the first product to offer a complete range of tools in a single IDE.

The system includes both 2D & 3D layout editors, and allows full JavaScript control of everything from changing the background to editing meshes in real-time.

Using DX Studio you can build complete real-time interactive applications, simulations or games, for standalone use or for embedding in other Microsoft Office/Visual Studio applications.

The engine behind DX Studio uses DirectX 9.0c to make the most of 3D graphics hardware acceleration, and includes support for the latest pixel and vertex shader effects found on the more powerful 3D graphics cards.

Live Editors

The integrated 2D and 3D editors let you bring together your models, environments, sounds and effects into a scene and define how it all behaves. As you edit, you can see exactly how the final scene will look with full shadows, per-pixel lighting, and anti-aliased fonts.

Lighting and Shadows

DX Studio features both fixed function rendering for legacy systems and a full per-pixel lighting model for more recent graphics cards. You can choose whether to pre-bake your shadows into a second channel, generate baked shadows when lights move, or have completely runtime shadows. You can also mix and match to provide the best speed/quality for your application.

Controls and Modules

For true rapid application development, nothing beats reusable components, and controls and modules in DX Studio provide this for 2D and 3D respectively. A control behaves like a scene, but you expose properties and methods that will be picked up by a parent

scene and hide all the internal workings. Some useful controls and modules have been put in the library to help get started.

Visual Scene Editing

The DX Studio 2D and 3D editors can be used to build interactive layers and sequences, which are combined to produce a complete interactive document. The top level editor can be used just to drag and drop scenes together at a high level, or can 'drill down' to edit 3D and 2D scenes.

Web Browser

DX Studio contains an integrated web browser for mixing HTML and live web pages into your documents. You can send commands between the page and 3D scene, and even embed Flash content.

Background Loading

One of the most powerful features in the engine is the ability to load resources such as meshes, materials, and controls in the background without interrupting playback. This can put an end to loading screens during play, and allows for exploring worlds of unlimited size.

HD Video Streaming

Version 3 introduces Ogg Theora video streaming. Just convert your MPEG or AVI movie to OGV using the free tool, and upload it to a web server. DX Studio can stream any number of movies into a scene without having to download the whole file first.

SOAP and OLEDB Clients

You can pull in and write back data over HTTP using DX Studio's integrated SOAP client, or access databases directly with the OLEDB client. Many commercial websites now expose SOAP services making it easy to pull live content into your DX Studio documents.

Physics

DX Studio abstracts the physics engine for your documents so you can select to use either Bullet or PhysX behind the scenes. You can build physics hulls for your objects either with simple primitives or use model faces directly. Supported features include rigid body dynamics, pivots, cloth, vehicle and character control.

Documentation

Documentation is integrated into the editor - just hit F1 with the mouse over any control or form to bring up a relevant page. The online Wiki is packed with tutorials and demos, and is open for experienced users to add their own entries.

Community

DX Studio has a strong and lively developer community, and sharing of assets and code via the forums and online library is encouraged. The community isn't hidden away until you buy - why not check out the library and forums now!

Large Terrains

DX Studio can handle unlimited size terrains with high levels of details. Using module streaming you can bring in only the areas required.

Vertex Morphing

If you need to manipulate vertices at runtime, morph targets allow you blend different meshes together at vertex level. This is particularly useful in facial animation, where you can define a base face position and additional positions for raised eyebrows, smile, etc. You can then blend proportionally to multiple targets at once, e.g. smile 50%, raise eyebrows 80%.

Scripting

Once you've set up your scene in the editor, you can bring it to life with standard JavaScript. The script editor features a type sensitive auto-complete and code validation to speed up development.

Customisation

We don't tie you into using our viewer - the files produced by DX Studio use standard XML to describe the entire scenes. The files also contain all the resources needed to display the 3D world, compressed into the same file using standard ZIP compatible algorithms. There is no proprietary binary format so your data is never locked away.

Asset Importing

Import/export tools are included for most 2D & 3D media formats. If you use a commercial modelling product such as 3D Studio Max® or Maya®, free 'X file' or COLLADA exporters work well.

Support

Everyone using DX Studio receives a high level of support from both the team and the wider community. We also have a fast turnaround on feature requests, so if there's anything you find you need in the engine just let us know.

Integrated Debugger

The integrated debugger lets you examine runtime variables and execute script in documents as you play them.

Plug and Play

Using ActiveX technology you can build your own C++, C# or VB.Net applications and just drop the DX Studio Player in as a component. This means you can concentrate on your application code and make use of the high level DX Studio methods and properties for rapid development of 3D applications.

Networking

DX Studio comes with a freely distributable network server application that can be installed as a service on any Windows server. Projects created with DX Studio can then connect to the server and communicate with all the other documents through simple script.

Special Effects

The editor includes a bank of useful effects including bloom, radial blur, fractal clouds, ocean, and many more. If you know how to create shaders you can also define your own effects to drop in to the player.

Publishing

A complete interactive document can be compiled into a single executable. This can then be pressed to CD, emailed, placed on a website or in another archive. The player performs system checks and will download and install any DirectX upgrades that may be necessary. You can also publish for the web and mix browser JavaScript/HTML with

your DX Studio document. The document or any of its resources may also be made external, either on disk or downloaded over HTTP.

Support Services

Our support team also offer additional services to help with all aspects of project development. This can range just from writing a script to a complete turnkey solution.

If any support services are of interest, please drop us an email and we'll get back to you with as estimate ASAP.

Training

We offer full product training either here at our training suite in Pinewood Studios, or onsite at your company location. Training is provided by the day and is tailored to cover the areas you really need.

Consultancy

We can offer advice, design and implementation consultancy either remotely or at your company location with one of our senior developers. Consultancy is also provided by the day.

Script Coding

If you need some help with the scripting side for your particular project, we can provide expert help by the hour. We can also work from a partially completed document to fix bugs or extend as required.

Engine Extensions

If you really need a feature that's not there we can code it into the engine directly. For example we've created systems to stream DTED (digital terrain elevation data) into a terrain system, and added multi-core support into the ocean simulation. All bespoke engine extensions are quoted individually.

Asset Creation

If you've got the coding covered but are short of assets, we can provide bespoke 2d/3d asset development. Models can be delivered in dxmesh format, rigged, animated, and ready to use.

Turnkey Solutions

If you need to outsource a complete project, we may be able to cover your requirements as a turnkey solution. The more information you can provide here the more accurately we can estimate, or if you already have a budget in mind we can let you know the feasibility and what results you could expect.

For all support service enquiries please send an email to the Support Team for a quick estimate or detailed quote as you need.

Try it now. It’s better than you think.