Core77

Some might have heard the term Virtual Photography before, but if you haven't, let me explain. It's the art of using digital design tools (for design, rendering and animation) to create photo-realistic imagery that shows a product in full context.

What we're seeing is a convergence of technologies - at the core, there the widespread adoptance of 3D design tools, there's the massive range of rendering tools from mental ray, maxwell render and the like. There's also the technologies like HRDI (for capture of lighting and scenery information) and BDRF (the capture of accurate information on how light interacts with different materials). Of course, all this information is a computational nightmare, so the use of efficient rendering applicances (not just render farm, but something more task specific) is a must. And that's what ART-VPS do.

They've managed to move their business away from the efficient rendering device (which they undoubtedly are) sales pitch, to the Virtual Photography market. Here we're talking about organisations that work with automotive firms to create the stunning imagery that accompanies any car launch. The pitch is that instead of shifting the cars, cameras, lights, staff and such to a desert, glacier etc, use the digital data that defines the product to create the imagery in a digital environment. By default, you gain greater creative control, total control over the weather, lighting conditions - and it saves one hell of a lot of money. I've seen brochures from some automotives that just contain RenderDrive produced images - before the vehicle even rolls off the assembly line.

And let's be clear, it's not just the automotive industry that's getting in on the act. Costs are lowering and it's becoming mainstream.

Anyway, Automotive Image Rendering is the latest in a line of companies to adopt ART-VPS' RenderDrive products to do exactly this. To paraphrase The Stones, "It might not be rock n roll, but I like it."