Concord , Mass.-based SolidWorks Corp. , part of the billion - dollar French multinational tummy Dassault Systemes , is well known for its development of 3D mechanical plan software — sinewy but middling esoteric transportation . So it ’s somewhat incongruous to see the troupe offer a consumer product , specially one aim at shaver . But that ’s exactly the marketplace that SolidWorks is reaching for with its 3D conception software , Cosmic Blobs .
Cosmic Blobs ( November 2005 ) was originally born of a inquiry undertaking to acquire a new figure speech , led by SolidWorks co - founder and frailty chairwoman Scott Harris .
“ It ’s a materialisation of a new way to model , ” Harris toldMacworld . “ We made it bring as much like clay as potential . ”
lash out a can of hopeful pink Play - Doh , Harris begin kneading a ball of the popular kid ’s craft toy .
“ People interpret displacement metaphors , ” Harris tote up , show by campaign his ovolo into the ball to make a deep stamp .
Cosmic Blobs takes a interchangeable coming to 3D mould , using a kid - friendly interface that will be immediately appealing to any youngster who ’s tried Software MacKiev ’s Kid Pix software program . The brightly lit interface sport all sorts of tools for making and manipulating three-D models and surface , animate them , and even bring backgrounds and soundtrack .
“ Surfaces of objects in Cosmic blobs are always curvature - continuous , ” said Harris . “ It ’s always sort of smooth — there ’s no abrupt change or rick . ”
That lend itself to a predictability when you ’re fiddle with objects that people assume is quite natural when they see it and spiel with it in software , but work using math that ’s quite tough to do , Harris said proudly .
“ We ’re still continuing the research on that new language , ” say Harris . “ This is n’t the culmination of that novel soma and plan metaphor , but it ’s an interesting side project . ”
crochet ’em while they ’re unseasoned
SolidWorks already has an outreach program to worry young engineers as they near their college year , but the company has , until now , shun any product in the primary school outer space . In fact , Harris can think of nothing that compares to Cosmic Blobs in the consumer retail space .
The idea , say Harris , was to develop a product that would turn child on to 3D computer modeling as a conduit for creativity and learnedness , rather than just something used to play game .
“ With Cosmic Blobs , we ’re train the next multiplication for 3D. Kids get 3D , ” order Harris . A raw generation of nipper has been wean on three-D liven fare from Pixar and Dreamworks and life - corresponding 3D action games on their reckoner and consoles . That ’s typeset their outlook very in high spirits .
“ In fact , if 3D thing are n’t really expert , kids get disappointed , ” said Harris .
The software let in a diversity of pre - make shape , objects and animations , and more are available in the form of expansion pack which can be buy at the Cosmic Blobs Web site — everything that kids need to make their own 3D scenes , which they can then export as movies .
SolidWorks has also been heedful not to offend the sensibility of its young customer base . “ We ’ve tried to stay pretty sexuality - neutral , ” said Harris . “ We ’ve got pre - build model for both boys and girls . ”
Seven to 14 is the recommended age chain for Cosmic Blobs , but 10 - 12 is the “ dulcet post , ” according to Harris “ Cosmic Blobs is really a ‘ tween ’ merchandise , ” he tot up , referring to a demographic term used to describe kids who are n’t quite teen but are starting to think like them .
Department of Education beyond just 3D design
SolidWorks ’ fresh effort drop dead beyond just render to get fry to use Cosmic Blobs as a 3D modeling and vitality tool . Harris sees the software program as a useful tool for educators , too .
SolidWorks has jell up an educational Web site where instructor can share tips on how to use Cosmic Blobs in their curriculum . Teachers can save and submit their own curriculums if they want ; SolidWorks turn around and makes those available to other teachers .
As a pragmatic deterrent example , Harris showed a biology line that hunt the life history of sea creatures that live in coral reefs . A Cosmic Blobs model of the reef contained brightly lit , finely contingent critter set out from sponge and ocean anemones to a hammerhead shark . The curriculum ask students question about the marine life present in the image , and part of the lesson included a creative destiny where kids get to plan their own notional sea creature .
“ Most of the program we ’ve seen developed so far are science colligate , ” said Harris . “ But at a recent educational swap show we had teacher approaching us with thought for how our medieval enlargement battalion could be used for originative penning and account — those are applications we had n’t even thought of at the time we develop it . ”
Boot Camp no threat
“ I think Cosmic Blobs is an important applications programme for Mac exploiter , ” say Harris . “ There are a great deal of schools that use Macs , there ’s a lot of graphics software on Macs , and Mac users lean to gestate a certain tone in the software that they use . We ’ve had a really good response from Apple . ”
Harris note that Apple ’s retail stores are the first brick and mortar retail merchant where you’re able to come up the software . What ’s more , you may line up Cosmic Blobs demonstrated on the iMacs that Apple keeps in the kid ’ areas of its store .
Right now , Cosmic Blobs is very mainframe - intensive : Its minimum system requirements call for a G4/1.25GHz system of rules or good — an even higher barroom than many modern biz requirement .
“ It ’s the nature of the savage , unfortunately , ” said Harris . “ You ’re doing a lot of calculations and you ’re displaying a quite a little of triangles . ”
Harris assures Mac users that a Universal Binary of Cosmic Blobs is on the way , though he could n’t say precisely when it ’ll be released . And he does n’t think that Apple ’s discharge of Boot Camp — software that makes it potential to prevail Windows XP on Intel - based Macs — will affect the company ’s Mac development plans .
“ We ’ve done some optimisation in Cosmic Blobs that will make the software scream on Intel Macs , ” said Harris . “ I intend Apple ’s transition to Intel processors is going to turn the Mac marketplace significantly . It ’s a boom for Mac drug user who have been sustain a spot on processor focal ratio for a while . ”
Making powerful cock easy to use
The trade-off is in the software ’s ease of use , Harris allege . Cosmic Blobs uses many of the same metaphors and concepts used in powerful mechanically skillful CAD and 3D design programs , but scaled to a level that kids can apply . progress - in tutorial take the air kids through create and animating model themselves .
“ We ’ve tried to spoil our users a mo too , ” said Harris , demonstrating some effects that are tough to do in grown - up 3D package without a lot of planning . For example , Cosmic Blobs users can enliven any object they want with a number of pre - defined actions . Harris demonstrate by building a basic cube then clicking a walking - dog ikon . The cube then began to march as if it was a quadruped .
“ That bidding just created an internal skeletal system for this object , ” Harris explain . Users can also quickly define way of life for animated objects to follow — so you may make a runner jog in circles , for example , or have a fish swimming around a tank .
Combining the movement paths with the animation can make realistic question — or unrealistic movement . Harris manifest by glueing a few cylinder and spheres together , then making them take the air , slide and slither around a way of life on the screen .
SolidWorks is n’t content to rest on its laurels , either . In addition to a new enlargement pack made particularly for girls , the company is thinking of other software program for Cosmic Blobs in the future .
“ Now we ’re focusing on the downstream exercise for this substance , ” Harris say . “ What do you do with this stuff once you ’ve create it ? ”
Harris guarantee us that the good is yet to come with Cosmic Blobs — more powerful peter will come down the road .
A time - limit demo version is available for download from the Cosmic Blobs Web land site . You ’ll find it on computer storage shelves for $ 39.99 ; you could also download it if you purchase it direct for $ 34.99 .