CL3VER opens up its real time viz tool to much wider audience with a streamlined workflow and cloud-based collaboration
CL3VER has completely re-worked its AEC-focused presentation tool, adding a streamlined workflow, enhanced render quality, cloud-based collaboration and VR support.
At the heart of the new CL3VER 3D release is a one-click workflow from Revit or 3ds Max, which keeps every camera, material, light and geometric element intact. In the previous version, CL3VER 3.3, users had to rebuild lights and materials inside the application.
From what AEC Magazine has seen of the new software, the new workflow alone should open it up to a much wider audience than before – architects and not just viz specialists. It should also make the software more suited to collaborative workflows, as opposed to final presentations.
Collaboration is done in the cloud. Models are uploaded to the CL3VER cloud workspace so they can be accessed anywhere in the world. To participate, project managers, clients and other stakeholders are simply sent a link for viewing the 3D model in a web browser. Feedback can be given in the form of annotations, comments and bookmarks. Importantly, if the model changes and is re-imported then the annotations are still retained.
CL3VER 3D also offers an ‘offline’ mode so the software can be used when there is poor Internet connectivity, or none at all – such as when working on-site.
Render quality has been enhanced with a brand new real-time render engine that supports ray-traced global illumination, dynamic daylight, real-time reflections, physically-based materials and sketch rendering. The engine thrives on powerful GPUs, but visual quality can be dialed down so it can run on lower powered machines. 360 degree renderings can also be exported for viewing on all the popular VR headsets, including the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
The software currently works with Revit and 3ds Max using bespoke plug-ins, but support for other tools is coming soon (both SketchUp and Rhino are in beta).
In addition, CL3VER 3D supports V-Ray for 3ds Max scene setups, so V-Ray materials will transfer without any extra pre-processing. In the future, thanks to a collaboration with Chaos Group who invested £2million in the company last year, the real-time engine will connect to V-Ray, enabling users to create photorealistic still images of current views, as well as automatically baking lightmaps to improve the visual quality of presentations.
A free trial of CL3VER 3D is available now. Prices starts at $40 per month.
AEC Magazine will be doing a hands-on review of CL3VER 3D in the coming months, so stay tuned.
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