Metastream Family Tree/Flowchart (not authorative) 2006-07-02 - By steven_mcq
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Brian Weston wrote:
< Didn't Metacreations changed there name to Viewpoint? And developed
more web based applications? />
Since no one answered this I'll relay my understanding, which is not
authorative, I've just followed events through the years. Apologies in
advance for errors.
Metacreations took on the name Metastream after disbanding its
software properties, keeping only the metastream technology. It billed
itself as a web 3D company. (I think the "Eovia software" interactive
renderer is the progenitor of metastream; Antoine, please correct me
if this is wrong.)
Viewpoint was a commericalized spin-off of a US military 3D modeling
contractor originally at China Lake, California, southwest of Death
Valley, near Ridgecrest. While they were funded by the military, there
were abundant free 3D model downloads available. When it was
commercialized, the model selection became broader, for a price, and
they provided custom model building services.
Somehow they merged, and I'm really, really vague about this. I heard
from someone at a graphics show that they each were acquired by
Computer Associates in sequence, but as the source person was very
critical of Computer Associates, I don't know if he was just conjuring
up mistaken information to bear a grudge.
At any rate, the combination of MetaStream and Viewpoint wore the
Viewpoint label, and pushed Viewpoint Experience Technology (VET),
initially concentrating on animated web 3D.
Recently, VET transmorgrophied into its current identity, Rich3D, a
multimedia web platform (with 3D curiously under-stated in its
promotions, though still present). The free developer tools for VET
became Eliven, once free as a stripped down version limited to web 3D,
and now available only as a full service web multimedia authoring
platform for Rich3d, called Enliven Pro.
www.rich3d.com
BUT DON'T OPEN THIS LINK IN FIREFOX, IT WILL CRASH THE BROWSER!! The
latest version of IE6 seems to have the viewpoint player bundled with it.
There's a great deal of lingering animosity toward Viewpoint that may
or may not rub off on Rich3D. The VET annual licensing model was
prohibitively expensive, obviously a gambit to attract only the "top
tier" web design houses (snob marketing, it works with high fashion
but not with web advertising). Viewpoint also integrated into the
player a usage reporter that some people regard as spyware.
However, nowadays there is no cost to publish without the watermark;
the format is like Flash, free for anyone to use who has the tools to
publish. The viewer is not as ubiquitous as Flash player, however.
Carrara is the best single source for publishing a 3D model in Rich3D,
still called the Viewpoint export in Carrara 5. The free, basic
version of Enliven is history, no longer available, a debut
promotional. Eliven Pro costs $249, according to the web site, and
includes the file translator, Deep Exploration, with a metastream
exporter that is exclusive to that bundle.
One of the many things I don't know is the current ownership of
Viewpoint/Rich3D. With the revenue stream changed drastically from
high priced annual licensing to moderately priced software application
sales, I would assume that there was also a change in ownership. The
former strategy smacked of holding company mentality, the current
strategy is more like a start-up.
Might they be purchased? Adobe seems to have considered it a few years
ago, then opted out of web 3D. Whether the Adobe acquisition of
Macromedia would change that policy, who knows?
My assessment, honestly objective, is that Rich3D is the very best web
3D technology on the market. There is an article about it in the most
recent issue of 3D World, which I have not yet seen on the magazine rack.
This long ramble about the unoffical history of Metastream/Viewpoint
is not at all off topic. Thinking like a business person, I feel the
future of 3D in general will have to be tied intimately to web
presentation. It is not inconceivable that the "Toy Story" and
"Finding Nemo" sequels of the future will actually play in something
like Rich3D, rather than frame-by-frame animation.
When Poser Pro Pack was introduced some years back, I saw at a 3D
trade show in Los Angeles a playback of the standard animated walks in
VET. Astounding!
DAZ absolutely has to make sure that it preserves rights to author
VET/Rich3D files. This is the high trump card for the future of 3D,
and DAZ cannot afford to suffer a blocking move from e-frontier.
Bob Stockwell, are you listening?
SMcQ
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