Nsight ONsite Models
Nsight ONsite© is a collection of over 1200 3D objects that have been designed
for use in architectural projects. They provide a sense of activity and
scale, and their simplicity allows for fast rendering times.
The CD contains objects in files for MAX and VIZ. Also included are: 3DS
files that are designed to translate into other animation programs.
The images to the left will take you to pages that will show you the entire
contents of our CD. Please drop us a note if you have any questions or suggestions
for future offerings.
Cars, Trees & Bushes, and Lights & Site Objects. NSight Onsite is the perfect
complement to the architectural animator's toolkit.
Cars:
The lack of traffic around a new building can make clients nervous, and
filling up streets and parking lots can prevent distractions and help the
client focus on the design.
This package contains 70 vehicles and 106 simple vehicles
 |
Cars and Trucks: Standard
Cars:
Each of the ten styles is provided in four colors. Face counts range
from 752 for a 2-door sportster to 1074 for a "Swedish" sedan.
Trucks:
Ten styles are provided, with two colors of each for a total of 20.
Face counts range from 852 for a minivan to 1540 for a delivery truck.
While some of the trucks closer to the camera are more commercial,
several of the styles are just as suitable for residential uses.
Utility Vehicles:
Besides the tractors and trailers, a school bus, a large delivery
truck, a rental truck and an ambulance are included for a total of
ten objects. Face counts range from 928 for a 28 foot trailer to 2480
for a semi-tractor truck.
Parked Vehicles:
We've recently added a file of cars and trucks that are pre-parked,
in a manner similar to the simple cars and trucks below. It's a big
file, but it makes the process of filling a parking lot much easier.
|
 |
Cars and Trucks: Simple
Individual Vehicles:
These very simple shapes use as few as 84 faces each. All 88 of them
are designed for use in schematic plans.
Parked in Rows:
To simplify the process of filling parking lots, these simple vehicles
are pre-parked at 90, 60, and 45 degree angles. Each line is saved
as an object, for a total of 18 objects, each consisting of 20 vehicles.
To simplify the parking process, each individual vehicle is also an
element. Once the line of cars has been moved into position as a single
object, individual cars can easily be moved as elements to create
a more random pattern. Colors and placements of cars are random and
realistic.
|
Trees & Bushes
These objects give the impression of complex foliage without overwhelming
computing resources. Ideal for animation, they can be used in combination
with more complex foreground objects to create a lush environment.
This package contains 206 MAXtrees, 148 standard trees, 146 bushes and
179 miscellaneous objects.
 |
MAXtrees©:
By using the tools in 3ds Max, we were able to create a series of
fully 3d trees with parametric foliage. This allows users of 3ds Max
and VIZ to change the complexity and shape of the foliage by simply
changing a few numbers.
The tree trunks are 3d geometry, and the branches were created by
using opacity maps. Each tree is made of 3 distinct objects, each
with different shadow casting settings to speed rendering.
Face counts range from roughly 1200 to 2000, but that number can
be changed by adjusting the foliage settings. Summer and fall versions
of each tree are provided.
There are also a few simplified versions that use under 1000 faces
each. Finally, there is a file that shows how one tree can be modified
by simply changing the modifier and material parameters to create
unlimited variations of each tree.
|
 |
Trees:
Deciduous Trees:
By combining simple geometry and very small opacity maps, these objects
give the illusion of complex geometry. Since they are truly 3d, they
work equally well from any angle. Face counts range from 354 for a
small dome tree to 724 for a large spreading tree.
Palm Trees:
The same technique is used, but with different results. Face counts
range from 408 to 1068 per tree.
Miscellaneous Trees:
This file contains conifers, pine trees and a different sort of approach
to a deciduous tree that we called "thin." The pines and conifers
are rather efficient with as little as 248 faces used, while the "thin"
trees required as many as 1350 faces.
Simple Trees:
Another technique resulted in more efficient geometry that works best
in the background. Face counts range from 132 to 388.
|
 |
bushes:
Main:
Several types of deciduous and evergreen bushes are included, as well
as several shrubs. Face counts range from 76 to 360.
Miscellaneous:
We also created hedges, grasses and clay pots. The hedges range from
384 to 680 faces, while the pots required between 50 and 954 faces.
|
 |
horizons and solid plants:
Horizons:
These were developed as a good place to begin a new project. The grassy
base creates a horizon line, while a row of flat trees obscures it.
Solid Plants:
Developed for use in schematic models, solid plants are a variation
of our opacity mapped plants. Their simplified materials were intended
to reduce rendering times for large schematic models.
|
Lights & Site Objects
Lights and site objects are so much a part of the urban landscape that
they are often overlooked in renderings, but they can add a subtle sense
of realism and scale.
Package includes126 light fixtures and 88 site objects.
 |
Lights:
Low Level:
These fixtures are used for lighting walkways and providing dramatic
uplighting effects. Face counts range from 12 for a simple bollard
to 860 for a wall-mounted dome.
Parking Lights:
Excellent additions to parking lots full of cars and trucks. Between
146 and 1130 faces were used for each object.
Roadway Lights:
The most common designs were chosen. Due to a number of rounded surfaces,
the number of faces is a bit large at between 551 and 2074.
|
 |
Walkway Lights:
Definitely more historical in nature, these fixtures are a bit more
complex than we intended. However, every effort was made to simplify
the geometry without diminishing the effect. For example, fluting
on the poles was simulated with simple bump maps.
We've also added simplified versions of these lights that are about
1/3 as complex.
Face counts range from 678 to 13712 for the complex lights. The curved
surfaces really spike the face count.
|
 |
Site Objects and Furnishings:
Metal Objects:
Mailboxes, phone booths and fire hydrants. Everything for the modern
cityscape at between 173 and 2012 faces.
Plastic Objects:
Most are quite simple, using as few as 32 faces, but the trash cans
became more complex, using as many as 1072 faces.
Wood Furnishings:
Benches, trashcans, and fine teak furniture. The rough wood objects
are as simple as a bench with 148 faces, but the teak furniture became
more complex, with a lounge chair requiring 2916 faces.
|
Frequently Asked Questions: General
With what programs will Nsight objects work?
Each CD contains files for 3ds Max and VIZ. .3ds files are also included,
which can be imported into most programs. NSight has had good reports from
clients using Lightwave 3D, but it recommends that you download a sample
file. They also have .3DS files on the CD that are optimized for import
to other programs.
Do you have .DXF versions?
No. NSight has been very careful with mapping coordinates and smoothing
groups, and the .DXF format does not support that information.
What about .DWG versions?
No, not yet. The mapping is somewhat complex for ACAD to handle, and would
take some time to adapt. Early tests with AutoCAD's internal renderer tended
to lock up the computer.
Do you use regular CD-ROM's, or CD-R's?
Since NSight uses these objects on in-house projects, they are constantly
adjusting them. Burning small runs of CDR's in-house allows us to keep the
data "fresh," and it seems that most users would rather have the most current
files than a pretty, silver CD.
Frequently Asked Questions: NsightONsite
So is all this stuff on one CD?
Yes. The cars, trees, lights, and MAXtrees are all on the CD. Well over
1200 objects.
Are the cars and trucks US types?
To an extent. The cars come from a variety of prototypes, including Mercedes
and Audi prototypes, but the trucks are pretty American.
Are your objects "render-ready?"
Completely. Like you, we've bought CD's full of .3DS and .MAX objects only
to find unrealistic materials, clumsy smoothing, or even two-sided materials
where they weren't necessary. You won't have these sorts of problems with
our objects. You may want to adjust some of the materials to fit your own
tastes, of course.
How are your objects optimized?
We've gone to great lengths to make sure maps are as small as possible and
to use them repeatedly in various materials. This will save you lots of
RAM at rendering time. All maps are 8-bit, which will save additional RAM
in MAX/VIZ. We've also used single-sided materials wherever possible. Lots
of hard work.
Do the cars have interiors?
No. After long consideration, it was decided that the additional faces needed
to create convincing interiors would make the cars less useable. However
simple details such as door handles, rear view mirrors and license plates
are included.
How did you make the trees?
The basic concept is the use of a simple greyscale opacity map. The solid
color can be varied, providing different tree colors with one map. This
technique works for both leaves and palm fronds, and the branches are 3D
geometry. The MAXtrees are a different story. They use a variety of techniques
to ensure efficiency. The leaves are the same opacity technique, but use
noise instead of bitmaps for extra flexibility.
Aren't some of those lights a bit complex?
Some of the traditional walkway lights ended up more complex than most of
the other objects, but they looked good so they are included. The images
don't show it, but these lights look more complex than they are. Simple
bump maps were used to simulate the fluting and designs on the poles and
bases. If geometry had been used to make these details, you would be seeing
some real complexity.
