Books That Work Introduces Breakthrough Consumer 3D Visualization Technology; Upcoming Title is the First in a Family of Products That Bring Workstation Class 3D Technology to the Home PC.PALO ALTO Palo Alto, city, California Palo Alto (păl`ō ăl`tō), city (1990 pop. 55,900), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1894. Although primarily residential, Palo Alto has aerospace, electronics, and advanced research industries. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 15, 1995--Books That Work, the leader in consumer software for home activities, today announced advanced 3D visualization Using the computer to convert data into picture form. The most basic visualization is that of turning transaction data and summary information into charts and graphs. Visualization is used in computer-aided design (CAD) to render screen images into 3D models that can be viewed from all technology that brings high-power workstation design and visualization capabilities to the home computer. The company's new technology approach, WalkAbout walkabout a dummy syndrome in horses; usually pyrrolizidine alkaloses caused by crotalaria poisoning. Affected horses walk compulsively, head press, appear blind and walk into objects. They do not respond to usual external stimuli or commands. (TM), lays a foundation for a new family of design visualization products for the home market. "The combination of innovative software technology such as Books That Work's WalkAbout(TM) and the power available in PCs based on Intel's Pentium(R) processor are bringing completely new and exciting capabilities to PC consumers," said Claude Leglise, Intel's Director of the Developer Relations Group. "3D Kitchen is an exciting example of the kind of realistic 3D visualization that will be offered in breakthrough software titles we will see coming to market." `3D Kitchen,' due out this fall, is the first of a family of products that uses this new 3D visualization technology. With Books That Work's WalkAbout(TM) a consumer can reach out, grab objects, and move them around the 3D environment in real time. WalkAbout(TM) objects are not wire framed images, but 3D renderings of near photo-realistic quality. As a result, users can experience the feeling of stepping into their own design and walking through them. For further realism, the 3D design is texture mapped A two-dimensional image of a surface that is used to cover 3D objects. See texture mapping.  Applying a Texture Map A 2D texture map is "draped" over a 3D object to create the required surface. with a choice of materials such as wood grains, marble or tile tile, one of the ceramic products used in building, to which group brick and terra-cotta also belong. The term designates the finished baked clay—the material of a wide variety of units used in architecture and engineering, such as wall slabs or blocks, floor patterns. Lighting models provide an enhanced sense of depth, contour contour or contour line, line on a topographic map connecting points of equal elevation above or below mean sea level. It is thus a kind of isopleth, or line of equal quantity. and shading See Phong shading, Gouraud shading, flat shading and programmable shading. . Until now, these capabilities were limited largely to professionals having access to specialized and expensive computers. Privately held, Books That Work, Inc., based in Palo Alto, CA, is an award-winning developer and publisher of interactive software for home consumers. The titles focus on projects such as gardening, home improvement and other leisure time activities. To order products, phone 800/242-4546 or 415/326-4280. For more information, contact Books That Work, 2300 Geng Road, Bldg. 3, Suite 100, Palo Alto, CA 94303. Main Number: 415/326-4280 or see the Books That Work World Wide Web site at http://www.btw.com/ CONTACT: Books That Work, Palo Alto Laura Grams, 415/843-4441 Internet: grams@btw.com |
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