Novapoint Online Documentation

Updates in Novapoint Virtual Map

Version 6.0 (Released March 2010)

Major new features

  • Model generation speed enhancements using multiple processors
  • Numerous new modeling enhancements including building façade texturing tool
  • Clash calculation tool in Viewer
  • Enhanced user interface in Viewer

General changes

  • Users with Novapoint have Virtual Map installed as part of Novapoint design package since version 5.1. Users without Novapoint should install Virtual Map as a separate product. Updates to the product will be delivered both Novapoint updates and as separate update packages (for users without Novapoint).
  • New texture library with higher resolution textures and in PNG format
  • Elements which have parameters defined into CAD object (xdata) will now function as multiple elements / all elements they are defined in config. In previous versions these elements only functioned as elements defined in CAD object properties. Now for ex-ample buildings that have façade textures attached to building wall line can also be-have as negative element areas for removing forests around buildings. Also if facades are defined as fence parameters and fence polyline is in building layer, there will be both fence and building. In this case fence should be moved to a different layer defined as fence and not as building.
  • Numerous bug fixes (not listed here)

New features in Model Builder

  • Model generation has been accelerated by implementing multithreading into the sys-tem. This allows using power of multiple processors or processor cores to speed up model generation.
  • Virtual Map 6.0 introduces hierarchical groups; groups can be under other groups.
  • Interpolation of elements is no longer affected by groups
  • Right click on material (fast material selection and creation from texture)
  • Right click when building polyline is selected (façade texturing tool)
  • Tool to generate report of VM config: with dwg layers it uses
  • Automatic backup saving of vm-modeler.ini before every generation
  • Undo function for configuration changes
  • Negative element area now works on elements that have object parameter (like build-ings with facades)
  • Model generation priority parameter to control the order of model generation
  • Animations are not generated if dwg contains no polylines even if animation definition exists
  • Position offset follows AutoCAD block rotation (offsets to rotation direction)
  • Generic new parameters for objects (depending object type)
    • buffer (expand area outwards / inwards)
    • auto_segmentation_angle (divides polyline curved segments based on angle)
    • group (added to surfaces and road models)
    • z-rotating = yes/no (automatically rotates elements along z-axis towards viewer)
    • z-rotation = angle (rotates elements along horizontal axis)
    • alignment = default / surface (aligns objects along surface)
  • Surface Models
    • cut_mode (automatic cut surface to another none/yes/weld)
    • group
  • Road Models
    • group
  • Material Areas
    • automatic_texcoords=fit (automatically fit texture to material area size)
    • Extruded material areas can now be generated using patch option
  • Forests
    • buffer
  • Buildings
    • facade_materials (list of materials for facades – multiple textures / building)
    • texture_autofit (façade texturing mode; segment, polyline)
  • Road lines
    • auto_segmentation_angle
  • Fences
    • z-rotation = angle (rotates fence along polyline axis)
    • auto_segmentation_angle
  • Ditches
    • auto_segmentation_angle
  • Pipes
    • auto_segmentation_angle
  • Single elements
    • z-rotating
    • z-rotation
    • alignment
  • Element chains
    • z-rotating
    • z-rotation
    • alignment
  • Element areas
    • z-rotating
    • z-rotation
    • buffer
    • area_around_points (creates a circular element area around each point)
    • area_along_lines (creates an element area around the polylines)
    • alignment
  • Meshes
    • alignment
  • Animations
    • rotation_xyz_per_second (will rotate the 3d-object around its x-axis while mov-ing, unit is angle / second for each axis like 360,0,0 will rotate object one round / second)

New features in Viewer

  • Clash Calculation
    • Clash calculation is an engineering tool that automatically calculates collisions be-tween different structures in the model. Calculation is done with plain geometry infor-mation which makes it possible to calculate collisions between any Virtual Map model elements.
  • Modernized new user interface allows dockable windows like groups, viewpoints etc.
  • Some parts of model rendering have been improved in performance
  • Viewpoints have been enhanced to allow user defined additional information fields and save group state
  • Drag navigation model has been enhanced
  • Night lighting simulation allows users to define any element to act like light source and simulate night driving along roads and streets
  • snap for measurement tape allows snapping to model vertices and element middle points
  • AVI export has been enabled for vmz files if valid license exists
  • Export Viewer package now separates model and viewer files into “Files” subfolder and keeps only start.bat in main folder
  • Turning groups on and off has been much faster
  • GoToHome function keeps looking direction and zooms out the whole model
  • VRML export
    • exports custom pipe geometry correctly
    • fence texture not any more mirrored
  • Changed the search maximum distance to 30000 to make search function in larger area
  • Updated simulated sky global ambient intensity to lower value to give more contrast to model when simulated sky is on

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