AutoCAD Architecture (abbreviated as ACA) is a version of Autodesk's flagship product, AutoCAD, with tools and functions specially suited to architectural work.
Architectural objects have a relationship to one another and interact with each other intelligently. For example, a window has a relationship to the wall that contains it. If you move or delete the wall, the window reacts accordingly. Objects can be represented in both 2D and 3D.
In addition, intelligent architectural objects maintain dynamic links with construction documents and specifications, resulting in more accurate project deliverables. When someone deletes or modifies a door, for example, the door schedule can be automatically updated. Spaces and areas update automatically when certain elements are changed, calculations such as square footage are always up to date.
AutoCAD Architecture uses the DWG file format but an object enabler is needed to access, display, and manipulate object data in applications different from AutoCAD Architecture.
AutoCAD Architecture was formerly known as AutoCAD Architectural Desktop (often abbreviated ADT) but Autodesk changed its name for the 2008 edition. The change was made to better match the names of Autodesk's other discipline-specific packages, such as AutoCAD Electrical and AutoCAD Mechanical.
Autodesk Maya
Maya was originally a next-generation animation product under development at Alias Research, Inc. based on code from a previous Alias product, Alias Sketch!, a 3D modeler and renderer for the Macintosh that lacked animation features. The code was ported to IRIX and animation features were added. The codename for this porting project was Maya.[4] Walt Disney Feature Animation collaborated closely with Maya's development during its production of Dinosaur.[5] Disney requested that the User interface of the application be customizable so that a personalized workflow could be created. This was a particular influence in the open architecture of Maya, and partly responsible for it's becoming so popular in the industry.
After Silicon Graphics Inc. acquired both Alias and Wavefront Technologies, Inc., Wavefront's next-generation technology (then under development) was merged into Maya. SGI's acquisition was a response to Microsoft Corporation acquiring Softimage, Co.. The new wholly-owned subsidiary was named "Alias Wavefront”.
In the early days of development, Maya started with Tcl as the scripting language, in order to leverage its similarity to a Unix shell language. But after the merger with Wavefront Sophia, the scripting language in Wavefront's Dynamation, was chosen as the basis of MEL (Maya embedded language).
Maya 1.0 was released in February 1998. Alias was successful in expanding its market share, with leading visual effects companies such as Industrial Light and Magic and Tippett Studio switching from SoftImage to Maya.
Following a series of acquisitions, Maya was bought by Autodesk in 2005. Under the name of the new parent company, Maya was renamed Autodesk Maya. However, the name "Maya" continues to be the dominant name used for the product.
Awards
On February 8, 2008 Duncan Brinsmead, Jos Stam, Julia Pakalns and Martin Werner received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for the design and implementation of the Maya Fluid Effects system.[11][12]
Overview
Maya is an application used to generate 3D assets for use in film, television, game development and architecture. The software was initially released for the IRIX operating system, however this support was discontinued in August 2006 after the release of version 6.5. Maya was available in both "Complete" and "Unlimited" editions until August 2008, when it was turned into a single suite.[13]
Users define a virtual workspace (scene) to implement and edit media of a particular project. Scenes can be saved in a variety of formats, the default being .mb (Maya Binary). Maya exposes a node graph architecture. Scene elements are node-based, each node having its own attributes and customization. As a result, the visual representation of a scene is based entirely on a network of interconnecting nodes, depending on each others information. For the convenience of viewing these networks, there is a dependency and a directed acyclic graph.
Components
Since its consolidation from two distinct packages, Maya and later contain all the features of the now defunct Unlimited suites.
Fluid Effects
A realistic fluid simulator (effective for smoke, fire, clouds and explosions, added in Maya 4.5)
Classic Cloth
Cloth simulation to automatically simulate clothing and fabrics moving realistically over an animated character. The Maya Cloth toolset has been upgraded in every version of Maya released after Spider-Man 2. Alias worked with Sony Pictures Imageworks to get Maya Cloth up to scratch for that production, and all those changes have been implemented, although the big studios opted to use third party plugins such as Syflex instead of the (relatively) cumbersome Maya Cloth.
Fur
Animal fur simulation similar to Maya Hair. It can be used to simulate other fur-like objects, such as grass.
Hair
A simulator for realistic-looking human hair implemented using curves and Paint Effects. These are also known as dynamic curves.
Maya Live
A set of motion tracking tools for CG matching to clean plate footage.
nCloth
Added in version 8.5, nCloth is the first implementation of Maya Nucleus, Autodesk's simulation framework. nCloth gives the artist further control of cloth and material simulations.
nParticle
Added in version 2009, nParticle is addendum to Maya Nucleus toolset. nParticle is for simulating a wide range of complex 3D effects, including liquids, clouds, smoke, spray, and dust.
MatchMover
Added to Maya 2010, this enables compositing of CGI elements with motion data from video and film sequences.
Composite
Added to Maya 2010, this was earlier sold as Autodesk Toxik.
Camera Sequencer
Added after Maya unlimited 2009, Camera Sequencer is used to layout multiple camera shots and manage them in one animation sequence.
Maya Embedded Language
Alongside its more recognized visual workflow, Maya is equipped with its very own cross-platform scripting language, fittingly called Maya Embedded Language. MEL, as it is often shortened to, is provided not only for scripting, but also as a means to customize the core functionality of the software, since much of the tools and commands used are written in it. Code can be used to engineer modifications, plug-ins or be injected into runtime. Outside these superficial uses of the language, user interaction is recorded in MEL, allowing even inexperienced users to implement subroutines. Scene information can thus be dumped, extension .ma, editable outside Maya in any text editor.
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