Brand Worlds TOOLS For Web Developers - Professional 3D Graphics For Web Developers

1. What is Brand Worlds Tools?

BW Tools is an application for using the power of modern 3D graphics cards to render realistic graphics (human actors, rooms, items, etc.) for Adobe Flash, OpenLaszlo and DHTML/Javascript use.

2. What is the difference between BW Tools and other 3D modelling programs?

There are several expensive 3D modelling packages available that can create similar output like BW Tools.
These are usually complex applications that require considerable time and training investments for useful results.
The rendering output needs extensive post processing to be useable in a real world Flash application.
In comparison to these, BW Tools does not require any specific 3D modelling knowledge.
You can simply use drag and drop operations to create realistic looking people, scenes and animations.
The hardware accelerated rendering system will always show the final result, instantaneously, and the whole system is optimized to create materials to be used in your creative process: Standard SWFs, PNGs, Flash Video FLV files, ActionScript 2.0 or Javascript classes etc.

3. Aren't the resulting SWFs too large?

Compared to the first generation Flash work, which concentrated on simple and compact vector graphics, bitmap based animation is by its very nature more demanding in terms of output size.
Nevertheless BW Tools offers fine control over the final file size by allowing the user to change dimensions, compression quality, etc. Naturally, BW Tools excels in modern applications without download restrictions, e.g. DSL access or pure desktop applications

4. How does the code generation work??

BW Tools allows template based creation of ActionScript, OpenLaszlo, Javascript etc. code.
A template is a text file containing special key word fields. During the rendering BW Tools will replace these fields with rendering related information, e.g. frame numbers of specific animation phases, etc.
The product contains several standard templates. These are fully customizable by the user.

5. How do I import the render output into Flash and other tools?

In most cases the output file is a single SWF file, which can be trivially imported into the library of your current Flash document.
Sometimes, however, you may have created more complex output like several SWF files corresponding to separate layers, etc.
In such cases you can instruct BW Tools to create a Flash JavaScript (JSFL) import script.
These scripts are template based and completely user customizable.

6. How do I create my own actors?

BW Tools contains a very powerful but easy-to-use tool for creating your own actors: The Actor Studio.
This tool allows you to create a head interactively by just moving sliders and also lets you add a body and clothing of your choice.

7. Is there an Apple Macintosh version available?

No. BW Tools is designed to utilize the full power of the DirectX environment, which is not available on the Macintosh platform.

8. What type of graphics hardware does it require?

BW Tools works with any DX7/8-generation graphics card (NVidia GeForce 2, ATI 8500, Intel Intelligent Graphics 2, etc.).
But for optimal results (like per-pixel-shading, bump mapping, shadows) you should have DX9 level graphics card with at least Pixel Shader 2.0 support.

9. What if I don't own Adobe Flash?

BW Tools is perfect for creating materials to be used for your Flash work, i.e. inside a Flash editor.
Nevertheless these materials are already in usable formats (like SWF) and therefore can be used by other application development tools (e.g. OpenLaszlo) or directly on Web pages.
Or you can create JPG/PNG files and Javascript for DHTML/AJAX type applications, without requiring the Flash player plugin.

10. Can BW Tools create Animated GIFs?

11. Can BW Tools create Flash Video?

Yes, BW Tools can create standard Flash video (FLV) files.
It can also create a mask layer to allow hit testing and transparency for the video file.

12. Is BW Tools limited to rendering people?

No, BW Tools can render furniture, paintings, rooms, etc. and comes with over thousands of ready-to-use objects.

13. Can BW Tools render animated bitmap sequences?

Rendering animated bitmap sequences (sprites) is one of the primary uses of BW Tools.
By allowing exact control of view, lighting and positioning, the application allows the production of whole series of bitmap sequences, usually packaged as frames of a SWF file.
These can easily be imported into a Flash editor and arranged for elaborate results.
Additionally, the application can generate ActionScript classes etc. to allow easy programmatic control.

14. Can BW Tools render full scenes?

Yes. BW Tools can be used for the easy creation of 3D scenes with camera movement, sophisticated light and shadow effects, etc.
These can be used as backgrounds for the BW Tools created sprites or any other Flash object.
Optionally an ActionScript class can be generated, which allows hit testing and perspective correction in the final Flash application.

15. Can I import external mesh files and create my own objects?

Yes. BW Tools understands standard file formats like 3DS and X files.
It contains a simple yet powerful script language to combine these files to beautifully rendered objects (including effects like projected lights, particle systems etc.).

16. How can I change the scenes to fit my purposes?

The BW Tools scenes can easily be decorated by dragging and dropping objects into them.
External bitmaps can be dropped on the scene for creating paintings on the walls.

17. Can I use moove online actors?

Yes. BW Tools can directly use the .actor files from the moove online (www.moove.com) environment, allowing you access to thousands of outfits and actors.