• Who has created Nova?

Nova was created by David Catuhe (developer) and Michel Rousseau (graphic designer). Fans of video games, they have always been interested by real time 3D. David Catuhe began the development of Nova during his studies, in collaboration with Michel Rousseau, user of 3ds Max. At the end of his studies, David has joined Bewise (high level development firm) as one of the shareholders and managers, and continued to develop Nova at the rhythm of the latest tools made available to the development teams by the editors, still in collaboration with Michel Rousseau, lead artist in a famous studio of Toulouse and today Artistic Director of Vertice, all this in parallel with the evolution of the main 3D tool, 3ds Max of Autodesk and always with an eye kept on the available Import/Export 3D formats being developed. Icon of the development knowledges of David Catuhe and Bewise, Nova has become a few years ago a 3D real time engine available to users by the legal creation of Vertice, editor of Nova. 

• Who is Vertice?

Founded in 2002, Vertice is located in Toulouse. Vertice is a Young Innovating Company (JEI) which was elected in 2003 1st Innovating Company at the time of the Mêlée Numérique. Vertice develops and distributes the Nova range and accompanies its customers in the customization of applications. Vertice is a sister company of Bewise. Founded in 1999, Bewise is today one of the rare French software firms exclusively specialized on Microsoft development technologies. Employing 33 employees, Bewise has five great fields of activity: the software development, the architecture of these developments, the Business Intelligence, and the real time 3D development. Holder of the title of Microsoft Regional Director for the great South-west, Bewise has also been a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner since 2005. The expertise of its engineers and the recognition of its competences by Microsoft allow Bewise to work with large accounts (Airbus, Orange, BASF, Legrand...), software publishers (Infomil, Missler Software, MaxSea...) and software firms (Unilog, EDS, Thales...).

• What is Real Time 3D?

It is absolutely necessary to dissociate Flash and Shockwave from real time 3D. Flash and Shockwave are ideal solutions to display products on the Web, the scene or the object having to be relatively simple and the quality being obviously limited by technology used. Real time 3D allows, depending on the software, to obtain a quality close to prerendered and allows to create important interactions as well as, sometimes, the use of the physics, allowing to give even more realism to the scenes. If we had to give an example, to compare Flash/shockwave with real time 3D, it is like comparing a game on the Web with a game on CD or DVD. Each creation or use needs its related tool.
 

• What is the philosophy of Nova?

The main characteristic of Nova: it is a real time 3D engine made for graphic designers. Nova was conceived according to the needs of the graphic designers so that any graphic designer can create a real time 3D scene of great quality, integrating numerous interactions, as well as physics applied to selected objects, and all this without any knowledge of programming. Your interactive scene will be compiled into an executable file or web file readable by all and without any right of diffusion! Nova is fully integrated into 3ds Max, Viz and Revit and allows to keep the same working environment and helps to accelerate your productions. Since2008, it is also possible to import 3D files at the Collada format directly in the Nova Explorer.

• What is the difference between Nova Essentials, Nova Standard and Nova Advanced?

You will find all the differences between the Nova versions for 3ds Max in a comparative spreadsheet located here. For Nova Standalone, please go there.

• Is it possible to evolve from one version of Nova to an other according to the evolution of my needs in terms of functionalities?

Yes. Vertice allows to upgrade from one version to the other. You will only pay the difference between the price of a version and the price of the new version you need and the difference of the price of the subscription if you have suscribed.

• What are the SDK and the SDK Project?

In addition to the Nova Production licenses (Essentials, Standard and Advanced), Vertice sells the Nova SDK. The SDK in .NET 2.0 is a library of development in .NET 2.0 allowing to integrate the Nova technology into an other application. The SDK Project gives access to the full SDK but is limited to one development project only. It comes with a Nova Advanced license.

• Do you need an activation key to use Nova PLE?

Nova PLE runs without any activation key but Production or Education with this license is forbidden. It has no limitations in terms of functionalities or length of use compared to the Production license of Nova 2008, the latest release of our real time 3D engine and allows you to discover, try and train on Nova. Nova 2009 PLE thus displays a permanent watermark in the Nova Explorer and in the .exe files generated. When you export a scene from 3ds Max or Revit , just click on the "Nova PLE" button and also when the Nova Explorer opens.

• Can the scenes created with Nova be read under Mac OS or Linux or any other non-Windows OS?

Nova is an engine based on DirectX and the content created can only be read under Windows. In March 2009, Vertice has announced Nova Server, a server rendering solution which breaks all these barriers.

• What do you need to have installed on your computer to run scenes created with Nova such as the executable demos available in the "Downloads" section of the website?

NOVA is available only for a Windows OS, based on DirectX 9.0c API. You need first to check if your DirectX library is up to date. Please refer to the DirectX diag to make sure this one is properly installed (start menu->execute->Dxdiag). You can either download a free version of DirectX on the Windows Update website, or here. NOVA, is fully written in C# language, with full support of the .NET development tools. Before getting started, you need to install the complete .NET framework 2.0 from Microsoft, which can be freely downloaded here.

• What are the minimum and recommended configurations to work with Nova and to read the scenes created with Nova?

In order to work efficiently with NOVA 2009, we recommend the following configurations: 

• With which version of 3ds Max and Revit can you use Nova?  

If you have several versions of 3ds Max (version 7, 8, 9, 2008 and 2009) or Revit installed on your system, NOVA will be installed for all these versions. We strongly recommend that you install 3ds Max 9 Sp2 in order to get the new tools like the action builder or the Particles Editor. In order to complete the installation in the registry, the NOVA installer needs to know the install path of the 3ds Max and Revit components. The default path is provided here by the registry, but if you want to install NOVA for a different 3ds Max (64 bits, or an older version of the Autodesk product), you will have to right-click default path, and choose the Add new Folder line.

• Is there any manual for Nova?

Of course. In the "Support" section of our website, you can find a manual of Nova. Some tutorials are also available in the "Support" section of our website.

• Does Nova run in 64bit?

Yes, Nova runs in 32bit and in 64bit but the gain in terms of performances is minimal. If you decide to install Nova with a 64bit version of 3ds Max, be sure, while installing the  Exporter, that you make a right click in the dialog box to reach the launch file (.exe) of 3ds Max 64bit.

• What are the files types recognized by Nova for 3ds Max?

The files types recognized by Nova are:

• BMP
• JPG
• TGA
• RGB
• DDS
• PNG
• DIB
• PPM
• HD
• PFM
• AVI (all codecs)
• WMV
• WMA
• WAV
• MP3
   

•  What are the materials managed by Nova for 3ds Max?

The materials in a 3D scene define the aspect and the opacity of a geometry. NOVA uses standard materials existing in 3ds Max as well as multi-materials but can also manages its own shaders in order to reproduce effects which are not managed by the Autodesk software. NOVA manages 9 different textures channels by object: the ambient one, the diffuse one, the specular one, the opacity, the bump, the reflection, the auto-illumination, the vertex paint and the refraction. 

• I do not see the Nova Exporter in 3ds Max. Where is it?

Go to the Utilities panel of 3ds Max. Click on the button called "Configure button sets". A new window appears, giving you the opportunity to choose which utilities to include into the general menu. Increase the total number of buttons to 11. An empty box is now present in the right part of the window. You can now drag the NOVA Export Utility tool and drop it in the left window to the newly created button. Click on OK and check that a NOVA Export Utility button has appeared.

• I cannot see anything after exporting my scene from 3ds Max to Nova. Why?

Do you have a camera in your scene as well as a light of the Omni type?

• I cannot see my textures after exporting my scene from 3ds Max to Nova. Why?

Have you ticked the "Copy Textures" check box?

• I cannot see my animations after exporting my scene from 3ds Max to Nova. Why?

Have you ticked the "Animations" check box? Have you also synchronized your animations ("Nova Properties" of the scene)?

• How can I change the speed of my camera in Nova for 3ds Max?

In the Nova Camera Properties (right click on the camera in 3ds Max), speed gives the speed of the camera. The ideal value for a human in a scene built at the correct scale in NOVA is somewhere between 0.1 and 0.2. Caution! The speed unit is meter/second. That speed is no more reflecting the rendering speed capabilities. It is now independent from the rendering engine.

• How can I move the head of my camera from right to left in Nova for 3ds Max?

In the Nova Camera Properties (right click on the camera in 3ds Max), Interactive Target Control Mode allows the control of the point of view by the user. If this option is not ticked, the camera can be moved but not orientated. This option is useful for the camera whose target is already related to an object.

• I have created an interaction on an object in Nova for 3ds Max but the interaction doesn't works. Why?

If you want an object to be interactive, you must make it "Pickable" in its Nova Properties. If not, even if you have created an interaction on that object, the interaction won't be launched. Except if you have modified the icon (one of the possibilities of Nova), a hand symbol must appear when you go over the object into the Nova Explorer if it is "Pickable" (the "Pickable" function allows to catch, move and resize the object by doing a CTRL + Left Click on the object). Note also that the interaction is launched by default on a right click on the object (a left click can also be applied by going into the Nova Explorer under Configuration -> Control Center -> Options).

• How to create interactions in Nova?

Nova allows to create interactions with different tools:  with the Action Builder, with plugins, with scripts or directly with the SDK. The Action Builder is a fully graphic tool which allows to create most of the interactions very easily and very quickly. The Action Builder is available from the Essentials version of Nova. You can also develop your own Plugins and integrate them in Nova with the Essentials version of Nova. Nova Standard offers, in addition to all the functionalities already included in Nova Essentials, a scripting tool in Visual Basic .Net which will allow you to make specific developments without any limit. You have access to this tool in the Nova Explorer under Tools -> Script Editor. Even more powerful, The Nova SDK is a .NET 2.0 development library allowing to develop any new functionality and to integrate the Nova technology within an other applications.

• Can I import some objects into my Nova scenes (managing libraries of objects for example)?

NOVA offers the possibility to manage external libraries of 3D objects. You can integrate objects or scenes at the Nova ( .mxb), Collada (.dae) or DirectX (.x) format into an other scene very easily. It is very useful in an architectural scene for example, in which you want to import furniture, saved at the Nova format in an other library. These objects car be resized, moved and saved in the main scene and compiles in the final executable file.

• Can I create an interface in a Nova scene?

The Companion Scene (for Nova for 3ds Max only) offers to the artist to create his own interface to interact with his 3D scene. He has now the possibilty to create a NOVA scene especially for that. That scene is called the Companion Scene. It has its own lights, animations and materials, but it is linked to the main scene and can catch some interactions in the main view. This other scene will be able to send instructions to the main scene through the NOVA Actions. This option is ideal to create interfaces in 3D, because the companion scene is completely independent for its rendering and does not influence the main scene.

• What kind of files does Nova generate?

Nova generates .Mxb files which corresponds to the export of your 3ds Max or Revit scene with the model, the texturing (Nova for 3ds Max and Nova Standalone only) and animation parameters (Nova for 3ds Max and Nova Standalone if the Collada export plugin allows it) and its Nova Properties. These .Mxb can only be read by the Nova Explorer. Nova can also generate .exe files which are independent executable files with the Nova engine included (with the options that you have chosen to give access to), le .Mxb scene file, the textures, sounds and videos (or any other additional file that you want to include) related to the scene. This file is encrypted in order to protect its content. Finally, Nova can generate an .Mxc file which is identical to the .exe file but without the Nova engine Nova and which is readable with the Nova Web Player. This file is also encrypted, as the .exe, and is hosted on the server and read by the Web Player that the user will have installed on his PC.

• Do you have to pay royalties to generate Nova scenes (executables of web files)?

Vertice offers a complete product and Nova is not an offer with drawers, as it integrates the real time 3D engine, the physical engine, a use unlimited in time, an unlimited generation of executable and web files and Vertice does not claim any Royalties for the diffusion on various supports of executable and web files. Calculation is quickly made as soon as you generate ten executables that you distribute on 1000 CDs.

• Can I make some pictures (Screen Capture) or Videos (Video Capture) with Nova?

Within the different tools that the Nova Explorer offers, you will find in the Tools menu some utilities allowing to make some screen captures (with a scale factor dependant of the capacity of your graphics board!) and some video captures of  what your camera (animated or not) sees while moving within the scene. Nova can then be used as a tool to render some video, if you need it, in addition to the Real Time.

• What kind of peripherals can be used with Nova?

Nova manages all DirectInput peripherals. Nova also manages natively the joysticks and can even manage many joysticks at the same time. The settings of the joystick are done within the Nova Explorer in Configuration -> Control Center by selecting Joystick. Nova also manages XBox 360 peripherals. The Wii can be used with Nova. A tutorial is available for the Wii in the Support section of our website or directly here.