Lightcube Releases 3d Software Development Kit - Product Announcement

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, July 23, 2001

LIGHTCUBE GmbH has announced the availability of gxSDK, a powerful software package for the development of realtime-3D applications.

gxSDK is targeted at software developers and content designers who wish to build immersive 3D applications with highly realistic graphics, animation and sound for the PC platform.

gxSDK is based on RealityGX (or "GX"), LIGHTCUBE's leading-edge software technology for realtime simulation and visualization of interactive 3D worlds.

GX delivers a paradigm shift on how developers work with 3D middleware. Different from existing solutions, GX consists of a full-featured Operating System for dynamic, multi-threaded 3D applications. It stands out for its great flexibility and enables programmers to built any kind of 3D application quickly and easily -- from interactive games such as flight simulators, first-person-shooters and racing games up to 3D e-learning worlds and walk-through shopping experiences.

The GX object-oriented programming model provides a high degree of efficiency in the development and content creation process, resulting in reduced time-to-market for 3D content and applications.

3D objects, scenes and complete animations can be imported from popular 3D modelling packages such as 3D Studio Max, Lightwave or Cinema 4D using the .3DS file format.

An integrated, easy-to-learn scripting language allows developers to equip 3D objects with code, describing object properties and application logic. Communication and interaction of objects is defined using the built-in Messaging and Event System.

GX applications are pre-compiled into a special microcode, providing maximum runtime performance and platform independence.

Designed to provide maximum scalability and extensibility, the open architecture of the GX runtime system allows developers to custom-tailor it according to their individual needs using the built-in C/C++ API.

The GX technology features Realtime Lighting, Shadows, Positional Audio, Particle System, Inverse Kinematics & Procedural Animation, Procedural Terrains, Portal Technology, and a 3D Graphical User Interface (GUI).

gxSDK includes full documentation, tutorials and example applications. Technical support is available via e-mail, the web and a public discussion forum.

The evaluation version of gxSDK for Microsoft(R) Windows(R) is available for free download from the LIGHTCUBE website at www.lightcube.com.

LIGHTCUBE Technologies GmbH, based in Hamburg, Germany, develops and markets leading-edge software technologies used in the creation of realtime 3D applications. LIGHTCUBE's innovative technology enables developers to quickly and profitably produce sophisticated realtime 3D applications for the Internet and the computer desktop. n