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 CliffDesign_Volvo_S80  2.10 Mb [QucikTime]
 CliffDesign_Volvo_S80  2.16 Mb [Windows Media Video]

Download the pressrelease in PDF-format:
 S80_Pressrelease_Svenska 1.71 Mb [Swedish]
 S80_Pressrelease_English 1.71 Mb [English]

Background
To be able to produce "photographs" of a car at an early stage, based on construction data, is something that has long been sought after. Advertisements have been made with animated cars, but almost always using manually rebuilt and "lighter" models, as this is the most economical solution. Often, the amount of construction-data comprised in a car, is so considerable that both the hard and software limit the possibilities of creating photo-realistic pictures simply and effectively.

Assignment
During the spring of 2005, Volvo Car's Marketing Department started a pilot assignment at Cliff Design and Development AB. The assignment: to find a process which makes it possible to create digital pictures which can be used instead of photographs. The work was to be carried out solely with the reuse of digital construction data which the design engineers had produced, without manually rebuilding any models or surfaces.

The challenge
"I was never concerned that we wouldn't be capable of producing the pictures, the largest challenge was dealing with the vast amount of data, intelligently". -Martin Enthed (Senior 3D Artist).

Totally automatic
Volvo Cars have well ordered cad models and layer structures, which made it possible for us to automate a lot of the work with the help of programming. All the models were kept apart by comprehensive names which allowed us to re-trace the models origin. It was a sight for sore eyes to see the vast amount of data flow through the system, and finally end up in the same scene, with all the parts falling into place.

Process of automation
This project could obviously have been done by hand, manually converting the data, given the right amount of people. We, however, considered this to be in neither Volvo's nor our interest. The principle object of the assignment was to create a process of dealing with a complete car, based on construction data. The process flow was something we gave great importance.

The pictures save??
When the models were in place, it was the job of our talented 3D artists to conjure with lighting, materials and textures, and to thereafter render the pictures. The pictures created with this method will significantly reduce (production time) ?in comparison to the traditional method.

Now we can do anything
"After the assignment, at the end of March 2005, the department has refined the process and discovered new and promising ways of dealing with the flow of data even more effectively". -Patrik Sjöstrand (MD Cliff)

Talking Pictures
The animation department at Cliff , otherwise known as Talking Pictures , produces images and animations for both industrial and consumer markets. Companies such as Orrefors, Kinnarps, Siemens, and Ikea have benefited over the years from Talking Pictures competence.