Features

From K-3D

Overview

K-3D is the free-as-in-freedom 3D modeling, animation, and rendering system for GNU / Linux, Posix, and Win32 operating systems. K-3D features a robust, object-oriented plugin architecture, designed to scale to the needs of professional artists, and is designed from-the-ground-up to generate motion-picture-quality animation using RenderMan-compliant render engines. We strongly recommend the Aqsis render engine for use with K-3D.

K-3D's innovative interactive tutorial system will introduce you to basic use of the program. New tutorials can easily be recorded and shared with the rest of the community.

K-3D allows you to create and edit documents in multiple realtime OpenGL solid, shaded, texture-mapped views. You can even model, animate, and interact with animations while they play back for maximum productivity!

The following features apply to the 0.5/0.6 source tree:

Platforms

• GNU / Linux (stable).
• Win32 (stable).
• MacOSX (unstable).
• BSD (untested).
• Solaris (untested).

License

• GNU General Public License (GPL).

Workflow

• Procedural modeling and animation.
• Interactive tutorials.
• Unlimited hierarchical undo/redo.

Viewing

• Camera: pan/tilt, zoom, dolly, modeling and tripod modes.
• Viewing Modes: Detailed selection of visible features.
• Hide / unhide geometry.
• Funny

Modeling

• Powerful scene graph Procedural Modeling with complete modeling history.
• Selection: Objects, meshes, faces, edges, patched, curves, point groups, points.
• Geometry types: Polygon, NURBS, subdivision, blobby.
• 3D Primitives: Cone, circle, cushion, cylinder, disk, grid, paraboloid, polyhedron, sphere, torus.
• Boolean modeling operations (using GTS library).
• Text: FreeType2 support.
• Instantiation: Create duplicates without adding gemometry to the scene.

Animation

• Visualization Pipeline allows arbitrary dataflow - any object property can be connected to any other compatible property.
• Animate any value.
• Unlimited number of animation channels.
• Bezier curve channels.
• Animate modeling operations.

Materials and Textures

• Textures with 16-bit float bitdepth.
• Procedual RenderMan shaders.

Rendering

• Full RenderMan Support: Aqsis, Pixie, BMRT, PRman, 3Delight, Render Dot C.
• Extensible support for alternate render engines and models: Yafray.
• Render OpenGL previews to disk.

Scripting

• Python engine (preferred engine for new script development).
• K3DScript engine (minimal scripting engine for tutorials / macros).
• Support for alternate script engine plugins and environments.

Compositing

• Basic 2D compositing.
• Bitdepth 16-bit float per channel.

Supported Formats

• Geometry Formats: Wavefront OBJ, GTS and a raw format are fully supported, other ones are optional and depend on PLIB installation. Experimental plugins include OpenFX, OFF, RIB and X formats.

• Image Formats:
  • JPEG (all platforms).
  • PNG (all platforms).
  • TIFF (all platforms).
  • OpenEXR (requires optional OpenEXR plugin).
  • BMP (requires optional ImageMagick plugin).
  • SUN (requires optional ImageMagick plugin).