New features

• Support of DirectX 10 with support of the shaders 4.0: the move to DirectX 10 (Nova keeping a full compatibility with DirectX 9) offers an improvement of the performances and of its visual qualities while giving access to new graphic options. The use of the shaders 4.0 allows in particular more speed for the shadows, the particles, the bones and to get high-resolution textures.

• New real-time shadows engine: this new engine was completely redesigned to bring more precision and more simplicity when setting up. It is also more powerful and adds the support of the true soft shadows.

• Extension of Nova Web Player to IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome. The installation of the plugin was simplified and the Nova Web Player now runs under DirectX 9 and DirectX 10.

• New import formats issued from 3D softwares: NOVA 2010 opens from now FBX, DXF, OBJ and 3DS formats in addition to DAE and X formats. NOVA 2010 also manages the customized importers as plugins.

• Support of the multi-touch: NOVA 2010 allows navigating in multi-touch mode (with the fingers) on a touch screen.

• Possibility to display a scene on several screens simultaneously (horizontal split, vertical split, stereoscopic, multi-cameras) and compatibility with the NVIDIA 3D Vision technology (stereoscopic 3D glasses).

• New physical engine: new system of interactions between physical objects and animated objects, support of the multithreading, new algorithm of contacts for a much better stability, support of the gravitational and repulsive fields of attraction.

• New post-process effects: Blur, Motion Blur (only with DirectX 10), depth of field.

• Possibility to define some webcams as source of textures.

• Ambient Occlusion: to give even more realism to the scenes through a system of attenuation of the lights and shadows.

• Completely revised ergonomics of Nova Studio: more easiness and intuitively.

• Full support of the 64 bits with a single installer for all the versions of NOVA and with support of 3ds max 2011 and of Revit 2011.

Build 6.0.0.15

• Multi-touch gesture: specific gestures are now available to raise and lower the head (vertical movement of two fingers), to turn the head right and left (a finger pressed and another moving around) and to zoom (move two fingers away or nearer).

• Choice of a provider when creating a new scene: it is now possible to choose a provider (DirectX 9, DirectX 10 or DirectX 10 Soft) when creating a new scene directly with Nova Studio.

• Material proposition: in normal mode a user can now change the material when the object is pickable and when is attached to several materials (named alternative materials) thanks to a right click on the object. A specific pictogram is added to the cursor to notify the user.

• Texture coordinates on predefined objects: it is possible to create predefined objects in Nova Studio (in design mode). Now these objects will have texture coordinates by default allowing putting textures on it easily.

• Planes type object creation: the predefined object type plane is now available in design mode.

• New style for widgets: the style of widgets has changed to de be conform to the new design of the application. Furthermore, it is possible to update this style thanks to the WidgetsBitmap property on the scene.

Build 6.0.0.19

• Multi-display & stereoscopy enhancements: a new wizard is now available to define multi-display & stereoscopy properties. You can define configurations to split the display on multiple monitors and/or display multiple cameras and/or display multiple angles for on camera and/or display camera with active stereoscopy... These configurations can be saved.

• Documentation integration: you can now access to the new wiki documentation where you will find up to date information. You can also share your experience with Nova.

• 3ds Max style numeric value editors: Nova Studio supports now the drag & drop on up/down arrows to change easily the values and the right click to reset the values.

• Event on the end of animation: An event is now raised when the end of an interpolator animation is reached.

• Modifiable size of the true reflection: The size of the true reflection is now directly editable in the ribbon.

Build 6.0.0.24

• Edge rendering: Each object can be separately displayed with edges. These edges are customizable: color, width and proportion. This functionality is available on yours DirectX 9 or 10 scenes.

Build 6.0.0.25

• Compatibility with Autodesk Revit 2011: the Nova Studio add-in is now registered on Autodesk Revit 2011 (please note that only the white render is currently available).

• Improvements of files import: a wizard is now available for files import where it is possible to select hand, up axis and parity source configuration.

• Creation of import rules: is now possible to create and run additional steps during import to customize it.

• Entities browser and properties window in EXE: you can now select entities browser and properties window when you publish a scene to an EXE file.

Build 6.0.0.26

• Colorized mode support for Autodesk Revit 2011: the Nova Studio add-in is now registered on Autodesk Revit 2011 and support white rendering and colorized rendering.

• Nova templates for Visual Studio 2010: 8 templates are available, if Visual Studio 2010 is installed in Professional/Premium/Ultimate edition, to enhance Nova Studio, Controls or SDK features. C# and VB are supported. Here is the list of installed templates:
  • Nova Controls Windows Forms Application - A project to create a Windows Forms application that uses Nova Controls
  • Nova SDK Windows Forms Application - A project to create a Windows Forms application that uses Nova SDK
  • Nova SDK WPF Application - A project to create a WPF application that uses Nova SDK
  • Nova Studio Control Plugin - A project to create a control plugin for Nova Studio
  • Nova Studio Custom Action Plugin - A project to create a custom action plugin for Nova Studio
  • Nova Studio Exporter Plugin - A project to create an exporter plugin for Nova Studio
  • Nova Studio Importer Plugin - A project to create an importer plugin for Nova Studio
  • Nova Studio UI Plugin - A project to create an user interface plugin for Nova Studio

• Blurred mirrors: the mirror function applied to plans can now be blurred with an intensity and a level. It permits to obtain real-time reflections like « polished concrete » or « wood varnish ».

Build 6.0.0.27

• 64-bits Direct Show Filters support: Nova Studio 64-bits is now able to play a video. Video capture will be available only when a 64-bit Windows Media Encoder will work.

• New orbit operating mode: management of different types of movements in orbit mode or, more generally, when a camera target is specified.
  • « Walk »: gravity and collisions management,
  • « Fly »: handling collisions but no gravity,
  • « Ghost »: without collision and without gravity.