Since acquiring Simplygon, Microsoft has been using the company for its main purpose. The startup provided a game-focused platform for developers to add more details to their mixed reality creations. The startup became known for its CAD-based product visualization platform that integrate existing CAD data into applications such as Epic´s Unreal Engine 4. They use a five-step procedure to bring raw graphical data to industry-standard file formats. As the name suggests, Simplygon makes optimizing 3D data easier. This is achieved by reducing the number of polygons in 3D files on devices which may not have the sufficient processing power to handle them in full. Microsoft wants to turn the Simplygon platform towards mixed reality for enterprise. The company believes the abilities that reduce polygons for gaming will work in business applications.
CAD Integration
This will start by making the reduction process more streamlined and automatic. Previously developers were left with a steep learning curve and plenty of changes to achieve the reductions. JT and STEP file formats have been added to the system, which are some of the most common types uses in CAD. This means CAD capabilities are available for mixed reality enterprise developers through Simplygon software. Microsoft explained the integration in a blog post today: “For 3D content, this announcement is another early step along that same transformative path. CAD users are now able to create on their PC in JT or STEP formats, transcode and optimize via Simplygon, and distribute their work to their preferred device endpoint. We will continue taking steps along the journey to 3D portability and making the proliferation of 3D content as simple as possible.”
