3Dconnexion Mouse
“Speed State” flag added to control the speed, fast vs. slow
3D Preview
SoftPlan 2018 lets you see the immediate in-model results of your design decisions while drawing and editing floor plans and other project drawings.
As you modify a model drawing, the 3D Preview window updates to show those changes in SoftPlan’s rich Shaded mode.
Basic mouse and keyboard camera controls can be used to quickly review the three-dimensional appearance of your work.
Camera Change
Camera position changes prompt Save on exit.
Electrical Symbol
Light Decay value now expresses the distance over which the light value falls to zero.
Move
Center in Room command added to 3D.
Great for getting light fixtures and furnishings into the correct location.
Openings
Opening Frame material can be a different color on the inside of the opening vs. the outside.
Paint
.ACO file support added to Paint Swatches.
This format may be used by some paint manufacturers to supply their paint colors.
Path Trace Rendering
SoftPlan employs a technique called Ray Tracing to display how light sources directly interact with objects in the 3D model. While the Ray Tracing method is a relatively quick way to produce attractive 3D images, it can only approximate the indirect lighting that is produced from a more advanced lighting technique called Path Tracing.
SoftPlan 2018 adds Path Tracing to SoftPlan’s rendering capabilities which will allow you to produce the best looking 3D imagery yet.
The Path Tracing technique calculates the paths light rays travel as they bounce from point to point on the model until the light energy ultimately dissipates. As you let the Path Tracing process work, the image looks progressively better over time.
The biggest advantage of Path Trace Rendering is that the lighting setup is so much easier.
The resulting indirect lighting, blended with the direct lighting of the Ray Tracing, creates warmer, softer 3D images that will bring an unprecedented level of realism to your models, animations, and final renderings.
Photon Mapping
Photon mapping has been improved to provide both direct and indirect lighting to the 3D model.
This enhancement produces softer, more pleasing images.
View File
Load a View File and the name on the tab automatically updates.
Roof
Apply Gable Roof command added to 3D.
Sun Options
Sun Options added to Options tab.
Changes to the Sun Options update the 3D model immediately making it easier to change the date or time of day to enhance the model appearance.
Undo | Redo
Changes in mode, shaded to textured for example, are considered steps by the Undo and Redo command. Change a shaded model to textured mode and then undo, the model reverts back to shaded mode.
Changes to Render Options added to Undo and Redo.
Update Model
Changes to:
- Auto Horizon
- Extraction Options
- Render Options
- Sun Options
immediately update the 3D model.
Walkthrough
Walkthrough Animation Rate defaults to 7’/second.
Has there been any changes to help generate a floor corbeled into the foundation?
Each new version seems to miss this one, and a long process which is hardly worth the effort is required up until 2016.
So are the little yellow boxes going away?
Light above island is beautiful. Is that in softplan 16 w/ subscription?
It’s from the Visa lighting manufacturer library. It’s available in the standard library.
Very Nice Photon Mapping Rendering. What settings did you use to get those nice renderings?
Thank you for answering my question.
Dominic
We’ll have to see if we can locate them for you, it may take a bit.
These are probably it but it’s been a while.