SINGAPORE, 1 APRIL 2009 — Singapore-based New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts Asia has picked 3DVIA Virtools as the digital animation tool for its second-year students in the master of fine arts (MFA) programme.
These tools have been developed by Dassault Systèmes (DS), a world leader in 3D and product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions.
SANDZ Solutions (Singapore), a DS partner, deployed the software at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia.
“The government aims to develop Singapore into a digital media hub,” said Malcolm Loh, business manager, media and entertainment of SANDZ Solutions. “The presence of Tisch School of the Arts Asia will help lure and develop talent in the country. Its teaching of 3DVIA Virtools will empower more people with digital animation and interactivity capabilities.”
A proven product
According to Jean-Marc Gauthier, the school’s director of animation and digital arts MFA programme and assistant arts professor, 3DVIA was chosen because it is a proven product with a large community of users.
“The tool provides huge potential for designers, giving them access to programming capabilities without needing to be trained as programmers,” he said.
New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia was established in 2007. It currently has 73 graduate students from 22 countries all over the world in its three MFA programmes in animation and digital arts, dramatic writing, and film. Tisch School of the Arts Asia is the Asia campus of the world-renowned NYU Tisch School of the Arts, which was founded in 1965.
A natural choice
According to DS, 3DVIA Virtools has been taught at the New York school for many years, making it a natural choice for the Singapore campus.
“Compared to other software, 3DVIA Virtools has more features, allowing users to do more and go further, such as building stand-alone applications. Many animators and developers are using the tool to work on games,” said Gauthier. “With the right balance of 3D animation features and interactivity, 3DVIA Virtools is ideal for 3D interactive animation, 3D games, scientific virtualisation, and online communities.”
Another application of the software is in the area of game prototyping, which Gauthier said could be done within two days compared to weeks of programming using other software.
