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Artlantis 2.

Accelerating performance

The complexity of geometries, the increasing number of objects, and the quality
of textures are constant challenges for developers aiming to accelerate the
computing process. Speed has been a key goal for Artlantis since the initial
releases. Once again, this new release focuses exclusively on this issue to
preserve Artlantis’ leading role among the fastest rendering applications on the
market today.

Development highlights

1. Enhanced support for multi-core processors


2. Geometry optimization
3. Enhanced light management with special focus on soft shadows

Resulting in dramatic speed increases of six or even night times faster in some
cases compared to version 2.0.3, the new, 2.1 version offers a more fluid design
environment and a faster rendering calculation. Tests done on different platforms
and for various scenes of still images, panoramas or animations prove the power
of this version.

Test results

1/ Enhanced support for multi-core processors

Further algorithmic optimizations provide significant improvement for display


acceleration in the real-time preview window and for speed performance of the
final rendering computing. Since version 1.2 was first released, Artlantis has
recommended multi-core platforms, which, today, with their enhanced capacity,
have become a standard option for version 2.1.
General test conditions:

• Hardware performances:
Windows: Macintosh:
Dual-Core Quad-Core Dual-Core Bi-Quad-Core
4 GB RAM 4 GB RAM 4 GB RAM 4 GB RAM
2,5 GHz 2,5 GHz 2,66 GHz 2,80 GHz
ATIRadeon HD2400 ATIRadeon HD2400 nVidia GeForce 7300 GT nVidia GeForce 9800 GT
QuickTime 7.6 QuickTime 7.6 QuickTime 7.6 QuickTime 7.6

• Artlantis file:
- number of polygons: 46,265 polygons
- number of objects: 69 objects with a total of 737,741 polygons

• Compared Artlantis versions:


- Artlantis Studio 2.0.3
- Artlantis Studio 2.1

2/ Geometry optimization

The optimization of the geometry enables Artlantis to open big models with lower
memory use and avoid messages like: ‘Run out of Memory.’ In addition to an
easier handling of a larger number of polygons, this optimization also contributes
to the acceleration of the rendering speed.
The test below shows the attainable time differences in different hardware
environments between the two versions. The scene contains only one light
source, in order to measure the speed resulting mostly from the optimized
geometry.

• Rendered images: exterior scene with a single light


source

• Heliodon parameters:

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a/ Day-Medium.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: Medium

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


122%
Windows Dual-Core:

Windows Quad-Core: 128%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 110%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 172%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

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b/ Day-High.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: High

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


117%
Windows Dual-Core:

Windows Quad-Core: 120%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 133%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 160%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

3/ Enhanced light management with a special focus on soft shadows

• Artlantis 2.0 introduced a new concept: the automatic light adjustment.


This new technological innovation allows a very realistic simulation of
light already in the real-time preview window. A seemingly automatic
function, this feature is very demanding on computing capacity. The new
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2.1 version dramatically boosts these calculations, resulting in a faster
update of the real-time preview window and in a faster computing of final
renderings.

In this test there are other active light sources in addition to the Heliodon.
The chosen period of the day requires the automatic balance of the light
intensity and tone adjustment. By computing the same geometry as in
the previous test, you will notice a dramatic decrease of the rendering
time compared to version 2.0.3.

• Rendered images: an exterior scene, with a Heliodon and 45 artificial light


sources
• Heliodon parameters:

• Light parameters:

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a/ Twilight-Medium.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: Medium

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


Windows Dual-Core: 155%

Windows Quad-Core: 166%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 163%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 371%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

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b/ Twilight-High.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: High

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


154%
Windows Dual-Core:

Windows Quad-Core: 168%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 250%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 333%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

The next renderings represent the same scene, with a single difference: the
changed position of the Heliodon. The sun is below the horizon, while the scene
is lit by the artificial light sources.

• Rendered images: exterior scene, with a Heliodon and 45 artificial light


sources

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a/ Night-Medium.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: Medium

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


154%
Windows Dual-Core:

Windows Quad-Core: 160%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 174%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 356%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

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b/ Night-High.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: High

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


153%
Windows Dual-Core:

Windows Quad-Core: 160%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 182%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 323%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

• Artlantis 2.1 dramatically speeds up the calculation of soft shadows.


In the following scene, there is an interior view lit by artificial light only.
The Heliodon is de-activated for the present camera. All 45 lights have
an average value of soft shadows: 45 (the appropriate slider can
soften the shadows with a value between 0 and 100).

The inside radiosity effects require the most complex computing


process from any hardware. In addition, softened shadows charge the
calculations with additional algorithms, slowing down the display of
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these scenes in the real-time preview window and increasing the
rendering time of the final images.
With version 2.1, Artlantis achieves unparalleled speed performance
by reducing the rendering time by six or even eight times compared to
version 2.0.3.

• Rendered images: an interior scene, with 45 artificial light sources with soft
shadows

a/ Soft shadows-Medium.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: Medium

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


Windows Dual-Core: 252%

Windows Quad-Core: 288%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 328%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 955%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

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b/ Soft shadows-High.jpg
• Size of the rendered image: 5120x2880 pixels
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: High

Increase in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


214%
Windows Dual-Core:

Windows Quad-Core: 250%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 268%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 730%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

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d/ Sequence.mov
• Number of light sources: Heliodon with day settings
• Size: 720x576 pixels,
• Rendering options:
Anti-aliasing: High
Radiosity: High

Increse in speed of Artlantis 2.1 compared to Artlantis 2.0.3:


110%
Windows Dual-Core:

Windows Quad-Core: 112%

Macintosh Dual-Core: 122%

Macintosh Bi-Quad-Core: 165%

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.0.3

Rendering time for Artlantis 2.1

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With version 2.1, Artlantis activates all hardware capacities in order to achieve
the best performance ever. Enhanced multi-processor support and algorithmic
optimizations provide an improved feeling of responsiveness and significant
shortening of the rendering time. In general terms, Artlantis 2.1 results in greater
productivity and creates a better design environment in which to work overall.

Abvent Technical Team

Abvent
17, bld. Henri IV
75004 Paris, France
Phone: +36 1 437 3261
Fax: +36 1 437 3268
E-mail: international@abvent.com
Web: www.artlantis.com

©2009 _Abvent_www.abvent.com All rights reserved. Artlantis is a registered


trademark of Abvent. Other product and company names are trademarks of the
respective holders.

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