3D content is becoming a new trend in the layout of industry giants.
At the recent CES, Sony unveiled the "XYN™" integrated software and hardware solution that supports spatial content creation, making 3D content creation more flexible and accessible, and related creative talents are continuously entering this direction.
With the progress of AI technology, 3D large models, which are seen as the "last piece of the puzzle" of the "World Model", further lower the threshold of 3D content creation. Last year, companies like AutoDesk, Meta, NVIDIA, Tencent, and Microsoft have all launched their own 3D generation large models, actively layout this field. Now, it has also become a direction of the new round of AI large model financing boom.
01 Supporting spatial content creation, Sony showcases the "XYN™" integrated software and hardware solution
At this year's CES, among the many products on display, Sony showcased the "XYN™" integrated software and hardware solution that supports spatial content creation.
XYN utilizes unique technologies in imaging, sensing and display, and proprietary algorithms to accurately capture and reproduce objects, human motion and backgrounds in the real-world space, enabling efficient reproduction in a 3D computer graphics (CG) production environment and facilitating the construction of a flexible workflow.
Specifically, Xyn includes a "mixed reality" headset for creating 3D objects for film, animation and games. Sony first showcased this device at last year's CES, which will be equipped with a 4K OLED display, video pass-through functionality, and support for third-party design, modeling and production software.
In addition to this headset, Sony also released Xyn Motion Studio, a companion Windows application that supports up to 12 Mocopi sensors, Sony's wireless motion tracking system often used by V-Tubers and other creators to control virtual avatars. The software has motion editing features that allow creators to trim and merge actions, as well as adjust timing and positioning.
There is also a prototype of a "spatial capture solution" that uses Sony's algorithms to convert images of real-world objects and spaces into "photo-realistic" computer-generated 3D assets. Sony is also developing a mobile app that will allow creators to perform the same operations using a smartphone camera, providing greater flexibility and accessibility for 3D content creation.
Sony plans to release its Xyn Motion Studio software in late March 2025.
02 Introducing a former Pixar executive, AI video company Odyssey launches a new tool to generate 3D scenes
Recently, the AI video startup Odyssey is developing an AI tool that can convert text or images into 3D renderings.
Odyssey claims its tool is "particularly well-suited" for creating photo-realistic scenes. Odyssey said any scene generated by Explorer can be loaded into creative tools like Unreal Engine, Blender, and Adobe After Effects for manual editing.
In a blog post, Odyssey wrote, "While still in the early stages, we're excited to see the level of 3D detail and fidelity that Explorer has already achieved, and its potential applications in live-action film, hyper-realistic gaming, and new forms of entertainment."
The company said it has been promoting Explorer to production companies like Garden Studios in the UK and a "growing" community of independent artists.
Odyssey said it is committed to collaborating with creative professionals, not replacing them. To that end, the company announced on Wednesday that Ed Catmull, one of the co-founders of Pixar and former president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, has joined its board of directors and invested in Odyssey.
Odyssey has been testing Explorer's capabilities at Garden Studios in London, projecting the generated worlds onto virtual production stages used for filmmaking. "The conclusion is: they work, and they look incredible."
03 ByteDance led the investment in a 3D large model team, Eyemaze Technology completes tens of millions of dollars in financing
Recently, the 3D generation large model company Eyemaze Technology completed a round of financing in the tens of millions of dollars. This round of financing was led by Meituan Dragon Ball and ByteDance, with existing shareholders Sequoia China Seed Fund and Qiqi Chuangtan continuing to follow up, and Guangyuan Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor.
This financing will be used to support Eyemaze Technology in further advancing the frontier exploration of 3D large models, maintaining the company's global leading position in the 3D large model field. At the same time, it will promote the commercialization of the Hyper3D series products centered on the 3D generation large model Rodin in the global market.
It is worth noting that Rodin achieved an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $1 million within 45 days of its launch, and has continued to grow rapidly. In addition, Eyemaze has established in-depth cooperation with global renowned customers such as Amazon, ByteDance, Unity, and Tuzhu, and has received hundreds of millions of orders from the B-end commercial market, covering industries such as games, e-commerce, embodied intelligence, spatial computing, 3D printing, and film and television.
Eyemaze Technology was incubated at the University of Science and Technology of Shanghai, and was founded in 2020 by a team including Wu Di, Zhang Qixuan, Zhang Longwen, and Zeng Chuxiao, with an average age of 24.
Adhering to the mission of "enabling everyone to have equal 3D creation capabilities", Eyemaze is committed to building the most industry-standard (Production-Ready) 3D large model products, helping users achieve efficient and convenient 3D creation. While maintaining the highest commercial standards in the industry, the Eyemaze team continues to break through technical boundaries.
Its 3D generation platform Rodin Gen-1 made its debut at the GDC ML Submit in San Francisco last March, and after its official release in June, it quickly gained widespread recognition in the global market, achieving an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $1 million the following month, and maintaining rapid growth.
By the end of 2024, Eyemaze Technology will release the Rodin Gen-1.5 version, which will comprehensively solve the long-standing problems of thin faces and sharp edges in the industry through a new generation of 3D native expression, further raising the commercial standard of the entire 3D generation industry. This update has also triggered global attention in the 3D generation field, consolidating Eyemaze Technology's leading position in 3D generation technology innovation and commercial application.
04 Tencent launches an one-stop 3D content production AI creation platform
Recently, Tencent has launched a one-stop 3D content production AI creation platform called "Tencent Metaverse 3D", which supports text-to-3D and image-to-3D modes to generate 3D assets. Users can adjust the model effects by combining 3D stylization, rendering and lighting, skeleton binding, and motion driving editing tools.
For professional users, the platform also provides highly integrated workflow modules, including preset workflow templates, workflow editors, and workbench management functions.
This article is from the WeChat public account "East West Entertainment" (ID: EW-Entertainment), author: East West Entertainment, published with authorization from 36Kr.
