If you’re thinking: “But they said Hyper X Quadcast is the ultimate for speech and everyday life!” – Yes, that’s true. Unfortunately, it’s not quite so simple in the audio segment – because beyond the “everyday/productivity” land comes the deep valley of studio and audiophiles, and that’s where we’re now entering with this set from Beyerdynamic. The set consists of the Beyerdynamic Fox as a microphone and the DT990 Pro as headphones – Beyerdynamic offers these sets in different versions depending on the application.

Microphone: Beyerdynamic Fox

And so we start with the “Fox” – a massive USB microphone with cardioid characteristic (what happens in front of the microphone is recorded, what happens behind it is not), which was designed for speech, podcasts, vocals and instrument miking. The large-diaphragm condenser capsule with 24-bit/96 kHz recording is firmly established in the studio segment. The front panel features a latency-free headphone output, a mute button, a “mixer” between headphones and PC and a headphone volume control. And a gain switch for switching between vocals and instruments is located at the rear.
Otherwise, there are only the bare essentials in the box – a 2 metre long Beyerdynamic orange USB-C cable and a rudimentary but functional stand. There is a 3/8″ thread on the underside for the usual tripods and microphone arms – an adapter is recommended for 5/8″ threads. The controls are also kept simple: Headphone output volume, headphone/computer audio mix, that’s it.

What sounds relatively succinct now is actually everything – in contrast to other microphones that we have previously tested, the Fox is spartanly equipped and focusses on the recording – the quality. How good is it?
Well, let’s put it this way: you shouldn’t eat anything that makes your stomach bubble before a video conference. Alternatively, you can use Nvidia Broadcast or other tools with ambient noise filters to reduce the embarrassment to a tolerable level. So if you work in a noisy environment, you will also pass on the noise to the other side and have to turn it down or filter it.

What’s more, it has “specialised” in the basics – it is recognised by every computer, requires no special drivers and can be set up in Audition or similar with just one click. The supplied cable is also not vulnerable if you leave a mobile phone or similar next to it. The other technical specifications are listed in the box on the next page.

Another feature is the compact design – the Fox fits into a standard microphone spider and you are protected from vibrations. Especially if you like to type hard (either because you are a coarse motorist or because you type furiously with the two fingers reserved for this purpose), this is transmitted to the microphone as a muffled knocking and, given the sensitivity, you can wake up everyone in the meeting with a targeted clap on the table top, but you don’t always want that. Depending on the application, it may therefore be necessary to provide attenuation here.

Headphones: DT 990 PRO

The DT 990 Pro is an open headphone for studio use – and if you’re thinking: “This thing looks familiar”: Yes, we had a picture of it in the last issue in 3D Audio Part 1. But with the horde of headphones, why this one of all things? First of all: No RGB, no frills: A robust headband made of spring steel (and therefore without plastic creaking) with high wearing comfort thanks to soft head and ear pads (ear pads are available in “leather” or “velvet”. We tested velvet, of course, because anything else would damage our reputation even more).
The DT990 is available in different versions, from 32 ohms to 80 to 250 and 600 ohms – so you can choose the right device depending on your amplifier. There are also different “editions” – silver, black, black with a red band (“Manufaktur”) and others – but the sound is always the same, so we won’t go into that in detail here. The device is designed for studio use – the sound reproduction is clean, with a wide stereo image and an open design that makes it possible to perceive the surroundings – and in our personal opinion provides a better sense of space.

The lack of complete isolation from the environment, as is the case with earbuds and most gaming headphones, for example, means that the sound can be reproduced very precisely and accurately, which means that previously undetected sounds can be heard in your favourite songs. Another advantage is that you are not cut off from your surroundings and can hear what is happening. But the first week of testing was constantly accompanied by the question: “Did someone say something?”. The distinction between “happening inside the headphones” and “happening outside” takes some getting used to. But of course 3D audio also works particularly well in this way. However, if something like this is very irritating, you should probably choose the closed design – Beyerdynamic has options for this, and we just wanted to warn you.

Of course, your colleagues will hear what you hear – but let’s be honest: if they don’t have good taste in music, it’s their problem. Single-sided cable routing, a weight of 340 grams and the smooth-running ear cups ensure that the thing sits firmly and comfortably on your head all day (single-sided cable routing so that nothing flies around in front of your body on both sides) and because it’s wired, you don’t have to pair Bluetooth or charge anything. It’s now the only device on my desk that’s always available and never needs charging!

Pros

The sound of the headphones makes you realise what the difference is between “consumer”, “gaming” and “studio” – the first two weeks were like discovering the old classics all over again, because many things on inferior headphones – or, to be fair, on headphones intended for other purposes – simply disappeared. In the mic and headphone combo, it’s depressing how much you miss – and more than once, thanks to the pass-through and comfortable design, we just left the headphones on all day (Pluralis Majestatis – I did it. You don’t have to do it that way!), and if someone was talking, or there was any noise, the mic in the combo is good enough that it basically passes right through, and you can balance music and the outside world beautifully – as much of the outside world as you can stand.

If you want to get even more surround sound out of the whole thing, you can use Dolby Access(bit.ly/dolbyaccess), for example, to get even better surround sound, or try out “Windows Sonic for headphones” – this is integrated into Win11 free of charge. But be careful: this is where you enter the realm of audiophiles, and that’s where it gets expensive.

The build quality is impeccable – stable, nothing squeaks or creaks, all connections are clean, it doesn’t smell of plastic, and it’s durable enough to be used every day for years. Another advantage of studio headphones is the accessories – if the ear pads are sticky after a hot summer, a replacement pack directly from the manufacturer costs just over 20 euros, and if several people are to use them – for example as an “audio booth” in the studio – there are replaceable hygienic pads in a pack of five.
And the advantage that we liked most, apart from the sound quality, is that there are no bells and whistles, no goodies and no unnecessary features – plug it in and you’re done. You don’t need any software,
no updates, no drivers, nothing – it’s a USB microphone and jack headphones. Windows and Mac even recognise it by name, and on four (!) test computers there was never even a need to plug it in a second time – USB in and you’re done. We’ve never seen it like this before.

Cons

No success without criticism – the package is functional and fulfils its purpose exactly, and that very well. However, we would like the headphones to have a replaceable cable in case the cat wants to make itself heard and gnaws through the cable – different cable lengths would also be practical.
So if you’re worried about such cases, you should go for the DT 900 PRO X from Beyerdynamic – with a replaceable cable. Otherwise there are no other complaints, the part is perfect. One of the “cons” of the microphone is the “mute” button – as soon as you press it, it flashes orange – you can’t miss it, but if you want to mute for longer, it’s a bit annoying. Perhaps a different solution for the Fox 2? In everyday use, we simply covered it with a piece of adhesive tape.
And the Fox is also quite heavy – with a weight of almost a pound, it is too heavy for the cheap microphone arms – but we already have something for the next issue in the everyday test (keyword: Yellowtec). If you have a proper microphone arm, you won’t have a problem here either – we just want to say it.

Conclusion

So is the package and its components worth it? Yes, we think so – otherwise we wouldn’t present it as the “best solution” – you get equipment from the professional sector. This means stable, no frills and wonderfully predictable results – so if you don’t just want to sound good in video calls and webinars, but also want to do voice overs and music, the bundle is a good choice. However, you also need to know exactly how to control it – and given the build quality, there are few other technology components that come as close to “future-proof”. And simply put, the headphones are the best we’ve ever had on our ears.

The ZenScreen is an additional monitor for your computer that only requires one cable – and is flexible in terms of form factor and can be positioned very freely – including a cover that can be folded up so that you can easily extend it on the move without straining your back. So far, so understandable.

And anything but a novelty – “small extension screens” have been around for years – but let’s be honest: most of the ones we’ve seen so far are seriously flawed – colour greyness that makes you despair of Excel, energy consumption like the event lighting at a rock festival and manufacturers whose complaints competence is more than dubious. But now that we have one in the magazine, have the devices grown up? Read more!

What is it exactly?

First of all: The “ASUS ZenScreen OLED MQ16AH” (catchy name!) is a portable 15.6-inch OLED monitor (total size including housing 16 inches, weighing 600 grams), which extends the desktop with FullHD (1920 × 1080) and supposedly 100 per cent DCI-P3 – according to Asus with 1 millisecond response time and HDR 10. Mini HDMI and USB-C are available as connections.

And the colours?

The screen is OLED, so the colours are much richer than LCD. But be careful: According to Asus, it is not intended as an “external Class-A monitor”, but for GUIs, light media consumption and all the other things that are normally summarised under the term “productivity”. For those who want more colour fidelity, we will be testing Asus’ “ProArt” screen in the next issue or two – same principle, but designed for colour. But back to the ZenScreen: The various modes in the menu show that it is a flexible helper with no claim to perfect colours. The presets available are: Standard, sRGB, Landscape Mode, Theatre, Game, Night, Reading Mode and the ever-popular Darkroom Mode – it’s clear what that means.

The landscape mode and the theatre mode have extreme gamma and contrast – and are presumably optimised for “outdoors” in order to be able to see anything at all in poor monitor conditions.
But even if it’s not the main application, we couldn’t resist a little measurement – and Calman says that the CIE Illuminant D65 target was hit quite well with a CCT of 6,528 K – with a black point of 0.002 candela, a luminance of 120 candela and a measured contrast of 74,907:1. We measured this with the Calibrite Display Plus HL probe.

The values summarised mean that the screen would be usable for SDR/on-the-go grading (with lightbox) – with the proviso, of course, that transport and lugging around make regular remeasurement necessary. By default, the ZenScreen comes with the standard preset of a P3 Colorspace – so Asus doesn’t want a perfect 100 percent sRGB view, but rather bright colours that make everything more colourful. The panel could be better if it wanted to be, but we are complaining at a high level here.

But in practice..

Let’s be honest: it’s not complicated – just more screen space that interacts with the system in a completely predictable way and is recognised as an additional monitor – and because it doesn’t make any problems and offers solid colours, it quickly became the dedicated “near” screen in everyday editorial work, while “communication” and browsers were running on the other screens – the familiarisation time was minutes. For video processing (in this case with Premiere), we used the entire additional area as a transcription window – and in one case as a waveform area.

As you can see in the screenshot, the screen (attached to a small tripod) was directly above half of the keyboard – while the main screen is directly above it. As both brightness and contrast are excellent for everyday use, this feels very much like a classic typewriter – especially if you’re not typing completely blind. Other applications are possible! Thanks to the tripod thread and the low weight (650 grams), microphone arms and the like are also possible – if you want to have it at a specific workstation position. And of course, the standard thread means that there are cheap accessories for every situation – be it clamps, stands, holding straps or anything else.

Screen in a box

A very clever idea from the developers was to make the box multifunctional. The transport “case” made of sturdy, black cardboard with a few small magnets can be folded into a “light protection bonnet”, which makes a good picture on the DIT trolley or during a streaming job, for example – or provides a certain amount of privacy in other applications. Four “foam corners” are included for fastening, and there is plenty of space under the screen for cables and accessories – or even the emergency flat man (we’ve all had SUCH productions!) really everything in a small box. By the way: If you often use the screen when travelling, you can also order a screen protector in the exact dimensions (see here: is.gd/amazon_schutzfolie_asus).

Pro

What we like about the ZenScreen: A great deal – for small, light, flexible, surprisingly usable panel and it fits into the workday without bitching as long as you have a USB 3/USB-C port. With its low power consumption, it won’t drain your laptop battery, and “firmly” set up and positioned, it noticeably increases efficiency. And, also cool, is the box – a sturdy mount that’s big enough for two people to see. Although it’s not as sturdy as a dedicated photo viewing cover, Asus cleverly avoids packaging waste – the box is sturdy enough for occasional use, and if you throw it away, it’s really your own fault. There is also a “proximity sensor” – so if the device is attached to the laptop but you walk away, the screen won’t drain the battery.

Cons

Sooo, but let’s get down to the niggles: It’s just another device on the table – and if you want to set it up as “cleanly” as possible, you might want to get an angled USB cable. And the second gripe? The stand cover has exhausted our (admittedly extremely rudimentary) origami skills – and we simply used a tablet stand for “permanent use”. And then after a few days we replaced it with another “mini stand”, which meant that the height was ideal. So: neither of these complaints are deal-breakers, but we just wanted to say so.

Conclusion

So, to summarise, who is the ZenScreen suitable for? In our opinion, for anyone who needs more screen space but doesn’t have room for a “full” monitor – as well as for those who want to work more efficiently on the move or have jobs where they want to use more complicated software. We can definitely recommend it – the average price on Amazon is 450 euros, used/refurbished devices are also often available at around 350 euros.

At Asus: is.gd/asus_zenscreen_mq16ah

Display size: 15.6 inch
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Visible area: 344.21 x 193.62 mm
Panel: OLED, 10-bit
Viewing angle (CR≥10, H/V): 178°/178°
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Colour space (DCI-P3): 100 percent
Brightness: 360 cd
Contrast (HDR, Max): 1,000,000:1
Contrast (Typical): 100.000:1
Response Time: 1 ms (GTG)
Refresh Rate (Max): Typically 60 Hz
HDR Support: HDR10

Video Feature
Trace Free: Yes
Colour Temperature Selection: Yes (4 Modes)
Colour Accuracy: ∆E≤2
GamePlus: Yes
QuickFit: Yes
(Photo/Alignment Grid)
HDCP: Yes, 1.4
Dark Boost: Yes
DisplayWidget: Yes,
DisplayWidget Lite
Low Blue Light: Yes

I/O
Two USB-C ports (DP Alt Mode)
Mini HDMI
Digital Signal Frequency:
HDMI: 60 HZ (V) / USB-C: 60 HZ (V)

Power consumption
Consumption: 4.84 W
Standby: < 0.5 W
Voltage: 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz

Dimensions
Without stand (W x H x D):
359 by 227 by 9 mm
Lightbox (W x H x D):
550 by 390 by 125 mm
Weight: 650 grams
Thread: 1/4″ tripod thread

Accessories
Mini-HDMI to HDMI cable
Power plug
Quick start guide
USB type C to A adapter
USB-C cable
Tripod thread cover
ZenScreen “Smart Cover”

The Loupedeck Live S is very similar to the Streamdeck from Elgato – fifteen small displays, four “menu” buttons and three rotary encoders are housed in a handy device. The box is about 15 x 11 centimetres in size, 3 centimetres high (with rotary encoders) and weighs about half a pound with the stand. The stand raises the device to an angle of 45 degrees so that it is easily accessible behind the keyboard. It’s available for Windows and Mac, although some plugins and presets only apply to one of the two systems – of course FCP presets don’t make sense under Windows. Oh yes, and if you want to place the device “upright” next to the keyboard, you can of course simply rotate everything by 90° – this should be standard, but it is not the case with all competitors.

Marketplace

There is a marketplace for the Loupedeck, where free and paid extensions for the software are available. On the one hand, there are “presets” that contain (of course always customisable) command sets for various software packages – at the time of going to press, one or more sets for the following tools were included (with their own layouts and presets for the LiveS – other tools from the Loupedeck forge have others): Ableton Live, Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, Audacity, Blender, Cinema 4D, Clip Studio Paint, Cubase, Darktable, DaVinci Resolve, DaVinci Resolve Colour Panel, Excel, Filmora, FreeCommander, Gimp, InDesign, Krita, Luminar, Media Composer, Notion, Nuke, Outlook, Photo Mechanic, Photoshop, PixInsight, Power Director, Powerpoint, Premiere Pro, PTZoptics, Reaper, Slack, StudioOne, Substance 3D Painter, Vegas Pro, ZBush. There are also “plugins” that add various functionalities, e.g. Control and interaction with BirdDogCamControl, ChromeCast, Elgato Control (Lights), GoXLR, IFTTT Webhooks, Libre Hardware Monitor, Microsoft Teams, Nanoleaf Control, OBS Studio, Philips Hue (Bridge), Pixera, Power Toys, Razer Key Light Chroma, Spotify, Streamlabs, Teamspeak3, Twitch, Twitch Studio, VLC media player, VMix, Volume Control, WeatherWidget, WinAudio, Windows Store Applications, WorldClock, Youtube Music Desktop. But: Here the installation is usually a bit more complex – presets are installed with one click. And the Marketplace requires an account..

Software

15 keys doesn’t sound like a lot – but with the software you can extend this as much as you like – because each key can be assigned in two dependencies – once in a “profile” and once in a “workspace”. Profiles are software-specific, workspaces are “complete collections”. And within each version, you can create practically any number of “subpages” – i.e. 15 (or 14 or 9, depending on how you want it) actions and commands each. But going any deeper here would be boring for everyone except those who want to, because every workflow and every key combination can be assigned to every “place” here. The better you know your workflow and the more “muscle memory” you have here, the easier it is to reduce annoying and boring click orgies to one e-button. But you don’t have to do without the previous auto actions – as all keys and all files can be called, you can also call Python / Autohotkey commands or write quick *.bat files for the various tasks. And since the export (click on the three dots and Export next to the application) also works perfectly, nothing stands in the way of a “simplified” team-wide pipeline. And yes, a “Supervisor looking over your shoulder” button or “Video meeting, mute and minimise everything” is trivially simple.

In the centre is the graphically presented Loupedeck, on the right the commands and at the top of the list the selection of the device (yes, you can combine this, if a Live S is not enough for you, you can easily add a Loupedeck CT and control it from a software. “Main profile” refers to the selected area – for example the operating system, the general summary or the various configured software packages. For example, you do not start C4D to change shortcuts there. Instead, there are “workspaces” with which you can create and manage different “overall configurations” – for example, one for modelling, one for animation, one for streaming and so on. Once configured, everything is controlled directly via LiveS – if everything fits, you no longer need to touch the software.

Practice

So much for the possibilities – here is the result of two months of testing and “playing around”: I quickly put together the “default” controls as central tools – the handful of programmes that you need all the time (not just at work), as well as the controls for the music player and the various audio inputs and outputs (microphone and loudspeaker/headphone tests are running in parallel). I used the rotary controls in the system for the volume and in the various software packages for finer inputs – for example in InDesign to move images on the x or y axis by one pixel at a time. For most of the toolsets I use in everyday life, I have loaded available presets and then simply customised them.

This works well for the most part, even if there is a small learning curve at the beginning. And after the test period, it’s just a “workspace” with many sub-profiles – operating system and sub-applications, I haven’t configured the complete suites, at some point there are too many options and you lose the overview. Apropos; a recommendation from me would be to add the commands one by one – otherwise you configure yourself stupidly and forget exactly what it does the next day and don’t use it. I have defined the three coloured buttons (colours can of course be customised in the software) as “areas” – the main profile has the tools, the CG tools at the top right, the various scripts for everyday use in the middle and the “soundboard” at the bottom right for meetings and messing around. Speaking of getting started: setting up is completely painless – simply connect via USB (no power cable required), install the software and off you go. Icon packs and software presets are quickly installed and then you can let off steam.

After an orgy of gifs and icons, everything looks terribly confusing, flashes and flickers and you reset everything and start again from the beginning. After talking to other users, this seems to be the standard – the first attempt at a good layout goes down the drain until you get used to the device.

Pro

Now that we’ve revealed our setup, what’s the cool thing about the Loupedeck? Once you get used to it, you realise how many repetitive tasks you do day after day – and how poorly available many default settings are on our computer and in our tools. These brakes of menus, clicks, commands and inputs are completely eliminated – and even if you like to make everything worse in play child mode at the beginning (never spend 3 seconds on a task if you can automate it in 3 hours!), the time saving is clearly noticeable after the learning phase. The presets from the Marketplace help, especially with non-exotic software packages such as Blender, Premiere, Nuke and Resolve, to have all commands at hand, and if you (like me) are always looking for this one window with this one button because you’re not in a toolset all day, you’ll quickly learn to love the shortcut. Once you have the “basic configuration” up and running, which is very individual for everyone, you will quickly move on to further automation steps – in combination with Autohotkey it is unbeatable. Rotary controls are very practical – in everyday use, e.g. for moving elements, solidly built and unrivalled in “everyday use” for audio control of the system – in the software you can also use the same command several times – e.g. have the music control on each subpage (tip for all those who like to listen to music while working: Just have a few buttons in the Everyone profile to control the player / Spotify / Youtube Music).

Cons

No light without shadow – some features in the software (especially Scopes / Meters) would be very practical in different packages and should actually be relatively easy to retrofit – we hope for the future, because the software has certainly developed further – even during the test period. It is also to be hoped that the calls in different parts of the operating system / a programming environment will be easier to realise. The way via AutoHotkey works, but … it could be more convenient. Mouse movements via the macro editor are not really possible yet, and detailed actions with several dozen steps and commands are quickly very time-consuming and tend to become a bit cluttered in the normally convenient software. But hopefully something will be done about this in the future. AND programmes with system-wide overlays – or predefined global shortcuts – often ignore the Loupedeck commands – which is probably not Loupedeck’s fault. But we just wanted to say it.

The device itself is solidly built, and the screens are bright and clear to see – but due to the design, various human residues accumulate quickly, and either you accept this darkening of the corners (can be cool – otherwise more artists would keep their workplaces clean), or you fumble around with compressed air and cleaning agents.

Soundboard

The Loupedeck definitely doesn’t deny its “streamer origins” – and using it as a soundboard with various clips and overlays is almost foolproof (that wasn’t a challenge) for everyday use. If you always say the same thing in a meeting, you can record it here and/or blast Vader, a Dalek or a Mass Effect sound at 100% volume. Depending on the situation, this can liven up a meeting.

Conclusion

Is the Loupedeck Live S worth it at a purchase price of 170 to 200 euros? If you jump through the various menus a lot and have repetitive tasks, you should definitely take a look at it – especially if you’re not constantly travelling in exotic software, but concentrate on two or three packages – Adobe Suite, for example. Then it can really save a lot of time, especially as even complex actions and processes (e.g. ingest / pipeline / backups) can be simplified with relatively little effort. Or, as three of our readers told us, in a studio with “dedicated workstations” for certain tasks, and labelled buttons are easier after all. However, anyone who works a lot with “exotic” software and constantly makes precise inputs will only benefit from this to a limited extent, apart from the media control mentioned above. But it does look cool when all the gifs and images flash! But if you want to use the tool as an animator, forget all that and read Can’s article on the big Loupedeck! Here as a free download: bit.ly/can_loupedeck

Plasticity has caused quite a furore on the internet and in some forums of the maker scene in a short space of time. There are already hundreds of tutorials on YouTube, mostly by enthusiastic users who proudly share their first experiences and knowledge of the fairly new programme. Many of these videos have already been viewed by thousands of users within a short space of time and have received plenty of comments. We took a quick look at the latest version – and were equally impressed.

Design history and parametric modelling – or just simple direct modelling?

The release of Pro/ENGINEER in 1987, which introduced chronology-based parametric modelling to the CAD industry, is generally regarded as an important milestone in the history of computer-aided design (CAD). Since then, this modelling principle has been used in the most common CAD programs. The advantages of this method are the ability to retrace every design step and to edit all parameters, such as dimensions and dependencies, retrospectively. However, this work requires correct planning and structuring of the projects and some effort, e.g. when creating the obligatory sketches with dimensions and restrictions… Anyone who tries to model something “on the fly” with CAD software without prior knowledge is likely to be frustrated at first.

Plasticity as a pure direct modeller promises a remedy here. Reminiscent of the UI and workflow of Blender, modelling should be quick and easy – even for artists who are not so familiar with CAD – and shy away from the effort required to see results. Plasticity does without some of the important functions for the CAD industry: no parametric editing, no design history, no editable sketches with dimensions..

Is this a new Blender – in slimline?

Plasticity starts with a tidy interface. In the centre is a 3D work window, just like in Blender – even with the obligatory cube. There are no menus to be seen, just a few icons arranged in groups, which seem somewhat self-explanatory. Tool tips help to recognise the functions that are easy to understand at first glance. At the top left is a small circle with a “P” on it and a tick next to it. A menu can be opened here, including file commands and access to the preferences. Below this is the equivalent of Blender’s Outliner (lists all objects in the project).

At the bottom left there are icons for transformation and quickly accessible commands (Boolean, Cut solid width curve, Mirror, Duplicate Object). On the right-hand side of the work window, a vertical icon bar shows the actual tools for creating various curve shapes (Line, Spline Curve, Centre circle…) and for editing them (trimming, adding new points or generating a bridge curve between two reference points). You can also create “solid” bodies (sphere, cube, cylinder). Context-sensitive input windows and icons for additional functions are provided for all tools. Help for shortcuts to various options is also displayed. The “f” key can be used to call up a list of all program commands, assign shortcuts or define favourites for the search menu. At the top right are navigation elements and a switch to change the render mode. At the top left, similar to Blender, there are icons for changing the editing modes: points, edges, surfaces, objects – already assigned the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 by default.

On the right, outside the work window, snap functions and construction planes can be switched, on which, for example, new objects are aligned in space when they are created (XY, YZ, XZ, Plane from Camera, Plane from Selection – with the Space button, the current selection also becomes a “Temporary construction plane”, which can be called up again until a new selection is made. The alignment of the construction planes represents Plasticity’s grid. In addition, some information about the current performance in FPS and about selected scene objects is displayed.

Even if at first glance you might have the feeling that you are looking at a slimmed-down version of Blender’s Polygon Modeller, nothing is polygonal – everything is NURBS with the corresponding special features. In some cases, the software seems to be able to deal better with operations in which polygon objects for smooth surfaces must consist of very dense meshes with many polygons, while the shapes in Plasticity are first “calculated” independently of resolution with the help of NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines). Polygon meshes are only created during export, e.g. for 3D printing (.STL or .OBJ) or for further processing in other 3D applications. Plasticity offers various options for exporting with preview views of the respective mesh.

First steps – cubes

For the first steps in Plasticity, we accepted the obligatory cube and simply “played” with the functions offered. What was striking was the sometimes really quick and easy access to various functions, which hardly differ from Blender’s polygon workflow. The selection of points, edges, surfaces and objects is reminiscent of Blender. Even Blender’s shortcuts and navigation commands can be found again (navigation presets for a whole range of 3D tools can be selected in the preferences (Blender, Maya, MoI3D, 3ds Max, Fusion 360, Rhino). The object manipulation tools, such as transformations, array functions (linear, radial) or Booleans are fairly self-explanatory and quick to use, as they can be called up with a single click. In contrast to Blender, where a huge range of functions is also achieved through add-ons and non-destructive modifiers, Plasticity tries to score points with simplicity and quick function calls. We found it a bit of a pity that although the dimensions of objects, for example, can be entered easily and accurately when creating them (Plasticity can even do the maths here!), the other ease of use seems to be missing when editing later.

For example, to subsequently edit length, width, angle or position, Plasticity only offers to change the existing shape relatively (e.g. scaling factors). Plasticity does offer several options for subsequently defining dimensions in absolute terms, but probably no longer with just one click. Commands such as moving, scaling or rotating “matching” objects, which offer definable snap points, use the “Freestyle” option, for example. In this mode, objects can be precisely positioned and aligned with each other, among other things. The absolute size can also be defined in this way. When scaling, a starting point must first be defined (e.g. the centre of an object surface) in order to then define absolute values for the transformation of an opposite surface from there. Snapping to reference objects also works. Object lengths can also be determined by displaying the length of edges or faces. Users who are spoilt for choice would be pleased to be able to enter or edit such parameters later – especially as Plasticity displays various data for selected objects anyway: in addition to the position, the length of curves, the curve length (the circumference) and radius for circles and the surface area and volume for solid bodies – even in different units of measurement.

In addition to the transformations of solids (still our cube), all edges and faces can be edited as required. If one or more edges, even of different objects, are selected, the Fillet tool is automatically available. Depending on the direction of movement of the mouse pointer, either a bevel or a soft chamfer is created. Bevels can be subsequently deleted or further edited in the same way as faces – the values from bevels on other objects can also be adopted with a click of the mouse. When faces are selected, the extrusion tool is automatically activated.

Sharp curves – 6 tools for everything

With a total of 6 drawing tools, all necessary curved shapes can be created: Line, Spline, Circle, Regular Polygon, Spiral and Rectangle. There are options for some tools, e.g. Spline Curve or Control Point Curve – can be changed during drawing using the Tab key. Other options relate to whether shapes, e.g. circles, are defined from the centre or via control points. The sharp corners of lines can be smoothed with the Fillet function (b) (or with the Convert vertex command). Curves can be joined together (if the end points are in the same position). Spline curves can also be deformed, as in other programmes. It is not necessary to activate the Move mode for this, as is usual with Blender. It is sufficient to click and drag vertices or control points directly with the cursor in point mode. By additionally holding down the Alt key, a curve can be proportionally deformed up to the next control vertice. Extend Curve achieves interesting results. This allows you to “continue drawing” open curves that have been started according to various rules – or to shorten them. This creates further harmonious curves.

Essentially, Plasticity offers 4 methods to generate bodies from curves:

• Pipe (P) – a simple way to extrude profiles on a curve. The default setting is a circle. In earlier versions, it was probably still possible to use profile curves. This was not available in the current version. Pipe can be a cool way to add details to objects, e.g. if the edges of bodies (or painted curves) are used as pipe curves to cut profiles into the surfaces (Boolean Difference) or to apply ornaments (Boolean Union).
• Sweep (Shift P) – like the Pipe tool, to extrude profiles along curves. There still seems to be potential here – some other graphic tools offer taper options or scaling of cross-sections at junctions or twists..
  Revolve – contours are rotated along an arbitrary axis – without flourishes.
• Extrude (E) – corresponds to what is known as the extrusion of curves or surfaces. It is possible to specify a thickness during extrusion
  during extrusion. Angles can be specified for the extrusion of surfaces. For example, a pyramid can be extruded from a square instead of a cube.
• Loft (L) – perhaps the most interesting option in Plasticity, because curves can be combined quite easily to create beautiful smooth surfaces and Plasticity is quite convenient when designing 3D curves. As mentioned, curves can be drawn in various ways, but can also be obtained from the surfaces of 3D objects. The easiest way is to duplicate existing edges, e.g. on fillets or the intersections of Boolean functions. However, it is also possible to draw directly on the surfaces of objects or to project curves onto them.

In this way, for example, you can obtain three-dimensionally curved curves that are adapted to the surface of the bodies. This makes it relatively easy to provide more complex three-dimensionally aligned curves for the loft objects.
The shape of loft objects can also be controlled using special guides (control curves). Plasticity offers different continuity settings for loft and patch objects (“plugged” holes in surfaces) in order to achieve smoother transitions on surfaces. It was not always possible to achieve optimum results immediately in the test if the geometric specifications were probably too “critical” for a satisfactory calculation by Plasticity.

Conclusion

We don’t want to get involved in the discussion as to whether Plasticity 3D represents a revolution in 3D modelling or is not a CAD program to be taken seriously. Plasticity does not come close to the functional scope of large – and in some cases expensive – CAD applications. It also lacks typical, quasi “standard features” of CAD programs, such as chronology-based parametric modelling or customisable dimensions and special editing functions. Plasticity 3D is unlikely to compete with established CAD applications for industrial design.

However, users can start using direct modelling almost immediately and quickly achieve results, even without extensive prior knowledge of complex CAD programs and without preparatory measures (including time-consuming sketching with correct restrictions…). Although or because the UI is reminiscent of Blender’s modelling workflow – Blender users will quickly find their way around – we found the introduction to NURBS-based modelling in Plasticity quite accessible. Many modelling tasks go surprisingly quickly after some practice.

We particularly liked the easy-to-use curve tools and the ability to create harmoniously curved surfaces from 3D curves. Easy-to-use curve tools, extrusion and rotation solids, sweep and Boolean functions, cutting solids with curves or “hollow a solid” with just a few clicks – and of course the cool fillet functions make you want to model with this software. There is already another beta version, which will include a bridge to Blender to make it easier to combine the advantages of both programmes. Given the pace of development of the software to date, this could be expected soon. Then even more users could possibly follow the advice from a forum and try using both programmes in a complementary way. After all, it costs nothing to test the free demo version. We look forward to further developments.

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by Matthäus Niedoba

Why Dropbox, Google Drive or a NAS don’t work with game engines is quite simple: because they synchronise changes immediately and because a game engine doesn’t have a single file that can be saved incrementally. For example, Blender saves everything in a *.blend file, Photoshop in a *.psd file, etc. However, an Unreal project consists of several files that are linked to each other. There is not “the” one Unreal file. For example, if you import an FBX into Unreal, this FBX is converted into a *.uasset file in its own structure. Each time a newer version of the FBX file is imported, the *.uasset file is simply overwritten. Unreal will not create a _v002.uasset. This is the opposite of Blender, where you have full control over the linked *.blend files.

This means that a game engine only understands one version of a file. The file on your hard drive (the *.uasset) is basically the only version that exists. Here comes the problem with Dropbox. Two artists can only work on the latest version of a map. Since the Dropbox synchronises continuously, they overwrite each other. In addition, Unreal “locks” files, i.e. makes them read-only when they are imported into a level. This also blocks the Dropbox synchronisation process. The whole project ends up in total chaos.

What is version control?

Version control comes from software development. Writing software is similar to developing a game. A compiler (exactly the same thing that generates the builds in a game engine) only understands one version of a file. And it’s no surprise that software has versions such as 1.3.4 and so on. These versions are managed by version control. Version control can organise files (it replaces incremental saving _v001, _v002) and synchronise files via a server. It therefore replaces the Dropbox. It is the basis for teamwork.

GitHub vs. Dropbox

Everyone has probably heard of GitHub and downloaded scripts or small tools there. It is the platform for open source projects and is only possible thanks to version control. The word “Git” from GitHub is also the name of the version control system “Git”, which we will look at in more detail in a moment. You can also use GitHub as a server for your Unreal project, where everyone in your team uploads and downloads their files. It serves as an alternative to Dropbox.

Unlike Dropbox, GitHub supports version control, which you need for your Unreal project. What you still need is a desktop application that uploads data to GitHub. Dropbox has its own application for this, while GitHub offers you a choice of many applications that are compatible with the “Git” version control system. We have collected a few well-known representatives in the box on the side.

How does version control work?

First of all, there is a central server on which all files are stored. In most cases, this is located in the cloud. Everyone has a local copy of the Unreal Engine files on their computer. It’s not like working from a NAS where everyone works directly on the server. A workflow with 2 artists can look like this:

Artist A (“you”)

• You work in Unreal – and import new assets, change shaders and edit the map. You save and overwrite existing files. The end result is a series of modified files (usually a list of .uasset and .umap files)
• The version control system recognises all these modified files and displays them in a list.
• You upload these files – and so far Artist B hasn’t seen any of your work. That changes now. It is customary to attach a short comment to each upload, e.g. “I changed the light to make it look warmer”. Then you press the upload button and your work is uploaded to the server (e.g. GitHub).

Artist B (“Your team member”)

• Works in Unreal, just like you.
• Version control sees that there are new changes on the server (coming from you) and sends a notification to your team member
• Your team member presses a “Download” button and has downloaded your files.
• Your team member uploads their files, just like you.

That’s the workflow. It may sound exaggerated, but it’s not. Commenting and uploading quickly becomes a habit and creates transparency. You can see who did what at what time. To prevent two people from working on the same file, a version control system has a file locking feature. This allows you to make files read-only for all team members (except yourself) to prevent multiple people from working on the same file. DCCs (Blender, Maya and C4D) can also be managed within the version control system. This means that the file versions are no longer saved incrementally, such as character_v001, _v002, _v003, etc.. So you overwrite each file and publish my new version with a comment. This is then uploaded to the server, just like in the Unreal project. This can feel a bit strange when you have incremental saving in your fingers. If you prefer to stick with the usual incremental saving method, you can also do this and only version the Unreal project. This means that a new version is only created after the assets have been imported into Unreal.

Implementing version control in an existing Unreal project

In this example, we use the version control system “Git”. For this you need: A cloud storage provider. In this case, this could be GitHub A desktop application that uploads and downloads data to GitHub. In this case we use Anchorpoint. Your existing Unreal project, which is stored on your hard drive.

GitHub

First create an account on GitHub and create a repository. GitHub is primarily intended for software developers, so the interface can be a little confusing. You must first create a repository. A repository is similar to a file folder that contains your Unreal project. The repository will be the place where your files will be uploaded and downloaded later. Once you have created the repository, you need to invite your team members (everyone needs an account on GitHub). Finally, you need to copy the URL to the clipboard. You will later paste it into Anchorpoint to tell Anchorpoint where to upload the Unreal project.

About the costs

GitHub is very generous when it comes to pricing. The free plan gets you a long way, and the Team plan ($3.67 per person, per month) offers additional options for security and automation. Unfortunately, the generosity ends with storage space. You have to buy so-called “Data Packs”, a kind of prepaid credit for storage space. These cost 5 dollars for 50 GB per month. If you don’t want this, you can fall back on alternatives from GitHub such as Microsoft Azure DevOps, which are much more generous in terms of storage.

Anchorpoint

Download Anchorpoint and create an account there too. The next step is to create a project of the type “Git Repository”. There you have to tell Anchorpoint where your Unreal project is located and enter the URL of the GitHub repository (which you have copied to the clipboard).
Finally, you need to add your team members via email and upload your project files to GitHub. Here you have to leave a short comment (e.g. “Have initially uploaded project to GitHub”) and press the blue “Push” button.

Unreal Engine

Unreal has the option to switch on Revision Control (or Source Control if you are using version 5.1 or older) at the bottom right. We deliberately leave this off, as the Git plug-in slows down Unreal Engine and we have a better overview with Anchorpoint. In any case, use World Partition, which has been available since Unreal Engine 5.0. World Partition splits a level into many small files so that several team members can work on the same level. Without World Partition, each team member has to wait until you have edited and uploaded the level, otherwise you will be working on the same file. If you’re thinking that you’re inviting chaos: World Partition is made for the layout or world building process. The customisation of materials, rigs and assets in general is excluded here.
Once you have finished working on your asset or level, you can open Anchorpoint. Anchorpoint scans all your files in the project folder and lists the modified files. Now you can enter a comment again and upload your work to GitHub via “Push”.

Conclusion

The first steps with version control feel unfamiliar at first. You have to write comments and manually press the upload and download button to exchange files. It’s different to Dropbox, where synchronisation is continuous. Once you have done a project with it, you appreciate the advantages of this system. The workflow is transparent, the security is higher (you can always jump back to a status in the project) and you have more control over the project.

Alternative version control systems

There are basically four version control systems for the Unreal Engine to mention. Unreal has a plugin for all of these systems.

• Perforce: Mostly used in AAA game studios. Perforce is a well-established version control system that works well in huge projects.
• Git: The most popular version control system for software developers. Git is open source and has the richest ecosystem in terms of community, tools and cloud providers. Anchorpoint is based on Git.
• Subversion: A fairly old but solid and simple version control system.
• Plastik SCM (Unity Version Control): The newest system on the market. It has been owned by Unity since 2021 and is also well suited for game development for Unreal Engine.

Matthäus Niedoba is the founder of Anchorpoint, a version control software for Unreal and Unity. Anchorpoint simplifies remote team projects and works with any storage solution.