ultranoir is proud to present Z, a magazine designed to explain the principles of online 3D to a wider audience. The driving force behind this idea comes from the observation that no online media has yet approached this new technology in a way that can be easily understood by all.
The demand for 3D content is in fact skyrocketing, as the capacity of browsers and devices evolves along with the multiplication of 3D printers and head-mounted virtual reality displays. Microsoft, Adobe, Facebook and Apple have all placed their bets on 3D. What are the reasons behind all this enthusiasm ?
One is that 3D has now been integrated in browsers, combining the creative with the functional with astonishing results. WebGL offers tremendous potential in terms of user experience. Not only does this revolutionary new form of navigation ensure a higher level of interactivity, but it also offers users the opportunity of exploring content in far greater depth.
It is what we call the Augmented Web.
Z Generation
3D technology was once the exclusive domain of specialists in the field, but is now attracting the attention of a far wider audience and gradually becoming a major market player. The Internet has been a real game-changer; it has turned passive spectators into active and involved customers.
We believe that 3D will accelerate this transformation by offering unique co-creation tools that can turn anyone from a simple actor into a full-fledged creator. With 3D tools, you can customize a product and visualize the results in real-time, for example. And now you can also co-create using the tools proposed by different brands.
There is no doubt that there is a new trend emerging and quickly gaining ground. Internet-users are no longer happy with just commenting, but also want to participate, act, and share their vision of the world.
Flat Design vs Z-Design
Digital creation has always followed its own special path, and for the last few years flat design has held the line as the industry standard. It is based on a clean and simple layout made up mainly of flat colors and eye-catching typography and icons. The main advantage of this type of design lies in the clarity of the layout it offers, but it does have one major shortcoming: it tends to standardize digital production and lessen the impact and the unique “look & feel” of each individual project.
As the name so aptly suggests, “flat design” is all about the X and Y axes. The Z-axis is still unchartered territory. However, Google has already begun to explore this option with its Material Design that proposes 3D animations.
3 Z' Primary Goals
Z is more of a magazine than a blog. It will be posted on a monthly basis and, with these 3 main goals in mind, zero in on the following subjects:
Explain.
On which supports can WebGL run? What is Web-VR? How can we optimize these technologies so that they can be made as useful as possible? What’s its target in terms of market and users? Z will explore these questions in lively and informative articles, illustrated by a variety of specific and concrete examples. Z also plans to introduce theme-based publications (by sector) so that its readers can better understand the tremendous potential of 3D and its use in business applications.
Showcase.
Z will also showcase the latest and most remarkable achievements on the web. These examples will be presented by subject.
Discuss.
Z will let world's leading specialists in digital creation speak up to provide you with a professional’s view of the present and the future of Online 3D.
We hope that you’ll enjoy this first issue. Have fun reading it!