Unity acquires 3D data firm Pixyz Software

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Unity said it has acquired Pixyz Software, a provider of 3D data preparation and optimization software. The price wasn’t disclosed.

With Pixyz’s portfolio of products, creators in many industries can import 3D data into Unity and optimize any model for real-time 3D development. (The company claims its tools make importing such data quicker and easier). This is one of many acquisitions that game engine maker Unity has made in game development tools as it strives to stay competitive with Epic Games, maker of the rival Unreal Engine.

Why it matters

The manufacturing of cars, appliances, buildings, and many industrial products requires the use of massively complex data, and the process of preparing or importing this design and engineering data for real-time development can be challenging. Through this acquisition, Pixyz enables Unity to build a level of detail solution with a full suite of workflows integrated into Unity for easy management of asset generation and run-time integration.

For years, teams have used Unity to enhance how they bring products from vision to reality. From automotive to construction and beyond, the world is embracing the use of real-time 3D to accelerate design collaboration, develop immersive training environments, create interactive marketing experiences, and more.

Nvidia’s Omniverse is a good example of how the 3D data visualization pioneered in games is expanding into engineering communities of all kinds.

Unity and Pixyz Software partnered in 2018 to provide enterprises and individual professionals alike with best-in-class solutions to easily import and optimize 3D data, including computer-aided design (CAD) assemblies, meshes and point clouds, for creating real-time experiences in Unity.

Pixyz’s portfolio of products (Pixyz Plugin, Pixyz Studio, Pixyz Scenario Processor, and more) support more than 35 3D file formats, including formats from popular 3D software tools like Autodesk Alias, AutoCAD, Inventor and VRED; Catia and Solidworks; Creo; and Siemens NX.

For customers

The key takeaway is that Pixyz data prep and import tools will officially become part of Unity’s product ecosystem. For game development, Pixyz allows Unity to build an LOD solution with a full suite of workflows integrated into Unity for easy management of asset generation and run-time integration.

Pixyz products will continue to require separate subscriptions, for which pricing will remain the same, and customers can continue to purchase through Pixyz and Unity sales representatives and websites. While users need a subscription to access Pixyz’s products today, Unity now has greater opportunities to use Pixyz’s technology to benefit all Unity users in the future.

In the mid- to long-term, Unity plans to work with Pixyz to deliver solutions that address the specific needs of more customers. Customers can expect to see workflows that are integrated into the Editor and with other Unity data platforms to meet the needs of both gaming and industrial customers, as well as new ways of accessing Pixyz for high volume automated processing.

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