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Microsoft Buys Simplygon To Gain 3D Optimization Technologies
Microsoft today announced the acquisition of Simplygon, a Swedish maker of three-dimensional (3D) solutions used in games graphics engines and virtual reality applications.
Simplygon, founded in 2006 by Donya Labs, makes solutions that automatically address "level-of-detail" issues when rendering 3D objects. Level of detail is a computer graphics concept in which software will show perspective in a scene by using polygons with fewer details for far-away objects, but greater detail for the closer objects. Microsoft sees Simplygon's technology as being useful for the 3D enhancements that will be coming this spring in the Windows 10 "creators update."
"This acquisition accelerates our 3D For Everyone vision and strategy, which we introduced with the Windows 10 Creators Update at our event this past October in New York," explained Kudo Tsunoda, corporate vice president for Next Gen Experiences at Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group, in an announcement.
Back then, Microsoft pointed to its Paint 3D application, currently in preview, as one example of applications getting 3D enhancements. It's an update to the old Windows Paint tool, allowing users to inflate flat objects into 3D ones. Such 3D capabilities also will be coming to Office applications, too, such as Excel, PowerPoint and Word, "over the next year," Microsoft had explained back in October.
Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group, had indicated in October that the Windows 10 creators update was designed to "bring 3D and mixed reality to everyone." He also introduced Microsoft's coming Surface Studio PC for graphics work, along with a Surface Dial graphics tool. The Microsoft Edge browser is being designed to work HoloLens, Microsoft's mixed reality (or augmented reality) hardware device that imposes 3D images on a background, Myerson had indicated.
Microsoft is essentially buying one of its partners with the purchase of Simplygon, as the two companies have worked together on HoloLens. Simplygon's solution permits "developers to optimize large complex assets for Microsoft HoloLens by reducing the assets complexity while still maintaining a high fidelity appearance," Microsoft had explained, in an October released statement.
Although it may not exactly be related to the Simplygon acquisition, Microsoft indicated this week that the Windows 10 creators update would be bringing a "new Windows Game Mode" to improve the performance of PC games. There also will be a Beam gameplay broadcast capability coming to Windows 10 creators update and Xbox One.
No financial details regarding the Simplygon acquisition were announced by the companies.
About the Author
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.