The ConceptD was first touted earlier this year at Acer’s previous announcement and honestly, we were really hyped even though it wasn’t something we’d use every day. In this update, they’ve formally announced a lineup of ConceptD devices, spearheaded by the ConceptD 7 SpatialLabs Edition laptop (CN715-73G).
It’s all centred around SpatialLabs tech, which delivers real-time, glasses-free stereoscopic 3D rendering, and powered by (up to) an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 CPU and 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor. As a developer-centric device, it’s made for higher specced configurations and as such supports up to 64 GB of DDR4 memory and up to 2 TBs of NVMe PCIe SSD storage.
As you would expect, the display is high-spec as well: the PANTONE-validated UHD 4K display covers 100 per cent of the Adobe RGB colour gamut and has a Delta E<2 colour accuracy rating. A set of stereo cameras above it tracks your eye position and movement, which the SpatialLabs tech uses to render two slightly different images in real-time, one for each eye. The images are projected through an optical lens bonded to the display panel and refracted to the corresponding eyes.
The SpatialLabs Model Viewer supports all major 3D file formats (including OBJ, FBX, STEP, STL, COLLADA, IGES, glTF, 3DS, BLEND, PLY, DAE and IGS) and makes it easy for designers to see their projects come to life in real-time. The viewer also lets you adjust lighting, textures, and HDRI backgrounds so you can fine-tune them for presentations. Add-ons are currently available for eight 3D software suites (Autodesk Fusion 360, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Rhinoceros, Cura, Blender, SketchUp and Zbrush) so you can simply review your work with a single click.
Ideally, it’s to be used with a regular monitor so you can edit as per normal and see the result in real-time, making it easier to spot issues and improve workflow. Acer’s proprietary SpatialLabs Go also features AI technology that lets you generate stereoscopic 3D content from most 2D content (the requirement is that it has to be displayed in full-screen).
Developers’ program updates
Acer updated that the developers’ program for Unreal Engine, which debuted in May this year, resulted in several useful applications, such as a car configurator to virtually show customers the different models and configurations available, interior design walkthroughs, 360-degree videos with volumetric depth, and Geospatial earth landscapes in 3D formed with data from satellites, aerial platforms and bathymetric sensors.
Now, the SpatialLabs Developer Site has also been launched, giving developers access to all tools including the Unreal Engine plug-in and support for the Ultraleap Hand Tracking feature. The feature lets users input commands with hand gestures, which is intuitive and reduces the need to touch the device, which can be very useful in a showroom setting.
With regards to 3D and speaking on hindsight, it seems like a commercial approach makes more sense if the technology is up to scratch. The last push for 3D in the consumer space didn’t quite make the grade, but it was
Other models
The ConceptD 7 will be joined by (non-SpatialLabs models) a 16-inch clamshell model (CN316-73G) featuring a 16:10 aspect ratio screen and a new 15.6-inch convertible model (CC315-73G) with pen options up to a Wacom EMR. A ConceptD 3 Pro (CN316-73P) and ConceptD3 Ezel Pro (CC315-73P) are also available, both featuring up to an Intel CoreTM i7 processor and an NVIDIA T1200 Laptop GPU.
