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Axyz Design (now part of Chaos) is the world’s leading developer of photorealistic 3D scanned digital humans, motion-captured characters, and ‘anima’—the industry-standard 3D crowd simulation software for architectural visualization. Used by global architecture and VFX firms, Axyz Design transforms static architectural renderings into vibrant, living urban spaces with walking, talking, and interacting crowds.
⚡ Platform At a Glance
Bringing Architectural Renderings to Life with 3D Scanned Crowds
Static, repetitive 2D cutouts or wooden mannequins immediately destroy the realism of a high-end airport terminal, shopping mall, or urban plaza visualization. **Axyz Design** solved this by creating **photogrammetry 3D scanned digital humans (Metropoly)** captured from real-world actors with authentic clothing wrinkles and skin shaders.
These characters are categorized into **Posed 3D People** (for high-res still renders), **Ambient 3D People** (subtle breathing/talking motions), and **Animated Characters** (motion-captured walking, running, and gesturing).
anima: Real-Time Crowd Simulation for ArchViz
Axyz’s standalone software **anima** is the industry standard for crowd animation. Visualizers can draw walking paths over imported architectural CAD stairs, escalators, and plazas.
anima automatically populates the scene with interacting characters who avoid collisions, wait at traffic lights, sit on benches, and ride escalators, rendering seamlessly inside **V-Ray, Corona, and Unreal Engine 5**.
Supported Formats & Software Compatibility
| Format | Target Software / Engine | Best Application |
|---|---|---|
| anima Project (.anima) | anima 5 Standalone / 3ds Max / UE5 Bridge | Automated pedestrian pathfinding and crowd dynamics |
| .MAX / .C4D / .FBX | 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Unreal Engine | Photorealistic 3D human scans with V-Ray and Corona shaders |
⚖️ Licensing, Copyright & Legal Protection
Royalty-Free Commercial License covers commercial architectural renderings, client presentations, broadcasts, animations, and real estate marketing.
💰 Pricing & Creator Royalty Structure
anima PRO perpetual license is approximately $299. anima ALL subscription ($39/mo) provides unlimited access to the entire 3D people scan library. Individual scanned models start at $19.
Pros & Cons Summary
✅ Strengths
- Unrivaled realism for 3D digital humans and pedestrian crowds in architectural visualization.
- anima pathfinding software automates walking, sitting, and escalator navigation in minutes.
- Direct live-link bridges for 3ds Max (V-Ray, Corona), Cinema 4D, and Unreal Engine 5.
- Massive library of diverse ethnicities, clothing styles, and professional uniforms.
⚠️ Considerations
- High-density photogrammetry crowd scenes require substantial RAM and rendering resources.
- Software subscription is tailored for commercial studio budgets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does anima integrate with 3ds Max and Unreal Engine?
You build your crowd paths inside the anima application, and the live-link plugin renders the animated characters directly inside 3ds Max (with V-Ray/Corona) or Unreal Engine 5.
What is the difference between Posed and Rigged people on Axyz?
Posed people are frozen in high-resolution photographic stances for still renders. Rigged and Ambient people contain motion-capture skeletons for walking and conversational animations.
Is Axyz Design compatible with Chaos Vantage?
Yes! Following Chaos’s acquisition of Axyz, anima crowd simulations render in real-time with full ray tracing inside Chaos Vantage.
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