The Cinema Designer (TCD) has released major updates to the software, bringing more functionality to the online cinema design tool. The new features will go live during June 2024, and all subscribers will automatically see the updates as they become available.
TCD is used across the globe by over 8,500 professional home cinema designers, allowing them to produce technically precise home cinema designs, renders and reports, in just a few clicks of the mouse.
The TCD team has been working hard to implement new features that will improve the functionality of the software. These features include:
• Trinnov Waveforming
• Heat maps/polar plots for selected manufacturers
• Additional surrounds
• Minor loudspeaker position adjustments
• Acoustic treatment placement for selected manufacturers
• Channel updates
Trinnov Waveforming
Trinnov’s Waveforming technology delivers an advance in low frequency performance through controlled wave propagation. Designers are now able to incorporate this technology within their home cinema designs.
The TCD development team has worked closely with Trinnov to implement Waveforming within the TCD workflow. Within just a few seconds, TCD completes the complex calculations required to implement Waveforming within a design. TCD creators say the system makes light work of the computations, efficiently producing a precise design for this revolutionary technology.
TCD’s 3D viewport provides a visual representation of the wave technology and allows users to make changes in real-time, with the tool dynamically recalculating and redrawing the room with the designer’s modifications.
Dave Pedigo, COO Trinnov, says, “WaveForming truly is a major step forward in terms of bass performance. Getting the design and installation fundamentally correct requires effort and dedication, which fits precisely into Trinnov’s long standing design-led approach. This is certainly a mission we share with The Cinema Designer, and we are confident the inclusion of WaveForming into TCD will accelerate the adoption of this industry defining technology. This is the second time that TCD has supported our efforts to elevate cinema design ensuring higher performance and we are immensely grateful to collaborate with TCD and have WaveForming included in this major update.”
Heat Maps/Polar Plots
TCD now incorporates and illustrates enhanced performance data provided by selected manufacturers. Heat maps and polar plots are overlaid on the 3D viewport to illustratively demonstrate responses of the selected loudspeakers, relative to the main listening position and all other seats. This major feature allows users to dynamically adjust the design, in accordance with the loudspeaker data shown by the heat maps. Users can manually adjust seating row positions, with the 3D viewport updating in real-time to place seating in the optimum location.
Additional Surrounds
Adding more surrounds is simple in TCD 2.5. Users can now easily add surrounds that share discreet information – as many as an adjacent pair per row, if required. With the design adjusting dynamically as each change is made, users can add and remove the extra surrounds in just a few clicks.
Minor Loudspeaker Position Adjustments
In the real world, there are often practical reasons why the perfect design cannot be implemented, and designers have to be pragmatic about the relationship between the perfect design and what is deliverable on the ground. To assist with this dilemma, users can now make minor adjustments to the placement of loudspeakers. Each loudspeaker can be repositioned within 10° of the calculated position, to accommodate the physical attributes of the room.
Acoustic Treatment Placement
A major upgrade within TCD2.5 is the placement of acoustic treatment. For selected manufacturers, acoustic products may now be positioned and repositioned within the 3D space. This allows designers to make accommodations for the physical attributes of the room, such as windows and doors. This increases the flexibility of TCD for designers and allows them to deliver precise designs, based on real-world rooms.
Channel Updates
TCD2.5 now includes four additional Dolby configurations: Dolby Atmos 7.1.6 and Dolby Atmos 9.1.6, both providing six height channels; Dolby 2.1 for stereo with subwoofers; and Dolby Surround 9.1. Each Dolby/Dolby Atmos configuration can be selected with one or more subwoofers, giving users an even greater palate of design options.
Industry Recognition
The TCD team says they are avidly committed to a programme of ongoing innovation, to provide users with a greater range of technical design options and an even better experience of the tool. These latest updates elevate TCD to the next level and have been very well received within the industry, says TCD.
Erik Wiederholtz, CTO Perlisten, says, “TCD keeps innovating to make it an indispensable, quick and powerful tool, for any theatre designer. The addition of heat maps, Waveforming and acoustic treatments all help with visualisation and actual improvements that can be done to help achieve recommended practices for room performance.”
Peter Gibb, NAD CI Product Manager & Channel Development, adds, “I’m excited by the latest version of The Cinema Designer, the updates such as the placement of acoustic treatment and loudspeaker adjustments make it easier than ever to design and then fine tune a home cinema installation to the very highest standards, and in the shortest possible time. It really should be a key part of any integrators tool kit.”
Training Webinars
To coincide with the release of the new features, TCD will be hosting online training webinars for users of the tool. These informal sessions will be led by Guy Singleton, creator of TCD, and will take users through the TCD workflow, with emphasis on the new features. The sessions will be limited to small groups to allow for a more personal experience, with opportunities for a Q&A session at the end. To register their interest for a session, email karin@thecinemadesigner.com.
Guy concludes, “No one knows the value of a well-designed system more than us, but we want to make that accessible to everyone and not for a select few. Use TCD2.5 for some of your rooms and designs and we promise you that you’ll never look back. With over 100 supportive manufacturers and almost 9,000 dealers and integrators worldwide, you know that it’s proven and trusted.”