About the Book
Allegorithmic: The Company That Brought Substance to the World of 3D explores the journey of Allegorithmic, the software company behind Substance, a suite of tools that revolutionized texturing in computer graphics. This engaging narrative by Sébastien Deguy, the visionary founder and CEO of the company, chronicles the growth of Allegorithmic from its inception as a small startup to becoming a leader in digital content creation, pivotal in shaping the visual aesthetics of video games and films.
The book highlights key technological innovations and strategic decisions that propelled the company forward, offering a detailed look at the challenges and triumphs of developing cutting-edge software solutions while building a team attached to its strong values and passion for digital artists.
Key Features:
Provides a detailed history of Allegorithmic, a company at the forefront of technological innovation in procedural textures and 3D content.
Covers significant technical ground, discussing complex environments, procedural textures, and software development, while also delving into the creative aspects of these technologies.
Spans the growth of a startup into a major player in the tech industry, providing insights into business strategies, team building, and international expansion.
Reflects on the cultural shifts within the company and the broader industry, offering lessons on adapting to technological advancements and market demands.
Ideal for tech enthusiasts, artists, and entrepreneurs, this deep book provides a comprehensive overview of the creativity and perseverance required to influence and lead in the tech industry.
Table of Contents:
Part I Preamble and Introduction
Part II 1996 - 1998
Chapter 01 Key meetings
Chapter 02 DEA, Femis
Part III 1998 - 2001
Chapter 03 PhD Thesis
Chapter 04 Teaching
Chapter 05 Convergence
Part IV 2002 - 2003
Chapter 06 Incubation
Chapter 07 TAON 2, TAON3
Chapter 08 Conferences
Part V 2003 - 2007
Chapter 09 Beginnings
Chapter 10 Special Effects and Projects
Chapter 11 Presence in America
Chapter 12 Luxology and Imagesyth
Chapter 13 Dave Taylor, RoboBlitz, and ProFX
Chapter 14 Technical Demos
Chapter 15 Autodesk: first contacts
Chapter 16 NVIDIA and Pachinko
Chapter 17 Summary of Progress up to mid-2007, and conclusion of this period
Part VI 2007 - 2011
Chapter 18 Investment from Dassault Systèmes
Chapter 19 The team grows, new offices
Chapter 20 Prospection in Asia, and Redux
Chapter 21 Demos, products, and conferences
Chapter 22 Autodesk again
Chapter 23 A second round of investment
Chapter 24 Unity
Chapter 25 Summary of progress up to mid-2011, and conclusion of this period
Part VII 2011 - 2015
Chapter 26 PBR and Substance Designer
Chapter 27 Naughty Dog, alpha-site for Substance Designer
Chapter 28 Premises
Chapter 29 Substance Painter
Chapter 30 Demos, games, and products
Chapter 31 Contests,
Chapter 32 Conferences and commercial prospection
Chapter 33 New markets
Chapter 34 Summary of progress up to mid-2015, and conclusion of this period
Part VIII 2015 - 2019
Chapter 35 Structure and Culture
Chapter 36 Our Products
Chapter 37 The Meet MAT Contest
Chapter 38 Conferences and Substance Days
Chapter 39 Investment in Adone, in 2017
Chapter 40 Global Gatherings
Chapter 41 X-TAON: the Allegorithmic concept car, and the contest
Chapter 42 Sale to Adobe
Chapter 43 Summary of progress up to the beginning of 2019, and conclusion of this
period
Part IX Conclusion and Postface
References
Index
About the Author :
Sébastien Deguy is a prominent figure in the field of 3D Computer Graphics and Immersive technology. He founded Allegorithmic in 2003, building upon his doctoral thesis which he had completed at the turn of 2002. Under his leadership, Allegorithmic developed the Substance tool suite and became a market leader in the production workflows for various industries, including Video Games, Film, TV, Industrial Design, and Marketing. In January 2019, when Allegorithmic was acquired by Adobe, Deguy assumed the role of Vice President of 3D & Immersive at Adobe. His work has significantly influenced the development and application of 3D technology across multiple sectors, and he has been awarded a Scientific and Technical Achievement Award by the Academy in 2023 for his contribution to the art and science of movie making.
Review :
"This is a story of a bold vision and an even bolder set of leaders that ultimately established 3D design as we know it. More remarkable than the accolades, Emmy and Academy Awards this team has earned, is the story of how a small and passionate team transformed the world of gaming, entertainment, and digital experiences. Seb has penned a book with many lessons and inspirations for us all."
- Scott Belsky, Founder, Behance, Chief Strategy Officer & EVP, Design & Emerging Products, Adobe
"A page-turning allegory of deep humanity and intrigue for both right-brained and left-brained creators, artists, and entrepreneurs. A stunning account of the people who made Allegorithmic, from its deep technical roots in Clermont-Ferrand pondering fractal generation and free will, through an intimate first-hand view of the emerging 3D industry, and ultimately, the acquisition by Adobe."
- Joshua St. John, Director of Product Management, HP
"Within every success story lies a real passion and a visionary man. Sebastien Deguy is one the few people who master technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship. This book tells his story and how he created tools that are widely recognized in the video game, animation and VFX industries."
- Xavier Bec, Head of R&D, Illumination Studios Paris
"Similarly to “NVIDIAns”, the individuals at Allegorithmic have always been putting customers first. Sébastien's unique combination of art and technology skills but also his capability to attract and keep talents around him and to lead them, helped turning a small French startup into the team driving Adobe's 3D future."
- Guillaume Polaillon, Product Line Manager at NVIDIA
“While working at Autodesk and Epic Games, I had the privilege of observing Sébastien and his team's rise to industry leadership, transforming Allegorithmic and later Adobe into critical players in 3D content creation. It's a story worth reading!”
- Marc Petit, 35 years in Computer Graphics, Ex Machina, TDI, Softimage, Discreet Logic (then Autodesk M&E), Fabric Engine and Epic Games, now supporting the community to create an open and fair foundation for the next iteration of the internet as it embraces real time 3D and gaming technologies
"Trusting your gut feelings, surrounding yourself with the right people, and relentlessly pursuing your beliefs are key themes in this book. Creating real value for customers and engaging them in the process demands time and effort but yields long-term rewards. Building a company is a journey, a way of life fueled by honest passion rather than a quick route to wealth. When faced with decisions like selling your company to a major player, trusting your instincts remains crucial. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering starting a tech company in the 3D space or those who have witnessed this industry's evolution firsthand, as I have."
- Martin Enthed, Innovation Manager at IKEA | Khronos Vice President | Keynote Speaker on 3D and Spatial Computing
"Sébastien had a vision that combined both of his passions for art and science, in service of solving a creative problem. With Allegorithmic over the years, Sébastien and his team stuck with that vision, it is still at the core of the Substance product today. For all the companies that are trying to harness the power of AI or any new tech – read this book and start with passion and a problem that you want to solve, don’t start with just an exciting technology."
- Rick Stringfellow, Fellow, Head of Visual Content, Electronic Arts
"My profession and passion only exist thanks to all the extraordinary individuals who contributed to the story of Allegorithmic. In this book, Sébastien shares the incredible and deeply human adventure that led to the creation of industry defining products. Substance changed the life of many artists, me included."
- Kelly Recco, Material Artist, DON'T NOD Montréal
"Substance has long revolutionized material art, demonstrating the power of aligning principles, architecture, and community. Even now, it excites me more than any other software when I think about future pipelines. I firmly believe the best is yet to come as workflows fully harness the deterministic power of the engine and ecosystem."
- Bradford Smith, Senior Technical, Materials, & Environment Artist at Crystal Dynamics - previously at Epic Games, Naughty Dog, EA
