Computer Graphics World articles from December 2006

Computer Graphics World archives from December 2006

Games people play.(editor's note)
December 1, 2006... Several years ago, garners created a frenzy over the second-generation consoles, camping out in store parking lots for a chance to be the first on their block to experience the new wave of computer gaming. Offering a huge leap in power over the...

Nvidia unleashes Cuda technology.(TECHNOLOGY: GPU)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Nvidia has released Cuda technology, a new architecture for computing on Nvidia GPUs and the industry's first C-compiler development environment for the GPU. Reportedly up to 100 times faster than traditional methods, GPU computing with...

Dell updates servers, workstations with Quad-Core.(PRODUCTS: WORKSTATIONS/SERVERS)(Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Dell has infused its Precision workstations and PowerEdge servers with the Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors. The Precision 690 and 490 workstations, for work involving massive data sets, can now be configured with the new Quad-Core Intel Xeon...

HP workstations tap Quad-Core Intel Xeon 53005.(Hewlett-Packard Co. introduces efficient workstations)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Hewlett-Packard is now shipping powerful, energy-efficient HP workstations running Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5300 series processors and Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad-core processors. In fact, HP is introducing three new models within its ProLiant...

Boxx unveils 3DBoxx RTX series machines.(Boxx Technologies Inc. )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Boxx Technologies has released the new 3DBoxx RTX series of high-performance 64-bit workstations designed for film, postproduction, VFX, and digital intermediate applications. The 3DBoxx RTX workstation enables digital artists to take...

Softimage XSI 6 debuts.(PRODUCTS: MODELING/ANIMATION)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Softimage, a subsidiary of Avid Technology, has introduced Version 6 of its Softimage XSI 3D animation and character creation software. Among the features new to XSI are Crosswalk, a tool set for transferring content to and from other 3D...

Evolution of the 3D industry.(viewpoint)
December 1, 2006... Hundreds of companies today are offering 3D software tools and plug-ins, pre-built 3D data, and services to a growing set of 3D content creators. A global community of hundreds of thousands of 3D enthusiasts as well as professional artists and...

She-dragon: ILM gives a digital winged reptile an emotional performance, and Weta takes her to battle in Eragon.(Creature Creation)(Movie review)
December 1, 2006... The film Eragon has two stars: a teenaged boy named Eragon and a blue dragon named Saphira. The boy is performed by actor Edward Speleers; the dragon by visual effects studios Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Weta Digital. Directed by...

Part of their world: in a unique behind-the-scenes reveal, Disney Unveils a 3D version of The Little Mermaid attraction that almost was.(Virtual Fly-through)
December 1, 2006... Part of the magic of visiting a Walt Disney theme park is the ability to experience something new and exciting. That's because Walt Disney Imagineers are constantly devising novel ways to thrill and entertain guests, whether it is through a...

Web design: a realistic CG Charlotte and Templeton act alongside a real barnyard cast in the latest iteration of Charlotte's Web.(Character Modeling)
December 1, 2006... When most people see spiders and rats, they immediately think creepy, scary, repulsive, and gross. So how do you get movie-goers of all ages to form a warm emotional attachment to a spider and a rat that look so authentic they could pass...

Middle ground: the use of third-party middleware within the entertainment realm is expanding.(industry outlook)
December 1, 2006... Middleware, that sometimes thin layer of technology that sits between consumer hardware and games and other entertainment software, is an important but rarely noticed (by anyone other than developers) component of today's entertainment...

Adobe design contest.(Adobe Design Achievement Awards awarded to computer graphic designers)
December 1, 2006... Top and bottom groupings: Interactive Category: Images from projects by finalist Sam Smelter, University of Wisconsin; finalist Filip Olszewski, Rhode Island School of Design; winner Janina Boesch, Rhode Island School of Design. ...

Independent-minded: a look at the highlights and hurdles of indie studios trying to make their mark in the CG film industry.(Frank Gladstone and John Davis discussing about the computer graphics in movies)(Interview)
December 1, 2006... The October 2006 editorial, "A Taste of Independence" (pg. 1), pointed to a growing trend in the field of CG animation: a substantial increase in the number of 3D animated feature films, by independent studios, making their debut in theaters...

RealFlow on the Mac.(SIMULATION)
December 1, 2006... Win * Mac * Linux Next Limit Technologies has announced RealFIow4 (RF4) for Mac, a new version of its fluid and dynamics simulation tool with native binaries for Apple PowerMac, G4, G5, and Intel systems running Mac OS X Version 10.4 or higher....

Capture, convert, customize.(VIDEO)
December 1, 2006... Win Online Media Technologies' AVS Video Tools has been updated to Version 5.4. The software assists users in the cross-conversion of video formats, video capturing, and transferring video files to handheld devices, such as Apple iPod, Sony...

NVPerfKit upgrade.(SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT)
December 1, 2006... Win * Linux Nvidia has introduced NVPerfKit 2.1, a suite of tools for the debugging, visualization, and profiling of OpenGL and Direct3D software applications. Designed to speed game software development, NVPerfKit provides users access to...

Macworld: it's more than iPods.(NEWS)
December 1, 2006... Macworld Conference & Expo 2007, which is taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco January 8 to 12, brings together creative professionals in fields to see and experience the latest innovations in Mac technology. The 2007 show offers...