Computer Graphics World articles from December 2007

Computer Graphics World archives from December 2007

2007: a retrospective.(editor's note)(Editorial)
December 1, 2007... Just about now, everyone is ready to kick back and enjoy the holidays. With a new year looming, it seems like a good time to look back on the CG industry happenings from 2007. For instance, CPU/GPU makers continue to build on Tesla, Cuda,...

AMD readies first stream processor with double-precision floating-point technology.(PRODUCTS: PROCESSORS)(Advanced Micro Devices Inc.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... AMD leveraged its collective expertise in both GPUs and CPUs to deliver the first integrated hardware and software development solution that meets the needs of the high-performance computing (HPC) market. To this end, AMD plans to deliver the...

AJA ships Io HD.(PRODUCTS: VIDEO)(AJA Video)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... AJA Video began shipping Io HD, delivering HD editing to the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro via its FireWire 800 interface. Io HD is the first device to natively support Apple's ProRes 422 video format in hardware. Along with video and audio...

HP uncovers two Quad-Core models.(PRODUCTS: WORKSTATIONS)(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(HP xw6600)(HP xw8600)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... One year after delivering its first workstations based on Qua&Core Intel Xeon processors, HP continued along this path by unveiling two upcoming eight-core workstations--the HP xw6600 and xw8600--both powered by next-gen Quad-Core (Intel 5400...

RealViz rolls out Movimento mocap.(PRODUCTS: MOTION CAPTURE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... RealViz unveiled an eight-camera solution bundle, geared for motion-capture professionals, that captures facial, hand, arm, and full-body movement without the need for a inocap studio. At the heart of the offering is Movimento, the...

Cintiq 12WX interactive pen display available.(PRODUCTS: TABLET PC)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Wacom Technology rolled out the Cintiq 12WX, aimed at professional digital content creators, that combines all the advantages and power of direct pen-on-screen input with a new low-profile, lightweight, and flexible design. Ideal for...

AMD introduces x86 Quad-Core microprocessor.(PRODUCTS: PROCESSORS)(Advanced Micro Devices Inc.)
December 1, 2007... AMD announced the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor, the first native x86 quad-core microprocessor, geared for demanding data centers. Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with AMD's Direct Connect Architecture introduce innovations beyond four...

Softimage goes mod.(PRODUCTS: GAMING)(XSI 6 Mod Tool)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For a while now, Softimage has been offering its XSI 6 Mod Tool, free 3D modeling and animation software for non-commercial game content creation and modification. The product enables aspiring game developers to...

Havok launches integrated character/physics solution.(PRODUCTS: GAMING)(Havok 5)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Havok, known for its interactive software, made available Havok 5, which offers new features across the company's modular suite of run-time technology and artists tools for accelerating the development of cross-platform games and special...

Animal control: visual effects studios pilot CG animal actors through virtual environments to help create a parallel universe for The Golden Compass.(Visual Effects)
December 1, 2007... Director-screenwriter Chris Weitz almost didn't make New Line's The Golden Compass. After finishing the script in 2004, he removed himself as director, citing technical challenges that were more than he could undertake. In May 2006, after his...

Making Halo 3 shine: Bungie infuses its latest title with state-of-the-art graphics.(Gaming)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last month, we kicked off this series on true next-generation titles by highlighting Midway's Stranglehold. In this issue, we detail the cutting-edge graphics in Halo 3, and we will end this three-part feature with a...

War movies: envisioning the CG world of Halo 3 in live-action mini-movies.(computer graphics)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 2001, a war erupted in the virtual world between a band of human soldiers, led by the cybernetically enhanced super-soldier Master Chief, and an alliance of alien races known as the Covenant. For six years hence,...

Open before Christmas: a trio of year-end tales features lifelike CG creatures and a realistic digital environment.(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The winter holidays bring nearly as much festive cheer to movie-theater box offices as do the summer blockbusters, and this year is no exception. In addition to the two big visual effects films--Beowulf and The...

'Tooning reality: Tippett Studio populates a photorealistic fairy tale with furry CG animals that sometimes behave like cartoons.(CG Modelling)
December 1, 2007... Disney's Enchanted begins as a classic 2D animated fairy tale, but the handsome prince's wicked mother pushes his beautiful bride into a well just before the wedding, and that begins the story. When Giselle emerges, she's actress Amy Adams and...

Flying reindeer: for Fred Claus, Cinesite sends Santa's brother to the North Pole.(CG Modeling)
December 1, 2007... You might be able to buy the premise of the film Fred Claus, that Santa has a scallywag of an older brother named Fred (Vince Vaughn), but no Christmas comedy would be complete without reindeer, Santa's sleigh, and elves. A crew of...

Natural effects, unnatural people: Sony Pictures Imageworks creates a post-apocalyptic Manhattan and fills it with plants, animals, and vampires.(CG Modeling)
December 1, 2007... In the film I Am Legend, when Neville (Will Smith) moves through Times Square, he doesn't see streets filled with people, neon signs, or yellow taxis. He sees a lion stalking a herd of deer. Three years after a rampant virus has caused the...

A silver lining: celebrating 25 years of design innovation.(CAD)(dialogue with Amar Hanspal of Autodesk Inc.)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... It's been 25 years since Autodesk first introduced its AutoCAD software, forever changing the way engineers and designers do their work. Amar Hanspal, senior vice president of Platform Solutions and Emerging Business at Autodesk, looks at how...

Portfolio: Ryan Drue.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For professional artist Ryan Drue of San Jose, California, the most challenging aspect of working in the digital realm is keeping pace with his ideas. "Every day I want to create something new, and I often find I...

Education assessment: experts weigh in on the pros and cons in this sector, and look ahead to 2008.(Knowledge & Career)
December 1, 2007... Schools are offering students hands-on learning and the skills needed to make the transition from student to pro. Young, talented, and trained people are a hot commodity these days, but competition in the professional fields is fierce; schools...

Imagine at Imagina 2008.(news)
December 1, 2007... From media and entertainment, to landscape design, to architecture, to industrial design, Imagina 2008 has something for everyone in the 3D community. This conference and exhibition, which will be held January 30 through February 1 in...

Primatte Chromakey update.(VIDEO)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Win * Mac Digital Anarchy presents Primatte Chromakey 3.0 for Photoshop, a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Primatte removes bluescreen and greenscreen backgrounds from both still images and footage. The result is the subject...

nPower ProEtoMax.(CAD)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Win Power ProEtoMax, nPower Software's latest Power Translators plug-in, enables the native translation of Pro/Engineer model and assembly files directly in Autodesk's 3ds Max and Viz. Power ProEtoMax users can visualize, animate, and render...

V8 under the hood.(CAD)(Linux Bricscad V8 upgraded from Bricsys Inc.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Win * Linux Bricscad V8 is a revamped version of DWG-compatible CAD software from Bricsys. The redesigned graphical user interface sports a new Drawing Explorer and Properties Bar, for more intuitive management of Bricscad DWG files. The...

AcceliCAD 2008 V2.(CAD)(Autodsys Inc.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Autodsys has released AcceliCAD 2008 V2, a CAD software solution offering compatibility with AutoCAD 2008 DWG file formats. The original 2008 edition has been expanded to include: a batch-plotting interface for plotting multiple drawings and...

Ansys Airpak 3.0.(SIMULATION)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Win * Linux Ansys released Version 3.0 of its Ansys Airpak airflow modeling software, with enhancements to productivity, meshing technology, and realism. This latest version boasts a new user interface featuring a model manager, advanced object...

Gridiron Nucleo Pro 2.(VISUAL EFFECTS)(Gridiron Software)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Win * Mac Gridiron Software's Nucleo Pro 2 helps visual effects artists using Adobe After Effects optimize their workflow. The latest version of the productivity tool harnesses the power of multiprocessor and multicore computers, and enhances...

BCC 5.0 for AE.(VISUAL EFFECTS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Win * Mac BorisFX is now shipping Boris Continuum Complete (BCC) 5.0 for AE, a suite of more than 180 filters for use with Adobe's Creative Suite 3.0. BCC 5.0 for AE boasts custom on-screen controls and several new filters. Optical Flow, Open...

FxPack Expansion.(VISUAL EFFECTS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Mac Noise Industries, and its partners CoreMelt and SugarFx, debuted FxFactory Expansion FxPacks for Apple Final Cut Studio 2. Developed using Noise Industries' FxFactory Pro plug-in manager, the new FxPacks provide eye-catching audio...