Computer Graphics World articles from February 2005

Computer Graphics World archives from February 2005

Digital economics.(popularity of movies because to digital-effects)
February 1, 2005... Given the incredible string of blockbuster digital-effects movies and computer-animated films released over the past decade and longer, there should be little doubt, even from those outside the computer graphics industry, about the quality of...

ViewSonic unveils wide-screen LCD.(liquid crystal displays)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2005 in Las Vegas last month, ViewSonic presented a new wide-screen professional display targeted at the digital entertainment market. The 23-inch VP231wb LCD monitor, designed for desktop...

RealViz introduces Stitcher Express 1.0.(new multimedia authoring software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... RealViz has released its latest software program, Stitcher Express 1.0, targeted at multimedia and 3D artists, professional photographers, and other creatives. Stitcher Express is a stitching solution that takes advantage of the technology...

NewTek previews 64-bit LightWave 3D.(modeling and animation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Maker of 3D animation and video products, NewTek recently demonstrated the upcoming 64-bit version of its LightWave 3D software at an exclusive Los Angeles event. LightWave 64-bit was previewed on an AMD Opteron system, from Boxx...

Luxology upgrades Modo.(3D modeling software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Luxology has announced the availability of Modo 102, the latest version of its 3D modeling software. The company's Modo subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform has been upgraded according to feedback received from various...

NEC-Mitsubishi enters multifunction LCD market.(liquid crystal displays from NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America has introduced the NEC MultiSync LCD2335WXM, the company's first entry into the wide-format, multifunction display market. The new model is a 23-inch, multifunction LCD that takes advantage of...

Urban legend.(new computer racing game from EA Games)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2005... To create a cutting-edge television and cinema ad campaign for EA Games' Need for Speed: Underground 2 racing title, digital artists took to the streets, combining artwork from two urban legends: renowned street artist David Choe and computer...

HDV's coming up.(high definition video)
February 1, 2005... If you're not that familiar with HDV, it would be both a little surprising and completely understandable. After all, over the past year HDV has become one of the video industry's hottest buzz-acronyms and most eagerly awaited product classes....

Super shorts: six films on the Oscar short list were created with 3D graphics.(Film)
February 1, 2005... What do a decimated animator, an adorable little boy, a sadistic soldier, a crude caveman, a devious gopher, and a blue cat dancing the tango with its own tail have in common? They're short animated films selected for consideration by the...

Dead ringers: performance cloning enables filmmakers to reconstruct famous faces from the past and give life to a new form of documentary.
February 1, 2005... Adolf Hitler, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill shaped world history more than 60 years ago. Yet even today, these stalwart figures are immediately recognizable, thanks largely to their unique, bold features-Hitler, with his pinched...

Tuning into HD: studios retool to meet the growing demand for HDTV.(high definition television)
February 1, 2005... If you were one of the lucky few who owned a high-definition television a couple of years ago, you no doubt experienced some frustration over the limited number of programs available that could take advantage of your TV's prodigious pixel...

Fun on the run: developers discover the secrets of successful mobile games.(Gaming)
February 1, 2005... Games, the "next big thing" in wireless for some time now, still lag behind ring tones, photographs, and wallpaper when it comes to mobile phone downloads. But even if cell phone users would rather answer to "Nyuk nyuk nyuk" (to cite a popular...

Portfolio.(works of digital artist Raphael Lacoste)
February 1, 2005... Clockwise from top left: Malik Shah's Sanctuary (Created with 3ds max and the Vray renderer, with camera mapping for the foreground elements and 3D fog for atmosphere.) Inspired by the work he did as art director for the computer game Prince of...

Wildcat Realizm 800: 3Dlabs' latest innovation meets the needs of high-end users.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2005... This year, PCI Express truly has taken the graphics community by storm. The technology, although less than one year old, already is poised to replace AGP as the standard graphics bus for the PC. As such, a whole new crop of graphics cards has...

Shade 7: this upgrade provides modeling tools for easily creating realistic scenes and objects.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2005... When I heard that the folks who made Poser 3D character creation software had a new product, I was interested immediately. Curious Labs, now a division of E Frontier Inc., was founded in Santa Cruz, California, in April 2000 and boasts 200,000...

HD displays.(high definition)(new products at 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show)
February 1, 2005... The 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held last month in Las Vegas, brought with it much talk and several product launches surrounding high-definition (HD) video. During the event, digital content providers pledged support for...

Nature, in effect.(Plug-in filters)
February 1, 2005... Win-Mac Alien Skin Software is shipping Eye Candy 5: Nature, a set of 10 plug-in filters for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Macromedia Fireworks, and Jasc Paint Shop Pro. Among the filters offered in Nature are: Corona, Drip, Fire,...

For the mod community.(Modification)
February 1, 2005... Softimage and parent company Avid Technology have released Softimage XSI Mod Tool, a version of its 3D animation software that aids in modifying video game content. In conjunction with Valve's Source Software Development Kit (SDK), Softimage...

Service pack debut.(Video)
February 1, 2005... Win NewTek has announced the availability of the first Service Pack for its VT4 integrated, professional video production suite. In addition to various performance and utility improvements, VT4 Service Pack 1 infuses the company's software...

In support of SLI.(Workstations)
February 1, 2005... Alienware has announced that its Aurora 7500 and Aurora ALX workstations support Nvidia's SLI technology. By enabling the combination of two Nvidia GeForce 6 Series graphics cards in a single PC, Nvidia SLI technology increases graphics...

Events.
February 1, 2005... MARCH 7-11 Game Developers Conference, held in San Francisco. Contact 888-234-9476, www.gdconf.com. APRIL 16-21 NAB2005, held in Las Vegas. Contact National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), 888-740-4622, www.nab.org. MAY...