Computer Graphics World articles from January 2005

Computer Graphics World archives from January 2005

Under the top.(special effects in movies)(Editorial)
January 1, 2005... Looking at effects films over the past few years, one could say that visual effects are following a kind of Moore's Law, doubling in quality and quantity nearly every year. One example that would support this notion is the Lord of the Rings...

Avid releases HD versions of products.(high definition, Avid Technology enhances desktop video software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Avid Technology has introduced HD versions of its Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer Adrenaline solutions. The first HD version of the company's non-linear digital editing software, Avid Xpress Pro HD boasts support for native Panasonic...

Voodoo PC expands Envy line.(new notebook computer from Voodoo Computers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Manufacturer of personalized computer systems, Voodoo PC has extended its Envy product family to include two new models: the m:790 and m:50. The Voodoo Envy m:790 is the company's first notebook computer to employ the next-generation,...

Discreet ships cloth extension for 3ds max 7.(plug-in)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Discreet, a division of Autodesk, has announced the first value-added extension for its 3ds max 7 software. A 3D modeling plug-in, Cloth Extension provides artists a cloth-simulation system with which to build realistic, film-quality...

Softimage upgrades XSI to version 4.2.(3D modeling and animation)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2005... Softimage, together with its Avid Technology parent company, has announced an upgrade to Softimage XSI. The latest software update, Version 4.2, is geared toward streamlining the creative process for game, film, broadcast, and...

Adobe unveils Acrobat 7.(Adobe Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Adobe Systems has unveiled an upgraded version of its Acrobat Professional software. With the release of Version 7.0, Adobe expands the functionality of Acrobat beyond the conversion of various document formats to PDE The latest version boasts...

Replacement vehicles.(General Motors Corp. Cadillac Motor Car Div., Rhinofx, contract)
January 1, 2005... Last year, New York City visual effects studio RhinoFX helped Cadillac create some holiday magic, turning a summertime setting into a winter wonderland for a television commercial in which Cadillac vehicles navigate through an idyllic small...

What's in a title?(market outlook)(visual effects industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... In most visual effects studios, a person's job title can change quickly depending on the type of work that is being performed. This is particularly true in the six out of 10 facilities that are considered small businesses--that is, with fewer...

For its visual effects work on Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, a four-hour miniseries for the SciFi Channel, digital production company Animal Logic (Sydney, Australia) received an award in the TV series category at the Australian Effects & Animation Festival.
January 1, 2005... For its visual effects work on Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, a four-hour miniseries for the SciFi Channel, digital production company Animal Logic (Sydney, Australia) received an award in the TV series category at the Australian Effects &...

Grand unification.(video editing)
January 1, 2005... Broad feature integration has been a clear trend among non-linear video editing vendors during the past several years. Effects generation and multitrack compositing have become regular, expected parts of any professional non-linear editing...

The Halo effect: the highly anticipated sequel Halo 2 sets the stage for a new era of graphics in games.(Gaming)
January 1, 2005... On Tuesday, November 9, 2004, the video game Halo 2 made entertainment history when it logged a first-day sales record of $125 million. The game's opening-day revenues even trounced the reigning opening-weekend ruler at the box office, 2002's...

Lemony aid: a baby performs impossible acts in extremely close-up scenes thanks to a digital double created at ILM for Lemony Snicket.(Film)(Lemony Snicket, Industrial Light & Magic )
January 1, 2005... The film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events may be about a series of mishaps, but happily the creation of its 505 visual effects shots at Industrial Light & Magic occurred under a more fortuitous set of circumstances. Directed by...

Between the lines: a unique storybook blends traditional reading with a virtual adventure.(Technology)
January 1, 2005... Books have changed little since papyrus scrolls began replacing clay tablets some four millennia ago. A few milestones, such as Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, have influenced the bookmaking process in the interim, but none has radically...

Digital improv: graphics share the comedy spotlight in Drew Carey's new Green Screen Show.(Broadcast)
January 1, 2005... Drew Carey, known for his comedic edge, is introducing prime-time audiences to the amusing side of animation. For the past few television seasons, Carey has garnered additional laughs from his studio audiences by incorporating humorous...

Savannah Film Festival.(Portfolio)
January 1, 2005... Student and professional filmmakers from across the globe showcased a wide selection of juried works to approximately 25,000 attendees at the 2004 Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) this past fall....

Sun Java W2100z: Sun Microsystems introduces a powerful graphics workstation.(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2005... Sun Microsystems invented the desktop graphics workstation, and built its first fortune in the 1980s with Unix-based graphics workstations. Its latest release, the Sun Java Workstation W2100z, takes advantage of AMD's 64-bit Opteron processors...

ParticleIllusion 3.0: the latest upgrade offers a wealth of preset effects.
January 1, 2005... Wondertouch recently updated its particle effects tool, ParticleIllusion, to Version 3.0. A powerful, stand-alone particle effects generator, it offers more than just standard particles; you also can create modern logo effects and motion...

Rtre: a new rendering tool delivers real-time 3D visualization for 3ds max.(TurboSquid, 3 dimensional)
January 1, 2005... Game developers spend years writing and perfecting code for game engines so players can see the fantastic worlds they create in rich, full detail in a real-time environment. Why shouldn't architects, designers, and film effects producers use...

Forestry finding.(Digimation Inc. introduces graphics software)
January 1, 2005... [Win] Digimation has started delivering SpeedTree3, the latest version of its software tool for the creation of low- to medium-polygon-count trees. SpeedTree has been upgraded with support for flared trunks, enhanced MaxScript support, and a...

Toon Boom update.(Toon Boom Animation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... [Win] Toon Boom Animation has released Version 2.5 of its Toon Boom Studio for the PC. This latest upgrade features improved sound scrubbing and support for scanning. Version 2.5 enables users not only to draw in the 3D Sceneplanning space, but...

Informatix info.(new graphics software from Informatix Software International)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... [Max] Informatix Software International has unveiled a Macintosh version of its Piranesi 4 software. Now running on the Mac OS X platform, Piranesi 4 employs 3 D painting technology designed to aid designers in adding detail and hand-drawn...

Fresh from the Farm.(The Pixel Farm introduces an image processing software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... [Mac * Linux] The Pixel Farm has introduced PFPlay 1.0, a software-based digital film production review system. The release enables resolution-independent, uncompressed playback directly from disc, as well as the exportation of movies in any...

DV expansion.(new digital video from JVC Professional Products Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... JVC has added the GY-DV5100 to its professional DV line. The new 3-CCD, Pro-DV camcorder boasts a newly developed 24-bit digital signal processor (DSP), an integral 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a 400-percent dynamic range. Now...

Events.(products)(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... JANUARY 25-27 Video Forum 2005, held in London. Visit www.videoforum.co.uk. 31-2/4 Animex 2005: The Animex International Festival of Animation, held in Middlesbrough, England. Contact +44-01642-342638, www.animex.net. ...