Computer Graphics World articles from May 2004

Computer Graphics World archives from May 2004

Just pretty faces?(editor's note)(Editorial)
May 1, 2004... Digital actors get no respect from film directors and producers. In most cases, that's been for good reason. The so-called "synthespians" that have made it to the big screen have appeared stiff and unnatural looking when trying to walk, talk,...

Nvidia unveils next-generation Quadro line.(graphic cards)
May 1, 2004... Nvidia has introduced its next-generation technology with the release of the Quadro FX 4000 and 4000 SDI. The first offering in the enhanced Quadro FX family, the Quadro FX 4000 boasts performance gains of 2X and pixel read-back and graphics...

RTzen and RT/shader debut at GDC.(shader)
May 1, 2004... RTzen made its official debut during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Jose, California. Based in Bellevue, Washington, the company was founded by digital content experts to develop products and technology that empower 3D artists and...

AI.implant 2.0 attracts attention.(intelligence)
May 1, 2004... BioGraphic Technologies has released Version 2.0 of its artificial-intelligence software for game development, AI.implant for Games. According to the company, this upgrade is the result of two years of working closely with customers, such as...

Kaydara presents MotionBuilder upgrade and middleware.(animation)
May 1, 2004... Kaydara has upgraded its real-time 3D character animation software to Version 5.5. MotionBuilder 5.5 Professional adds support for Python Scripting and CgFX shaders, translating to significant time-savings. Support for the Python Scripting...

Leitch announces VelocityHD.(video)
May 1, 2004... With its public debut of VelocityHD at NAB2004, Leitch has taken the power of its popular Velocity editing solutions to the high-definition video market. A format-flexible non-linear editing system, VelocityHD is designed to make HD video...

Finite Elements.(broadcast)
May 1, 2004... Sway Studio, along with A52, created a compelling all-CG commercial for Honda in which storm clouds roll into the scene against a white background, and rather than raining "cats and dogs," it pours toy Mega Bloks that eventually form a Honda...

Renewed optimism.(market outlook)
May 1, 2004... Business is starting to pick up this year for many visual effects studios and facilities. Many studio owners are more optimistic today than they were during the summer of 2003. In fact, the number of US studios and facilities that say they...

The University of Southern California's (USC; Los Angeles) School of Cinema-Television, in partnership with publisher Electronic Arts (EA), plans to add a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in video game design beginning in the fall of 2004.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The University of Southern California's (USC; Los Angeles) School of Cinema-Television, in partnership with publisher Electronic Arts (EA), plans to add a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in video game design beginning in the fall of 2004....

The HDV revolution.(video viewpoint)
May 1, 2004... It's been about a year and a half since JVC's consumer division introduced a camcorder, the GR-HD1, able to record High Definition Video (HDV) onto a MiniDV cassette. And, it's been a little more than a year since JVC's professional division...

After effects: PDI/DreamWorks develops tools to help Shrek and Fiona live happily ever after.(Film)(Cover Story)
May 1, 2004... The tremendous critical and financial success of Shrek, which received the first Best Feature Animation Oscar and earned more than $480 million dollars in box-office revenues, made a sequel inevitable. But when the green ogre married beautiful...

The Alamo rerendered: Matte World Digital uses a variety of 2D and 3D tools to conjure up the historical battle of The Alamo.(Film)
May 1, 2004... On February 23, 1836, some 180 people--Americans who had settled in a northern part of Mexico called Texas, as well as the Tijanos who lived there, and a group of cavalry men--prepared to defend a fort called the Alamo from attack by Mexican...

Beautiful people: a filmmaker creates a pair of "perfect" digital actors with features borrowed from Hollywood stars.(Virtual Actors)
May 1, 2004... Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it would be a mistake to assume that our notions of human beauty are completely subjective. Though exceptions exist, people tend to agree about who's attractive. Hundreds of thousands of Web hits...

Double coverage: an innovative campaign scores with a winning combination of broadcast and Web advertising.(Multimedia)
May 1, 2004... Given the wealth of entertainment options available to us, our time and attention are divided amongst television, digital video recorders, DVD players, computer and console games, camera-equipped and video-capable mobile phones, and the World...

Alienware design challenge.(Portfolio)
May 1, 2004... The current generation of hardware and digital content creation software is allowing today's artists to create imagery that is out of this world. To illustrate this point, Alienware, maker of high-performance computer systems, and graphics art...

FireGL X2-256t: ATI unveils an impressive and powerful graphics accelerator.
May 1, 2004... ATI has been producing the FireGL line of OpenGL graphics cards for quite some time. Starting with Diamond, and then continuing with ATI after a merger, the FireGL cards always have been solid performers. You can find them configured in...

Dell Precision 650: Dell targets video and 3D markets with a robust, high-end workstation.
May 1, 2004... Dell computers have long been dependable solutions for home and office computing. But in the world of high-end workstation hardware, Dell is not the first name that springs to mind. To remedy that, Dell's new line of Precision PCs targets the...

Liquid Edition 5.5: pinnacle launches a fluid NLE.
May 1, 2004... You tend to expect a great deal from a company that has won nine Emmy Awards. With Liquid Edition 5.5, Pinnacle Systems delivers. The company put a great deal of thought into this editing system, and it shows--from its power and flexibility to...

Import and export.(Plug-In)
May 1, 2004... [Win] Digimation is shipping GestureMax 1.0 for Versions 5.1 and 6 of Discreet's 3ds max. A new plug-in, GestureMax provides users the ability to import into the 3ds max work space Curious Labs' Poser models with optional skeletons, skinning,...

ATI upgrade.(Shading)
May 1, 2004... [Win] ATI Technologies has upgraded its RenderMonkey hardware-independent shader development tool to Version 1.5. The new edition adds full support for the OpenGL Shading Language, helping users create realistic games and animations, regardless...

REV up data storage.(Storage)
May 1, 2004... Iomega has unveiled its latest storage solution, the REV 35GB/90GB drive. Designed to offer hard-drive performance in a removable disk, the Iomega REV serves a variety of uses, including server and desktop backup, file sharing, and archiving....

MaxPac X.(Video)
May 1, 2004... MaxVision has introduced its family of MaxPac X Class computers, said to be the industry's first triple-LCD portable family of computers designed for such applications as SD and HD video. Designed to be rugged and portable, the MaxPac X Class...

Events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... JULY 12-15 Macworld Conference & Expo Boston 2004, held in Boston. Contact 508-743-0107, www.macworldexpo.com. AUGUST 8-12 SIGGRAPH 2004, held in Los Angeles, Contact www.siggraph.org. 15-27 2004 Oregon3D Film...

Customizable content: interest in personalized and product-driven on-line games is growing among vendors, as well as consumers of all ages.(backdrop)
May 1, 2004... Q How exactly would you define a custom-published game? A Games that tie to brands and, for the most part, are provided free to consumers are what we refer to as custom published. Typically brought to you by advertisers, the game tends to...