Computer Graphics World articles from May 2008

Computer Graphics World archives from May 2008

NAB 2008: a new era.(editor's note)(National Association of Broadcasters)(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... Another April, another trip to Las Vegas for the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference and exhibition. This though, it was year, hardly "the same old show." Consider, for instance, the booths that attendees saw when...

AMD card features DisplayPort support.(PRODUCTS: GPU)(Advanced Micro Devices Inc's ATI FireGL V7700)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AMD has introduced the ATI FireGL V7700, the first commercially available 3D workstation graphics card with DisplayPort support that features improved rendering speed, 3D performance, and color fidelity. Ideal...

Adobe AIR and Flex 3 Propel Web graphics.(PRODUCTS: WEB)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Adobe recently rolled out its Adobe AIR and Adobe Flex 3 software, furthering its technology platform for rich Internet applications (RIAs). Adobe AIR bridges the real-time, dynamic capabilities of the Web with the computing power and data...

Celco unleashes 4K Firestorm recorder.(PRODUCTS: FILM)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Celco began shipping its Firestorm 4K digital motion-picture recorder, ideal for HD-, 2K-, and 4z-acquired productions, DI, digital trailers, tape-to-film transfers, and archive-to-film and digital film restoration. The Firestorm 4K offers...

Revolver 'evolves' real-time rendering.(PRODUCTS: RENDERING)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Revolver unveiled its patent-pending core technology, OneLayer3D (OL3D), which enables the implementation of commercial cross-platform polygon graphics solutions for real-time rendering of 3D content in 2D environments, such as Web browsers and...

Xaitment launches AI modules.(PRODUCTS: AI)(Artificial Intelligence)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Xaitment, a provider of artificial intelligence for the games and simulation industries, released five new AI modules ranging from standard to high-level functionality. The modules optimize the company's XaitEngine, which drives the predictable...

Havok presents version 5.5, Cloth, and destruction.(PRODUCTS: GAMING)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Havok released Havok 5.5, which includes enhancements and new features across its modular suite of run-time technology and artist tools for accelerating the development of cross-platform, cutting-edge electronic entertainment. ...

Escalating 3D Animation.(USER FOCUS: CG CHARACTERS)
May 1, 2008... Audiences have been entertained by 3D animals big and small, on the big screen and on the small screen. Recently, Framestore CFC--which brought us Iorek and the rest of the bears in The Golden Compass, and the feathered postmen in the FedEx...

Z Corp.'s ZEdit Pro simplifies 3D printing.(PRODUCTS: STEREOLITHOGRAPHY)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... ZEdit Pro lets users of 3D MCAD software verify and ensure that geometric data is 3D printable. It also lets them apply colors, texture maps, and labels to their models, and print large prototypes in component pieces. The software quickly...

Power suits: ILM fits Robert Downey Jr. with a full-metal digital costume for Iron Man; the orphanage and the embassy also contribute CG effects.(VFX*Rending)(Industrial Light & Magic )
May 1, 2008... When it comes to dressing for success, weapons manufacturer and sometimes arms dealer Tony Stark hits the mark, as any fan of Marvel Comics' Iron Man knows and others will learn as the latest superhero blasts into theaters. Directed by Jon...

Animal Kingdom: talking CG animals and mythological creatures star in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.(Digital Characters)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More than a thousand Narnian years have passed since the Pevensie children Wardrobe and into the fantastic kingdom of Narnia, and yet, in the storybook's real word Peter [??], Edmund, and Lucy are only a year older....

Measuring green footprints: computer-based energy analysis programs drive sustainable design.(Architecture)
May 1, 2008... In New Orleans, pink has become the new green, and Brad Pitt has something to do with it. As night fell on December 3, 2007, approximately 430 gigantic glowing cubes, lit from within and swaddled in bright pink sheets, appeared along the...

Brain power: an inventor uses massive's software to make his creation 'think'.(Artificial Intelligence)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For some time now, digital artists have been making smart CG characters that star in computer games and feature films. But could this virtual AI be just as effective ill the real world? Inventor David Hanson of...

Man vs machine: Zoic brings the terminator to the small screen, with big-screen production values.(Broadcast)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With its intricate inner workings of hydraulic piston rods and gears, James Cameron's Terminator was an amazing feat of animatronic engineering in 1984. Produced on a B-movie budget of $6.4 million, the biomechanical...

Supinfocom.(Portfolio)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Quand Revient la Mousson Created by Benjamin Fournet, Benjamin Beal, Mikael Brosset, and Cynthia Guilpin, from the Aries campus. Camera Obscura Created by Mathieu Buchalski, Thierry Onillon, and Jean-Michel...

Commitment to education.(Knowledge & Career)
May 1, 2008... Since its inception in 1986, Softimage has focused on helping artists create art. Now the company is extending this commitment to students, who the vendor plans to help not only break into the industry, but excel in it. To this end,...

Beyond the tools: teaching management, leaderships skills at the Centre for Digital Media.(Knowledge & Career)(Great Northern Way Campus )
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Centre for Digital Media at the Great Northern Way Campus (GNWC) in Vancouver opened last fall and is currently instructing its inaugural class through its Masters of Digital Media Program. Sounds typical, right?...

Ani-jobs.com: a new type of job site: portal launched by working VFX pros looking to build a community.(Knowledge & Career)
May 1, 2008... While many Internet job sites--with free listings for artists and employers--emerged from a grassroots movement, some of these have recently been bought out by independents, and as a result, the site models have changed. Producer Billy...

Lifelike 3D.(GAME-DEVELOPMENT WORKFLOW)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win] Dassault Systemes introduced its 3DVIA MP development platform with a realistic real-time rendering engine for the PC and Xbox 360. 3DVIA MP is designed to improve the game-development process and aid developers in producing high-end, 3D...

Seamless DAZ 3D pipeline.(GAME-DEVELOPMENT WORKFLOW)(Mogware)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win] DAZ Productions and Mogware, a game content pipeline provider, have partnered to enable game developers to move DAZ 3D content directly into their 3D software or games. MOGBox, which was shown for the first time at GDC, is designed to...

CryEngine 2 support.(MIDDLEWARE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win-Linux] Softimage, a subsidiary of Avid Technology, announced content pipeline support for CryEngine 2, Crytek's flagship game engine developed in conjunction with Crysis, the first-person shooter PC game title. Softimage XSI software...

Solution with Substance.(MIDDLEWARE)(Allegorithmic )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win] Allegorithmic unveiled Substance, its new generation of middleware for authoring high-quality, dynamic textures in real time. Substance includes an updated Substance Mixer authoring tool and Substance Engine rendering engine. Based on...

Toon Boom news.(ANIMATION)(Toon Boom Digital Pro)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win-Mac] Toon Boom Animation has released Toon Boom Digital Pro, professional animation software offering advanced content creation, animation, and compositing capabilities. Among its productivity tools are a vector engine, lip sync, morphing,...

Frantic Films release.(PLUG-INS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win] The software division of visual effects studio Frantic Films has released Awake, a plug-in pack for Eyeon Software's Fusion 5. Awake includes six plug-ins: Lens Distort, Stereo Image Stacking, Stereo Image Unstacking, Frequency Blur,...

Massive update.(ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win-Linux] Massive Software recently upgraded its Massive artificial intelligence-driven animation system to Version 3.0. Massive 3.0 delivers improved dynamics, dynamic hair and fur, and layer simulations. Massive enables artists to create...

New Vue.(SIMULATION)(E-on Software's Vue Infinite and Vue xStream)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [Win-Mac] E-on Software presented Release 6.5 of Vue Infinite and Vue xStream solutions for producing natural-looking 3D environments. Vue Infinite and Vue xStream are compatible with Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, Maxon Cinema4D, NewTek LightWave,...

Compact 3D mouse.(INPUT DEVICE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... 3Dconnexion unveiled the SpaceNavigator 3D mouse, featuring a controller cap that can be pulled, tilted, or twisted to simultaneously pan, zoom, and rotate 3D models with greater ease and control than is possible with a traditional computer...