Computer Graphics World articles from November 2003

Computer Graphics World archives from November 2003

Eureka moments.(Editor's note)(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... If there's one question we get from new readers and Web site visitors more than any other, it is something along the following lines: "I want to get into the computer graphics industry. What kind of skills do I need?" The advice we give is...

Canopus adds DV bundle to its product lineup.(DV; DVStorm2 Ultra Bundle)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Canopus has released its DVStorm2 Ultra Bundle, a suite of software solutions designed for professional video production. Combining video and audio editing, video production, and DVD authoring in a single offering, Canopus's new bundle includes...

Maxon upgrades BodyPaint.(texturing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Maxon Computer has announced the availability of BodyPaint 3D Release 2, developed with input from the award-winning special effects team at Sony Pictures Imageworks. With the goal of supplying users fast and easy-to-use tools, Release 2...

Kaydara premieres MotionBuilder 5.(animation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Kaydara has upgraded its professional 3D character animation solution, MotionBuilder, to Version 5. Among the features new to MotionBuilder Version 5 are a built-in clipart library, expanded file format support thanks to Kaydara FBX, and...

Maxtor offers one-touch storage solution.(hardware)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Maxtor has debuted next-generation hard disk drives with the introduction of its Maxtor OneTouch product line. The Maxtor OneTouch is, in fact, reportedly the first push button backup and restore hard drive-based solution on the market. ...

The Valley displays realistic foliage.(plant simulation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Interactive Data Visualization has employed its SpeedTree family of tree and plant creation software in the development of a new environment, The Valley. The latest addition to the company's Web site, The Valley is a photo-quality...

Extreme animation.(broadcast)
November 1, 2003... When Ra Productions (Dunedin, New Zealand) was approached to create several minutes of computer graphics for Animal Planet's "The Most Extreme" series, its animators jumped at the opportunity. As a result of their efforts, the studio was duly...

Friendly faces.(web)
November 1, 2003... One of the big drawbacks to using electronic mail is that the communication process is impersonal. Now, however, some e-mail users can attach a "face" to their e-mail "names." Internet provider America Online is enabling subscribers to get...

Shadow magic.(matting and compositing)
November 1, 2003... Techniques abound for matting objects from film or video sequences and compositing them into other scenes. Some entail matting images filmed against a blue- or greenscreen, or use manual rotoscoping to prepare the images for compositing into...

A leader in haptic feedback technology, Immersion (San Jose, CA) announced the settlement of a lawsuit the company filed against Microsoft in February 2002.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A leader in haptic feedback technology, Immersion (San Jose, CA) announced the settlement of a lawsuit the company filed against Microsoft in February 2002. According to the agreement, Microsoft will license Immersion's haptic patent portfolio...

Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI; Mountain View, CA) has joined Discreet's infrastructure sparks partner program.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI; Mountain View, CA) has joined Discreet's infrastructure sparks partner program. As a result, the two companies will work together to qualify elements of SGI's InfiniteStructure system, including the SGI SAN Server...

For its work on the now-canceled TV series Firefly, digital effects and animation production house Zoic Studios (Los Angeles) was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... For its work on the now-canceled TV series Firefly, digital effects and animation production house Zoic Studios (Los Angeles) was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. Zoic Studios employed Discreet's flame to...

Nvidia (Santa Clara, CA) announced that its GeForce FX 5200 Ultra and GeForce4 MX graphics processing units are powering.(a new Apple iMac)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Nvidia (Santa Clara, CA) announced that its GeForce FX 5200 Ultra and GeForce4 MX graphics processing units are powering Apple's newest iMac.

Maxon Computer (Newbury Park, CA) revealed that Sony Pictures Imageworks has incorporated its BodyPaint 3D software, designed for painting and texturing 3D elements.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Maxon Computer (Newbury Park, CA) revealed that Sony Pictures Imageworks has incorporated its BodyPaint 3D software, designed for painting and texturing 3D elements, into its animation and effects production pipeline.

Moving to the mainstream.(DV Editing)
November 1, 2003... During the past two years, high-definition video production has taken off as video professionals have embraced the HD format as a less expensive alternative to film. Thanks to the emergence of low-cost HD camcorders from companies like Sony,...

New age ads: digital effects drive TV commercials that look more like art films than product pitches.(Broadcast)
November 1, 2003... Time--specifically, airtime--is money for commercial advertisers. In fact, according to the American Association of Advertising Agencies' latest Television Production Cost Survey, the average price of producing a 30-second national TV...

Setting the stage: digital imagery plays a leading role in a range of traditional theatrical productions.(Digital Video)
November 1, 2003... Part I of a two-part series digital video and computer graphics effects have been starring on the big screen for years, and now the same tools and techniques that have wowed movie audiences are captivating theater-goers of a different...

A shot of Adrenaline.(DV / Rock Concert)
November 1, 2003... When Lollapalooza first appeared on the music scene in 1991, it was a groundbreaking event that introduced the music world to the concept of the touring, multi-band summer music festival. Not surprisingly, when Lollapalooza returned this season...

Out of this world.(DV / Orchestra Concert)
November 1, 2003... An international tour by the Kronos Quartet combined music, science, and DV technology during its performance of new age composer Terry Riley's Sun Rings, a multimedia extravaganza of string-quartet music, chores, space sounds, and video....

Reprogrammed: artists turn Terminator 3 into a lifelike console game.(Gaming)
November 1, 2003... In 1984, the world was introduced to a new foe, a futuristic threat to life as we know it. Arguably Arnold Schwarzenegger's most notorious role--aside perhaps from that as the newly elected governor of California--the Terminator steps out of...

Covering your assets: digital asset management technology helps content creators control the production pipeline.(Asset Management)
November 1, 2003... According to scholars and business pundits, we are leaving the Information Age and entering the Attention Age. Knowledge--the mere possession of data--is no longer power. Data--as represented in books, e-zines, market reports, newspapers, and a...

Adobe Design Achievement Awards.(Art Studio)
November 1, 2003... The future direction of digital imagery is in the hands of today's students. And judging by some of their current works, the industry indeed is in good hands. Throughout the year, these budding artists and filmmakers have the chance to...

TrueSpace 6.5: Caligari adds nonlinear animation.
November 1, 2003... TrueSpace has been around for a number of years. Caligari has remained in the market by offering a nicely featured package that provides basic modeling, texturing, and animation at an affordable price. Version 6.5 adds to the feature set with...

Particle flow: Discreet's new particle system extension proves to be priceless.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Previously provided through a subscription service for registered users, Discreet's Particle Flow extension has been incorporated into the newest version of its powerful 3ds max software. (For a full review of Discreet's 3ds max 6, see the...

Ultra key: the latest from Serious Magic, Ultra Key simplifies chroma keying.
November 1, 2003... If you've worked with chromo key (electronically matting or inserting an image from one camera into a picture produced by another), you know it requires time and money to do correctly. Building a set, installing the proper lighting, renting or...

Broadcast news.(Digital Video)(Avid 's NewsCutter XP 5.0 and Avid Mojo Digital Nonlinear Accelerator 5.0)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... [Win] Avid Technology debuted two new products, the Avid NewsCutter XP 5.0 and the Avid Mojo Digital Nonlinear Accelerator. Version 5.0 of the advanced news editing system is well suited to use in the field and in the newsroom. The upgrade...

Upgraded effects package.(Digital Video)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... [Win-Mac] Media 100 unveiled an upgraded version of its Final Effects Complete for Mac OS X, a suite of more than 100 plug-in filters and transitions for adding effects to film, video, animation, and DVD and CD-ROM content. The upgraded...

All-natural 3D.(Effects)(e-on Software Vue 4 Professional)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... [Win-Mac] Maker of award-winning 3D natural scenery products, e-on software is shipping its latest product targeted at professional 3D designers and digital video production houses. Vue 4 Professional provides users a natural 3D studio in which...

Free DTE support.(Effects)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... [Win] Darkling Simulations announces the availability of TIWdtemental, a free plug-in from Dietmar Kopp and The Image Works/ 63Central. The new plug-in adds support for Darkling Simulations' DarkTree to mental images' popular mental ray...

Meticulous about metals.(Effects)(LightWork Design)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... [Win-Linux-Sun] LightWork Design released several material libraries based on the Unified Numbering System (UNS) Metals standard. The UNS Metals archives include more than 1000 metal and alloy identifications categorized into 10 families,...

Addition to Parhelia family.(Graphics Card)(Matrox Graphics Parhelia HR256)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Parhelia HR256, Matrox Graphics' latest graphics accelerator, is designed to meet the high-resolution imagery and visualization needs of professionals in the video postproduction, digital photography, and desktop publishing fields. For use...

One sharp projector.(Projector)(Sharp Electronics' Sharp Bitevision B10S)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Sharp Electronics' first LCD projector priced less than $1000, the Notevision B10S packs 1100 ANSI Lumens brightness and native SVGA resolution in a 6.4-pound, 3.6x8.7x11.6-inch frame. To shift the projected image, users can manipulate the lens...

A new NemeSys.(Workstation)(RackSaver NemeSys 720)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... [Win-Linux-Sun] RackSaver has introduced NemeSys, its high-end graphics workstation for design and digital content creation applications. Developed to speed the production process, the NemeSys 720 series of professional graphics workstations...

Events.
November 1, 2003... NOVEMBER 12-15 SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) Technical Conferences and Exhibition, held in New York City. Contact: SMPTE; www.smpte.org 16-20 Comdex Fall 2003, held in Las Vegas. Contact:...

Education and training announcements.
November 1, 2003... Academy of Art College Established in 1929, Academy of Art College, the largest accredited private art school in the nation, offers AA, BFA, MFA degrees in 11 areas of art and design: Advertising, Architecture (MFA only), Computer Arts,...

Performance enhancer: projecting dynamic digital scenes, props, and characters onto the stage could revolutionize live theater productions.(back drop)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... Q How did you get started using digital imagery in stage productions? A I had been using modeling A programs to design traditional stage sets, but when VR software became commercially available, I had the harebrained idea to project views...