Computer Graphics World articles from October 2001

Computer Graphics World archives from October 2001

The Really Big Picture.
October 1, 2001... Those of us who tend to focus on minute details are often surprised by how different something looks when seen from a broader perspective. This was certainly the case for me at the recent Siggraph conference in Los Angeles. My initial reaction,...

The Importance of Operating Systems.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2001... I mostly agree with David Faibush's letter "Apples to Oranges?" (pg. 8, July 2001) regarding your comparison of the Mac and the PC on pg. 62 of the March 2001 issue. However, I think Faibush failed to point out the most important issue: the...

CORRECTION.
October 1, 2001... Linux for Softimage Instead of being uncommitted to Linux, as stated in the article "Linux Invades Hollywood" on pg. 38 of the September 2001 issue, the company Softimage is preparing to offer broad Linux support, a fact uncovered after...

Mac Support, Better Animation for Filmbox.(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... Kaydara's Filmbox application provides real-time animation, motion capture, and production utilities for authoring and delivering 3D content. Although the company's official strategy is to provide an integrated workflow system for the entire...

Start-up Exluna Offers Entropy Renderer.(Entropy)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... If products were judged on buzz alone, Exluna's new Entropy rendering system would take high honors. Certainly the product comes with an impressive pedigree: The company's founders are all Pixar alumni, and Entropy itself is based on Exluna...

Combustion 2 from Discreet.(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... Yet another 3D application used by the film industry has announced support for the Mac. Version 2 of Discreet's combustion application for desktop visual effects will run on Mac OS X (as well as Windows) when it ships toward the end of this...

ExpressionTools Introduces ETShade.(ETShade Pro R4/E)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... Shade is a 3D modeling, rendering, and animation tool from Japan that has been evolving in features and popularity in that country since its inception in 1985. Recently, ExpressionTools, the software's developer, made the product available for...

Adobe Adds Interactivity to Acrobat.(Adobe Acrobat 5.0)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... Adobe Systems' PDF (portable document format) is the de facto standard for sharing graphics and text files via email attachments or over the Web. Most users are familiar with Acrobat Reader, the freeware tool that is available just about...

Corel Corp.(Corel Procreate)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... Corel Corp. (Ottawa, Canada) has launched a new line of software applications called procreate. Painter 7, previously acquired from MetaCreations, is the first product in the new line. Corel has also purchased technical illustration software...

Sun Micro Systems and Side Effects Software.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Sun Micro Systems (Palo Alto, CA) and Side Effects Software have announced the beta release of Side Effects' Houdini animation package for Sun's Solaris operating system....

Hewlett-Packard and Compaq.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Workstation vendors Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) and Compaq (Houston, TX) have agreed to merge....

Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (Salt Lake City, UT) has announced that it will sell its REALimage business unit, which makes semiconductor chips for advanced graphics and video applications, to the Japanese firm of Real Vision. The sale has...

Autodesk.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Autodesk (San Rafael, CA) has announced that it will acquire the software product line of digital media provider Media 100 (Los Gatos, CA) for approximately $16 million. For additional CG industry news updated daily, see: www.cgw.com

Nvidia Tops ProCDRS Price/Performers.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Dell and Compaq workstations equipped with Nvidia Quadro2 Pro graphics cards recently achieved the best price/performance scores for the Pro/Designer ProCDRS-03 subset of the SPECviewperf 6.1.2 benchmark. The ProCDRS benchmark is based on PTC's...

The Softening of Computer Graphics.
October 1, 2001... A new light-scattering model takes the edge off of computer-generated images When it comes to translucent objects, computer graphics techniques tend to take a hard line. Most rendering systems pay little heed to the fact that light...

Cleaning Up Meshes.
October 1, 2001... A new implicit modeling technique reconstructs surfaces from incomplete meshes and noisy point clouds Three-dimensional scanning technologies give designers and engineers a fast, easy means for digitally representing physical objects. What...

Moving to the Mainstream.
October 1, 2001... There's good news and bad news in the visual simulation/virtual reality (VizSim/VR) industry these days. The good news is that there are many signs of a growing maturity and acceptance of VizSim/VR technology in mainstream business. The bad...

Monster Mash.
October 1, 2001... Pixar dances past technical challenges to create the colorful stars of its fourth feature animation if you didn't suspect, when you were a child, that a monster might be in your closet, you probably knew someone who did. But did you ever...

Seeing with the Mind's Eye.
October 1, 2001... Researchers harness the power of visual perception to improve the look of computer images The rapid-fire advances that have defined computer graphics over the past quarter century have filled our computer screens with more visual...

OFF-THE-SHELF "HOLOS".
October 1, 2001... Displaying 3D computer graphics with a realistic sense of depth for more than one viewer at a time--without intrusive stereoscopic glasses or elaborate user position-sensing devices--has been a long-standing goal of imaging scientists. A few...

Optimal Options.
October 1, 2001... CAD systems let you create a multitude of design options, but behavioral tools help you find which is best CAD and CAE systems do a great job of helping us explore a variety of possible solutions to design and engineering problems. But...

Quantum Chaos.
October 1, 2001... Inspired by his own scientific research, Eric J. Heller's digital abstract art evokes a world we cannot see--the quantum realm of electrons, atoms, and molecules. "I want the viewer to sense that the quantum world is mysterious and fascinating,...

One Fish, Two Fish ...
October 1, 2001... A wood carver becomes schooled in the digital design process Scott Clinton has a fish story. But unlike most people, Clinton has a unique tale to tell, and he uses digital replication software, rather than words, to exaggerate his subject....

If the Shoe Fits.
October 1, 2001... Custom shoes put technology through its paces Mass production was a dream come true for both manufacturers and consumers, as an abundance of lower priced goods flooded the marketplace. Yet one particular by-product of this industrial...

Autodesk Architectural Studio.
October 1, 2001... The pen is mightier than the mouse WHILE ADDRESSING a "computers for architecture" conference in the mid-1990s, William J. Mitchell, dean of the school of architecture and planning at MIT, held up a blank sheet of paper. "If computers had...

Autonomous Character Plug-In.
October 1, 2001... BioGraphic Technologies brings crowd control to Maya ANIMATING CROWDS, or large groups of anything, for that matter, is a problem for animators. Crowds represent a combination of controlled and random motion. Each member of a crowd has...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: New Wave NURBS tool.(New Wave Systems' Pilot 3D)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN Based on its ProSurf 3D modeling and fairing program for boats and ships, New Wave Systems' Pilot3D is a trimmed NURBS 3D modeling tool featuring editing and shelling of polysurfaces, plate development and expansion, and a database of...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: GDL object modeler.(Zoom GDL)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC A new solution for modeling 3D Geometric Description Language (GDL) objects, Zoom GDL from Abvent enables ArchiCAD users to build their own GDL objects easily and integrate them into their ArchiCAD projects. Using classic design tools...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: 3D parametrics for GIS/CAD.(Rapidsite 2.2)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN Evans & Sutherland is targeting GIS and CAD users with the latest release of its Rapidsite terrain visualization software. With Rapidsite Version 2.2, users can utilize ESRI ArcView shapefiles and AutoCAD DWG files to automatically generate...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: Designer CAD/CAE.(Designer Elements)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC Ashlar-Vellum's new Designer Elements product line comprises five applications: Graphite, Neon, Argon, Xenon, and Cobalt. Graphite ($995) facilitates rapid drawing creation, variation in shapes, and design iterations. Neon ($495)...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: Enhanced Esprit.(Esprit 2002)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN Highlighting the features in the new Esprit 2002 CAM software from DP Technology is a solid simulation and verification tool that provides synchronized solid simulation of multifunction mill/turn machines and Swiss-style lathes. In...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: AutoCAD add-on.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN AutoSolids Express, a 3D solid modeling add-on for AutoCAD and AutoCAD-based products, offers users a constraint-free parametric architecture for easy creation and editing of 3D solids. The software features QuickDraw automatic 3D-to-2D...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: Free GDL-converter plug-in.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN Available from ExpressionTools, the ETShade-GDL Converter Plug-In converts 3D graphics data created with the company's ETShade 3D modeling, rendering, and animation software into the GDL (Geometric Description Language) format and saves it...

software: DESIGN ENGINEERING: Solid Edge parts library.(Cadalog Inc.'s PartsXL)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN SE-PartsXL, a parametric parts library for SolidEdge V9 and V10, is a plug-in that runs inside SolidEdge and can create more than 1 million standard and manufacturerspecific parts, including bearings, fasteners, and steel shapes. Available...

software: MISCELLANEOUS: Panoramic photo viewer.(Realviz's Coolviz)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN With Realviz's new Coolviz, users can display high-quality images, panoramas, and virtual tours on a standard PDA. Among the product's features are picture folder management, image rotation, and a slide-show format. Users also can exchange...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: New World Builder.(Digital Element's World Builder 3.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN Digital Element is now offering the Standard version of its World Builder 3.0 landscape creation and animation software for $399. According to the company, the Standard version features OpenGL support, an undo-redo feature, a revised Area...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: Canvas enhanced.(Deneba Canvas)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN Deneba Software has enhanced its Canvas illustration application with such features as vector and raster sequence recording, full scripting support, manual and automatic Web image slicing, direct Macromedia Flash export, and built-in...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: A galaxy of plug-ins.(Plugin Galaxy)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC Plugin Galaxy for AE, available from The Plugin Site, is a collection of 20 After Effects plug-ins containing 129 different animatable video effects. With the $99 plug-in, users can manipulate transparency, create blurs, generate...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: FreeForm overhauled.(SensAble Technologies FreeForm 4.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
October 1, 2001... WIN NT 2000 According to SensAble Technologies, its FreeForm Version 4.0 touch-based modeling application includes more than 60 new features and enhancements. Among them are an enhanced sketching capability that provides more control over the...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: Pixologic enhances ZBrush.(ZBrush 1.23)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC Key among the features of Pixologic's ZBrush version 1.23 is a new ZScript language that enables users to automate all ZBrush actions. ZScripts also combine complex actions into one button-click and can be loaded and executed on demand...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: Physics module for Cinema 4D.(Maxon's Cinema 4D XL)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC Maxon Computer is bringing real-world dynamics simulation capability to users of its Cinema 4D XL software. With the new Cinema 4D Dynamics plug-in, users can simulate such dynamics forces as friction, gravity, collisions, springs, and...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: Character animation plug-ins.(Maxon's Cinema 4D XL)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC Two new plug-ins that promise to simplify the character animation process will soon be available to users of Maxon's Cinema 4D XL. Doppelganger is an interactive, slider-based, morph-blending system that enables users to blend any...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: In the Spotlight.(Vectorworks 9.0.1)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC VectorWorks Spotlight 9.0.1, the newest release of Nemetschek North America's entertainment design software, takes advantage of the new 64-bit floating point coordinate system established in the VectorWorks core for improved stability...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: Bright lights.(Lightwork Design LightWorks 6.0)
October 1, 2001... WIN|MAC UNIX Among the new features in LightWork Design's LightWorks Version 6.0 are enhanced area-light support, meaning that the color of the light emitted from the light source is determined by the geometry and shape of the area light, and...

software: MODELING AND ANIMATION: Flash output for Maya.
October 1, 2001... WIN Cambridge Animation Systems is now shipping Swiffworks for Maya 4.0, a plug-in that delivers Macromedia Flash output to users of Alias|Wavefront's Maya. Users can choose a Swiffworks material, or use the default Phong material provided by...

software: WEB DEVELOPMENT: Pipeline to the Web.
October 1, 2001... WIN NT|WIN 2000|SGI IRIX With the Swift 3D XSI plug-in from Electric Rain, Softimage|XSI users can access vector-based 2D formats, including Macromedia Flash, so that they can re-purpose their 3D content for use on Web pages and in printed...

software: WEB DEVELOPMENT: Interactive 3D application.(Virtools's Virtools Dev 2.0)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... With Virtools Dev 2.0 from Virtools, users can quickly and efficiently create game-quality interactive 3D imagery for CD-ROM or the Web. The product comprises four key elements: the graphical user interface, a behavior engine for interactivity,...

hardware: INPUT/OUTPUT: Seeing in stereo.(StereoGraphics SynthaGram Monitor)
October 1, 2001... WIN 98|WIN NT|WIN 2000 With the SynthaGram Monitor from StereoGraphics Corp., scientists, doctors, engineers, and other viewing audiences can see in stereo without wearing special eyewear. The monitor includes an LCD panel, a lenticular screen,...

hardware: INPUT/OUTPUT: 18.1-inch LCD.
October 1, 2001... The Silicon Graphics F180 18.1-inch digital flat-panel display uses Advanced In-Plane Switching (ALPS) technology to reportedly yield higher brightness, increased contrast, and wider color gamut than previously available on comparable LCD...

hardware: INPUT/OUTPUT: Stereolithography system.
October 1, 2001... Targeted at the jewelry, medical, electronic enclosure, and tooling industries, the Viper si2 SLA solid imaging system from 3D Systems Corp. combines standard and high-resolution part building in the same system. The Viper si2 builds parts with...

hardware: INPUT/OUTPUT: Rapid manufacturing systems.
October 1, 2001... WIN DTM's new Vanguard and Vanguard HS (High Speed) SLS systems are similar to the company's current Sinterstation systems in that both use DTM's SLS selective laser sintering process. However, the new Vanguard systems offer improved accuracy...

hardware: INPUT/OUTPUT: Wide-format printer.
October 1, 2001... Available from Encad for $5495, the Nova Jet 736 is a 36-inch, wide-format printer that features 600-dpi resolution, includes an Adobe PostScript 3 VibrantLink RIP, and is compatible with Encad's full line of indoor and outdoor media. The...

insight.(Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at University of Swinburne's up close view of Mars)(Brief Article)(Technical)
October 1, 2001... FOR AN UP-CLOSE VIEW of Mars, researchers at the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at the University of Swinburne in Australia used recent high-resolution NASA satellite images to render the surface of the planet, including accurate...