Computer Graphics World articles from September 2005

Computer Graphics World archives from September 2005

Learning from George.(editor's note)
September 1, 2005... SIGGRAPH's return to Los Angeles this year was just what the industry ordered. Close to 30,000 people filled the halls to "grow their brains," experience dynamic technology, learn from one other, and enter to win anything from a custom chopper...

Autodesk debuts 3ds Max version 8.(PRODUCTS: MODELING/ANIMATION)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... With the goal of helping game developers, visual effects artists, and graphic designers realize their ideas, Autodesk Media and Entertainment has upgraded 3ds Max 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software to Version 8. With this new...

Softimage delivers facial animation technology.(PRODUCTS: FACIAL ANIMATION)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Softimage, a subsidiary of Avid Technology, previewed Softimage Face Robot, its new facial animation technology, during SIGGRAPH 2005. Face Robot is designed to assist 3D artists in the production of realistic facial animation for high-end...

Alias introduces software upgrades.(PRODUCTS: MODELING/ANIMATION)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Alias announced Version 7 of its Maya and MotionBuilder applications. Maya 7 has been upgraded with Alias MotionBuilder's full-body IK solver, as well as Blend Shapes and Wire deformers, simplifying the rigging and posing of characters....

Macromedia unveils Studio 8.(PRODUCTS: WEB/MOBILE)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Macromedia Inc. has introduced Macromedia Studio 8, a software suite geared toward video professionals, graphic artists, Web designers, and developers. Studio 8 combines the latest versions of Macromedia's Dreamweaver, Flash Professional,...

E frontier presents Shade 8.(PRODUCTS: MODELING)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... E frontier, formerly Curious Labs, previewed an upcoming version of its Shade 3D modeling and rendering software during SIGGRAPH 2005. Scheduled to ship in the fall, Shade 8 provides users with more than 5000 3D objects on various topics...

Go with the flow.(production management of Digital Neural Axis and Post Group Inc.)(Column)
September 1, 2005... The promise and challenge of creating and delivering high-definition (HD) content continues to capture the attention of studios around the world, as artists and owners come together to find new ways of turning the latest technology trends, such...

A wing and a prayer: Veteran filmmakers think outside the studio box to create the independent CGI movie Valiant.(computer-generated image)(production management of Vanguard Animation)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2005... Valiant is a story about a small but determined bunch with big dreams and a desire to prove themselves, and how, by using their willpower, courage, and "birdbrains," they were able to beat the odds and triumph where better-qualified colleagues...

High-flying FX: Digital Domain uses CGI to fabricate a photorealistic aerial playground for Stealth.(computer-generated image)
September 1, 2005... The underlying question this summer's cinematic action-adventure love story poses is a big one: In the future, if unmanned airplanes fire the missiles, will we go to war more easily? As Stealth audiences quickly discover, that's not the only...

Storage propels the creative process: digital entertainment and effects studios find innovative storage solutions for digital content creation.(SPECIAL SECTION / STORAGE IN THE STUDIO)
September 1, 2005... For many digital entertainment studios, storage-centric IT networks are the invisible backbone of the creative pipeline. A vital work flow component that can help or hinder the efforts of artists and creators who are archiving, accessing, and...

Storage requirements for digital content: higher-resolution content is driving the need for huge storage capacities and high-speed bandwidth.(information management of movie production)
September 1, 2005... Driven by the demand for image quality in theaters and homes, feature-film resolutions are on an upward trend. In the high-end feature-film market, 2K resolution is common, and 4K resolution is gaining ground. With increasing resolution and...

Ryan Church.(Portfolio)(Biography)
September 1, 2005... When digital artist Ryan Church was a child, he liked dinosaurs and airplanes. So when his father, an industrial designer, taught him to draw "properly" at the age of 5 or so, he would make his own dinosaur books or would sketch things he had...

Macromedia Studio 8: the upgrade makes strides in video, compositing, filters, and performance.(INTERACTIVE WEB DEVELOPMENT)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2005... Macromedia Studio 8 ships with Flash 8 (for interactive Web applications and animation), Dreamweaver 8 (HTML Web development), Fireworks 8 (Web-focused image editing), Contribute 3 (Web content editing for end-users), and FlashPaper 2 (PDF...

Adobe Creative Suite 2: the new version is infused with more tools, performance, and support.
September 1, 2005... Adobe's Creative Suite 2 is a collection of applications geared toward creative professionals, such as those involved in creating images for graphic design, digital imaging, prim publishing, and Web/mobile projects. The suite should be all...

IBC2005 hits Amsterdam.(International Broadcasting Convention)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The editorial staff of Computer Graphics World is on hand at the 2005 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), at which the following product releases are being announced. Established in 1967, IBC is a technology showcase tailored to...

Manipulation with Monet.(Imagineer Systems )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... [Win * Mac * Linux * Irix] Imagineer Systems is demonstrating the latest version of its Monet and Mokey software solutions at IBC2005. Version 2 of the company's Monet tracking and compositing tool now offers professional users in film and...

Weather in 3D.(3D GRAPHICS)(Vizrt-product introduction)(VizWeather 3D weather software)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... [Win] Having recently completed its acquisition of Curious Software, Vizrt is debuting the latest incarnation of its VizWeather 3D weather software at IBC2005. For the creation of weather-related graphics, VizWeather Version 1.6 is powered by...

Detection and correction.(The Foundry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... [Win * Unix * Linux] Previously only available as a plug-in to third-party software, The Foundry's Forge has been re-engineered into a standalone application. Forge employs the company's motion estimation and dirt-removal technologies in not...

Events.(Calendar)
September 1, 2005... SEPTEMBER 9-13 IBC2005, held in Amsterdam. Contact International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), 44-20-7831-6909, www.ibc.org. OCTOBER 9-11 eDIT, held in Frankfurt, Germany. Contact 9-69-59-79-71-90, www.edit-frankfurt.de. ...

Tracking times twelve.(Polhemus Inc.-product introduction)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Polhemeus has debuted its Liberty Latus (Large Area Tracking Untethered System), a wireless, 6 Degree-of-Freedom (6DOF) tracking system. In addition to a Windows 2000/ XP user interface and Software Developers Kit (SDK), the Liberty Latus...

Working with clarity.(CHARACTER GENERATION)(Pixel Power)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Pixel Power Ltd., maker of work flow and automated graphics solutions, is debuting its Clarity 5000 and Clarity 300 high-definition platforms during IBC2005. The new Clarity 5000 character generator offers real-time 3D animation, a video and...

Codec without compromise.(VIDEO)(Zaxel Lossless Compression)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... New at IBC, Zaxel System Inc. has upgraded its Zaxel Lossless Compression (ZLC) video codec to Version 2.3, in response to the growing demand for high-definition television, D-Cinema, and 2K and 4K image editing. ZLC 2.3 is said to compress and...

HD at IBC.(High Definition Television)
September 1, 2005... Artbeats, a provider of royalty-free stock footage, is showcasing its newest high-definition titles during IBC2005 in Amsterdam. These new collections are the result of Artbeats' work over the past two years, during which time it conducted...