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Saturday, January 07, 2012

ZBrush 4R2b - FiberMesh


+ ZBrush 4R2b will be released as a patch update to version 4R2, and is free of charge to all ZBrush registered users. With each new release of ZBrush, we introduce new features that we hope will enable you to further explore your creativity while having a lot of fun in the process.FiberMesh will enable you to easily and quickly create hair and other fibers. FiberMesh will create a fully sculptable PolyMesh 3D object.
The FiberMesh density can range from few polygons to several millions of polygons and it may also be exported, just like any other PolyMesh3D. When you are done shaping and sculpting, Best-Preview-Render (BPR) will help you put the final shine on your creations.
Originally ZBrush 4R2b was scheduled to be released in December and focus on fixing previously reported problems. Not fully satisfied with this original intent, we could not resist adding new and exciting features. FiberMesh is one of these features, which will have a significant impact on your ZBrush creations.ZBrush 4R2b has been scheduled for January 23th, 2012.
>> Source: ZbrushCentral

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Thursday, January 05, 2012

Maide Inc. creates multi-control app for Maya, Sketchup and 3DS Max



+ Maide, a mobile software startup in Toronto, has an ambitious rethinking of how tablets will be used in the future. With a vision that may change how people interact with their desktop computers, Maide is pairing the multi-touch capability of the iPad with the raw power of the computer to create a powerful new input device for your desktop.
What better place to start than the world of 3D modeling. With a team of programmers, and industrial designers, Maide has taken on the challenge of designing a new method of control for people who use 3D CAD programs. Their first product, Maide Control, turns the iPad into a multi-touch input device for programs such as Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3D Studio Max, Solidworks, Google Sketchup, and Rhinoceros 3D, and allows for multiple iPads to connect to one computer simultaneously. We're looking for a community of early adopters to become a part of the project and work with us to develop a great product.

Features Overview:
* Wireless connectivity with the computer over wifi and ad hoc network*
* Automatic discovery with bonjour
* Control of the computer's mouse and keyboard from the iPad
* Multiple iPads able to connect to one computer
* Multi-touch control of camera in 3D applications: Pan, Zoom, and Orbit
* Quick snaps to Orthogonal views
* Screenshot + email capability
* Radial menu for tool selection (16 application specific commands)
* Plug-ins available for Autodesk 3D Studio Max (2010, 2011, 2012), Autodesk Maya (2010, 2011, 2012, and Mac versions), Google Sketchup (7,8) and Rhino (4, 5), Solidworks (2011)
* iPad app requires the free Maide desktop software to be running on the computer to connect
* Maide desktop software currently supported on Windows, and Mac.

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BrainDistrict™ Announces PaintSupreme™


+ BrainDistrict GmbH, developer of world-class image manipulation and enhancement technologies, today announced the availability of PaintSupreme, a powerful yet easy-to-use application for drawing, paining, and image enhancement. Originally created for BrainDistrict's highly anticipated RaySupreme rendering and animation application, PaintSupreme is a fun and easy-to-use application that delivers stunning results at a price point that won't break the bank.
PaintSupreme's super-powers include highly sophisticated brush & gradient capabilities with many options tools, and is the only product in this price range that offers full vector support capable of creating paths that all tools can be applied on (the path itself as well as path contents). PaintSupreme offers full layer-based image editing, offering users a simple way to edit layered images. Users are raving about PaintSupreme's cool interface, which is very intuitive and easy for new users to start working in and create fantastic works immediately. And the best part ... PaintSupreme costs less than $20.00.
"PaintSupreme really is a fun and easy way to draw, paint, and edit images without the complexity of applications like Photoshop," said Markus Moenig, Managing Director of BrainDistrict GmbH. "More advanced users will appreciate the advanced vector capabilities, which are not currently found in either Photoshop or Pixelmator. PaintSupreme has something for everyone who needs a capable drawing and painting application yet doesn't want to spend a small fortune in the process."
>> More Information

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Monday, September 12, 2011

SP Effects announces Todd Palamar’s latest book Maya Studio Projects Photorealistic Characters


+ Maya character generation tools are extremely sophisticated, and there's no better way to learn all their capabilities than by working through the projects in this hands-on book. This official guide focuses on understanding and implementing Maya's powerful tools for creating realistic characters for film, games, and TV. Use a variety of tools to create characters from skeleton to clothing, including hairstyles and facial hair, and learn how to use Performance Capture. A DVD includes supplementary videos, project support files, textures, tools, professional shaders, and more.
• This project-based book focuses on Maya's powerful tools for creating realistic characters for TV, film, and games
• Covers key techniques necessary to make a character work in a professional setting: texturing, sub-surface scattering, hair, fur, homemade motion-capture, muscle systems, and clothing
>> More Information

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LumenRT 1.3 Now Shipping


+ e-on software the leader in 3D sky, light and nature technologies, today announced the availability of a new update for LumenRT Review for SketchUp, the company's revolutionary new real-time 3D product for the visualization of architectural projects. The new release adds support for SketchUp "Face Me" billboards together with the ability to add the user’s company logo on LiveCubes. Billboard objects always face the camera and can dramatically improve performance by allowing complex objects to be defined with far fewer polygons while maintaining a 3D look and feel. Billboard support is particularly handy for the creation of plants, bushes, grass fields, or when adding people in the scene. LumenRT LiveCubes are rapidly becoming a popular medium in many Architectural firms to present attention-grabbing projects to clients and associates. The ability to add a firm’s logo directly to the LiveCube helps to further enhance corporate identity and brand image. To gain better insight into how LumenRT operates, a set of sample LumenRT LiveCubes™ and some electronic documentation is available for download at www.lumenrt.com/download.

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Golaem Crowd 1.2 supporting V-Ray rendering


+ Golaem announces Golaem Crowd 1.2, the latest update to its crowd simulation software for Autodesk Maya. Golaem Crowd 1.2 now support Chaos Group V-Ray rendering engine by generating .vrscene files for the characters and providing a dedicated procedural plugin.In order to support industry standards and improve performances, Golaem Crowd is now using Disney Partio as its particle format. Golaem Crowd characters can now navigate by using a route, defined as a list of waypoints points. You have the control back, while still getting the benefits of automatic path-finding and avoidance.
>> More information

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Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Toonbox Gets Nutty with TACTIC


Southpaw Technology, a leading developer of production asset management (PAM) technology for digital content creation companies, announced today that Toonbox Entertainment (Toonbox) is deploying 100 seats of TACTIC to manage all of the assets and data for its first feature-length production, The Nut Job. The growing studio just completed the movie’s trailer, and is now rolling out TACTIC for the production of the stereoscopic 3D film, which is one of the largest productions happening in Canada at the moment. Prior to its work on The Nut Job, Toonbox was using Excel to version, track and manage all of the production assets, and the tasks and notes related to those assets, on its various projects. Early on in the production of The Nut Job, Toonbox recognized that Excel simply could not keep up with the hundreds of tasks, the status of those tasks, or the location and version of the 100s of thousands of files being managed. It could not automate tasks or assist in the collaboration process with Toonbox’s Korean partner, Redrover Co., Ltd. Nor could the Production Assistants keep the Excel file updated fast enough to give management an accurate real-time understanding of how the project was going.
As the only solution capable of tying digital assets to production notes, status updates and tasks, TACTIC enables vast teams of digital artists and animators to efficiently store, track, find and move digital assets through the creation process. Whether production is spread between departments or around the globe, TACTIC’s unique web-based architecture simplifies real-time file management, task management and team collaboration during the creation process, and ensures that projects stay on track and on budget. “We are enjoying phenomenal growth right now and are happy to be employing a solution like TACTIC to support that growth,” said Thom Chapman, director of business development and sales at Toonbox. “Having come out of the animation production environment, Southpaw Technology understands the needs of growing companies like ours, as well as the intricacies of production pipelines. Their technology and their expertise are designed to help companies manage productions today, and scale as productions grow. We now know that we have a solid production solution in place to handle all of our productions as we take on more work.”
“Toonbox Entertainment is really making waves in the animation industry and we’re happy to assist them with TACTIC,” said Gary Mundell, CEO of Southpaw Technology. “Their team is excellent, their work is superior, and now they have a solution like TACTIC to ensure that that talented team doesn’t get bogged down in finding or versioning files; but rather, can focus on creativity and quality. We really look forward to seeing what they produce with TACTIC supporting them.” For more information on Southpaw Technology and its production asset management solution TACTIC, visit southpawtech.com.

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Luxology Ships Model Bashing Kit for modo 501


+ Even in the analog era prior to the advent of affordable computer workstations, model making with pre-manufactured plastic kits of planes, cars and boats was a popular hobby. “Kitbashing” was the term used for the practice of creating one-of-a-kind models (often of elaborate spaceships) out of components taken from multiple commercial kits. Luxology®’s new Model Bashing Kit provides modo® users with a similar capability to quickly construct highly detailed virtual forms for science fiction or industrial visualization projects. The Model Bashing Kit is available immediately for users of modo 501 on the PC or Mac. “We love spaceships and wanted to make it possible for any modo user to quickly create super technically detailed exteriors or interiors that are absolutely unique,” said Brad Peebler, president and co-founder of Luxology. “This is a must-have collection of modo building blocks that you can tear apart and join together to create intricate futuristic surfaces, and have a blast while doing it.”
The Model Bashing Kit was developed by Andy Brown of Luxology and contains specialized pre-built models and textures that are ideal for creating elaborate technical structures or realistic cockpits and instrument panels. In all, the Model Bashing Kit includes 230 mesh presets, 90 image maps and focused new tools for quickly arraying and adding details across a surface. The Kit also includes five training videos and two project tutorials that guide modo users through the creation of a cockpit and a spaceship conduit. Luxology is also offering a new Spaceship Modeling Tutorial for those wanting a guided introduction to the process of creating a spaceship model from design drawings. This is a series of downloadable videos that provide step-by-step instruction in modeling a spaceship based on original artwork commissioned by James Robbins, a concept designer on Stargate for ten years. A portion of the video tutorials covers adding intricate surface detail via "model bashing" and is an excellent complement to the new Model Bashing Kit.
Pricing and Availability
The Model Bashing Kit is available now from Luxology and its worldwide network of authorized resellers for USD $99. The optional Spaceship Tutorial series contains five videos, sample files and a set of 2D concept drawings, and is priced at USD $35. Both products are designed for use with the modo 501 software. To learn more about the Model Bashing Kit, visit Luxology’s website at http://www.luxology.com/store/modelbashingkit.

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Monday, July 04, 2011

Pixologic releases Sculptris (for Windows and Mac)


+ Pixologic, Inc., maker of the Award-Winning ZBrush software is pleased to announce the latest release of Sculptris (for Windows and MAC). For the past 10 years Pixologic has been recognized for its ground-breaking innovation, "cool" creativity and tools that are as user friendly as they are powerful and natural-feeling. These tools enable artists in many industries to open new vistas of possibility with their skills and imagination. The development and latest release of Sculptris is consistent with the Pixologic ethos and spirit to help artists both shine at and enjoy creating art -- intuitively, without having to worry about technical barriers!
3D Sculpting and Painting Become Easy with Sculptris
Sculptris is an elegant and simple 3D modeling solution, offering artists a platform to harness their imagination and create 3D sculpts in a way that is unique to the digital world. Tomas Pettersson, the bright young programmer and brainchild behind Sculptris commented: "I trust that, with this version, Sculptris will be more accessible for all people on both PC's and Mac's. Everyone should be able to sculpt!"
Sculptris introduces a dynamic tessellation system, giving its user the capability to sculpt or paint freely on any part of the surface without having to worry about underlining geometry. With Sculptris, triangles are automatically added as needed, and only to the areas where a stroke has been applied to the surface. Users can do just about anything that's possible with real clay. For example, they can pull, twist and pinch the surface, easily adding volume as needed without the rigorous attention to underlying structure that is typically associated with 3D modeling programs. Pixologic envisions Sculptris as an entry level "eye opener" for a new generation of artists wishing to explore 3D sculpting and digital creation. Fun to use, it's also a truly effective tool that can be embraced by hobbyists and professional artists, alike. For those wishing to explore further, Sculptris is seen as a perfect ground level upon which to build one's skills while advancing to the substantial "world of ZBrush."
>> More information

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Genetica 3.6 Released


+ Genetica, the seamless textures, HDRI, and animation package created by Spiral Graphics Inc., has been updated to version 3.6. With the new version artists can create text objects directly from within Genetica. Text can be used in conjunction with Genetica's powerful style system, which means text can be created out of realistic materials such as stone, glass, wood, and more, simply by choosing from hundreds of preset styles. A new Style node introduced in Genetica 3.6 means that in addition to text and drawn shapes, styles can now be applied to any procedurally created noise or pattern. Genetica 3.6 also introduces massive workflow improvements that expedite the creation and manipulation of nodes. Nodes can now be arranged into all possible configurations simply by dragging them to the correct position. New nodes can be created by clicking a blank spot in the workspace and typing the first few letters of the desired node's name. The output of a node can be used in multiple locations by dragging additional output wires from the base of a node.
>> Download Demo

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Solar compositing software demo available


+ Demo version of compositing software Solar, by LightStream is available for download.Powerful multiflow nodal-based compositing software. Includes over 150 powerful creation, transforming, color correction, compositing tools and special effects. Comes with integrated professional node-based Compositing User Interface. Contains all the great features of the base version plus advanced timeline editing and 35 additional tools and effects to extend your postproduction toolkit.
>> Download now

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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Maya Intermediate NURBS Modeling Visual Effects Training Video



+ Dover Studios, Inc. today released Maya Intermediate NURBS Modeling, their latest visual effects training video. Maya Intermediate NURBS Modeling digs deeper into Maya's extensive NURBS modeling toolset. In this video visual effects artists, Andrew Hazelden and Russell Hazelden, explore the NURBS modeling techniques used to create an old-fashioned pocket watch. Essential topics include: drawing NURBS curves to define the shape of each watch component, constructing surfaces from curves using a variety of NURBS surfacing tools, reshaping surfaces using soft selection and reflection, and replicating objects along a motion path using the animation snapshot tool.
Discover how to create smooth junctions between surfaces using the circular and freeform fillet tools. Learn how to use the trim tool to remove regions from NURBS surfaces by projecting curves on surfaces and intersecting surfaces. Advanced topics include: fine-tuning NURBS Tessellation settings to produce smooth surfaces at render time and creating an ambient occlusion test render to evaluate the final pocket watch model using the mental ray renderer. Maya Intermediate NURBS Modeling features over 2 hours of crystal clear 1080p high definition video. No steps are left out and every detail is explained with easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

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SCRATCH Automates 2D and 3D VFX Dailies For Thor


+ ASSIMILATE, the leading provider of powerful post-production tools for digital workflows, today revealed details of how its SCRATCH® end-to-end digital cinema and broadcast imaging tool was used to streamline and automate the 2D and 3D stereo VFX dailies review processes during post production of Marvel Entertainment / Paramount Pictures' blockbuster motion picture Thor. SCRATCH was selected for Thor because of its superior capabilities over other systems, including easy integration with database management software, and the real-time playback of media in different resolutions and formats in the same timeline.
The deployment of SCRATCH on Thor was overseen by Danielle Costa, production manager for VFX, whose previous credits as digital production manager and VFX coordinator include 2012, Speed Racer, Spider Man 3, Alexander, The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded and Scooby Doo. For Thor, her role involved developing a workflow and pipeline between the production team and many different outside contributors, including the VFX vendors (BUF, Digital Domain, Whiskytree, Evil Eye Pictures, Fuel Visual Effects, Luma Pictures), the DI house EFilm, and Stereo D which handled the 2D-to-3D conversion.
SCRATCH was integrated with a FileMakerPro database to assemble each day's playlists of all the media connected with a particular shot. This enabled the VFX team, lead by supervisor Wesley Sewell, to constantly ingest and review shots-in-progress every day. Sewell then prepared daily afternoon shot reviews for key production staff, including director Kenneth Branagh and cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos BSC, as well as studio executives from Marvel and Paramount. Overnight, the various VFX vendors typically sent Costa’s team between 3,000 and 5,000 files – mostly image sequences. An individual playlist for one shot could reference upwards of 1,000 different media clips in whatever format might be associated with that shot, such as EXR, DPX, QT and JPEG. Towards the end of post-production, between 200 and 300 shots per day, along with all the associated files, were reviewed in SCRATCH, amounting to many thousands of image clips.
Moreover, Thor was shot anamorphically, so SCRATCH was automated to playback VFX shots in the correct aspect ratio, selectively applying LUTs to DPX frames while ignoring clips such as linear QT and JPEG files. SCRATCH also automatically applied the correct frame-offsets, so that scanned VFX plates and on-going comps would line up accurately. Thor was post-converted from 2D to 3D by LA-based facility Stereo D, and SCRATCH was the production's sole way of reviewing stereo internally at Marvel. Playlist stacks for left and right eye were created automatically, which could then be played back in dual mode for stereo review.
SCRATCH® Six Pricing and Availability
ASSIMILATE is advancing its position of price-performance leadership, with SCRATCH v6 for Mac and Windows at $17,995 USD. SCRATCH V6 ships during Q2 2011.
SCRATCH Lab™ Pricing & Availability
ASSIMILATE is advancing its position of price-performance leadership, with SCRATCH Lab for Mac and Windows at $4,995 USD, and will ship in Q2 2011. To learn more please visit www.assimilateinc.com.

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