Developer ArtVPS will pre-release its physically based raytracer on 1 June
PRESS RELEASE
ArtVPS, the specialist developer of ray-tracing technology, has announced the launch date for a pre-release version of Shaderlight, a revolutionary new rendering technology that will deliver massive productivity and creativity improvements over traditional ray-trace rendering engines. Shaderlight is being launched as a pre-release version so early adopters of the technology can help shape the software by providing valuable feedback during the key final phase of product development. Shaderlight 0.1 will be available for free download from 1 June 2009.
Shaderlight is a physically based ray-trace renderer that enables 3D artists and other visualisation specialists to make changes to key image attributes at any stage of the rendering process – even on production quality images – without having to restart rendering computations. Users will be able to make interactive changes to materials, environments, lights and textures (the MELT elements) on high resolution images, enabling a level of creative fine-tuning that would be impossible using standard rendering software.
“Ray-tracing is a compute-intensive process and continues to be a bottleneck in the production of high quality computer-generated images and animations,” says Michael Lawson, CTO at ArtVPS. “Because even the smallest change to the factors that define the image means rendering must start again from the beginning, CG professionals are all too often faced with the choice of missing a deadline or compromising on the quality of their final output. Shaderlight removes this obstacle by enabling fundamental changes to be made right up to the point of delivery, maximising creative freedom and ultimately improving the final image.”
The first pre-release of Shaderlight will be a plug-in for 3ds Max, the leading 3D modelling tool from Autodesk. It will be available as a free download from www.artvps.com, where users will be encouraged to share feedback, both with each other and with the ArtVPS development team. “The early reactions we’ve had to Shaderlight have been very positive and the feedback has helped us shape the product moving forward,” explains Lawson. “We want to maintain this important line of communication by engaging with and supporting an active community of early testers and adopters.”
Anyone interested in joining the testing programme can register now at: www.artvps.com
Ends.
About ArtVPS
ArtVPS leads the way in the development of photorealistic rendering solutions that generate visually accurate representations of 3D scenes. Its revolutionary flagship rendering technology, Shaderlight, is a physically based, progressive ray-tracer that enables interactive, nonlinear changes to the key MELT attributes (materials, environments, lighting and textures) at any stage within the rendering process – even on production-ready images.
Shaderlight is aimed at 3D artists and computer graphics professionals within the product design, architecture, engineering and media industries. The technology will transform 3D visualisation workflows, and represents a dramatic boost to both productivity and creative freedom when compared to traditional linear ray-trace renderers, which require the rendering process to start again whenever image parameters are changed.
Founded in 2002, ArtVPS quickly established itself as the leading developer of dedicated rendering hardware, developing the first processor designed exclusively to accelerate ray tracing of 3D data. ArtVPS is now pioneering the development of rendering software that fully exploits the increased capabilities of today’s processor technology.
Vue 7.5 pre-release available
e-on Software has made a pre-release available of its Vue 7.5 product line, free for maintenance users
PRESS RELEASE
April 29, 2009. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software, maker of Vue, the leading solutions for natural 3D environments, today disclosed the new features available in its upcoming professional solutions, Vue 7.5 xStream and Vue 7.5 Infinite.
Release 7.5 of Vue xStream and Infinite will add significant new functionality to Vue 7. Following the terms of e-on software‘s maintenance contracts, users of Vue 7 xStream or Vue 7 Infinite who subscribed to a Standard or Premium maintenance plan will receive the upgrade to the corresponding Vue 7.5 product at no charge.
Users who are not under maintenance will have the option to purchase the upgrade to Vue 7.5 (see further down for pricing). However, e-on software strongly recommends that they consider subscribing to a maintenance plan instead, as this may prove more cost effective* in the long term (maintenance plans include free upgrades to all .5 and full versions released during the subscription period).
If they wish, users under maintenance can immediately download a pre-release version of Vue 7.5.
Users of Vue 7 who subscribe to a maintenance plan today will also be granted access to this pre- release version.
Vue 7.5 xStream and Vue 7.5 Infinite are expected to ship during Q2 2009. Customers who purchased Vue 7 xStream or Infinite within one month of release of Vue 7.5 will receive the upgrade to Vue
7.5 at no cost.
At the time of releasing Vue 7.5, e-on software will also release a Vue 7.4 service pack for all Vue 7 products (including Esprit, Pro Studio and Complete). This service pack will add new functionality to Vue 7 and will be available at no cost for all Vue 7 users.
The cost of the upgrade to the next version of Vue will be the same whether upgrading from Vue 7 or Vue 7.5.
New features of Vue 7.5
Vue xStream and Vue Infinite are the company‘s flagship solutions for the creation of natural 3D environments. While Vue Infinite is a standalone application, Vue xStream operates seamlessly inside of 3ds max, Maya, LightWave, Cinema4D and Softimage|XSI. Specifically designed for graphics professionals, these products combine a multitude of cutting edge features that easily integrate into existing production pipelines.
Release 7.5 of Vue adds a number of breakthrough features:
Support of the V-Ray renderer for 3ds Max (xStream)
Support of EcoSystem painting in XSI (xStream)
Color and Alpha masks of single clouds and cloud layers in multi-pass renderer
“Camera Mapping” to dramatically cut animation render times
Spherical and planetary procedural terrains with infinite level of detail
Spherical cloudscapes (procedural, or based on real-world/modified cloud maps)
Material Painting and effect-driven material mapping in the Terrain Editor
Enhanced Multi-Processor usage for procedural terrains, Dynamic EcoSystems and panoramic rendering
EcoSystem populations that can evolve over time
Cloud layers that cast and receive shadows from other cloud layers and objects in the scene
Improved OpenGL sky and cloud preview, colored EcoSystem instance previewing
Other productivity and feature enhancements.
More details on the new features of Vue 7.5 will be disclosed at the time of release.
A selection of new features already available in release 7 includes:
Direct access and interaction with individual Vue elements inside of compatible applications
(xStream)
Extended compatibility with Mental Ray – integrated and satellites (xStream)
EcoSystem 3 technology: dynamic population, EcoSystem painting from any angle
Spectral 2 cloud technology: highly realistic volumetric 3D clouds and cloud layers
New Radiosity engine optimized for indoor and infinite scenery
Water Editor: convincing water animation from still lakes to stormy ocean waves
Global Illumination rendering up to 4 times faster
Improved SolidGrowth 4 plant technology with high definition species for “hero” plants
Collada file format import
Over 160 editable SolidGrowth plant species, with almost 100 species previously only available from Cornucopia3D.com and 20 brand new species.
Standard Retail Price:
Vue 7.5 xStream will retail for $1,495, with upgrades from Vue 7 xStream available for $495. Vue 7.5 Infinite will retail for $895, with upgrades from Vue 7 Infinite available for $295. Other upgrade paths from Vue 6 Infinite and Vue 6 xStream will be available at the time of release.
Annual subscriptions for Educational licenses of Vue xStream and Infinite are available respectively for $149/year/seat and $99/seat/year. Upgrades to Vue 7.5 are free for owners of active educational licenses of Vue 7.
Site licensing discounts are available, contact e-on software for further details and pricing information.
Owners of Vue 7 network rendering licenses who upgrade to Vue 7.5 will receive the corresponding Vue 7.5 network rendering licenses at no cost.
Availability:
Vue 7.5 xStream and Vue 7.5 Infinite will be available in English for Windows XP32/64 and Vista 32/64, and on Mac OSX 10.4 and 10.5 as a 32 bit application (Universal Binary). Vue 7.5 xStream is compatible with the following renderers: Mental Ray for 3ds Max, Maya and XSI (integrated and MR satellites), V-Ray for 3ds Max, and Maya, Cinema4D and LightWave native renderers. Other renderers are under consideration.
About e-on software
E-on software is the leading developer of high quality solutions for the creation, animation, rendering and integration of natural 3D environments. With products specifically targeted for the different market segments, e-on software provides solutions adapted to every project and budget. E- on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, game, science, education and entertainment industries.
Vue was used in features such as “Pirates of the Caribbean‘s 2“, “Indiana Jones 4“, “Australia“, “Battlestar Gallactica“, “Stargate Atlantis” and more. Read more on these stories in e-on software‘s Spotlights section: www.e-onsoftware.com/spotlight E-on software was founded on the premise that powerful graphics tools should never get in the way of the designer‘s creativity. By investing significant resources into research and development, e- on software is able to deliver cutting-edge technologies that significantly improve usability and workflow.
E-on software is based in Beaverton, Oregon with a European office in Paris, France.
Download the videos to accompany issue 117's tutorials
In issue 117 of 3D World, Kyle Balda begins his lip-sync masterclass for Maya; Andy Jones introduces you to Realsoft 3D, the complete software on this issue‘s disc; and our expert artists tackle a selection of your questions. The videos here complement these tutorials, providing extra detail and insight. The scene files for all of these tutorials are on issue 117‘s disc: to order your copy, visit My Favourite Magazines.
UPDATE: 2.58pm 5TH MAY If you downloaded any of these videos before this time and date and are having difficulty playing them, please download them again. We discovered editing errors that caused problems with MediaPlayer and VLC: these have now been corrected. We‘re sorry for the inconvenience.
Animate the Hollywood way
Lip-synching in Maya with Kyle Balda
Planetside Software and Xfrog collaborate to make Terragen 2 available with 1300 XfrogPlants for $699
PRESS RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, CA – Apr. 23, 2009 – In a much anticipated collaboration, Planetside Software and Xfrog, Inc. today released Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants. This unique software combines photo-realistic landscaping with the most sought after virtual vegetation. A wholly unique collaboration, Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants unites two companies that share a common goal: to create the most highly realistic virtual ecosystem software available for personal or professional use. With the ability to create entire planets, sweeping vistas, tiny rock gardens or anything in between, the user can step into a creator’s shoes and subsequently animate the virtual environment, giving life to an otherwise static scene.
Terragen with (1,300!) XfrogPlants is available for immediate purchase at www.xfrog.com for $699.
“Terragen has enjoyed a successful history of photorealistic skies, terrains, water and even whole planets, but for a long time vegetation was our weakest link,” noted Matt Fairclough of Planetside Software, “With Terragen 2 we‘ve changed that by delivering tools to render billions of polygons via instancing. XfrogPlants models are great with Terragen 2 because of their high quality and botanical accuracy.”
“Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants, is very exciting for us because we have watched as Terragen developed over the past several years to today’s Terragen 2, which is a wonderful high-end production solution with extremely high render quality,” said Stewart McSherry of Xfrog, Inc. “Adding all 22 libraries of our XfrogPlants into the product is very exciting and gives Terragen users the ability to include large populations of Trees, Shrubs, Palms, Flowers, Cacti, Groundcover, and more, into their scenes, allowing for the creation of entire ecosystems with incomparable quality.”
Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants Contains:
Terragen 2 with Animation and 5 render node licensing.
1,300 XfrogPlants in Terragen 2 format (ALL 22 XfrogPlants libraries below!)
Hi-resolution renderings of all 1,300 XfrogPlants in TIFF format, for compositing and billboard use
More information about Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants, including a full feature list, is available inside the www.planetside.co.uk website
Pricing Details:
Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants is available for immediate purchase for $699 at www.xfrog.com
Terragen 2 is available without XfrogPlants for $299 including animation, and $199 without animation, at www.planetside.co.uk.
Prices are valid now thru May 30, 2009.
Terragen 2 Upgrade Offer:
Existing Terragen 2 customers are entitled to a credit coupon towards Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants equivalent to their original purchase price. Please contact registrations@planetside.co.uk for complete information.
About Planetside Software
Planetside Software was founded in 1999, and the name Terragen has become synonymous with photorealistic computer generated landscapes. Planetside Software believes that professionals, amateur artists and hobbyists share a common need for tools that deliver controllable realism and enable creativity and strives to make those tools affordable to all.
About Xfrog, Inc.
Xfrog is a world leader in organic plant modeling and organic and ecosystem software research and development. XfrogPlants are currently 1,300 botanically accurate plant models created with Xfrog procedural software and sold as 22 multiformat libraries.(max/maya/etc are all on the dvds) Terragen 2 with XfrogPlants, is actually all of the 22 XfrogPlants libraries, in Terragen 2 format, and includes detailed documentation in 7 languages. Xfrog Modeling Software exists as Plugins for Maya, CINEMA 4D, and as standalone Windows Software (Xfrog 3.5)
Friday April 24, 2009
40 animated shorts to see before you die
For our redesign issue, we asked ten leading animators to name the shorts every 3D artist should see at least once in their life. Read the full list of 40 here
Think that animation history begins with Luxo, Jr? Think again. In issue 117, we asked ten leading animators, ranging from triple Oscar winner Richard Williams to Ren and Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi, to name their own personal favourites.
The results form a cross-section of animation history, from classic Disney cel animation to the modern avant-garde. You can read the the final shortlist in the magazine itself, along with our contributors‘ reasons for choosing them.
But we thought that you might also be interested in our orignal long list: the ones that got away, as it were, and a fascinating selection in their own right. Below, you can find 40 animated shorts that every 3D artists should see.
Where possible, we‘ve included links to view the shorts online. As ever with online videos, please be aware that some may no longer be available when you come to view this page.
In issue 117's Short Cuts section, Bruce Branit talks about his runaway success, World Builder. After a poor festival run, Branit put the VFX short online and within a month, had over two million hits. Andy Price talks to the director about nostalgia, virtual reality - and how to conquer the animation world without really trying
You can read more about the making of ‘World Builder‘ in issue 117 of 3D World.
Watch 'World Builder'
In most browsers, right-click on the link and select Save As to download the movie (47 MB)
Brief biographies of the experts who advise us each issue ...
Wednesday April 22, 2009
Character and scene development training for ZBrush artists
Digital-Tutors announce new training title for ZBrush artists
PRESS RELEASE
Oklahoma City, OK | April 21, 2008 | Digital-Tutors, a Pixologic Authorized Training Provider and leader in video-based training, today announced 'Character and Scene Development in ZBrush,‘ the latest release in a growing library of interactive training for emerging digital artists using ZBrush, an award-winning integrated modeling, texturing, and illustration environment used in the film, television, game, and design industries. ‘Character and Scene Development in ZBrush‘ offers nearly six hours of training covering a step-by-step approach to character and scene development and provides artists with time-saving workflows to sculpting, texturing, character interaction, composition, lighting, and rendering using ZBrush and Maya.
“‘Character and Scene Development in ZBrush‘ takes artists from the initial concept sketch to the final rendered scene,“ said Justin Marshall, Lead Modeling Instructor at Digital-Tutors. “We spend a significant amount of time in ZBrush concentrating on the character and its composition and then we go into mental ray to light and render the scene. And, throughout this process we continue to focus on telling a creative and fun story using the interaction between two characters,” added Marshall.
Character and Scene Development in ZBrush
Key topics and popular highlights for ‘Character and Scene Development in ZBrush‘ include: composition and layout; working from sketch; creating ZSphere base; adaptive skins; character posing; re-working topology; quick shaping the model; character interaction; adding multiple pieces with ZSpheres; appending Subtools; adding temporary materials; custom alphas and textures; exaggerating features for appeal; creating UVs in ZBrush; polypainting; converting polypaints to texture maps; exporting displacement maps; exporting normal maps; exporting geometry from ZBrush; importing geometry into Maya; 3-point lighting setup; camera placement; subsurface scattering effects; approximations for high-quality displacement; using final gather with subsurface scattering; adjusting render stats of objects; rendering scenes in multiple passes; outputting color, occlusion, and depth passes; compositing multiple passes with Photoshop; and depth-of-field effects to final render.
Pricing and Availability for Character and Scene Development in ZBrush
Digital-Tutors is an innovator and leader in video-based training for emerging digital artists. The award-winning educational solutions developed by the team of educators and industry professionals at Digital-Tutors are currently being used by students, professionals, universities, and production companies from across the globe. Artists from the world‘s top studios are utilizing Digital-Tutors‘ training solutions and services to assist in the creation of next generation feature films, commercials, video games, visual effects, and emerging media. Digital-Tutors maintains strategic relationships and partnerships with Autodesk, Softimage, Pixar, Next Limit, Side Effects, Pixologic, and Adobe in the development of the software and education materials. Learn more at www.digitaltutors.com.
New Shake techniques video from Dover Studios
PRESS RELEASE
HALIFAX, NS, CANADA April 20, 2009 — Dover Studios, Inc. announced the release of Shake Techniques 2nd Edition, their latest visual effects training video.
Shake Techniques 2nd Edition provides compositors with a variety of solutions that can be applied to everyday compositing challenges.
The second edition has been completely updated and features crystal clear 1080p high definition video.
Through a series of in-depth lessons, visual effects artists, Andrew Hazelden & Russell Hazelden, share tips and techniques that will help you create better composites in Shake.
Essential topics include several approaches to stabilizing footage including the Stabilize node that uses motion trackers, and the SmoothCam node that uses optical flow technology. Learn how to use the Defocus node and see how it can be used to simulate a real lens by creating the Bokeh lens effect.
Discover how to pull a key from a bluescreen shot by using the Keylight keyer and learn how to use the Keylight status mode to troubleshoot a key.
Advanced topics include: creating a procedural animation using an audio file and an expression, and building a composite using an external matte with the SwitchMatte node. Demystify the topic of alpha channels by learning what the terms premultiplied and unpremultiplied really mean.
Pricing and Availability
For more information visit www.DoverStudios.com and watch the free preview. Shake Techniques 2nd Edition is available now as a download for $49.95 (US). Single user and multi-user site licensed versions of the video are available.
About Dover Studios
Dover Studios, Inc. was founded in 2000 by Andrew Hazelden & Russell Hazelden to provide professional training for visual effects artists working in the film and television industry. Visual effects artists have relied on Dover Studios training videos for years to help them meet the challenges of learning new skills. Satisfied customers around the world include students, freelancers, visual effects studios, universities and businesses.
Dover Studios visual effects training videos are specifically designed to help artists advance their skills in a way that is flexible, convenient, and affordable. The training videos are available as direct downloads from the Dover Studios website which allows artists to start learning new techniques right away and at their own pace.
eyeon Software unveil Generation 1.1
PRESS RELEASE
TORONTO: April 20, 2009… eyeon Software Inc. unveiled Generation 1.1 today at NAB. Generation is a new class of software, which fills a gap in post and VFX workflows by offering a platform for artist collaboration and a visual canvas for efficient shot management. The new version of Generation adds new playback and image adjustment features, and extends the collaborative capabilities of the application.
Generation combines shot-tracking with version histories, an editing panel for working with EDLs and playlists, and playback functions for review. Every part of Generation is scriptable so that facilities can integrate their in-house tools rather than having to modify their pipeline to make Generation fit in. Grease pencil annotation and live chat tools simplify communications between artists, supervisors and clients, and preserve a record of all feedback and decisions.
New Features in Generation 1.1 include:
Support for 3D LUTs.
Gain, Gamma and Lift controls, as well as brightness and contrast adjustment.
Red, Green, Blue and Alpha channel views.
Flip and Flop image mirroring.
Crop masks for playback enabling artists to view content in different aspect ratios as it will display in different output formats.
Customizable Context Menu for scripts which helps users organize and access scripts.
Improved functionality for EDL imports, including reassigning media and timecode offsets.
XML conversion to retain full timeline and version history.
JPEG caching to allow more frames to be cached in RAM.
“Generation has been an invaluable addition to our pipeline, because it gives us 100% control of our shots, allows us to collaborate more effectively, and provides a simple way of documenting the whole process,“ said Christian Kaffka, producer at Freiraum FX who recently completed an Audi project with Generation. “It‘s really valuable to be able to access every version of a shot during client reviews so we can do comparisons and show exactly what work has been done on each shot.”
eyeon will be presenting Generation 1.1 all week during NAB at booth SL1915, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 20–23, 2009. For more information, visit www.eyeonline.com.
