mental ray® Standalone 3D rendering software is a high-performance ray-trace render engine for generating imagery ranging from stylized to photorealistic. Although mental ray 3D rendering technology is integrated in Autodesk® applications such as Autodesk® Maya®, Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design, Autodesk® Softimage®, Autodesk® Revit®, and Autodesk® ImageStudio software, the stand-alone version is best suited for large volume rendering projects and is available for 3ds Max, 3ds Max Design, Maya, and Softimage.



MOre Info !

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New Features Include Photoshop Integration, Physically-Based Cameras, Seamless Softimage Support and More

A real-time 3D workflow and rendering software that leverages the horsepower of off-the-shelf professional graphics processing units (GPUs), award-winning MachStudio Pro provides real-time and near real-time 3D workflow and rendering performance on the desktop.

MachStudio Pro allows artists, designers, engineers, directors, and technical directors (TDs) to work with 3D lighting, camera views and multi-point perspectives in an interactive non-linear fashion for real-time high fidelity views as they will appear in the final rendered format. With MachStudio Pro users can easily manage and interact with complex lighting, caustics, cameras, shaders, materials, ambient occlusion, and color grading for real-time shot finaling and compositing.

From computer-aided design (CAD) visualization and 3D animation to top-quality film and broadcast projects, MachStudio Pro offers seamless interoperability with leading professional 3D modeling, animation, and 3D CAD software packages. Some of the many new features and enhancements in MachStudio Pro 1.4 include:

• Physically-based cameras provide settings and controls that mimic real-world cameras.
• Export rendered images directly into Adobe Photoshop while maintaining all render passes as independent, editable Photoshop layers.
• Materials ID render pass for effortless identification of materials in third-party compositing applications.
• Added Python programming functionality provides endless options for tailoring the UI, workspace and production pipeline.
• Vertex animation compression greatly reduces the size and overhead of animation files that are being exported from 3D modeling packages into MachStudio Pro.
• Multi-threading improves speed and responsiveness of MachStudio Pro by separating the user interface (UI) and rendering into separate threads.
• Procedural ramp texture generation for projected lights allows for the creation of stylized lights from within MachStudio Pro without the need for imported textures.
• Ambient Occlusion (AO) depth peeling increases the accuracy and quality of AO passes.
• Transparency depth peeling boosts the accuracy of transparency sorting and the quality of opacity attributes.
• Support for 32-bit floating point TIFFs provide higher bit depth and consequently, superior-quality
  displacement maps.

The new Softimage exporter for MachStudio Pro enhances the company’s growing list of exporters for major modeling and animation packages such as 3ds Max, Maya, Revit, SketchUp Pro and Rhino and more.

MachStudio Pro supports Microsoft Windows 7, Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista operating systems on most professional graphic accelerator cards. MachStudio Pro software is now available in North America for $3,999 (USD) or bundled with the AMD ATI FirePro V8750 3D workstation graphics accelerator card for $4,999 (USD). For pricing in other regions, visit www.studiogpu.com/buy/locator. Student, education and volume licensing is also available upon request. For more information about MachStudio Pro, visit the StudioGPU web site at www.studiogpu.com.

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studiogpu.com

Ronen Bekerman announced The winners of the first Architectural Visualization Challenge – The GH House, have been selected

Visit the winners page at the challenge section of the blog for full information and summery

The ‘Making-Of’ articles by the winners will start to be posted in a few days…

The GH House Challenge Winners Selected is a post from Ronen Bekerman's 3D Architectural Visualization Blog

Related links:

ronenbekerman.com

Eat3d announced 20 Percent discount on any of our Unreal Training Videos! (Excludes the Unreal Editor 3 Bundle)

If you are a UDK Developer or Modder and would take advantage of this great offer, simply submit a request via UDN to become eligible for the discount and they will get back to you within 1-2 business days with a coupon created especially for your Eat3d account.

You can apply for the discount over at the Unreal Developer Network

Related links:

udn.epicgames.com

Michele Bousquet, author of MAXScript Made Easy and Borislav 'Bobo' Petrov, Visual Effects Technical Director at Prime Focus VFX, are back with their Maxscript Fundamentals workshop. In this class, Michele and Bobo will assist and mentor students in the fundamentals of MAXScript, the programming language built into 3ds Max.

Weekly tutorials will be presented by world renowned author and instructor Michele Bousquet, while in weeks 5-8, MAXScript guru Borislav 'Bobo' Petrov will be on hand to provide additional support to students with their original scripts and advanced questions. Borislav Petrov has worked on films such as Avatar, G.I. Joe, and Superman Returns.

Student numbers will be strictly limited to 35 places only. For more details and enrolment information go to http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courses/000134/

Course Begins: 26 April 2010
Course Ends: 20 June 2010
Weeks: 9
Fee: USD $549.00

Registration closes: 22 April 2010.


CGS members receive 5% off of all CGWorkshops.




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Modeling Supervisor and Technical Director Cesar Dacol Jr., has returned to mentor students in the fundamentals of ZBrush, the digital sculpting tool, as they pertain to creating digital characters. By exploring and creating characters in ZBrush, students’ skills with be strengthened and honed in preparation for production. Students will be studying the digital sculpting paradigms as well as the texturing and retopology within ZBrush 3.5. As there will be heavy emphasis on anatomy and structure, students are required to have a working knowledge of ZBrush. This is not a class for beginners into ZBrush. Students will also need to have Photoshop or Corel Painter and a 3D application of their choosing.

Student numbers will be strictly limited to 35 places only. For more details and enrolment information go to http://www.cgworkshops.com/courses/000132

Course Begins: 26 April 2010
Course Ends: 20 June 2010
Weeks: 9
Fee: USD $549.00




Related links:

cgworkshops.com

FUTUREPOLY Presents Kekai Kotaki Concept Art Workshop at The FUTUREPOLY Studio 12708 Northup Way, Suite 202 Bellevue, WA 98005

EVENT: FUTUREPOLY Presents Kekai Kotaki Concept Art Workshop
DATE: Sunday, April 25, 2010
TIME: 10:00am - 4:00pm
PRICE: $120
LOCATION: The FUTUREPOLY Studio
12708 Northup Way, Suite 202 Bellevue, WA 98005 [ view map ]

More info !


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futurepoly.com

This year’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC 2010) will take place on Monday, Sept. 20 to Thursday, Sept. 23 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California.

Building on last year's inaugural conference, GTC 2010 will feature an even broader and deeper selection of technical sessions, interactive tutorials, technology previews, and industry and academic presentations.

Three concurrent GPU-focused summits will occur under one roof:

Emerging Companies Summit: A showcase for innovative startups to demonstrate products and network with VC's and other investors.

GPU Developers Summit: Sessions, tutorials, and presentations for developers, engineers, and scientists.

NVIDIA Research Summit: A unique opportunity for students, professors, and researchers to present their findings and collaborate.

For more information:

• Join the GTC 2010 mailing list for updates.
• See GTC Call for Submissions to learn about submitting content.
• To inquire about being a sponsor or exhibitor, visit GTC Sponsors/Exhibitors.

Related links:

nvidia.com

Learn how to demolish and animate Terracotta warriors in this event rebroadcast from Gnomon School of Visual Effects. Featuring presentations from Digital Domain’s Hagzhi Tang (CG Lighting Supervisor), Jimmy Gordon (Technical Animation Supervisor), Lucio Flores (Senior FX Animator).

Part 1 | Part 2




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cgchannel.com

New After Effect tutorial from Andrew Kramer, In this tutorial we will be creating a progressive shatter effect using the Pixel Poly plug-in and some simple expressions. This 20 minute tutorial is an expansion to the 3D Ball Dispersion technique for offsetting animated layers, to achieve a unique burn-away look.

Sample Video

Watch Tutorial

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videocopilot.net

Mari was originally developed at Weta Digital. The technology was driven by the texture department's need to handle complex, high resolution textures on 3D models in Lord of The Rings, King Kong and Avatar. Born out of genuine production experience, Mari was a designed as a full 3D paint tool with a responsiveness and feature set that puts even the best dedicated 2D paint systems to shame. Mari is extremely scalable, coping easily with an obsessive level of detail – literally tens of thousands of textures – quickly and elegantly.

Speed

Save time and money by seeing the results of your work immediately. Cut down on revisions. Wave goodbye to the paint, render, review, rinse, repeat cycle of old. Load all the textures for a model into Mari simultaneously and remove the need to split models up.

Paint

A creative painting toolset second to none, focused on the artists’ needs. With a paintbrush engine finessed under intense production pressure, Mari releases artists from arbitrary restraints and allows them to work naturally with the model.

Context

In VFX work, context is everything. What the model will look like in motion, from multiple angles and against the background plate, is critical. Mari lets the artists see the model in context and paint on it right there.

Animation

Texture channels need to change over time. Whether it is a blushing maiden or scratched and dented armour, animating textures are a crucial part of what makes a model appear real. Mari let’s you animate and paint your texture channels frame by frame.

Workflow

Efficient integration into a complex workflow turns a great product into a powerhouse. Mari has an open and extensible approach to UI, geometry, cameras and shading, and runs on Linux. It supports colour management, light and texture exchange, while import and export happen in the background.

User Interface

A clear and intuitive user interface allows artists to focus on what is important. User configurable tool shelves allow them to organise their workspace efficiently and a customizable real-time 3D shader lets them see what they’re doing.

Meaning

Mari comes from the Swahili Maridadi meaning both ‘beautiful’ and also carrying connotations of 'usefulness'.

Register for More Information

Complete our Mari registration to receive news about Mari and be notified when MARI becomes available for purchase.


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Evermotion will launches the new Product Archmodels vol 77 - High detailed models of electrionic appliances with all textures, shaders and materials. It is ready to use, just put it into your scene on 2010.04.12






CHECK IT HERE!

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evermotion.org

HOLO 2.0 is a portable computer concept developed by Elodie Delassus, an industrial product designer.








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designworkbyelo.blogspot.com

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 24, 2010 HP unveiled workstation offerings that include the first small form factor workstation to be available in every region of the world, multicore processor updates to its Z Workstation series and a mobile workstation with DreamColor display technology.

• Adding to the award-winning HP Z Workstation series, the HP Z200 SFF Workstation delivers workstation performance and reliability in a sleek, ultracompact and affordable package, and is a great choice for space-constrained environments including the health care, engineering, education, financial and original equipment manufacturer markets.
• New six-core, 32nm Intel® Xeon® 5600 series processors are now available on HP Z800, Z600 and Z400 workstations, which deliver greater parallel processing performance.
• Dressed in a gunmetal anodized-aluminium finish, the HP EliteBook 8740w Mobile Workstation is HP’s most powerful mobile workstation to date. It delivers advanced graphics and performance capabilities, along with the ability to produce accurate, predictable and consistent color through its HP DreamColor display.

“HP has invested in research and development through the economic downturn, innovating on top of our industry-leading workstations to provide an undeniably differentiated experience in our new products,” said Jim Zafarana, vice president and general manager, Workstations Global Business Unit, HP. “HP customers are famous for pushing the limits of innovation, and as their industries undergo digital transformations, their next generation of breakthroughs is being powered by HP technology.”

Workstation performance in an ultracompact package

With a starting price rivalling those of traditional desktop computers, the HP Z200 SFF breaks new ground with a space-saving design that is almost two-thirds smaller than the Z200 minitower workstation. Tapping the power of Intel’s newest technologies, the HP Z200 SFF offers dual-core processor options based on the new Intel Core^TM i3 and i5 series, as well as quad-core processor options based on the enterprise-class Intel Xeon 3400 series.⁽¹⁾

The HP Z200 SFF supports up to 16 gigabytes (GB) of ECC memory^(2,3) and up to 2 terabytes (TB)⁽⁴⁾ of high-speed storage. It also includes professional 2-D and 3-D graphics options. In addition, the HP Z200 SFF is designed for ease of use and serviceability – with a tool-less chassis, convenient USB ports located on the front of the system and a FireWire® 1394a card option.

The HP Z200 SFF Workstation includes an 89 percent efficient power supply, has ENERGY STAR® 5.0 qualified configurations and is registered as Electronics Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®) Gold, the highest rating available.

Greater parallelism for “megatasking”

Ideal for multithreaded workstation applications such as engineering, 3-D digital content creation, oil and gas, and science, HP Z Workstations with the new Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series offer up to 12 cores with integrated memory controllers, Intel Turbo Boost Technology⁽⁵⁾ and Intel Hyper-Threading⁽⁶⁾ Technology.

Available on the HP Z800, Z600 and Z400 workstations, the new processors allow for up to 24 threads to run at one time when using two 6-core processors with Hyper-Threading turned on.

The HP Z Workstations offer a variety of options for every need:

• The HP Z800 offers the latest Intel Xeon 5500 and 5600 series processors, providing up to 12 processing cores, up to 192 GB of ECC memory, up to 10 TB of high-speed storage and up to dual NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800 graphics.
• The HP Z600 also offers Intel Xeon 5500 and 5600 series processors with up to 12 processing cores. It additionally provides up to 48 GB of ECC memory, up to 6 TB of high-speed storage, and professional 2-D and 3-D graphics up to NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 or dual NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800 graphics.
• The HP Z400 offers up to six processing cores using the latest Intel Xeon 3500 series processors, providing up to 24 GB of ECC memory, up to 8 TB of high-speed storage and up to NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 or dual NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800 graphics.

“The new Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series runs multithreaded workstation applications up to 45 percent faster than its predecessor, the Intel Xeon Processor 5500 series,” said Anthony Neal-Graves, general manager, Workstations, Intel. “Workstations powered by the new Intel Xeon Processor 5600 series give application developers the reliability, capacity and performance to help them bring innovative ideas to life faster than ever before.”

HP workstations are used by the world’s most demanding power users in industries such as graphic arts, broadcast, computer-aided design (CAD), engineering, medical imaging, finance, and oil and gas exploration. Companies use HP workstations to design everything from running shoes to race cars, animated characters to deep-sea submersibles, and to manage everything from billions of dollars of tradable securities to mission-critical IT environments.

HP is a leader in reducing the environmental impact of its products, often acting first to adopt new solutions designed with the environment in mind. For example, only the HP Z Workstation line includes the exclusive HP WattSaver⁽⁷⁾ feature that manages power in the “off” state at less than one watt.

In addition, HP Z Workstations include at least 85 percent efficient power supplies – 89 percent efficient power supply on the HP Z200 and HP Z200 SFF and as an option on the HP Z800 – reducing both overall energy usage and the amount of waste heat released. The HP Z line offers ENERGY STAR 5.0 qualified configurations.

All HP Z Workstations are more than 90 percent recyclable by weight and are registered as EPEAT Gold.

On-the-go performance

The HP EliteBook 8740w Mobile Workstation offers ISV-certified workstation-class performance in a mobile package. Featuring a 17-inch diagonal display, a range of Intel processors including Core i7 Extreme Edition,⁽⁸⁾ and support for up to 16 GB of memory, the 8740w can meet the needs of the most demanding applications.

The inclusion of USB 3.0 provides increased bandwidth and performance, while an optional backlit keyboard is offered for the first time on an HP EliteBook.

The DreamColor display option enables professionals to work with deep, accurate colors for precise results every time. Able to display more than 1 billion active colors – 64 times the capabilities of a traditional display – the 8740w utilizes a 30-bit notebook LCD panel to provide a level of color control previously found only on the deskbound HP DreamColor LP2480 Professional Display.

The HP mobile display assistant and optional HP color calibration kit further allow control, adjustment and alignment of the DreamColor notebook display to ensure predictable color.

Workstation-class graphics solutions maximize onscreen performance. The 8740w offers a choice of the ATI FirePro M7820 with 1 GB of GDDR5 video memory or the NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800M or NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M – both with 1 GB GDDR3 video memory.

Users selecting the ATI FirePro configuration benefit from Direct X 11 and multidisplay support. Through a single GPU, the mobile workstation can simultaneously support up to four independent display outputs, plus the native notebook panel, for a total of five displays.

The recently announced HP EliteBook 8540w Mobile Workstation also is now available with optional DreamColor display or with the new of ATI FirePro M7820 graphics adapter.

Like other members of the HP EliteBook family, the 8540w and 8740w are engineered to meet the tough MIL-STD 810G military-standard tests for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude, and high and low temperatures,⁽⁹⁾ and also are free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).⁽¹⁰⁾ HP EliteBook innovations include: HP QuickWeb and HP QuickLook3 to quickly access programs without boot up⁽¹¹⁾ and HP Power Assistant⁽¹²⁾ tools for energy savings. Integrated HP Mobile Broadband powered by Gobi⁽¹³⁾ allows users to conveniently access the internet, corporate intranet, email and mission-critical information globally.

The HP advantage

HP Performance Advisor software – preinstalled on HP workstations – automatically tunes the workstation, finding and installing the proper drivers and configuring the system to optimal settings based on a user’s workflow. This type of tuning can result in significantly improved performance along with system and software stability that adds up to an improved return on investment.

Additionally, HP SkyRoom software comes preloaded on new HP workstations.⁽¹⁴⁾ HP SkyRoom is an affordable, high-definition (HD) videoconferencing software⁽¹⁵⁾ that offers live, real-time collaboration for instant face-to-face meetings. Built on HP Video and Image processing engines and four times faster than the blink of an eye,⁽¹⁶⁾ SkyRoom provides seamless hi-fi audio, HD video⁽¹⁵⁾ and high-performance 3-D application sharing.

HP also offers an expanding line of HP Designjet large-format printers and multifunction devices to easily turn digital designs into printed documents and then digitize documents back into the design-and-make process, helping to shorten project cycles. Together, HP Workstations and HP Designjet printers can quickly produce professional large-format drawings, maps, presentations, renders and posters to aid in both the pitch process and ongoing project design needs.

Pricing and availability⁽¹⁷⁾

• The HP Z200 SFF Workstation is expected to be available worldwide starting April 5. U.S. pricing starts at $739.
• The HP Z400, Z600 and Z800 are available today worldwide. U.S. pricing starts at $929 for the HP Z400 Workstation, $1,579 for the HP Z600 Workstation and $1,799 for the HP Z800 Workstation.
• The HP EliteBook 8740w is expected to be available worldwide starting in April. U.S. pricing starts at $1,999.

More information about the products, including product specifications and images, is available at www.hp.com/personal.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

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⁽¹⁾ Dual/Quad Core is designed to improve performance of multithreaded software products and hardware-aware multitasking operating systems and may require appropriate operating system software for full benefit. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. 64-bit computing on Intel architecture requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, operating system, device drivers and applications enabled for Intel 64 architecture. Processors will not operate (including 32-bit operation) without an Intel 64 architecture-enabled BIOS. Performance will vary depending on hardware and software configurations. More information is available at www.intel.com/info/em64t. Intel’s numbering is not a measurement of higher performance.

⁽²⁾ Each processor supports up to 3 channels of DDR3 memory. To realize full performance at least 1 DIMM must be inserted into each channel.

⁽³⁾ Maximum memory capacities assume Windows® 64-bit operating systems or Linux. With Windows 32-bit operating systems, memory above 3 GB may not all be available due to system resource requirements.

⁽⁴⁾ For hard drives, 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. 1 TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less. Up to 8 GB of hard drive (or system disk) is reserved for the system recovery software for Windows XP and XP Pro, up to 12 GB for Windows Vista®, and up to 20 GB for Windows 7.

⁽⁵⁾ Intel Turbo Boost technology requires a PC with a processor with Intel Turbo Boost capability. Intel Turbo Boost performance varies depending on hardware, software and overall system configuration. More information is available at www.intel.com/technology/turboboost.

⁽⁶⁾ The hyper-threading feature is designed to improve performance of multi-threaded software products; please contact your software provider to determine software compatibility. Not all customers or software applications will benefit from the use of hyper-threading. More information, including which processors support HT Technology, is available at www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading/.

⁽⁷⁾ Requires customer activation.

⁽⁸⁾ This product does not support the Intel over-clocking feature.

⁽⁹⁾ Testing was not intended to demonstrate fitness for U.S. Department of Defense contracts requirements or for military use. Test results are not a guarantee of future performance under these test conditions.

⁽¹⁰⁾ The HP EliteBooks are brominated flame retardant and polyvinyl chloride-free (BFR/PVC-free), meeting the evolving definition of “BFR/PVC-free” as set forth in the “iNEMI Position Statement on the ‘Definition of Low-Halogen’ Electronics (BFR/CFR/PVC-Free).” Plastic parts contain 1,000

⁽¹¹⁾ HP QuickLook 3 and QuickWeb are accessible when the notebook is off in Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7-based systems; not supported from hibernation. Timing may vary depending on the system configuration. To enable the feature following the removal of the battery, reboot the notebook prior to subsequent use. HP QuickLook 3 on HP ProBook s-series requires configuration with Intel and DDR3 or AMD and DDR2. QuickWeb is not available on HP ProBook s-series or HP Minis.

⁽¹²⁾ Power calculations and cost calculations are estimates. Results will vary based on variables, which include information provided by the user, time PC is in different power states (on, standby, hibernate, off), time PC is on battery or AC, hardware configuration, variable electricity rates and utilities provider. HP advises customers to use information reported by HP Power Assistant for reference only and to validate impact in their environments. Environmental calculations were based on U.S. EPA eGrid 2007 data found at www.epa.gov/egrid/. Regional results will vary.

⁽¹³⁾ Accessible when the notebook is off in Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7-based systems; not supported from hibernation. Timing may vary depending on the system configuration. To enable the feature following the removal of the battery, reboot the notebook prior to subsequent use.

⁽¹⁴⁾ SkyRoom 90-day trial for HP EliteBooks, purchase of license is required after the trial boot.

⁽¹⁵⁾ High-definition content required to view HD images.

⁽¹⁶⁾ Performance dependent on network latency and image frame content.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Estimated U.S. street prices. Actual prices may vary.

---

Intel, Intel Xeon and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. FireWire is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. ENERGY STAR is a registered mark owned by the U.S. government. Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2010 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

© 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Related links:

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From Renderosity Ricky Grove has just previewed the new tool of Zbrush: ZBrush 3.5 R3


ZBrush 3.5 R3 Review: A New Paradigm in Sculpting Digital Clay

Related links:

renderosity.com

WonderCon, one of the country's best comics conventions returns to Moscone Center South in San Francisco April 2–4. WonderCon 2010 offers the perfect Spring Break getaway over the long Easter holiday weekend, and it's made even better with the special WonderCon room rate at our headquarters hotel, the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. Book a room at this fabulous hotel—located just a short walk from Moscone Center South—at the super low rate of only $109/night (single/double occupancy; click here for details). This year WonderCon will also host an evening game room and a convention hospitality suite open to all attendees at our headquarters hotel (just be sure to bring your badge for entry!). See the article below for more info on these great new additions to the WonderCon experience!

An amazing roster of special guests from the worlds of comics and science fiction/fantasy will be a major highlight for fans at WonderCon 2010. The guest list includes comics legends Murphy Anderson, Sergio Aragonés, and Joe Kubert along with some of the superstars of today's most popular comics, including Frank Cho, Amanda Conner, Darwyn Cooke, Colleen Doran, David Finch, Adam Hughes, Geoff Johns, Adam Kubert, Jimmy Palmiotti, Darick Robertson, James Robinson, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, Ethan Van Sciver, and Judd Winick. In addition, science fiction/fantasy authors Peter S. Beagle and Tim Powers join the event, along with WonderCon moderator supreme—and comics historian and writer—Mark Evanier. As a special bonus, pop culture icon Stan Freberg and his wife, Hunter, are scheduled for the show, marking their first WonderCon appearance. And comics publisher IDW brings actor/producer/writer Michael Chiklis to the event for his first-ever appearance, introducing his new comic book series. (For more information on all of the special guests who have confirmed to-date, please click here.)

WonderCon provides a complete comics convention experience, including a giant Exhibit Hall with one of the best Artists' Alleys in the country, plus autograph, small press, and fan table areas. Companies from all over converge on San Francisco to be a part of this show, including such major comic publishers as DC Comics, Dark Horse, IDW, Image, and Oni Press, plus dealers selling comic books, original art, books, movie memorabilia, action figures, and much more. (For a complete list of exhibitors, click here.) Programming features spotlights on all WonderCon's special guests, plus comic publisher presentations, movie and TV panels and previews, and other panels on a wide range of comics and pop culture topics. Saturday night's Masquerade is growing to Comic-Con size, and anime and gaming are offered throughout the weekend. A complete schedule of programs, anime, and games will be posted soon; please check back for details!

WonderCon 2009 saw another increase in attendance, growing to 34,000 fans, yet it still has the intimate feeling of a fan-run comics convention. Be a part of the Wonder in 2010, as Northern California's premiere comics and popular arts event moves to a prime spot during Spring Break on Easter weekend! Click here to save money and purchase your memberships now or click here to find a local Bay area store where you can purchase memberships.

Bookmark this page for breaking news on special guests, programs, and exhibitors. Plus follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/comic_con for info on all three of our events and become a fan of our Facebook page at www.facebook.com (search Comic-Con International to sign up)!

New for 2010: WonderCon Adds Nighttime Events at the Marriott!

WonderCon 2010 branches out from the Moscone Convention Center and adds two exciting new nighttime rooms at our headquarters hotel, the San Francisco Marriott Marquis!

Enjoy our hospitality at the WonderCon Hospitality Suite at the Marriott! The suite will be open Friday and Saturday evenings and is a great place for you to hang out, mingle, and even network with your fellow WonderCon attendees. Discuss the events of the day and what you saw in programming, or show your new best friends the cool purchases you made in the giant Exhibit Hall! Light snacks and beverages will be available throughout the evening, while supplies last. Check back for complete details, including the schedule and location for the room.

The other nighttime room at the Marriott is for WonderCon games! Click here to go to the WonderCon games page for more information!

REGISTER HERE!

WonderCon Combined ZBrush & Anatomy Tools Reference models - Product Special:

For a limited time, the world’s #1 anatomy reference models used by artists in Concept, Game & VFX industries, can be purchased with a single license of ZBrush at a combined discount price. You receive both our award winning software plus an anatomy reference model by AnatomyTools.com - designed specifically for digital artists to improve their abilities. This offer will only be available on the WonderCon showroom floor at the Pixologic Booth (#933) or the Anatomy Tools Booth (#1337). The package will be available only during WonderCon so don’t miss your opportunity to a great deal on two of the leading artist centric products in today’s market.
CHECK HERE FOR Pixologic at WonderCon 2010




Related links:

comic-con.org

Creating a Creature Workflow: Part 1

Creating a Creature Workflow: Part 2

This is the third and final part in a series of videos created by Kenichi Nishida, capturing his personal workflow in creating a creature sculpt using Maya and Mudbox 2011. Chapters covered are painting bump map, painting color map, rendering in Maya, compositing in Composite (formerly Toxik), and finished render.

CHECK HERE!






Related links:

area.autodesk.com

The short film from Georgios Cherouvim : Erebus


"There used to be a small but beautiful blue rock somewhere within the vast void of the universe. Life appeared on its crust relatively fast and as usual through out the evolution, one of the species dominated the rest, by forming complex societies to overcome its primordial survival needs. The dominant inhabitants progressed technologically, excelled in many different fields within their closed society and managed to build establishments on every corner of the planet's terrain. But during the process of solving these initial problems and building their dream utopia, more problems would arise faster than before, making their daily lives gradually more and more complicated. The time came when their overcomplicated society demanded so much devotion, that they stopped questioning other, more fundamental issues. It was then, when they even stopped looking up the sky. The sky that used to inspire and guide them will now bring them disaster and Erebus. "



Download Bigger version HERE


Related links:

ch3.gr
vimeo.com

SANTA CLARA, Calif. —March 25, 2010—NVIDIA announced that the GPU Technology Conference 2010 (GTC 2010) will take place on Monday, Sept. 20 to Thursday, Sept. 23 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, Calif.

Building on the successful format of last year’s inaugural conference, GTC 2010 will offer an even broader and deeper selection of technical sessions, interactive tutorials, technology previews, and industry and academic presentations.

“Last year’s GPU Technology Conference was very exciting, with many top researchers and developers demonstrating how they are using the GPU to solve some of the world’s most difficult challenges, from medical diagnostics to energy exploration,” said Bill Dally, NVIDIA Chief Scientist. “I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the new advances that will be unveiled this year.”

“I consider the GPU Technology Conference to be the single best place to see firsthand the amazing work enabled by the GPU,” said Professor Hanspeter Pfister, School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University and GTC 2009 keynote speaker. “It’s a great venue for meeting researchers, developers, scientists, and entrepreneurs from around the world and I’m looking forward to GTC 2010.”

The conference will once again encompass three concurrent GPU-focused summits in one location:

• Emerging Companies Summit
  A showcase for innovative startups to demonstrate their products and network with venture capitalists, GTC attendees, and other investors.


• GPU Developers Summit
  A wide selection of content-rich sessions, tutorials, and presentations for developers, engineers, and scientists.


• NVIDIA® Research Summit
  A unique opportunity for students, professors, and researchers to present their findings and collaborate.

For More Information:

• To stay up to date on GTC 2010, visit the GTC 2010 website and join the GTC 2010 mailing list.
• To submit proposals for tutorials, sessions, and posters, see GTC Call for Submissions.
• To learn about being a sponsor or exhibitor, see GTC Sponsors/Exhibitors.
• To watch the GTC 2010 video, see the nTersect blog.

Sponsors:
GTC 2010 sponsors include GE Intelligent Platforms, HP, and PNY.

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (Nasdaq: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA’s expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The company holds more than 1,100 U.S. patents, including ones covering designs and insights which are fundamental to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.

Related links:

nvidia.com

Roberto is a Director at State of Art Studio – An architectural visualization studio based in Italy shows us how he did the Project named Maison Hermes!


CHECK IT HERE!

Related links:

ronenbekerman.com

Max.NET is a .NET CLR wrapper for 3d Studio Max's (3dsmax) software development kit (SDK). It allows developers to write tools for 3dsmax in a managed and reflective environment using any of the common .NET languages such as C#, VB.net, J#, and C++/CLI. Moreover it provides access to all of the classes and their members accessible to normal unmanaged SDK.

Presented by: M&T Bank

Exhibition Preview: April 17-April 24, 2010

School 33 Art Center's Annual Fundraiser & Exhibition Fundraiser: April 24, 2009

Submission Deadline Extended: Saturday, April 3, 2010

School 33 Art Center, a program of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts, invites artists to submit artwork for consideration for our annual fundraiser exhibition, LOTTA ART, presented by M&T Bank. This annual lottery-style event raises funds for the support and growth of School 33, the renowned Baltimore arts institution that has championed the arts for over 30 years through exhibitions, studio space, and arts education.

School 33 is pleased to announce that the venue for this year's event is, for the second year in a row, the award-winning Silo Point complex. All artwork will be available for preview on School 33's website.

To show our appreciation for your generous contribution of artwork, our selection committee will nominate three artists as "Best in Show". Each of these three artists will be awarded a solo exhibition at School 33 Art Center during the 2010-11 exhibition season.

Additionally, ALL selected artists for LOTTA ART will receive:

• one free guest ticket for the April 24 fundraiser
• the opportunity to purchase a discounted "art" ticket
• one year-long membership to School 33
• discounts on exhibition applications and art classes
• the opportunity to apply for Members' Gallery solo exhibitions

If you have donated to LOTTA ART in the past, we ask that you continue your support by doing so once again. If you are donating for the first time, please know that your donation will support our mission and our exhibition space—a space that also supports you. For more information about LOTTA ART, please visit www.school33.org or contact William Pace at william.pace@promotionandarts.com or at 410-396-4641 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 410-396-4641 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Related links:

bopasubmissions.com
school33.org

Autodesk is now officially announced both versions of the product. If you've reviewed the details around 3ds Max 2011 already, then you know most of what is going on with 3ds Max Design 2011 because 3ds Max Design 2011 includes all the features of 3ds Max 2011 except for the SDK. 3ds Max Design 2011 has two benefits that you won't find in 3ds Max 2011 - the Exposure daylight analysis feature and current 3ds Max Design subscription users will have access in the April timeframe to the new Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension (more about that later).

Key Features and Benefits

Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design 2011 software offers compelling new techniques for aggregating data, iterating ideas, bringing designs to life, and presenting the results. Delivering streamlined, intelligent data exchange workflows and innovative new modeling and visualization tools, 3ds Max Design 2011 software helps significantly increase productivity for both individuals and collaborating teams. Designers can focus on exploring, validating, and communicating the story behind their designs.

Top Features and Benefits

Quicksilver Hardware Renderer

Create high-fidelity preview animations and design dailies in less time with Quicksilver, an innovative new hardware renderer that helps produce high-quality images at incredible speeds. This new multi-threaded rendering engine utilizes both the CPU and the GPU, and supports alpha and z-buffer render elements; depth of field; motion blur; dynamic reflections; area, photometric, ambient occlusion, and indirect lighting effects along with precision-adaptive shadow maps; and the ability to render at larger-than-screen resolutions.

FBX File Link with Autodesk Revit Architecture

Receive and manage upstream design changes from Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software with the new FBX File Link. This intelligent handling of data helps reduce rework of visualizations in 3ds Max Design when original designs are revised and refined, supporting nonlinear decision making processes and facilitating collaborative, iterative workflows. Designers can also take advantage of new import options to group incoming materials, helping to optimize and simplify management of complex data sets.

Autodesk Inventor Import Improvements

Take advantage of new Smart Data workflows for your digital prototyping workflows when using Autodesk® Inventor® software. Significant enhancements have been made for importing Inventor data into 3ds Max Design: the requirement for Inventor to be installed on the same machine has been removed; solids objects can now be imported as 3ds Max Design bodies; and support for materials, surfaces, and composites has been improved.

Viewport Display of 3ds Max Materials

Develop and refine scenes in a high-fidelity interactive display environment—without the constant need to re-render—with the new ability to view most 3ds Max Design texture maps and materials in the viewport. Designers can make interactive decisions in a context that more closely matches the final output, helping reduce errors and enhance the creative storytelling process.

Modeling and Texturing Enhancements

Accelerate modeling and texturing tasks with new tools that extend the Graphite modeling and Viewport Canvas toolsets: an expanded toolset for 3D painting and editing textures within the viewport; the ability to paint with object brushes to create geometry within a scene; a new brush interface for editing UVW coordinates; and an interactive tool for extending edge loops.

Native Solids Import/Export

Non-destructively import and export surfaces and solids between 3ds Max Design and certain other applications supporting SAT files: Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software, Rhino, SolidWorks, and FormZ. Imported trimmed surfaces, solids models, and assemblies are represented as 3ds Max Design “bodies”, retaining the native mathematical description of the surface; this enables cut-aways and reveals to be represented without artifacts, and for different tessellation parameters to be used for interactive display and rendering. Bodies can even be manipulated with deformers before export back to the original application.

Google SketchUp Importer

Import Google® SketchUp™ sketching software (SKP) version 6 and 7 files into 3ds Max Design more efficiently. The enhanced SketchUp Importer supports SketchUp entities including layers, groups, components, materials, cameras, and the daylight system, and enables users to directly import SketchUp files from the Google 3D Warehouse.

Autodesk Material Library

Seamlessly exchange material data between Autodesk applications with the new Autodesk Material Library. Materials can be exchanged with other supporting Autodesk applications (AutoCAD®, Autodesk® Inventor®, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, Autodesk® Revit® MEP, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure software) in a true one-to-one mapping—helping create a consistent definition and rendered look, and eliminating the need to rework materials after data import. Users will benefit from a familiar workflow between products and enjoy access to up to 1,200 material templates that help simplify complex scene set-up.

Local Edits to Containers

Collaborate more efficiently with significantly enhanced workflows for Containers that enable designers to layer local edits non-destructively on top of referenced content. Meet tight deadlines by working in parallel: while one user iteratively edits unlocked aspects of the container, another can continue to refine the underlying data. Multiple users can contribute changes to different elements of the same container at once, while simultaneous edits to the same component are prevented.

Slate Material Editor

Easily visualize and edit material component relationships with Slate, a new node-based material editor that helps significantly improve workflow and productivity for designers creating and editing complex material networks. The intuitive schematic framework is engineered to handle the vast numbers of materials required by today’s demanding visualizations.

Other New Features

Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 software also includes the following key features:

3ds Max Composite

Enhance rendered passes and incorporate them into live action footage with 3ds Max Composite: a fully-featured, high-performance, HDR-capable compositor, based on technology from Autodesk® Toxik® software.

In-Context Direct Manipulation UI

Save time when modeling and maintain focus on the creative task at hand with a new in-context user interface (UI) for polygon modeling tools that eliminates unnecessary mouse movement away from the model.

mental ray 2011

The latest version of mental ray® included with 3ds Max Design offers enhanced performance and stability.

Updated OpenEXR Image IO Plug-in

An updated OpenEXR plug-in supports unlimited layers in one EXR file and automatically stores Render Elements and G-Buffer channels to EXR layers.

Ribbon Customization

Maximize the usable workspace and focus on the features that matter most for specialized workflows with customizable Ribbon layouts.

Save to Previous Release

Manage the transition to 3ds Max Design 2011 with the option to save scene files in a format compatible with 3ds Max Design 2010.

Windows 7 Support

3ds Max Design 2011 adds Windows® 7 operating system as a supported platform.

Character Animation Toolkit (CAT) Integration

More easily create and manage characters, and layer, load, save, remap, and mirror animations, with the Character Animation Toolkit (CAT), now fully integrated into 3ds Max Design.

For a complete review of the new features and enhancements in Autodesk 3ds Max 2011, view the “What’s New” documentation on the 3ds Max family product center at www.autodesk.com/3dsmax-documentation.

Autodesk Civil Visualization Extension

The above link will take you to more information about the new extension we'll be releasing in April for 3ds Max Design subscription customers. This is the result of our acquisition of 3AM Solution's Dynamite VSP. Over the last serveral months, we've been working to create an "Autodesk" version of the plug-in. This version is basically the original version but with new 3D content (vehicles, trees, etc.).

Experience the following benefits when you implement a civil visualization workflow:

• Ease—You don’t have to be an expert to create high-quality visualizations of civil engineering projects.
• Integration—A dynamic link between Dynamite VSP and AutoCAD Civil 3D models automates much of the visualization process as designs are updated.
• Better experience—Create animations such as drive-throughs, flyovers, and interactive simulations, and conduct physically accurate daylight studies.
• Value—Previously available for over US 4,200, the contents of the Civil Visualization Extension will now be a download available to customers with an active Autodesk Subscription contract for 3ds Max Design.

Related links:

autodesk.com

Matte Painting realized for the movie Barbarossa and artist inspired from an old painting of Rome with Castel Sant’Angelo

CHECK HERE !


Related links:

cgarena.com

This tutorial, will show you how to create a beautiful and colorful retro illustration using Photoshop and 3ds Max for this purpose. You’ll learn some simple but effective techniques that will allow you to create a cool and stylish image.

Final Preview:


TUTORIAL HERE

Related links:

forcg.com

The Gnomon Workshop releases a new Vehicle Design series by visual effects art director Alex Jaeger. In these two volumes Alex will walk you through his process for designing a futuristic military vehicle, from ideation and designing a 3/4 view to creating orthographics for a 3d modeler and rendering a presentation piece.
His demonstration places particular emphasis on using the script as a guide for his design decisions, including form, color, lighting and texture details. Alex brings to these lectures his experience working on major
feature films such as both Transformers movies and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, and his incredible ability to blend science fiction and reality into seemingly fully-functional believable designs.

“Through hard work and dedication, Alex has gained an amazing amount of achievements in his professional career. His designs and art direction have brought life to some of the most iconic films in Hollywood. It is individuals like Alex who continue to forge the unknown roads ahead and define the industry we all call Entertainment. He is truly an inspiration for me.”
Feng Zhu
Founder, FZD School of Design
Founder, Feng Zhu Design

Vehicle Design Volume 1: From Script to Concept

DVD Description:
In this series, Alex Jaeger demonstrates his process for designing a futuristic military vehicle based on descriptions from a science fiction screenplay. In this first volume, he covers the ideation phase through to completing a detailed three-quarter view drawing in Photoshop®. Alex discusses his design philosophy, informed by his automotive design background, and he uses key story details to inspire his decision making. As he starts to sketch in Photoshop, you will see his process for roughing in quick ideas and choosing which of those ideas is most successful based on the visual strength of each design and how well it adheres to the script’s guidelines. Alex then picks a sketch to develop into a refined three-quarter view drawing, and demonstrates his techniques for detailing the vehicle and making sure that all the parts fit and flow together with a theme. Finally, Alex discusses the value of using reference as he adds elements to his futuristic vehicle to keep it believable but relevant to its world.

Vehicle Design Volume 2: Concept Breakdown and Rendering

DVD Description:
In this series, Alex Jaeger demonstrates his process for designing a futuristic military vehicle based on descriptions from a science fiction screenplay. In this second volume, with an emphasis on the production pipeline, he shows how to break down a three-quarter view of a vehicle design into orthographic views for a 3D modeler, and then demonstrates the process for rendering that three-quarter view into a final presentation piece in Adobe Photoshop®. Alex begins with the side orthographic view, showing you exactly how to correctly measure and position each element from your design. He leads you through his workflow to then create top, front, and back views, as well as alternates for “on-rode” and “off-rode” modes. Throughout the orthographic demo, Alex focuses on keeping the design accurate, well organized and easy for a 3D modeler to “read”. He then moves on to rendering the three-quarter view in Photoshop, adding details to the line drawing and finishing with color, lighting, graphics, photo-textures, scale cues and atmosphere to present the vehicle in its world and bring the final design to life.

Vehicle Design with Alex Jaeger Volume 1: From Script to Concept
Vehicle Design with Alex Jaeger Volume 2: Concept Breakdown and Rendering

Related links:

thegnomonworkshop.com

Learn how Framestore London used Houdini to add multiple VFX to James Cameron's Avatar..

Director James Cameron’s academy award winning masterpiece Avatar has set new standards by which all future VFX films will be measured against. The movie was first conceived in 1994 and then put on the back burner until James Cameron felt that CG technology was ready to bring his vision to life cinematically. The resulting movie uses CG throughout and required the combined effort of many top VFX studios to make Cameron’s dream a reality.

One of these studios was Framestore London who developed a wide range of visual effects for the film. The Houdini team included Gunnar Radeloff, Adrien Toupet, Ben Frost, Tom Bolt and was led by Guillaume Fradin. This small team of artists and technical directors were able to make a significant contribution to the overall shot count by using Houdini's deep toolset to help them meet the high standards set out by James Cameron.

Fire and Smoke

In background shots of the human camp on Pandora, Framestore needed to generate fire and smoke pouring from chimneys and chose to use Houdini’s PyroFX tools. To find the right look for this effect, the team decided to take different approaches for the fire and the smoke. This made it easier to create long elongated smoke trails on the one hand and more compact flames on the other.

For the flames, the team was able to easily create numerous fire variations using the built-in Pyro FX shader. “The shader provided by Side Effects met our needs exactly” says Guillaume. ”The smoke effect was achieved using custom VEX code. Depending on the situation, our artists could either create volume geometry or define it at render time. We soon realized that we had more control when we used volume geometry.”

“Shadow generations and render times are very fast and the geometry is visible in the viewport, meaning we could easily fine tune it. We could also modify it using either, transforms or by applying additional vex expressions if we needed it to fade or get denser in certain areas” Guillaume explains. “But sometimes the smoke was filling a very large area of the shot and volume geometry would have been too big to manage. In those situations, it was very handy that the smoke vex library could be called at render time from a shader. And we could still preview the effect at a low resolution in the viewport.”

As the action in the film intensifies, bullets strike metal and tarmac surfaces which generate sparks and smoke. No realism was spared by Framestore’s VFX team. In one particular shot, a helicopter was pelted with gunfire as it floated just off the ground. The smoke created as the bullets impact the metal had to quickly disperse due to the strong wind generated by the helicopter blades.

“In shots where the forces are quite high simulations tend to become unstable making it tricky to find the right amount of force needed. It has to be fast enough, otherwise it is not realistic, but it also has to be slow enough so that it stays pleasing to the eye” Guillaume says. “Some shots used particles with our in-house volumetric generator while more detailed shots used fluids. Houdini's tool set made it easy to find a general technique for all the impacts, while still allowing us to tweak each result separately”.

God is in the Details

In a film full of jaw-dropping visual effects, there are so many subtle details that help add polish and bring to life the film’s virtual shots. For instance, when the protagonist Jake Sully glides his wheelchair through a puddle. This interaction between the wheelchair’s wheels and the water puddle is given a sense of realism using a combination of particles for the water droplets and textures to create ripples.

The sultry climate of Pandora is very evident in all of the beautiful bird’s eye view shots of the environment, but what about when the Pandora is observed from the ground? Well, this too has been taken into consideration. When a helicopter lands in this film, the downward force of air from the blades creates a vortex-like light fog. This has been achieved by generating fluid from the helicopter moving downward. This fluid then bounces on the ground and creates the vortex. Particles are then advected through this fluid so the team can fine tune where it should be visible then begin adding layers of noise.

The human settlement in Avatar is full of high-tech machinery, much of which emits great amounts of heat. In a shot where Jake Sully is conversing with Colonel Quartich who is climbing into a robotic AMP suit, the team was required to animate heat haze projecting from the suit. This was especially challenging due to the stereoscopic nature of the film. Heat haze is typically created as a compositing trick where particle passes would be handed to the compositors so they can distort the background. This distortion works effectively in a non stereo movie, but in this case it would lose the 3D effect. “Houdini was a great help here since it allowed us to prototype many types of shaders, interact easily with Nuke and try out versions in particles, fluid or a combination of both” says Guillaume.

One of the subtler yet necessary effects created involved the mixing two different types of air. The air on Pandora is not the same as that found on earth. This is evident when doors from within the human settlement open to the outdoors and mix with the humid air of Pandora. This “combination of air sources” was achieved using normal fluid simulation and was rendered in Mantra using normal passes and RGB lighting passes so that compositors could use them in order to distort the background.

The human base was surrounded by an immense forest. Here, Houdini and Xfrog were utilized to prototype layouts for the forest. To easily test many layouts, many points were scattered where they desired trees and were used as instance points. With this they were able to vary the sizes and species of trees, make fine-tuned adjustments and then quickly render with Mantra. Once a layout was approved it would be sent to the lighters for final rendering.

Simplifying the Pipeline

Before tackling the actual visual effects, the Framestore team first needed to nail down their pipeline. The first issue they addressed was the importing of footage shot with a stereo camera. Using Houdini, they wrapped two instances of their in-house camera importer into a Houdini Digital Asset. This became their new default camera importer and guaranteed that any Technical Director would have a correct set of two cameras in a scene.

Working with both Houdini and Maya simultaneously in production, the team had to ensure that they could easily import precise geometries and animations into Houdini to allow the two packages to have perfectly synchronized renders. Framestore is no stranger when it comes to working with multiple software packages during a production however in this instance each shot they were working with contained a huge amount of assets. With this being the case, some tools had to be re-designed and Houdini made it easy to adapt quickly to changes and plug itself back into a constantly changing pipeline.

“Houdini’s flexibility was a big help and most of the solutions we ended up were solved with out-of-box Houdini nodes without too much scripting,” says Framestore VFX Artist Guillaume Fradin. “We only scripted a python node that would pull an XML file that was built from the layout department containing all asset position and geometry cache file. This let us recreate a very light set of geometry containing only one point per asset.”

This set of points had all the necessary attributes to load the asset geometry later if desired using a copy SOP, or for each with a simple file SOP. This way they could quickly visualize where all the assets were in space, which allowed the artist to have a clear idea as to where each point corresponds. Since it was impossible for a single computer to load all assets together, this was a huge time saver and they did not experience any slow-downs by while loading assets that weren’t needed.

Framestore’s approach to creating effects for Avatar show how highly polished details can make a big difference. By focusing on many small details designed to add up to a new level of realism, the Houdini team at Framestore was able to play a big part in bringing James Cameron’s vision to life.

Related links:

avatarmovie.com
framestore-cfc.com
sidefx.com

Boston Motion Graphics Festival 2010
The Motion Graphics Festival launches its 2010 tour by returning to Boston from April 1st to 5th. MGFest will bring a new wave of artists and technologists to awaken those sleeping synapses. Witness and participate in a convergence of motion, sound and interactivity, embrace new ideas, celebrate the inquisitive spirit, and at evening's approach, dance.

MGFest stands as the premier creative conference for motion design, visual effects, sound design and interface technology, presenting a wide array of events including: art showcases, workshops, panel discussions, studio tours, theater screenings, industry mixers and audio visual showcases.

Featured artists include: The Mill, Dvein, Pleix, Psyop, Herzog & De Meuron, Three Legged Legs, Jean-Paul Frenay, Yoshi Sodeoka, Alan Sondheim, Addictive TV, Liquid Stranger, Warp Records, The Crystal Method, Royksopp, Assassin's Creed 2, LucasArts, N.A.S.A., Larry Carlson, Ken Adams, Jen Stark, Shantell Martin and many more.

The Festival debuts the 2010 schedule with screenings by Lumen Eclipse, "Psychedelia" and "Somatic Death, Soma Life". Journey down the road set by thirteen artists exploring a new mind-manifesting experience, challenging afresh perceptions and pointing towards a reawakening unhindered by the prosthetic body.

The Boston Motion Design Conference on Friday, April 2nd is a full-day conference featuring diverse topics and inspiring presenters from AVID, Fox, MIT, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and more.

Friday night's Best of 2009 screening by Stash DVD Magazine highlights music videos, virals, short films, commercials, broadcast designs and game cinematics from top-tier studios across the world. Something will grab your attention, setting off a chain reaction thus igniting a fresh set of ideas.

Hands-on Workshops happen Saturday, April 3rd with Maxon Cinema 4D Essentials, Animating with ActionScript 3, and Animation in a Browser with jQuery.

Saturday night's realtime A/V performance in the 2012 Lounge at Machine features Liquid Stranger with the Psymbolic visual show and Z.E.E. The visuals are rendered in realtime, seamlessly spread across 3 full-HD resolution projections. The entire evening experience brought to you by Zebbler, Vermin Street and MGFest.

Sponsored by Maxon, MassArt, Lumen Eclipse, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Stash, Future Media Concepts, NetDiver, IdN and Cambridge Arts Council.

Boston MGFest Schedule >> http://MGFest.com/10/boston/

Boston MGFest Tickets & Registration >> http://MGFest.com/10/boston/#tickets

Year-long Call for Entry Guidelines + Entry Form >> http://MGFest.com/10/call/#4entry




Related links:

MGFest.com