Itoo Software announced the Forest Park Pro 3.3.2 beta is now available for Max 7 to 2011 and costs €200

Changes :
- Nesting level is now considered when evaluating the area splines
- Boundary checking is now done using the item's width and its collision radius
- License errors no longer clear the items in Custom Edit mode
- Adds support for multiple surfaces
- Surfaces are now used as scattering areas if there are no area splines
- Adds density and scale falloff curves by altitude
- Altitude for limits and falloff is now computed in Forest local coordinates
- You can now overlap items at different heights in Generate mode when using multiple surfaces
- All 'Get UVW from Surface' parameters have been removed
- Fixes updating issues with animated surfaces
- Improved redrawing speed
- Adds a parameter to adjust items opacity
- Adds a Wireframe display mode
- Adds new proxy models: Thin Box and Plant
- Network licensing now requires License Server 1.09
- Fixes winsocks 10060 error and server random hangs in the License server
- Adds support to licensing for routed WAN and VPN connections
- Adds support to licensing for lost connection recovery
- Improved License server response time and protocol latency
- Licensing logs now use computer's local timezone instead of GMT

DOWNLOAD DEMO

Related links:
itoosoft.com

Three Screen Video Leader Continues to Raise Quality Standards for Mobile TV by Enabling Delivery of Live and On Demand HD TV Services

South San Francisco, CA – June 29, 2010 – Envivio today announced that the world’s most widely-deployed solution for delivering Mobile TV, its 4Caster™ C42 encoding/transcoding platform, now offers high definition (HD) video support to the Apple iPhone 4, taking maximum advantage of the device’s capabilities. The upgrade for 4Caster creates an unprecedented mobile video experience by enabling services for the first time that deliver high definition live and on demand TV services that make full use of the high resolution iPhone 4 “Retina Display.”


iphone4_envivioThe Envivio 4Caster solution provides simultaneous support for delivering services to the complete range of devices and technologies from Apple, including iPad, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod, Safari 5 and QuickTime X. Envivio solutions power premier network operator and over the top TV services for the iPhone and iPad around the world, including premium Pay TV, sports and movie content for operators in Europe, coverage of the Olympics and NHL hockey in Canada, coverage of the World Cup in France and Germany and telecomm Mobile TV services worldwide.


”As the screens on mobile devices achieve higher levels of fidelity, it is incumbent upon services to provide consumers with video streams that make the most of that capability,” said Julien Signès, president and CEO of Envivio. “Envivio solutions ensure that those high expectations are met, meaning happy subscribers today, while providing the flexibility to address even more compelling devices down the road. The combination of the iPhone 4 and Envivio 4Caster delivers a true HD-caliber experience in the palm of your hand.”


Support for the iPhone 4 is available as an upgrade for existing 4Caster C42 systems. The upgrade enables services to deliver video that is optimized for the 3.5-inch, 960×640 resolution “Retina Display.” The high pixel density of the display makes images appear exceptionally smooth and continuous. Envivio H.264 Extreme™ Main Profile Compression, regarded as the industry’s highest quality video codec, ensures the best quality video stream is delivered at precisely the resolution of the iPhone 4.


Multi-profile output maximizes service density by making it possible to simultaneously service iPads and iPhones, as well as PCs, smartphones and other devices. Ingesting up to eight IP, four analog or four SDI channel sources, the 4Caster C42 simultaneously encodes and protects content in multiple profiles. This multi-profile encoding also powers Apple adaptive streaming to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of video, regardless of fluctuations in network bandwidth.


Support for iPhone 4 is available via a standard firmware upgrade to Envivio 4Caster C42 Mobile TV and Internet TV customers with a Silver, Gold support plan. To extend other configurations, contact Envivio Support at support@envivio.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Related links:

envivio.com/

Vyonyx Studio has showed us the video tutorial how to Modelling a Generic Office Tower by using Rhino4.0 SR8 and Grasshopper version 0.6.0059

WATCH VIDEO TUTORIAL !

Related links:
vyonyx.com

In this video tutorial we'll learn how to work with HUE Curves tool in Fusion 6.1

This workshop is an updated version of Jon's previous Modern Game Character Creation workshop. This workshop is an updated version of Jon’s previous Modern Game Character Creation workshop. Updates include; full figure massing, hair sculpting, streamlined baking process, introduction and instruction with Topogun (students get a 20% discount per license), and an introduction to the Marmoset real-time viewing app. Jon will take you under the hood of the 'character art hot rod' and guide you through the 'ins & outs' of successfully creating video game characters within a studio mind-set.

Through this intense eight-week class, students will learn by doing! Not only will you learn the successive phases of character creation based on a simulated game studio pipeline, you will also have your own unique creation to show off as part of your folio.

Student numbers will be strictly limited to 35 places only. For more details and enrolment information go HERE

Course Begins: 2 August 2010
Course Ends: 26 September 2010
Weeks: 8
Fee: USD $549.00

Registration closes: 29 July 2010. CGSociety Members receive a 5% discount on all CGWorkshops’ courses.

Related links:REPLACE THE SOURCE LINK HERE

by: Silverwing-vfx

Adobe Premiere CS5 was release with the new Mercury Playback Engine (MPE) that can use a video card’s GPU to accelerate playback, effects and rendering. That is, assuming you have an Adobe “certified” NVIDIA video card.
For some reason, Adobe has only “certified” a few of the high end video cards from NVIDIA.
When you install Premiere CS5 and it doesn‘t find one of the “certified“ video cards, the Mercury Playback Engine is set to run in “software mode”, using only the computer’s CPU and not the video card’s GPU.

CHECK OUT The way to unlock Premiere CS5 so the Mercury Playback Engine can use the GPU on virtually any of the newer NVIDIA video card

Related links:
studio1productions.com

In this tutorial we will combine smoke elements from Action Essentials 2 with a particle system to create a fluid natural transition. While watching think of other possibilities when combining other footage elements…

Watch Tutorial


Related links:
videocopilot.net

ProSieben brings the stars and we let them loose on humanity.The Fantastic Four, the ProSieben Star Force really energetic entertainment has received support. To save mankind, we have built Thomas D, Smudo, Michi Beck and And.Ypsilon a Orbitter and they sent into space for addressing the world from there with her new song, and thus sweep away the gray mist of the dreary entertainment.



Project Die Fantastischen Vier
Client ProSieben
Directed by Alexander Krause
Post Production LIGA_01 COMPUTERFILM
Line Producer Silvia Schröder
VFX Supervisor Sebastian Rätsch
Set Supervisor Fabian Frank, Jörg Hannemann
3D Axel Sperling, Jörg Hannemann, Sven Rabe, Daniel Yuhlmann, Moritz Krappel, Pierre Samoske, Torben Dirksmeyer
Compositing Christopher Klotz, Jawed Naser, Andi Gebauer
Year 2010/05

Source:

computerfilm.de

by: wenjun lin

Inspired by recent animated works that utilize music along with Trapcode Particular and Soundkeys, Harry Frank gives you guidance in creating particle-based visuals to match your audio.

Harbin-based caricature artist Haitao Su creates a salute to a friend with a light-hearted portrait with a twist at the end.

CHECK HERE!

Related links:
features.cgsociety.org

eyeon software reveals Fusion 6.1, its newest compositing application which includes OpenCL GPU acceleration.

Toronto: June 28, 2010… eyeon Software announced today the release of their latest version of Fusion‘s new Supercomputing compositing software for Linux and Windows.

eyeon Software has always been keenly responsive in developing their software based on industry and artist demands. For years, facilities have been trying to solve demanding production requirements by brute force and many assets. It is clear that eyeon‘s newest artist-driven approach to production yields far more benefits than have to date been realized. Facilities will no longer need to endure complex translations and data wrangling between pipeline departments; on-board tools now allow artists to complete shots themselves rather than continually farming the shots out. This new methodology generates a better synergy between departments, providing a more collaborative environment with unprecedented speed, which is soon to become the industry norm.

Fusion 6.1‘s extensive supercomputing approach utilizes the powerful, low-cost GPU to create assets and layers in real time. The extensive tool set that imports scenes from 3D animation packages allows for a much tighter integrated workflow between departments and applications. This open flexibility also increases industry support for technologies such as RenderMan and RED Camera MYSTERIUM X. Relighting and sophisticated finishing offer more control and transparent collaboration between the compositing artists. OpenCL supercomputing is a fresh and innovative use of today‘s massively parallel GPU. By speeding up computationally extensive operations such as Defocus, Fusion 6.1 allows the artist to instantly visualize sophisticated mathematical operations that compile code on-the-fly for use by the new generation graphics cards.

“We‘ve been relying on Fusion for all of our compositing work. With 6.1 and ROI, we have been able to go through material much faster than before. The added 3D capabilities have allowed us to make a lot of modifications to a shot inside of Fusion, instead of having to go back into the 3D package for additional passes.” ~ Oliver Hotz, Origami Digital, LLC

Open thinking Fusion 6.1 answers all production trends. Some of the new features include:

· OpenCL GPU Supercomputing
· RenderMan support
· Python scripting
· RED® camera MYSTERIUM X support
· Particle system and geometry enhancements
· Particle caching
· Relighting enhancements
· Full importing of scenes with matched animation curves
· Importing of stereo cameras
· FBX multi level materials support from all major 3D applications
· Film Grain tool
· Hue Curves and colour suppression tool
· Local file caching options
· Increased metadata support
· Coordinate transfer modifier enhancements

eyeon is also pleased to announce that Rotation is on the new Fusion 6.1 architecture. A full feature update of Vision will be available once Fusion 6.1 upgrades and subscription renewals are well underway. For more information, please visit www.eyeonline.com or contact sales@eyeonline.com.

Fusion 6.1 in action

To learn more about Fusion 6.1‘s renderless workflows and how this new process can save your studio a significant amount of time and money, please email renderlessjo@eyeonline.com.

Related links:
eyeonline.com

The tutorial is based on the Hyundai i45 tv commercial.



The effect is rain falling in the shape of various designs, onto a vehichle. The tvc uses a real-world rain rig with a computer driven water delivery system, however we will be showing you how to create the same effect using only After Effects and Particular.

Watch here !

Related links:
ae.tutsplus.com

Photoshop is powerful tool that can add wings to your creativity. With Photoshop manipulation tools, you can create and edit images for Web and print. Every industry needs poster designs for promotion of their products and services. Advertisement is of utmost importance for building a brand and thus increasing the sales. So every time you have to come up with out-of-the-box ideas. Below you will find some tutorials on poster design from 2010. Get inspired and inspire others.

HERE YOU GO!

Related links:

noupe.com

Provides Full Suite of Real-time Animation Tools to Enhance Creative Opportunities for 3D and Game Artists; Nearly 40 Percent Discount Offered to Autodesk Users

GOTHENBURG, Sweden - June 29, 2010 - Providing an opportunity for artists and game designers to enhance the sample Craft Director Studio (CDS) tools integrated within the 2011 versions of Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk 3ds Max Design and Autodesk Softimage software; Craft Animations announces the discounted availability of the complete CDS tool suite. From now through Sept. 30, 2010, all artists utilizing 3ds Max 2011 or Softimage 2011 are encouraged to visit www.craftanimations.com to take advantage of a nearly 40 percent CDS discount.

"The promotional tools included on the Autodesk 2011 Installation DVDs are simply a taste of what artists may experience by utilizing the complete CDS suite," explains Craft Animations Founder and CEO Deborah Lygonis. "With this upgrade, 3D artists and game animators will gain a more complete opportunity to amplify creativity, quality and overall realism while experiencing lowered production times."

Used by widely recognized gaming and visual effects companies including Pixar, Digital Dimension, Electronic Arts and NAMCO BANDAI, the complete CDS suite includes nine specialized virtual cameras and seven vehicle tools that increase interactive control and simulation, and provides the ability to enhance cinematics through a modular, configurable system that replicates a specific rig's animation within a given project. 3D artists may literally "drive" a vehicle, or "direct" a camera within the creative environment, garnering a more realistic effect in less time.

The promotional CDS tools included on the Installation DVDs shipped with 3ds Max 2011, 3ds Max Design 2011 and Softimage 2011 software includes the Craft SoftMotionCam, Craft ObserverCam, Craft MultiStateCam, Craft HumanizerCam, as well as four Craft Pre-rigged Models. For further information regarding Autodesk software applications, please visit www.autodesk.com.

Craft Animations will showcase the complete CDS suite at SIGGRAPH 2010, taking place from July 25-29 in Los Angeles. Demonstrations will be available within the Autodesk (#500) and Craft Animations booths (#901). For more about Craft Director Studio, additional CDS Editions or SIGGRAPH events, please visit www.craftanimations.com.

Pricing and Availability
Regularly priced at $4,970 USD, the complete CDS suite is now available to users of 2011 versions of 3ds Max and Softimage for $3,000 USD through Sept. 30, 2010. To obtain this discount, users must contact Craft Animations via sales@craftanimations.com or +46 31 352 29 80, or outreach to their local reseller, and provide proof of Autodesk 2011 purchase.

For additional information regarding CDS Specialty Editions, please click here, or visit www.craftanimations.com.

About Craft Animations
Founded in 2006 and based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Craft Animations™ AB is a leading developer of a new era of professional real-time 3D animation technology, Craft Director Studio™. Based on cutting-edge research in autonomous control systems, Craft Director Studio and its add-ons simulate the complex physical behavior of cameras and 3D vehicles such as helicopters, cars, airplanes, boats and motorcycles. Utilized by high-profile companies worldwide such as Disney, Pixar, Namco Bandai, Lockheed Martin, Ford and Toyota; Craft Director Studio streamlines production, enhances realism and increases creativity for users in the visual effects, game development, forensic reconstruction, military and defense, and architectural design industries.

For more information, please visit www.craftanimations.com.

# # # # #
©© 2010 Craft Animations AB. All rights reserved. Craft Director Tools is a Registered Trademark of Craft Animations AB. All other brand names, product names, service marks or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Related links:

craftanimations.com

GPU computing has been developing very intensive since the only last two years. In the field of rendering, it all probably begun at Siggraph 2008 (or 2009?) when Chaos Group presented their first shots of GPU rendering with new Vray version being worked on. Soon after that, many other GPU based renderers started to appear, and now many of common and vell developed CPU physically based rendering engines, try to find their sollutions in GPU computing. Why is it becoming so? Well, we may quote form NVidia website: "GPU computing is the use of a GPU (graphics processing unit) to do general purpose scientific and engineering computing.
The model for GPU computing is to use a CPU and GPU together in a heterogeneous computing model. The sequential part of the application runs on the CPU and the computationally-intensive part runs on the GPU. From the user’s perspective, the application just runs faster because it is using the high-performance of the GPU to boost performance." Why do I quote NVidia information and not for the example ATI? Because Octane Renderer which is the subject of this review, currently uses only NVidia's GPU CUDA technology, that allows us rendering on our GPU Card. At the moment it's much more efficient than OpenCL technology, which would allow us rendering on ATI graphics cards, but maybe someday it changes. We woun't be getting into many details here. Right now most developed GPU renderers use NVidia's CUDA technology only.

So see what Octane can do with GPU HERE!


Related links:

evermotion.org

Warner Bros., the company that produces the Harry Potter franchise chose to split the final installment of the series. The first, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, will be released later this year on November 19. The second and final installment, the cleverly named Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 will be released on July 15, 2011.





Related links:

digitaltrends.com

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jun 28, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----With help from technology created by Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK), previsualization has become an integral part of modern moviemaking. For Paramount Pictures' and Marvel Entertainment's summer blockbuster "Iron Man 2," Los Angeles--based previsualization studio The Third Floor used Autodesk Maya and Autodesk MotionBuilder software to help create a highly detailed previsualization that allowed the filmmakers realize their creative vision. With a worldwide gross exceeding $600 million, "Iron Man 2" kicked off the summer movie season on a record-breaking number of screens.

Blockbuster movies are increasingly complex with bigger budgets, more elaborate visual effects and ever-accelerating post-production schedules. Filmmakers have always relied on storyboards, concept art and physical models to visualize their movies. Over the last 25 years, however, digital previsualization (previs) has become an integral part of moviemaking. Today, filmmakers often hire previs companies to create a digital representation of characters and environments using advanced computer animation techniques.

The Third Floor worked hand in hand with "Iron Man 2" director Jon Favreau and various filmmaking departments to create nearly 700 shots, each requiring three to four iterations, making for a total output of several thousand shots. The previs process helped the filmmakers throughout production to visualize the movie, strategically plan production and realize their creative vision.

"Iron Man 2" Previsualization Supervisor Nicholas Markel of The Third Floor said, "Ideally, previs empowers filmmakers -- from director, production designer, cinematographer, visual effects supervisor, editor, and art director -- with more creative freedom. Maya is the backbone of our previs pipeline, with MotionBuilder as a perfect complement for virtual moviemaking. Using Autodesk FBX technology, we were able to transfer assets between Maya and MotionBuilder. This provided flexibility for the filmmakers to manage both their vision and budget, ultimately creating the best film possible."

The primary Autodesk software tools used by The Third Floor on "Iron Man 2" are available as part of the Autodesk Maya Entertainment Creation Suite 2011, which offers Maya 2011 software with both MotionBuilder 2011 and Autodesk Mudbox 2011 software. Maya 3D animation, modeling, visual effects, rendering, and composting software offers artists a near end-to-end creative workflow. MotionBuilder provides a real-time animation engine for more interactive creative feedback and efficient handling of large amounts of animation data. Mudbox helps artists sculpt highly detailed models more quickly and intuitively. The complementary toolsets enable artists to expand creative capacity while improving production quality and efficiency. For more information, visit www.autodesk.com/entertainmentcreationsuites. The Autodesk suggested retail price for the Entertainment Creation Suite is US$4,995.*

* International pricing may vary.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies -- as well as the last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

About The Third Floor

Since 2004, The Third Floor Previs Studio has helped many productions maximize their creative content and save money throughout production and post. Some of the company's feature film credits include: "Valkyrie," "Cloverfield," "Star Trek," "Avatar" and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland." The studio also works with video game developers to design detailed cinematics for titles such as: "Starcraft II," "Diablo III," "Resident Evil 5," "Need for Speed" and the "Command & Conquer" series. The Third Floor's veteran previs teams know how to interface with directors, production designers and VFX supervisors to deliver a cohesive animated blueprint for the most challenging creative projects. For more information about the previs process, and for extensive examples of The Third Floor's work, please visit: www.thethirdfloorinc.com. Watch a video about The Third Floor and how Autodesk tools form the basis of its production pipeline, The Third Floor video interview.

Iron Man 2 Stills: (C) 2010 MVL Film Finance LLC. TM & (C) 2010 Marvel Entertainment, LLC & its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, FBX, Maya, MotionBuilder and Mudbox are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

(C) 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

image courtesy :/www.businesswire.com

by: Meny Hilsenrad

June 28, 2010 – FUJINON INC., a major manufacturer and distributor of optics and lens assemblies for the broadcast, digital cinema and industrial markets, today announced that, effective July 1, 2010, it will become FUJIFILM Optical Devices U.S.A., Inc., a newly formed subsidiary of FUJIFILM North America Corporation.

FUJIFILM Corporation has identified the optical device business as one of the company’s main priorities. This restructuring will help us to reinforce those global objectives; align businesses to drive growth in these markets; and take advantage of synergies and shared services that will allow the company to serve our customers more effectively.

“We’ve always stressed the importance of after sales service and customer support, and with this change, we’re in an even better position to see that through,” stated Hank Hayashi, president and CEO, FUJINON INC., “I’m extremely optimistic about this change and believe it will position us very well for more aggressive growth in North and Latin America.”

Fujinon is a recognized technology leader worldwide and a highly respected provider of optics and lens assemblies to the broadcast, digital cinema and industrial markets. The company’s line of television zoom lenses are used in virtually every segment of the broadcast industry, including electronic newsgathering, studio and field production, and high definition television.

The following product areas will now be included within FUJIFILM Optical Devices U.S.A., Inc., 1) CCTV, which markets lenses for the security, surveillance, factory automation and machine vision; 2) Industrial Optics, which distributes front-view/rear-views automobile camera lenses, digital cinema projection lenses, laser-focusing lenses, and lenses for scanners and digital cameras; 3) Special Products, which markets high-end binoculars, including stabilized binoculars to the government and marine market.

About Fujinon

FUJINON INC. is a major manufacturer and distributor of optics and lens assemblies for the broadcast, digital cinema, and industrial markets. The company's line of television zoom lenses are used in virtually every segment of the broadcast industry, including electronic newsgathering, studio and field production, and high definition television.

About Fujifilm

FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation consists of four operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 20 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2009, and in the year ended March 31, 2010, had global revenues of $23.5 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

Related links:
fujifilmholdings.com
fujifilmusa.com

by: Borja Veganzones Cañizares

Luis San Juan is character rigger extraordinaire. In the following pages Luis reveals in details his take on facial rigging techniques and share with us the character animation pipeline used at Nexus Productions for their latest commercial for the International Olympic committee: All Together Now.

Read Here!

Related links:
di-o-matic.com

by: Dzung phungdinh

by: Sam Thomas

Jonah Hex required some rather trippy vfx from Pixel Magic, in addition to the explosive moments you might expect from a bad-ass, supernatural Western.

Pixel Magic's main work involved the Indian sweat hut, where scarred, vengeful Hex (Josh Brolin) is revived through mystical powers after being beaten, branded and left for dead by Turnbull (John Malkovich).
Check out The VFX of Jonah Hex

Jonah Hex Trailer:



Related links:
awn.com
youtube.com

When working in After Effects and its infinite layers, you may find it a bit confusing and frustrating when looking at a large project and the multiple compositions, layers, solids, footage and so on even when you have created precompositions and nested your comps. There is a way to view all of your attributes and see how they are working together to help you sort out your project and improve your workflow, and it’s called the flowchart.
Check out The Quick tip for After Effect from Fuel

Related links:
fuelyourmotionography.com

In this video tutorial you will learn how to create the Roof in 3ds max by using
Batzal plugin’s Roof Designer

The new CityEngine 2010 provides a highly improved user experience.

The main novelties are interactive editing of dynamic city layouts, node-based rule authoring, and a sketching tool for facades. Other features introduced with CityEngine 2010 include advanced block subdivision, modeling of curved streets, new rule operations for instancing and asset search, native Collada support for assets, export instances with the new FBX 2011.2, and many more (see Release Notes).

Furthermore, new attractive licensing models for freelancers and students are introduced: CityEngine INDIE for $495 and CityEngine STUDENT for $149.

Dynamic City Layouts

The new dynamic city layouts of CityEngine allow for full-fledged live editing of street networks. An intuitive toolset is provided to design, draw and modify urban layouts consisting of (curved) streets, blocks and parcels. Street construction or block subdivision can be controlled via parametric interfaces, resulting in immediate visual feedback.


Advanced Block Subdivision

With the dynamic city layouts also an advanced block subdivision method is provided. With the newly introduced offset subdivision and corner generation, so-called Barcelona blocks can now be easily created via parametric control. Furthermore, manual attribute changes are consistent handled and stable to street or block manipulations.



Node-based Rule Editing

With the new node-based rule editor, users can create procedural buildings by manipulating rules graphically rather than by specifying them textually. Thus, also users without scripting knowledge can now use the unlimited power of procedural modeling - without being restricted to pre-defined typologies or technical constraints.

And with the new Edit Model mode and the revised model hierarchy viewer, the rule-based building designs can now be conveniently explored in 3D.


Facade Wizard

The Facade Wizard is a simple and easy-to-use sketching tool to quickly create rules out of an image or a textured mass model. The resulting facade rules are size-independent (can be applied in any other building design) and can be extended in the Rule Editor with e.g. detailed window assets or arbitrary quantities reporting.


Rule-based Asset Search and Instancing

New CGA rule operations and functions are provided to e.g. automatically scan an asset folder and insert the best-fitting geometries or textures in your procedural models. This greatly facilitates instancing use cases and simplifies the rule authoring significantly.


Improved Data Interoperability

With the support of the latest FBX 2011.2 export plugin, asset instancing is now supported (results in smaller files), and a new export option lets you create FBX transform nodes per buildings. Collada files can now also be (1) imported as initial shapes (or landmarks) and (2) inserted as assets into your procedural building model. Furthermore, the OpenStreetMap import supports now footprints, attributes, and true scale latitude correction.


New Resources

With CityEngine 2010, a new example project is provided which features a parisian like city with two levels of detail arranged around a 2010 logo (shown in the movie on the top of the site). Furthermore, the Essential Skills Movies have been completely updated and new tutorials are available (node-based rule authoring, importing an FBX camera with Python, customized Python-based export of instances).


Related links:

procedural.com

by: Clark Little

Guidelines and Details


1.
Launch: July 15th 2010
Deadline for Entries: November 30th 2010
Announcement of Winner: December 31st 2010
2. The best videos may be published in differents media, such as the History Chanell, and also at 3D World Magazine, including author credits.
3.
The winning video clip will entitle it's creator to a prize of US $ 10,000 (subject to local taxes)
4. The submited movies must be between 60 and 180 seconds long.
5.
Any technique of animation or Sci-Fi film is acceptable
6.
Visual background material is provided on this website (see "support material" tab).
7.
There is no limitation on the video clip's method of production so long as it meets all other criteria and complies with all the terms listed herein.
8.
Participants must register through the website, and submit the product on DVD format in broadcasting quality.
9.
Once submitted, participants are also requested to upload a copy of the movie on YouTube or any other public video database, and update the link of the movie on this website. This link will be published on the competition website in order to invite visitors to the site to watch the clip and to submit their vote. Furthermore, the links to the video clips will ensure a wide exposure of the material and help to create a new futuristic Sci-Fi vision for Jerusalem.
10.
Following the public's vote for it's favorite video clip; the video clips with the highest ranking will take part in a second vote where internationally renowned jury (for more details see"THE JURY & CRITERIA) will choose the winning video clip (for more details see "THE VOTING PROCESS")


MORE INFOMATIONS HERE!


Related links:

jerusalem2111.com

Awesome grungy concrete wall texture pack. These would make great urban game textures. They are perfect to add a dirty, grungy look to your projects.

DOWNLOAD HERE !

Related links:

highresolutiontextures.com

SIGGRAPH announces the Computer Animation Festival's Best in Show, Jury Award, and Best Student Project recipients for SIGGRAPH 2010 to be held in Los Angeles this July. Nominees were chosen from 750 submissions from around the globe, presented by both professional studios and students alike.

"It was difficult to narrow the pool of submissions because of the high level of quality and technical expertise," said Isaac Kerlow, Computer Animation Festival Director from The Earth Observatory of Singapore/NTU ADM. "Attendees will experience an endorphin rush as they watch the screenings of independent and commercial films, and will get a behind-the-scenes perspective from the planned Production Sessions featuring the visionaries behind some of this year's most successful Hollywood films. Whether you are an industry veteran or someone who just enjoys quality visual effects and animation, there is something for everyone this year."

In all, approximately 100 films will be shown during the Computer Animation Festival. The Electronic Theater, the iconic and tribal SIGGRAPH experience, features an identical program three nights in a row, including most of the Jury Selections. Four thematic Special Screenings show the best in TV Commercials and Cinematics, Long Shorts, Student Animations, and for the first time a special focus on Chinese Student Animations. Truly an international event, the festival had entries from 49 different countries and five continents. Fifty-two of the accepted entries are international, and 18 countries are represented in the final selection.

Some of the year's top visual effects for feature films are featured in the Computer Animation Festival including "Avatar", "The Last Airbender", "Sherlock Holmes", "Iron Man 2", "Prince of Persia", "2012", and "Alice in Wonderland". Plus, eight Live Real-Time Demos, ranging from mainstream to independent work, also contribute to making the Computer Animation Festival a memorable experience.

Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival has been an official qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "Best Animated Short Film" Academy Award®. The film "French Roast" became an Academy nominee in the Best Animated Short category after winning Best in Show at last year's Festival. For the third consecutive year, the Festival's screenings, panels and production sessions will be open to the public, allowing general audiences to get a glimpse behind the making of computer generated effects, visualizations, and animations that is rarely available.

Here are just a few highlights of this year's Computer Animation Festival films and Live Real-Time Demos:

BEST IN SHOW AWARD
"Loom"
(Germany)
Directed by Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Csaba Letay
"Loom" tells the story of a moth being drowned in one of nature's complex cycles. "Loom" was the final project of Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Csaba Letayat at the Filmakademie Baden Württemberg, Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction. The production time, including story development and preproduction, was one year.
Credit: Loom © 2010 Ilija Brunck, Polynoid

JURY AWARD
"Poppy"
(New Zealand)
Directed by James Cunningham
"Poppy" is an independent short set on France's western front in World War One. Two New Zealand soldiers are trapped behind enemy lines. They find a baby in a muddy ditch, under its dead parents. One of the men wants to save it--the other does not. Based on true events, "Poppy" was written by the great-grandson of one of these soldiers. An innovative combination of motion capture with exquisite facial animation.

BEST STUDENT PROJECT PRIZE
"The Wonder Hospital"
(USA)
Directed by Beomsik Shimbe Shim,
California Institute of the Arts
In this student project, a girl enters a mysterious hospital that alters her way of seeing beauty. She is given a choice between two images of her face, "Before" and "After". As she continues on this illusionary journey, she realizes that beauty is something very different from what she expected.
Credit: The Wonder Hospital © 2010, all rights reserved by Shimbe

"2012" - The Last Fluid Simulation
(USA/Germany)
Visual Effects by Scanline VFX, Los Angeles/Munich
"2012 - The Last Fluid Simulation" shows the underlying technology that was used for more than 100 massive fluid simulation shots on "2012". Included are examples of fully computer-generated shots with massive tidal waves, simulated ice and snow, and, finally, the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy smashing into the White House.

Assassin's Creed 2
(Hungary)
Cinematic by Digic Pictures for Ubisoft Entertainment
Stunningly rendered and animated, this cinematic narrative follows an assassin on the prowl in a street carnival, on his quest to reveal a secular conspiracy during the masquerades of the Italian Renaissance.
Image courtesy of Digic Pictures © 2009 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries

"Animated History of Poland"
(Poland)
Directed by Tomek Baginski, Platige Image
A tale about 1,000 years of Polish history in the format of a musical-visual poem. The story starts with the beginning of the Polish nation in the ninth century, and shows the most important events and processes that took place until the 21st century. The project is a presentation-educational piece produced for the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai.
Credit: Animated History of Poland ©2010 Agnieszka Piechnik, Platige Image


"Guinness World"
(United Kingdom)
Commercial by The Mill for AMV BBDO
This commercial spot shows how a pint of Guinness comes to life when poured, opening with a man striking a match and lighting a rocket as a voiceover whispers, "It's time to bring this place to life." There begins an exhilarating journey, bringing life to barren landscapes across the planet.
Credit: Guinness World © 2010 The Mill

"Day & Night"
(USA)
Directed by Teddy Newton, Pixar Animation Studios
When Day encounters Night, sparks fly! At first frightened and suspicious of each other, they get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities--and realize that each offers a different window onto the world--the friendship helps them gain a new perspective.


"Suiren"
(Japan)
Directed by Tomoya Kimpara, wow.inc
"Suiren" is a poetic science-fiction visual music piece where the ocean is a symbol of life, and machine-seeds are born to devote themselves to the creation of beautiful creatures.

Credit: Suiren © 2010 Tomoya Kimpara, wow.inc

"Upgrades"
(USA)
Directed by Anya Belkina, Emerson College
"Upgrades" is a hilarious and breakneck-paced animated parody chronicling major upgrades in computer graphics software. Set to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee".

Credit: Upgrades © 2010 Anya Belkina, Emerson College

"Making of Nuit Blanche"
(Canada)
Directed by Arev Manoukian, Visual Effects by Marc-André Gray, Stellar Scene
In this reel we explore the making of "Nuit Blanche", an elegant and poetic short film that explores a fleeting moment between two strangers, revealing their brief connection in a hyper-real fantasy heavily dependent on visual effects.
Credit: Making of Nuit Blanche ©2010 Marc-André Gray, Stellar Scene

"Visualizing Empires Decline"
(Portugal)
Directed by Pedro Cruz, Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra
This information visualization project narrates the decline of the top four maritime empires in the 19th and 20th centuries. A physics engine is used to build a visual mood that conveys the tone of the empires' decline.
Credit: Visualizing Empires Decline © 2010 Pedro M. Cruz, Centre for Informatics and Systems of the University of Coimbra

"Cours Toujours"
(France)
Directed by Olivier Barré and Elise Garcette, La Station Animation
An intrepid creature throws himself into a wild pursuit of a bird, which gets him into comically frantic situations.
Credit: Cours Toujours ©2010 Olivier Barré, La Station Animation


"Making Love"
(Sweden, Live Real-Time Demo)
Quel Solaar
This game exploration demo is an exploration of the world of the procedural one-man indie "MMO LOVE". The demo also showcases the tools used to create assets, like sketch-based modeling, 100 percent automatic UV mapping, shader and asset management tools, and the layer-based procedural texturing tool.

God of War III
(USA, Live Real-Time Demo)
Sony Computer Entertainment of America
God of War III is the latest entry in the successful God of War commercial video game series and the first on PlayStation 3. It combines epic set pieces with exquisite fine detail, and its visuals display both technical and creative virtuosity.

Related links:

siggraph.org

(Milpitas, California--June 25, 2010) Blackmagic Design today announced UltraStudio Pro, the world’s first broadcast quality SD/HD capture and playback solution for USB 3.0 computers is now shipping!

UltraStudio Pro combines the latest broadcast technology into an attractive ultra-thin design that fits into modern client friendly post production environments.



UltraStudio Pro includes the mind blowing speed of the new USB 3.0 interface, which is ten times the speed of regular USB, and runs at a massive 4.8 Gb/s speed. USB 3.0 easily has enough speed for the highest quality uncompressed 10 bit HD video with the maximum real time effects possible!

UltraStudio Pro’s innovative design looks great on the desktop while hiding the cables behind the unit. With dozens of audio and video connections built in, the new style of design is critical to keeping cables hidden and editors can keep their studio neat and clean! UltraStudio Pro’s chassis is machined from solid metal with high grip silicon feet, so it’s strong enough to withstand harsh broadcast environments and won’t move around when heavy cables are connected. UltraStudio Pro also includes audio level meters for accurate audio level calibration.

UltraStudio Pro provides a massive number of video and audio connections including 3 Gb/s SDI, HDMI, analog component, composite, s-video, 4 channel analog audio, 2 channel AES/ EBU audio, genlock/tri-sync and RS422 deck control connections. UltraStudio Pro even includes a broadcast quality 7 foot/2 meter breakout cable, so users will save hundreds of dollars because they don’t need to purchase expensive professional video and audio cables!

An independent SDI output is included that is down converted for simultaneous HD and SD monitoring. A new built in hardware up, down and cross converter lets you edit in one format, and then output to any HD or SD format! Now its easy to edit in one format and then deploy in either SD, 720HD or 1080HD while leaving all CPU time dedicated to real time effects. Selection is possible between letterbox, anamorphic 16:9 and pillar- box 4:3 video formats!

“With USB 3.0 becoming more common on computers, we are excited to be able to completely rethink how broadcast products are designed! This new upright design really shows that high technology broadcast products don’t need to be ugly! I am so excited by how much leading edge technology we have been able to build into such a thin design”, said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design, “I think UltraStudio Pro will help make high quality editing more exciting because with USB 3.0, we have more freedom to be creative in how we design products, and the result is a wonderful solution that looks great, hides the cables, works as an audio level meter and is incredibly compact and portable. I have dreamed of being able to make products like UltraStudio Pro for many years, and it’s one of the most exciting products we have ever built!”



UltraStudio Pro Key Features

• 10 bit 3 Gb/s SDI for capture and playback, supports both SD and HD.
• 10 bit HDMI 1.3 for capture and playback, supports both SD and HD.
• 10 bit analog component capture and playback, supports both SD and HD.
• S-Video capture and playback, down converted when working in HD.
• Composite capture and playback, down converted when working in HD.
• Dedicated SD-SDI output for down converted SD output when in HD, or SD key channel out.
• Hardware up, down cross converter selectable Letterbox, Anamorphic 16:9, center-cut SD and more.
• Built in internal SD keying, or select to output both fill and key via SD/HD-SDI and SD-SDI outputs.
• 8 channels of SDI audio capture and playback in HD and SD.
• 2 channels of AES/EBU audio capture and playback with sample rate converter on input.
• 4 channels of XLR professional analog audio capture and playback.
• Genlock/Tri-Sync reference input for locking to large systems.
• RS-422 remote control for broadcast decks.
• Includes 2 meter or 7 foot breakout cable.
• Includes developer SDK for custom development.
• USB 3.0 computer connection at 4.8 Gb/s speeds for maximum real time effects.
• Includes Media Express software for real time capture and playback of media.
• Real time effects in Adobe Premiere™ Pro, supports After Effects, Fusion, Photoshop and more.

Availability and Price

UltraStudio Pro is available now for US$895 from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.



About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, color correctors, video converters, routers, waveform monitors and film restoration software for the feature film, post-production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in the television industry, while the company’s DaVinci Emmy™ award winning color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984 and continue ground breaking innovations including stereoscopic 3D and 4K workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. For more information, please check http://www.blackmagic-design.com.

Related links:

blackmagic-design.com

Christian Lorenz Scheurer has worked on some of the most innovative movies, games and theme parks of the past decade. His range of projects reaches from architectural design for movies such as The Fifth Element to concept art for The Matrix and Titanic to the fantastic dreamscapes of Dark City, Final Fantasy, Animatrix and The Golden Compass. He was involved in the visual definition of video games such as EA’s Spore, Mistwalker’s Lost Odyssey and Square’s Final Fantasy IX. Venturing into other artistic projects, Christian has lent his unique vision to massive theme parks in Dubai, children’s bestselling book covers and original intellectual properties for animated film. His career has lead him from New York to Tokyo to Cape Town and his work has been shown in presentations and expositions around the world.

In 2006 Christian released his first book Entropia: A Collection of Unusually Rare Stamps (Design Studio Press) which he has optioned off to a major Hollywood Studio – he is designing and co-directing this ambitious project.

Along with his current work on Entropia, Christian also teaches at Art Center College of Design (Pasadena). During his free time, he continues to fill sketchbooks and has recently returned to traditional painting. He lives with his lovely wife and his newborn daughter Kiki in the Hollywood Hills.

Artist Statement
“For universe designers in particular, it is important to have a large knowledge base. It is often not enough to simply know how things look. It is crucial to understand how they work. Personally, I am also very interested in anthropology. I love to study cultures – their social, political, economic and spiritual backgrounds. I found out one of the best ways of learning is by traveling.”

“For my more personal work such as painting, sketching or writing, I am trying find a way back to the lucid dreaming of my childhood. Painting and drawing are more and more turning into an process of active meditation in which I try to combine the conscious and the subconscious through an “artist’s eye” which simultaneously looks both inward and outward.”

Some his Art Works:










More at his Webiste .
CG Channel has just interviewed with him and HERE is the interview !

Related links:
cgchannel.com
christianlorenzscheurer.com