Silk's News
Hey everyone,
Well the newletter has been severely updated. Several companies are announcing updated versions of their software due to the Siggraph that is currently in progress.
Silk
Newtek News - Updated
NewTek Releases LightWave 3D® v9.5 for Windows® at SIGGRAPH 2008 |
Achieving new levels in animation, illumination, hair and fur, rendering and workflow |
| SAN ANTONIO, Texas – August 12, 2008 – NewTek Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today announced the release of LightWave® v9.5 for Windows®, a major update to its award-winning 3D application, LightWave 3D®. LightWave v9.5’s new capabilities include FiberFX, a complete hair and fur solution, a new lighting system and many improvements to animation, rendering and workflow. The update is available to registered owners of LightWave v9 series at no charge. SIGGRAPH attendees can see LightWave v9.5 demonstrations at NewTek booth #159.
"With so many features and enhancements in LightWave v9.5, users suggested that we could release it as v10. Customer feedback has been positive," said Jay Roth, president of 3D division, NewTek. "LightWave is the application choice of Emmy® winners, and is seeing increasing use in feature film projects. With this new version, the LightWave community is experiencing a renaissance."
About NewTek |
2008 Marks the 11th Consecutive Year that Emmy® Visual Effects Nominees are NewTek LightWave 3D® Artists
San Antonio, TX -- July 31, 2008 -- NewTek Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products today extended their congratulations to the 2008 Emmy® nominees in the Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or A Special categories. For the 11th year in a row, several of the nominees relied on Emmy-winning LightWave 3D® as a key tool in their visual effects pipe line."’Life After People’ had complex shots and a short deadline," said Andrea D'Amico, Emmy-nominated VFX executive producer. "As always, LightWave's speed, broad toolset and flexibility played a pivotal role in completing this project on budget and on time."
NewTek LightWave 3D combines a state-of-the-art photo-realistic renderer with intuitive and powerful modeling and animation tools. Known for its fast workflow and ease of use, LightWave also integrates well with other popular production tools for 3D and for compositing, with support for a wide range of formats. Tools that may cost extra in other professional 3D applications are part of the product package, including unlimited render nodes, hard- and soft-body dynamics, hair, fur, cloth simulation and more. LightWave is used worldwide as a complete 3D production solution for visual effects in television and film, broadcast graphics, games, print and web.
"It is a tremendous honor that these shows, facilities and talented teams of artists have chosen to use NewTek LightWave 3D in the creation of these Emmy-nominated productions. These people manage to do an incredible amount of fantastic work in very little time," said Jay Roth, president of 3D division, NewTek. "It is only fitting that their efforts are being recognized by the Academy. On behalf of the LightWave 3D creative team and the whole NewTek family, I extend our congratulations."
2008 Emmy-Nominated LightWave 3D Users
Outstanding Special Visual Effects for A Series:
- "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" – Pilot. FOX, C2 Pictures in association with Warner Bros. Television: James Lima, Visual Effects Supervisor; Chris Zapara, CG Supervisor; Lane Jolly, Compositing Supervisor; Steve Graves, 3D Modeler/Animator; Rick Schick, Compositor; Jeff West, Compositor; and Bradley Mullennix, Modeler.
- "Jericho"– Patriots And Tyrants. CBS, CBS Paramount Television: Andrew Orloff, Visual Effects Supervisor; Blythe Dalton, Visual Effects Producer; John Stirber, Special Effects Supervisor; Chris Jones, Compositing Supervisor; Michael Cliett, CGI Supervisor; Lane Jolly, Lead Visual Effects Compositor; Johnathan R. Banta, Lead Matte Artist; and Josh Hooker, Lead CGI Artist.
- "Battlestar Galactica" – He That Believeth In Me. Sci Fi Channel, Universal Media Studios in association with R & D TV: Gary Hutzel, Visual Effects Supervisor; Michael Gibson, Visual Effects Producer; David Takemura, Visual Effects Coordinator; Doug Drexler, CGI Supervisor; Kyle Toucher, CG Artist; Sean Jackson, CG Artist; Pierre Drolet, CG Modeler; Aurore de Blois, Senior Compositor; and Derek Ledbetter, Compositor.
Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or A Special:
- "Life After People" History Channel, Flight 33 Productions for History Television Network Productions, A&E Television Networks: Matt Drummond, Visual Effects Supervisor; Max Ivins, Visual Effects Supervisor; Steffen Schlachtenhaufen, Visual Effects Producer; Melinka Thompson-Godoy, Visual Effects Producer; Andrea D'Amico, Visual Effects Producer; Danny Kim, Matte Painter/Compositor; Dave Morton, Lead Visual Effects Artist; Jim May, Digital Artist; and Casey Benn, Digital Artist.
**For LightWave 3D images created for "Jericho" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," please contact Jennifer Thurlow, NewTek PR/Media Specialist at (210) 370-8216 or jthurlow@newtek.com. You can also obtain images at: ftp://press:newz@ftp.newtek.com/LightWave/EmmyNominated/.
Pricing and Availability
LightWave v9 is available now at the suggested retail price of US$895. LightWave v9.5 will be available as a free update to registered LightWave v9 owners. Registered owners of LightWave 3D [v8 or earlier] are eligible to purchase an upgrade to LightWave v9 for US$395. For more information or to purchase, please visit newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 800-368-5441, for international inquiries dial +1-210-370-8000.
About NewTek
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is an Emmy® Award-winning and leading provider of full-featured video editing, live production, presentation, animation and special effects tools including TriCaster™, TriCaster Pro™, TriCaster STUDIO™, TriCaster BROADCAST™, VT[5]™, SpeedEDIT™, 3D Arsenal™, LightWave 3D® and LightWave Rendition™ for Adobe® Photoshop®.
Caligari News
TrueSpace 7.6 has been released and is available for free more information can be found at http://www.caligari.com/
E-On News - Updated
E-on Software Previews Vue 7 Professional Solutions
August 12, 2008. Siggraph Los Angeles, California: e-on software, makers of Vue, the leading solution for natural 3D environments started showcasing key new features of its Vue 7 professional solutions, Vue 7 xStream and Vue 7 Infinite (scheduled for release later this year), at booth 1129.
Vue 7: Digital Nature
More Robust, Seamless Integration with the Leading DCC Solutions
Vue 7 xStream, e-on’s flagship solution, represents a totally new paradigm in terms of integration and workflow. All Vue tools are now fully integrated in the host application, providing direct access to the most advanced 3D environment creation technologies (including EcoSystem Painting). Users of Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, Softimage XSI, Maxon Cinema 4D and Newtek LightWave will greatly benefit from Vue xStream’s unprecedented and unmatched 3D Digital Nature creation power!Next Generation Features
Capitalizing on breakthrough technologies introduced in previous versions, Vue 7 will also feature a number of important new features such as the 3rd generation of e-on’s patented EcoSystem ™ technology, as well as Spectral 2 atmospheric engine, SolidGrowth 4 HD, a completely new indoor Radiosity engine and much more.
About e-on software
E-on software is the leading developer of high quality solutions for the creation, animation, rendering and integration of natural 3D environments. With products specifically targeted for the different market segments, e-on software provides solutions adapted to every project and budget. E-on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, game, science, education and entertainment industries.
E-on software was founded on the premise that powerful graphics tools should never get in the way of the designer's creativity. By investing significant resources into research and development, e-on software is able to deliver cutting-edge technologies that significantly improve usability and workflow.
E-on software is based in Beaverton, Oregon with a European office in Paris, France.
Visit their website at http://www.e-onsoftware.com.
Announcing the “Vue 3D Environment Competition 2008”!
8 JUDGES TO REPRESENT THE 3D ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY!
July 1, 2008. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software, makers of Vue, the leading solutions for natural 3D environments, in association with Softimage, Pixologic, 3D Total, Wacom, 3Dconnexion, Cornucopia3D and 3D World Magazine, today announced the third edition of the "Vue 3D Environment Competition", designed to showcase the capabilities of 3D technology for CG environments.
Any version of Vue - including the free Vue 6 Personal Learning Edition (PLE) - can be used (standalone or in combination with any other 3D application) to enter the competition.
Judging will be based solely on the quality, realism and artistic merit of the entries, not on the version of Vue used to create them.
With a group of 8 prestigious judges representing the different fields of the 3D Industry, this competition is a unique chance for anybody to see their work exposed to the eyes of industry experts, as well as to win over $15,000 in prizes.
Get Noticed!
The “Vue 3D Environment Competition 2008” judges are all leading figures in the world of 3D graphics, from the Motion Picture, Game, Media and Broadcast to the Architecture industries:
- Paul Huston – Digital Matte Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
- Youngil Pyo - Lead Digital Artist, Digital Domain
- Eran Dinur – Compositor and Matte Artist, LucasFilm Animation Singapore
- Stephane Belin – Senior Concept Artist, Electronic Arts
- Susumu Yukuhiro – Senior Matte Artist, Whiskytree
- Tom Greenway – Editor, 3DTotal.com
- Jim Thacker – Editor, 3D World magazine
- Jeff Mottle – President and Founder, CGarchitect.com
Over $15,000 in Prizes!
The winner of the “Vue 3D Environment Competition 2008” will receive a complete 3D arsenal worth over $6,900 including: Softimage XSI Essentials ($2,995), a 3D Total Mega Bundle (worth over $1,300), Vue 6 xStream ($995), Pixologic ZBrush 3.1 ($595), 1 3Dconnexion SpacePilot ($399), 1 Wacom Intuos 6x11 Tablet ($369), 1 year subscription to 3D World magazine ($150), $100 voucher for Cornucopia3D content, and a 1 year subscription to 3D Creative and 2D Artist magazines ($81.2).
The first runner up will receive over $4300 of prizes including Softimage XSI Essentials ($2995), Vue 6 Infinite ($695), 1 3Dconnexion SpaceExplorer ($299), 1 year subscription to 3D World magazine ($150), 1 year subscription to 3D Creative and 2D Artist magazines ($81.2), and $75 voucher for Cornucopia3D content.
The second runner up will receive over $4000 of prizes including Softimage XSI Essentials ($2995), Vue 6 Infinite ($695), 1 year subscription to 3D World magazine ($150), 1 3Dconnexion SapceNavigator ($99), , 1 year subscription to 3D Creative and 2D Artist magazines ($81.2), and $50 voucher for Cornucopia3D content.
Submissions start July 1, 2008 and end July 31, 2008.
The winners of the competition will be announced at the Siggraph show, in Los Angeles, on August 12, 2008.
More information is available at: www.e-onsoftware.com/competition
About e-on software
E-on software is the leading developer of high quality solutions for the creation, animation, rendering and integration of natural 3D environments. With products specifically targeted for the different market segments, e-on software provides solutions adapted to every project and budget. E-on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, game, science, education and entertainment industries.
E-on software was founded on the premise that powerful graphics tools should never get in the way of the designer's creativity. By investing significant resources into research and development, e-on software is able to deliver cutting-edge technologies that significantly improve usability and workflow.
E-on software is based in Beaverton, Oregon with a European office in Paris, France.
Visit their website at http://www.e-onsoftware.com.
About Softimage Co.
Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc., develops innovative 3D character creation and effects tools to animators and digital artists in the film, broadcast, post-production and games industries. Its product line includes SOFTIMAGE|XSI, the most advanced 3D animation and character creation software for next generation games & film, SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT®, the first production for lifelike facial animation, SOFTIMAGE|CAT™, a complete character animation system plug-in, and Alienbrain®, an industry leading production asset management solution for creative teams.
For more information about Softimage, please visit www.softimage.com.
About Pixologic
Founded in 1997, Pixologic Incorporated - www.pixologic.com develops and markets innovative software products for digital artists. The privately funded company is based in Los Angeles, California, with Research and Development located in Silicon Valley.
ZBrush is an integrated modeling, texturing and illustration environment. ZBrush’s innovative set of real-time sculpting, texturing, and deformation tools is used in major film studios and game companies worldwide. Its instant feedback and real-time response makes it the most natural feeling digital sculpting tool available today. As a stand-alone application, ZBrush offers tremendous flexibility and appeals to a wide audience.
For more information about Pixologic, please visit http://www.pixologic.com
About 3D Total
3DTotal (www.3dtotal.com) originally started in August 1999 as a project, by Tom Greenway, to make a simple 3d resource site.
3DTotal now experiences 50,000 daily visitors through the website, and have an impressive collection of 16 Total Textures DVDs, 3 'Digital Art Masters' volumes (books), as well as producing both organic and non-organic training DVDs, 'Shorts Drawer' DVD collections, and the ever-popular monthly downloadable PDF magazines: 2DArtist (www.2dartistmag.com) and 3DCreative (www.3dcreativemag.com).
For more information about 3DTotal, please visit: http://www.3dtotal.com.
About Wacom
Founded in 1983, Wacom's vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world's leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions.
The advanced technology of Wacom's intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashions and designs around the world and provides business and home users with the ability to express themselves in a natural way.
For more information about Wacom, please visit www.wacom.com
About 3Dconnexion
3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech, is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today's most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion's award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide.
For more information about 3DConnexion, please visit www.3dconnexion.com
About Cornucopia3D
Cornucopia 3D is an online community dedicated to the Vue line of products.
On Cornucopia, you will find all sorts of resources to improve your Vue experience: forums, galleries, tutorials,... as well as a store where you can find top-quality content at the best possible price!
For more information about Cornucopia 3D, visit www.cornucopia3d.com.
About 3D World Magazine 3D World is a high-quality, 108-page printed magazine, crammed full of news, inspiration and practical advice about 3D graphics.
3D World comes out every four weeks. Every issue of the magazine comes with a CD packed full of 3D resources, including full software, exclusive trial and learning editions, models, textures, HDRI files, mocap data and architectural content. You can find 3D World magazine in major stores such as Borders, Barnes & Noble and WH Smith, as well as buy copies online.
For more information about 3D World magazine, visit www.3dworldmag.com.
Never Center News
Nevercenter Releases Silo 2.1 in new Core and Professional Versions, |
Siggraph, August 13 2008 - Nevercenter Ltd. Co. today released version 2.1 of its popular 3D modeling application Silo, which is now available at www.nevercenter.com in two different versions. Silo Core is a new, lighter version of Silo which will be available for $99 and is solely focused on modeling tools. Silo Professional is the equivalent of previous full versions of Silo, including high quality displacement painting, advanced UV layout, and high end modeling tools on top of Silo's robust core toolset. "Ever since its inception, Silo has been designed to be accessible to anyone and everyone who wants to do 3D modeling," said Tom Plewe, President of Nevercenter and co-creator of Silo. "The features and workflow improvements we added to Silo 2.0 required a moderate price increase, so this is a way to make sure we're still keeping that high quality modeling functionality available to all." Both versions use the same base, can be used on both Mac and PC with a single license, and will be updated concurrently with free updates throughout the 2.x lifecycle. Silo 2.1 Professional is a free upgrade for all existing Silo 2.x owners. Silo 2.1 is a significant free update covering many areas, including: UV Layout Silo 2.1 Professional offers a new and extensive toolset for UV layout and unwrapping. Many different types of unwrapping are available, including LSCM, angle-based planar regions, and neighbor-based healing, and can easily be applied to different parts of the same object. UVs are preserved during modeling changes, so a model can be changed at any point with minimal impact on its UVs, and modeling and UV layout can be freely intermingled. Surface Tool Silo 2.1 Professional also introduces a new tool aimed at mesh reconstruction and retopologization called the Surface Tool. The surface tool is an interactive, context-sensitive tool for quickly creating strips of vertices, edges, and faces which conform to an existing object. It acts as a companion to Silo's innovative Topology Tool, a pen-like tool which allows users to literally draw desired topology onto an object. These features are commonly used to create production-ready models based off of high resolution sculptures. Workflow and Bug Fixes The main focus of Silo 2.1's development has been on improving stability and enhancing functionality of the existing toolset, resulting in hundreds of small improvements. For a more extensive summary of updates, visit www.nevercenter.com/about/new_features. Nevercenter 3D Modeling Wiki Nevercenter has started up a comprehensive new modeling wiki at www.nevercenter.com/wiki. Not just for Silo users, the wiki is designed to become a powerful resource for all 3d artists looking for tutorials, links, and resources across the internet. It will also feature Silo-specific sections with tutorials, videos, customizations, and more. While the site is currently in its infancy, it is growing quickly. To view the wiki and contribute your own knowledge and resources, visit www.nevercenter.com/wiki. About Silo Silo is a focused polygonal and subdivision surfaces modeling application whose development has been closely tuned to the needs of its users, leading to an emphasis on a speedy, comprehensive toolset and a zen-like workflow. It seamlessly integrates modern tools, such as displacement painting for high resolution objects, and re-topologization tools for drawing new geometry conforming to existing surfaces, into a traditional modeling environment. Its core modeling toolset is comprised of a smaller number of intelligent context-sensitive tools rather than many tools with a single function, resulting in less visual clutter, fewer hotkeys to memorize, and more tools that just work. Designed to fit into any pipeline, Silo is the most customizable modeler available. That includes complete customization of the mouse, keyboard, and graphical interface, allowing it to closely emulate other applications a user may be familiar with, or perform tasks (such as assigning up to 40 different commands to a typical mouse with keyboard modifiers) which no other application can. Silo's userbase is evenly split between professional modelers and hobbyists, both of whom enjoy its focused, un-cluttered design and workflow. It is also a favorite of educators due to its industry-standard toolset and quick learning curve. The developers are active on the user forums at www.silo3d.com, and regularly release public betas and free updates. Pricing and Availability Silo 2.1 Core and Professional are now available at www.nevercenter.com. Silo 2.1 Core costs $99, and can be upgraded to Professional for an additional $89. Silo 2.1 Professional costs $159. A single Silo license allows a single user to have Silo installed on up to three computers at once, in any combination of Macs and PCs. All 2.x upgrades are free to owners of Silo 2. Additional pricing details for studio and educational site licenses can be found on the website. Silo 2.1 Core ($89) and Professional ($143) are both on sale for 10% off until Aug. 21, 2008. |
SoftImage News
SOFTIMAGE Announces SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 Software Powered by ICE
New Interactive Creative Environment (ICE) will transform SOFTIMAGE|XSI software from a 3D application to a highly extensible platform, allowing customers to code less and create more
MONTRÉAL, Québec, July 7, 2008 - Softimage Co., a part of Avid Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVID), today announced SOFTIMAGE®|XSI® 7, the latest version of its professional 3D animation software for games, film and television. SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 software will introduce a transformative open platform called ICE, designed to capture the infinitely creative vision of content producers. With a visual interface and an easy-to-use node-based programming model, users will be able to quickly create complex visual effects. ICE will allow artists to explore, learn and modify the robust library of particle-based visual effects and deformation tools that will ship in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 software, or simply build new ones from scratch.
”High-quality 3D content plays an increasingly important role in today’s films, games, and TV productions—and Softimage understands that content producers’ visions are larger than any 3D package can deliver out-of-the box,” said Marc Stevens, general manager of Softimage and vice president of Avid Technology, Inc. “Until today, trade-offs had to be made between fulfilling all creative intent and the cost of extending existing 3D packages via scripting and plug-in tools. The Softimage ICE platform will allow content producers to easily create, modify and deploy complex tools and effects more efficiently than ever before. Powered by our Gigacore II engine, ICE will utilize all the available processing power on today’s multi-core workstations for ultimate scalability—maximizing the return on hardware investment.”
Multi-Threaded GigaCore II
Powering the ICE platform in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 software will be the GigaCore II, a parallel processing engine that will deliver optimum performance on any modern workstation. Designed from the ground up to take advantage of multi-core workstations, the Softimage ICE platform will directly scale with the number and speed of processing cores available.
“The first time I built an ICE particle compound in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7, I was amazed,” said Fabio Leporelli, senior lighting and fur technical director at Peerless Camera Company, Ltd. (UK). “What used to take hours, or days of tedious scripting, I was able to create in minutes with the Softimage ICE platform. I never imagined it would be possible to create such complex particle simulations so easily—and I was only using about 5% of the processor power available. Thank you Softimage.”
SOFTIMAGE ICE Particles and Deformations
Softimage will offer numerous pre-built, production-ready ICE ‘compounds’ forparticle-based effects and deformations that will allow artists to jump right into production. Unlike tools in other 3D systems, these pre-built compounds are open, and will allow users to examine and learn how they work—and even modify them. Customers who create their own ICE compounds can share them in their facility or with the global community on SOFTIMAGE|NET, in either an open XML format, or a locked binary file to protect their Intellectual Property (IP).
Other new features in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7:
- Support for mental ray v.3.6 with new rendering ‘stand-ins’ that will allow users to offload objects along with rigged and animated characters to the disk until render time, resulting in light-weight scene assembly for much larger rendered scenes, and optimized controls for final gathering and global illumination
- Delta II a major update to the lightweight referencing system in SOFTIMAGE|XSI, with enhanced support for clusters and cluster properties, including materials, textures and UVs
- RTS III -- a new Real-Time Shading architecture that will allow fragment and vertex shaders to exist in one node, and will be programmable and controllable from any ICE attribute
- Streamlined licensing process dongle-less, with a new temporary licensing fail-safe feature
Additionally, Softimage will include new features and enhancements specifically influenced and requested by customers during their production cycles. SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 will ship with a FREE Training DVD with Official Softimage Training Material provided exclusively for this newest version by Digital-Tutors. Softimage will also offer many ICE tutorials and demonstration videos that will be posted on the SOFTIIMAGE|NET community training page. For a full list of features and ICE compounds that are expected to ship in SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7software, visit: www.softimage.com.
Availability:
SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 is expected to be available in Q3 2008.
Pricing for SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 Essentials will be USMSRP $2,995.
Pricing for SOFTIMAGE|XSI 7 Advanced will be USMSRP $4,995.
Softimage also offers a compelling maintenance program that provides extended customer support and upgrade advantages. For upgrade pricing and maintenance pricing, please contact a local Softimage reseller or Softimage sales representative at: http://www.softimage.com/buy/.
Media Contact:
Kevin G. Clark, Global PR Manager for Softimage, Co.
(514) 840-0343
kevin_clark@softimage.com
About Softimage Co.
Softimage is a part of Avid Technology, Inc., and develops leading-edge 3D technology used in customer-centric solutions that enable professionals in the games, film and television industry to realize their creative vision. Award-winning feature films, television productions and top-selling video games are made using Softimage software. Its flagship product, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, is an extensible 3D animation software solution built on the most modern architecture in the industry and is used by leading media and entertainment companies such as Digital Domain, SEGA Corporation, CAPCOM, Animal Logic, and The Mill. Other solutions from Softimage include: SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT®, lifelike facial animation software; SOFTIMAGE|CAT™, a complete character animation plug-in; and SOFTIMAGE Alienbrain®, a digital asset management solution for artists; For more information about Softimage, visit www.softimage.com.
About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals – as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts. Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign, M-Audio, Pinnacle Systems, Sibelius, Softimage, Sundance Digital, Alienbrain, Face Robot, CAT and XSI are registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology or its subsidiaries in the United States and for other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid brands. Whether seasoned professional or beginning student, Avid’s products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received an Oscar® statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid® Film Composer® system for motion picture editing. For more information about the company’s Oscar, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com.
Autodesk's Maya News
Autodesk Announces 10-Year Anniversary Release of Maya Software
New Release Provides Stereoscopic Production Capabilities, nParticles Simulation, and Powerful Animation and Productivity Tools
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2008 — At SIGGRAPH 2008, Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced Autodesk Maya 2009 3D animation and visual effects software, in celebration of the software’s 10-year anniversary. Maya 2009 includes a host of advancements in modeling, animation, rendering and effects that maximize productivity, optimize workflows, and provide new creative possibilities. Maya 2009 will be showcased at the Autodesk booth (#501) during SIGGRAPH 2008, at the Los Angeles Convention Center Aug. 12-14.
“We are celebrating the work done with Autodesk Maya over the past 10 years by many artists and creative visionaries in film, television production and games, as well as in industrial design and architecture.” said Marc Petit, Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment senior vice president. “We designed Maya 2009 as a tribute to creative innovation and production efficiency. The new release will allow artists to raise the bar and deliver even more ground breaking computer graphics work.”
Mike Romey, senior technical director at Zoic Studios was a beta tester for Maya 2009. “The future of Maya is shining brightly with the upcoming release,” said Romey. “Autodesk Maya 2009 will change the way artists think about dynamics, rendering, compositing and pipelines. With the solid mental ray multi-render pass workflow, production will be far more effective. This new workflow will optimize render times for multiple render layers and, in turn, elevate the quality of work. The creation of nParticles builds on the unified dynamics engine introduced in nCloth, allowing for greater integration of advanced effects.”
Key Highlights of Autodesk Maya 2009
Complexity Managed
While the complexity and size of scenes continue to rise, Maya 2009 provides new tools to make them more manageable. These tools include the new Maya Assets toolset, which enables users to encapsulate a set of nodes into a single container and publish a view of the data suited to the artist’s task. The release also offers a new Render Proxy feature in mental ray, and additional multi-threading work and algorithmic speedups that boost interactive draw, simulation and rendering performance for even the heaviest scenes.
Accelerated Modeling Workflow
Maya 2009 gives modelers and texture artists unprecedented control over polygon modeling and UV texturing through powerful selection management features, efficient modeling workflows and precision UV unfolding and layout options.
Collaborative, Iterative Projects and Pipelines
Tighter schedules and budgets demand that projects and pipelines take full advantage of available resources. Maya 2009 supports collaborative, iterative workflows and promotes data reuse. The software has a new animation layering paradigm that provides animators with increased non-destructive flexibility, as well as an updated Render Pass toolset that offers precise control over render output and optimizes integration with Autodesk Toxik procedural compositing software.
New Creative Tools
Maya 2009 offers an innovative Maya nParticles dynamic simulation module and an extensive Maya Muscle feature set. nParticles is part of the Maya Nucleus Unified Simulation Framework, a ground-breaking approach to creating complex physics simulations that interact directly with each other. Furthermore, to help studios capitalize on the growing popularity of stereoscopic 3D films, Maya 2009 offers a flexible new stereo camera rig, complete with in-viewport stereo viewing.
For a complete list of new features and enhancements in Maya 2009, visit www.autodesk.com/maya.
Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that Maya 2009 will be available in English in October 2008. Maya 2009 will be supported on the Windows (64-bit and 32-bit versions), and Linux (64-bit version only) operating systems as well as Mac OS X for Intel-based Macintosh computers (32-bit version only).
Autodesk suggested retail pricing is US$1,995* for Maya Complete 2009 (Standalone) and US$4,995* for Maya Unlimited 2009 (Standalone). The upgrade price from Maya Complete 2008 to Maya Complete 2009 is US$899*, and the upgrade price from Maya Unlimited 2008 to Maya Unlimited 2009 is US$1,249*.
Autodesk Subscription with Gold Support is available for purchase simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase. The Autodesk suggested retail price for Subscription with Gold Support for Maya Unlimited is US$1,495* per year, and for Maya Complete is US$1,295*. Subscription with Gold Support customers qualify for access to the latest software updates, valuable product extensions, telephone and web support, a comprehensive knowledge base and e-Learning materials.
For information about Maya learning tools, visit www.autodesk.com/learning-tools.
* International pricing may vary.
Spiral Graphics Inc.
Introducing Genetica 3.0
- Vector drawing tools
- Apply styles to drawings
- Preset HDI Environments
- Advance Lighting and Caustics
- New nodes, noises and Patterns
- Can render up to 6000x6000 (Standard version is 3000x3000)
- Studio version can render animations and has presets for animation
Will be available 3rd quarter of 2008...
