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SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 ANIMATION FLASH An ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK Publication

On the Internet since 1996: www.AWN.com JULY 26, 2005 NVIDIA to Launch Gelato 2.0, Sorbetto NVIDIA will introduce Gelato 2.0 at full power of Gelato and Sorbetto. SIGGRAPH 2005, which brings a list of Dubbed “Mango,” this plug-in is full-fea- INSIDE new features and performance improve- tured and not a limited subset of Gelato ments. NVIDIA Sorbetto, also introduced functionality. A similar plug-in for Au- Pipelinefx to demo Qube! Ver. 4.0 performance increase p.2 at SIGGRAPH 2005, is an interactive todesk’s 3ds Max has been created by lighting tool that will be available as an Frantic Films. Polhemus cuts strings option with Gelato 2.0. Gelato 2.0 includes the option of add- Offers wireless tracking system p.3 Gelato is the software renderer that ing Sorbetto relighting technology. Sor- leverages NVIDIA Quadro FX graphics betto is an additional feature set that al- ‘Educating the Educators’ Industry leaders offer job tips for boards to accelerate final-frame render- lows Gelato to re-render changes to a students p.3 ing for film, TV and design. scene’s lighting an order of magnitude Gelato ships with a plug-in for Alias or more faster — fast enough to be Full-Dome Theater Maya that allows users of that modeling dubbed “interactive.” You can add or Screening daily on 9m dia. p.5 and animation package to harness the [See NVIDIA, Page 14] NewTek at SIGGRAPH 2005 New 3D and video production Autodesk Releases New Versions technologies offered p.5 Iridas releases SpeedGrade of VFX, Editing & Digital Color Tool for cinematographers p.6 Alias at SIGGRAPH 2005 Grading Systems See latest 3D product solutions p.7 Autodesk Inc. released new versions BOXX Giveaway of its visual effects, editing/finishing Vicon Allows $100,000 BOXX/OCC Chopper p.9 and digital color grading systems. Used to create high-value feature film and Avid at SIGGRAPH 2005 Upgrade with Latest Softimage and Alienbrain television content, Autodesk’s systems software highlighted p.9 have been used on such major projects MX Bridge as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fan- NaturalMotion free eLE tastic Four, Spider-Man 2, The Sopranos Vicon, developer of Academy Award- Offering endorphin Learning Ed. p.10 and the CSI franchise. winning motion capture technology, has The new systems will be showcased released MX Bridge, a hardware product SCAD New vfx technology offerings at the at the Autodesk booth (#1700) at that allows previous-generation Vicon Atlanta college p.11 SIGGRAPH 2005 at the Los Angeles Con- cameras to be seamlessly connected to vention Center, Aug. 2-4. It is also antici- the new Vicon MX architecture. MX Bridge NZTE at SIGGRAPH 2005 pated — but unconfirmed — that the represents a flexible upgrade path and New Zealand companies to demo newest version of 3ds Max will also be gives users benefits such as grayscale im- latest technologies p.13 launched, with improved character ani- aging and the ability to mix and match mation, among other new features. cameras of different types. The MX Bridge Art Institutes Come in force with animation New versions include Autodesk’s Dis- is aimed at and priced for current Vicon experts, education specialists p.13 creet Fire 7.0 and Discreet Smoke 7.0 ed- users who want to move to Vicon MX but iting systems, Discreet Inferno 6.5, Dis- need an alternative to a full MX system WIA Meet-N-Greet creet Flame 9.5 and Discreet Flint 9.5 replacement, or users who are seeking to Meet Birds of a Feather on 8/2 p.14 visual effects systems and the Discreet add MX cameras to an existing pre-MX [See Autodesk, Page 7] setup. [See Vicon, Page 11] Animation World Network | ANIMATION FLASH – SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 · JULY 26, 2005

Pipelinefx to Unveil Qube! 4.0 at SIGGRAPH 2005

Pipelinefx, a leading provider of ren- tion and visual effects. Increasingly, number of lost jobs due to insufficient der farm management software for 3D state-of-the-art computer game com- licenses at job execution time. Other animation and interactive entertain- panies are using this technology to pro- performance features include a multi- ment companies, will demonstrate ver- cess art assets and distribute the game threaded worker, which improves com- sion 4.0 of its flagship product, Qube!, at build process. Render farm manage- munication and increases reliability via SIGGRAPH 2005, being held at the Los ment software is the glue that holds the a self-healing mechanism.” Angeles Convention Center from July 31 workflow pipeline together — allowing Qube! was originally developed for to Aug. 4. artists using a wide variety of tools to Square USA’s 2,000-processor render The new version of Qube! will feature create high quality shots or build so- farm at a cost of more than $2.5 million. new performance and usability features, phisticated computer games. It was used to produce Final Fantasy: The elevated compatibility with several “We have focused on enhancing per- Spirits Within. Pipelinefx acquired the popular graphics tools and an enhanced formance and usability to meet the in- rights to the software in 2002 and the graphical user interface (GUI) called qu- creasing demands of modern develop- company’s technical team began en- bic. Enhanced support for applications, ment environments,” said Troy Brooks, hancing the product with a complete including Maya, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, 3DS cto of Pipelinefx. “For example, config- re-write incorporating a variety of pat- Max, Shake, Nuke, mental ray, as well as uring the Qube! Supervisor is now even ent-pending techniques for batch queu- compatibility with the latest version of easier with a new graphic interface, job ing and process control. The software’s Apple’s operating system, OS X Tiger execution under Windows has been architecture supports the ability to (version 10.4) will be demonstrated. simplified and performance has also achieve deep integration with all of the Render farm management is a mis- been improved by providing realtime artist tools used by animators and game sion critical activity for film, 3D anima- license checking, which reduces the [See Pipelinefx, Page 15] CoursePTR_HalfPageAWNAd2.qxd 7/20/05 4:32 PM Page 1

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Polhemus Offers Totally Wireless Tracking System

Polhemus, the industry leader in 6 De- ray contained in a plastic shell. The recep- Rogers. “We appreciate their business gree-of-Freedom (6DOF) motion capture, tor detects the magnetic fields emitted and confidence, which has helped us tracking and digitizing technologies, an- by the marker(s) for up to 8 feet (2.44m) in maintain the leadership role in driving nounced the Liberty LATUS (Large Area spherical diameter. Receptor cable length the advancement of 6DOF tracking tech- Tracking Untethered System). This system is 60 feet (18.3m). This lightweight, small nology. The latest Liberty system is proof represents a whole new dimension in cube can easily be mounted to almost of that commitment — LATUS delivers tracking technology, one that offers a to- any surface. The system is capable of ac- truly wireless full 6DOF drift free tracking tally wireless, full 6DOF solution. The sys- commodating up to 16 receptors for huge over large areas and without significant tem has speed, ease-of-use via an intui- areas of total coverage. distortion issues. Distortion mapping is tive Graphical User Interface (GUI), and is Incorporating state of the art Digital not required with this system. An 800-sq. capable of tracking up to 12 independent Signal Processor (DSP) electronics in con- -ft.-area can be se up and operational in markers over large areas at a rate of 94 or cert with A/C magnetics provides the less than one hour.” 188 updates per second. user with improved signal-to-noise ratios, The Polhemus Liberty series, in combi- Polhemus will be demonstrating the which increase range, stability, resolution nation with FastTRAK and the cost-effec- Liberty LATUS system in booth #952 at and speed. The system is essentially unaf- tive Patriot system, provides a full line of SIGGRAPH 2005 at the Los Angeles Con- fected by facility power grids or electric products to meet various tracking re- vention Center on Aug. 2-4. power motors and update rates are al- quirements and budget constraints. Each self-contained marker is tracked ways maintained, allowing for consistent, in space by receptors, each providing 8- high quality data. Vermont-based Polhemus (www.polhemus. foot diameter spherical coverage. Addi- “The new Liberty LATUS highlights the com) is a global leader in providing 3D tional receptors can be arranged to cover commitment we have to our customer position/orientation tracking systems, an area of any shape. Each Liberty LATUS base,” said Polhemus president/ceo Al [See Polhemus, Page 16] system is capable of connecting up to 16 receptors for coverage of hundreds of square feet. Systems may also be concat- ‘Educating the Educators’ enated for even larger area coverage. Liberty LATUS comes standard with at SIGGRAPH 2005 Windows 2000/XP GUI and a comprehensive, easy to use Software Developers What does it take to get a job? What Panelists: Kit (SDK). The GUI allows four indepen- is the level of quality that companies Glenn Campbell, Area 51, Visual Effects dent user definable profiles for setting are looking for? How can your students Supervisor system parameters such as filtering, out- use their demo reels to open the doors Rachelle Lewis, Digital Domain, put formats, coordinate rotations and to their careers? Recruiter much more. This is a valuable feature for This seminar, “Educating the Educa- Pamela Thompson, Ideas to Go, multiple applications or users. For visual- tors,” July 31, 3:30-5:30 pm, at the Los Recruiter/CareerCoach ization, an integrated motion box pro- Angeles Marriott Downtown (Con- Michael Conelly, Rhythm & Hues, vides navigable points of view and can course Ballroom 1-2), is a rare opportu- Technical Manager include text data. Additional features in- nity to hear from the experts exactly Matt Merkovic, Digiscope, Visual clude a data record/playback component what a company wants to see in a demo Effects Supervisor plus the ability to quickly export data via reel. Learn how to help your students Michael Fink, Visual Effects Supervisor Microsoft “Named Pipe.” create the reels that will get those jobs. (unconfirmed) The 2 oz. marker contains all necessary In this seminar, industry leaders will processing hardware, including a re- give you the inside track on what they Los Angeles Marriott Downtown chargeable lithium-ion battery enclosed want to see from your students — the Concourse Ballroom 1-2 in a plastic shell. No interconnect wiring is skills, the techniques, exactly what it 333 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, required between markers: they operate takes that makes the difference be- California, 90071 as totally independent modules. The sys- tween a “pass” and an interview. tem is capable of accommodating up to To register go to: http://www1.discreet. 12 markers. The battery provides power Moderator: com/site/SecTrans.nsf/EducatingTheE for approximately two hours and is easily Women in Animation ducators?OpenForm. removed for recharging. The receptor is a Jan Nagel, President high performance magnetic sensing ar-

© AWN, Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. AWN.COM | 3 Focal Press to offer official Autodesk training books at SIGGRAPH 2005 Essential resources on Combustion 4 and 3ds max 7 expected to generate buzz...

Focal Press [Booth 1356], a leading worldwide publisher in all areas of visual media and communications including multimedia and graphics, film and video, and photography and imaging, will be featuring several new books designed to help graphics professionals get up to speed on Autodesk products at this year’s SIGGRAPH conference. The books, Combustion 4 Fundamentals Courseware [$49.95, 520 pages, Book and DVD] and 3ds max 7 Fundamentals and Beyond Courseware [$49.95, 790 pages, Book and CD] are both written by Autodesk courseware developers, training specialists and certified trainers. "These resources provide the exclusive insights of Autodesk courseware developers and training specialists, and we’re excited to be able to offer them to the graphics community at large," says Joanne Tracy, International Publisher of Focal Press. “SIGGRAPH is an ideal place to feature these titles, and we will be offering special discounts on them at the show.” New from Focal Press, Combustion 4 Combustion 4 Fundamentals Courseware, the only book available on Fundamentals Courseware provides: the new version of Autodesk’s premier compositing application, offers � A companion DVD that includes Combustion workspace files and project footage users much more than a point-and-click manual by explaining the � Heavily illustrated tutorials principles behind the software. Comprehensive coverage of everything � Detailed explanations of the principles behind the program has to offer, from creating simple composites and utilizing the tools � Expert advice—written by Autodesk courseware Paint features to particle effects and building G-buffers, is covered in- developers, product education technical depth. The book also teaches users make the most of Combustion’s new writers, and Autodesk training specialists who features, including workflow enhancements, B-splines, Diamond Keyer, know the product inside and out timewarping, point grouping, and much more.

3ds max 7 Fundamentals and Beyond Courseware is organized into tutorials dedicated to animation, modeling, materials, lighting, and rendering. Each tutorial includes exercises for hands-on demonstration of the projects, and each is presented in such a way that users can follow the tutorials in the order that works best for them. It culminates in a full length project that synthesizes all of the new skills the user has developed, and by the end of the book the beginner has been transformed into a seasoned 3ds max pro ready to work in any production environment. Although Fundamentals and Beyond is intended for beginning users, Focal Press will also feature a title at SIGGRAPH intended for more advanced users, 3ds max New Features and Production Workflow.

Focal Press will also be highlighting two official 3ds max books at SIGGRAPH that were released this year, 3ds max 7 Fundamentals and Beyond Courseware and 3ds max 7 New Features and Production Workflow. Here are some key features of the Fundamentals title: � For beginners or those new to 3ds max � Provides tutorials and exercises designed for flexibility � Includes a CD with 3ds max support models, materials, textures, and animations for completing the exercises Animation World Network | ANIMATION FLASH – SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 · JULY 26, 2005

SIGGRAPH 2005 Hosts Full-Dome Animation Theater

Donna Cox’s Visualization of an F3 Tornade Within a Supercell Simulation will be projects in full-dome video projection.

The SIGGRAPH 2005 Computer Anima- HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: tion Festival will feature full-dome video NewTek Offers projection, a rapidly growing medium of Visualization of an F3 Tornado immersive display, at the 32nd Interna- Withing a Supercell Simualtion New 3D, Video tional Conference on Computer Graphics Donna Cox & Interactive Techniques being held July National Center for Supercomputing Production 31 to Aug 4 at the Los Angeles Conven- Applications tion Center. Champaign, Illinois, USA Technologies The world’s best full-dome animations from DomeFest 2005 are being shown at Kaluoka‘hina, The Enchanted Reef NewTek will be at SIGGRAPH 2005 SIGGRAPH 2005. The animations pro- Raul Erdossy (booth #1529) at the Los Angeles duced by students, institution, and full- Softmachine Convention Center, Aug. 2-4, exhibit- dome professionals are screened daily on Munich, Germany ing the latest release of LightWave a 9-meter-diameter digital dome assem- 3D, as well as an update of VT[4] and bled specially for SIGGRAPH 2005. Percepts: Precepts the Emmy-nominated TriCaster. Full-Dome video, with more than 125 Theo A. Artz immersive displays, is deployed world- Amalgamation House, Drexel University With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, wide in planetariums and special-venue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA NewTek (www.newtek.com) is a leading theaters. Freed from the “tyranny of the provider of full-featured video editing, live frame,” artists transport viewers into Rings production, presentation, animation and fully immersive, mind-bending environ- Enrico Trujillo visual effects tools, including LightWave ments, and alternate worlds as they ex- Independent 3D, TriCaster and VT[4]. plore storytelling techniques for this Albuquerque, New Mexico USA new medium. The Full-Dome Animation Theater is For more details on the Computer open to attendees beginning July 30 at Animation Festival or the Full-Dome 6:00 pm in Hall G of the Los Angeles Con- Animation Theater, visit www.siggraph. vention Center. org/s2005/main.php?f=conference&p= caf&s=fulldom

© AWN, Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. AWN.COM | 5 Animation World Network | ANIMATION FLASH – SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 · JULY 26, 2005

Iridas Releases SpeedGrade OnSet for applied is now a practical option. “SpeedGrade OnSet puts the same Laptop-Based Color Correction tools into the hands of the cinematographer that the colorist is using,” said Dave Iridas, which first introduced non-de- flows according to their own require- Stump, ASC, who did vfx camera work on structive color grading technology in ments. SpeedGrade OnSet saves a refer- Fantastic Four and is DP on Primal Scream 2003, announced the release of Speed- ence JPEG with each .look file. Users can (currently in production). “That really Grade OnSet, a look creation tool for cin- create an unlimited number of looks and matters. If you’re a thousand miles away ematographers, which provides a means the original image remains unaltered. from your colorist it’s hard to do much for communicating looks to all parts of Looks are easy to store and duplicate for about the look of your images. Now you the post-production and film finishing re-use on new shots or projects. can talk about things like ‘gain’ and ‘lift’ pipeline. The new application uses the Look files are typically around 20kb meaningfully and show each other ex- same .look file format as SpeedGrade DI making them easy to email. Collaborat- actly what you mean.” allowing for direct collaboration between ing in the development of looks is sim- “SpeedGrade was the missing link that cinematographer and colorist. Speed- ple: when a look from OnSet is opened gave us an end-to-end color pipeline,” Grade OnSet runs on both the Mac and in SpeedGrade DI, all of the same grad- added Stephane Gravel, vp of research Windows platforms. ing tools and settings are available to and development at In Extenso in Mon- SpeedGrade OnSet works with still im- the colorist. Look files can also be load- treal. “We do two of the three top-rated ages, either digital photos or frames ed into any recent version of FrameCy- television dramas here in Quebec so we grabbed from a sequence. It includes all cler, Iridas’ uncompressed playback ap- need to be efficient. We have about 20 of the same color grading tools as Speed- plication family for color-graded hours to finish the grading for each hour Grade DI. Users choose which tools they playback. Viewing digital dailies during of finished material. Both programs are want to use and set up their own work- production with preliminary grading [See Iridas, Page 15] ��

��

� ��

�� Production-proven for the most demanding projects, �� helps you increase productivity and improve quality by offering: �� State-of-the-art batch queuing, distributed processing and �� render farm management. � A scalable, client-server architecture for managing the most massive farms. Operating system agnostic. Custom submission and execution support for Maya,® 3ds Max,® SOFTIMAGE®|XSI,® mental ray,® and Nuke.™ �� Feature-packed GUI. API and command line interfaces. �� © 2005 Pipelinefx, LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. www.pipelinefx.com

© AWN, Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. AWN.COM | 6 Animation World Network | ANIMATION FLASH – SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 · JULY 26, 2005

[Autodesk from Page 1] • Burn from the timeline: Users can now • Improved browser performance with Lustre 2.6 digital color grading system. use Autodesk Burn to render effects fast parsing of huge clip libraries Autodesk’s SGI-based Fire, Smoke, In- remotely from both the timeline and • Autodesk Stone Shared optimization ferno and Flame systems feature a new the source area, improving workflow increases realtime performance from 64-bit architecture, delivering superior • Overlay user interface (UI) for color centralized storage area network (SAN) performance in handling the increas- correction: A powerful new color- ingly large and complex data sets of to- correction UI that enables the user to The Fire 7.0, Smoke 7.0 and Lustre 2.6 day’s digital media creation. see more of the image full-screen systems are now shipping. It is antici- Beta tester Brad Wensley, a Smoke and without the visual distraction of a pated that the Inferno 6.5, Flame 9.5 and Flame artist at CBC Media’s Studio 57, permanent interface Flint 9.5 systems will be available in late commented on the Smoke 7.0 system, • DPX keycode support: Keycode summer to customers covered by ap- “Autodesk has thought of everything for support allows conform of DPX film propriate and valid annual Autodesk working in larger resolutions, including scans based on keycode information Media and Ent. division support or sub- making the user interface on color correc- from the offline edit (available only on scription contracts. tors transparent over the larger frame siz- Fire 7.0 and Smoke 7.0 DI on SGI IRIX) es. Add to this their unbelievably intelli- Founded in 1982, Autodesk Inc. (www.autodesk. gent keying technology and you’ve got a Key new features in Inferno 6.5, Flame com) is headquartered in San Rafael, California. formidable artistic toolset. This kind of 9.5 and Flint 9.5: The company recently renamed Discreet to thinking makes the artistic side of the • 64-bit architecture: Provides more Autodesk Media and Ent. The division best equation jump to the front row where it addressable memory, enabling known for 3ds max and other digital imaging belongs, and puts technical details in the greater interactive manipulation of software will continue to service the film, video, background, out of the artist’s view.” Long multilayered, uncompressed HD, 2K, gaming and related media and entertainment Island-based CBC Media is currently using 4K images and higher resolutions markets. This renaming ensures that the its Smoke and Flame systems on a Nike (available only on Inferno 6.5 and creative toolset from Autodesk Media and Ent. television spot. Flame 9.5 systems) will stay on the leading edge of product • Motion Estimation Timewarp: New innovation. Key new features in Fire 7.0 and Autodesk motion estimation algo- Smoke 7.0: rithms provide advanced time- • 64-bit architecture: Provides more warping capabilities for high-quality Alias to Demo addressable memory, enabling greater slow-motion and speed-up effects interactive manipulation of multilay- • Layer-based Paint: This advanced Latest Product ered, uncompressed high-definition paint module provides users with a (HD), 2K, 4K images and higher high-resolution paint system, offering 3D Solutions resolutions (available only for Fire 7.0 more design flexibility for layer-based and Smoke 7.0 systems on SGI IRIX) graphics creation within the Batch Alias will be showing off its latest • New, optimized Timewarp: Uses workflow product solutions for the 3D industry proprietary motion analysis technology at SIGGRAPH 2005, Aug. 2-4, at the from Autodesk’s Media and Ent. Key new features in Lustre 2.6: Los Angeles Convention Center division. Provides improved accuracy in • New editorial metadata architecture (booth #1312). Meanwhile, Alias has frame interpolation; helps create crisper and subsystem enables powerful new scheduled a press conference to un- images, especially when calculating conform and editorial capabilities veil its latest product line (including significant changes in timing • XML-based cut files enable more Maya and MotionBuilder) on Aug. 2 • Clip History: Allows artists and editors transparent cross-vendor interoperability from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm in Room to go back and make changes to the • Intelligent handling of problematic 507 West Hall, Mezzanine Level. work they create with greater ease edit decision lists (EDLs) and efficiency. Clip History is stored • Expanded film key code and video Alias develops 3D software for the film and with the media in the Clip Library and timecode handling video, games, web, interactive media, in- can be shared between Autodesk’s • Expanded flags system and new dustrial design, automotive, architecture editing and effects systems for integrated notes for greater project and visualization markets. Alias has head- improved interoperability and collaboration quarters in Toronto and a custom develop- collaboration • Enhanced linear-mode primary color ment center in Santa Barbara with offices • Soft text in timeline: Create, edit and correction worldwide. Visit www.alias.com for more play back text directly in the timeline • User-selectable keyer source as pre/ details. without rendering post input primary

© AWN, Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. AWN.COM | 7 Come Visit us at Booth 952 Polhemus Introduces LIBERTY™ LATUS™ (Large Area Tracking Untethered System) All New Wireless Tracking Technology

NO Body Pack Needed!

We will also be demonstrating the FastSCAN system. Read how FastSCAN has become an industry favorite.

Gentle Giant Studios Chooses the Polhemus FastSCAN™ Gentle Giant Digital is a world-leader in digital 3D scanning for toys, games, & film, and a division of Gentle Giant Studios founded in 1994 and based in Burbank, California.

Gentle Giant recently purchased the Polhemus FastSCAN CobraTM, which has proved to be a key component; says Karl Meyer, the owner of Gentle Giant, “The FastSCAN has completed our arsenal.” Recently, the studio was tasked with the immense project of creating a digital archive of the 1977 Star Wars artifacts. A team of technicians from Gentle Giant was allowed access to the famous Lucasfilm archives at Skywalker Ranch where they ditigized props, models and costumes, everything from Han Solo’s blaster to the original Imperial Walker model.

The FastSCAN Cobra is a lightweight, handheld laser scanner, which you sweep over an object – just like spray painting. As you scan, the 3D image appears on the computer screen in real-time. The finished scan is then processed by the FastSCAN software to combine any overlapping sweeps, significantly reducing the time to develop surface models. “We love our Polhemus scanner,” says Steve. “In fact the creature department on Star Wars III loved it so much that their entire crew often spent their down -time scanning their own creatu re creations.”

From the set of Harry Potter III in London, Steve said, “The scanning wand has been able to get data from objects we could not conceive of scanning with any other gear.” They were able to scan an eight foot tall werewolf among other items on the set. “I don’t know how we could have done it without your scanner.”

TM FastSCAN from Polhemus, PO Box 560, Colchester, Vermont 05446-0560 800.357.4777 (USA) • 802.655.3159 (Int’l) • [email protected] • www.polhemus.com Animation World Network | ANIMATION FLASH – SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 · JULY 26, 2005

BOXX, Intel, ATI, Alias Power SIGGRAPH 2005 with Chopper Giveaway

BOXX Technologies has teamed up which are as much art as they are ma- portunity to win this work of art and tech- with Intel, ATI and Alias to give SIGGRAPH chines. We’re proud to be associated with nology,” said Ruta Cummings, Americas 2005 attendees the opportunity to win them. field marketing manager at Alias. “Soft- the ultimate custom ride — a custom Or- “Intel is happy to be part of such a high ware used for design visualization, such ange Country Chopper valued at more profile promotion with a workstation in- as Maya and Alias StudioTools, can play a than $100,000. dustry leader like BOXX Technologies,” big part in helping artists bring their inno- SIGGRAPH attendees can register to said Diane Bryant director, Intel Corporate vative concepts to life.” win at the show and the rest of the cre- Platform Office. “End users like Orange At SIGGRAPH, BOXX will be demon- ative community can visit the BOXX web- County Choppers typify the power hun- strating the latest 64-bit dual core work- site at www.boxxtech.com Aug. 2-4 and gry nature of the graphics design market- stations with Intel Xeon processors pow- enter online. place. Intel products continue to feed the ered by ATI graphics running Maya and Enter to win the OCC chopper in the needs of high performance customers.” Alias StudioTools software solutions. BOXX booth #1137 during SIGGRAPH “ATI’s FireGL workstation graphics ac- 2005 at the Los Angeles Convention Cen- celerators empower our customers to de- BOXX Technologies (www.boxtech.com), ter, Aug. 2-4. sign and build unique products that ex- headquartered in Austin, Texas, delivers “It is a unique opportunity for BOXX to ceed creative expectations,” said Dinesh technology to the innovators in the digital be able to bring together such a presti- Sharma, director of Workstation Products, media community with high-performance, gious list of important industry partners ATI. ”ATI is excited to be a part of the Or- flexible workstations and turnkey solutions that to deliver what is sure to be the greatest ange County Chopper giveaway and pro- enhance creativity and fuel innovation. The promotion the Siggraph audience has vide everyone at SIGGRAPH a chance to BOXX series of high-end workstations are used ever seen,” said Rick Krause, president/ experience such innovative, high-end extensively throughout the 3D, visual effects, ceo, BOXX Technologies. “Our friends at product design.” animation, broadcast, post-production, digital Orange County Choppers continue to de- “Alias is thrilled to join BOXX, Intel and video and film and HD communities. liver original and innovative designs, ATI in offering the CG community the op-

Avid to Demo Latest Computer Graphics Technology

Avid Technology will demonstrate its projects created with XSI, including Sin ware plays within 3D production envi- industry-leading computer graphics City, Stuart Little 3, Barnyard, Fantastic ronments for full-length CG feature technology during SIGGRAPH 2005, at Four and Howl’s Moving Castle. films, visual effects, television post-pro- the Los Angeles Convention Center, “The industry converges on SIGGRAPH duction and game development. A Aug. 2-4. The company will exhibit at every year to learn about the latest de- range of customers, including Code f/x, two separate locations on the show velopments in the art and technology of PSYOP, Valve, Shaw Science, Trouble- floor: the Avid Computer Graphics computer graphics,” said Gregor vom maker Studios and UVPHACTORY, will (booth # 1401), featuring SOFTIMAGE Scheidt, vp of Avid Computer Graphics. present in the Avid Computer Graphics digital content creation tools and Alien- “This year, Avid will show the most ad- booth and discuss projects created with brain asset management software; and vanced technology in digital content XSI software. Avid will also show Alien- the Softimage Training Center (booth creation and asset management, opti- brain Studio v7.1, its award-winning as- #1039), where attendees can take ad- mized for the latest hardware technolo- set management system, providing at- vantage of free classes. gy, including next-gen gaming consoles tendees with the opportunity to see In addition, the annual SIGGRAPH and 64-bit workstations. In addition, how Alienbrain Studio allows teams to Softimage User Group will take place on many of the industry’s talented 3D art- significantly improve their productivity Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the Millennium Bilt- ists will demonstrate how they use Av- with workflow and collaboration tools. more Hotel. During the event, Blur Stu- id’s CG tools to create stunning and Plus, XSI artists from a variety of com- dio, Hybride Technologies, Mainframe complex visuals for film, broadcast and panies, including CG Soup, Janimation, Entertainment, Omation Studios, Stan game design.” Pixel Liberation Front, Pixel Corps and Winston Digital and Studio Ghibli will During SIGGRAPH 2005, Avid will Softimage, will present free technology showcase their work on a variety of film showcase the role SOFTIMAGE|XSI soft- [See Avid, Page 16]

© AWN, Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. AWN.COM | 9 Animation World Network | ANIMATION FLASH – SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 · JULY 26, 2005

NaturalMotion Releases Free endorphin Learning Edition

NaturalMotion Ltd. announced the im- selves on endorphin’s unique DMS tech- cludes relevant product documentation mediate availability of the company’s free nology and develop a valuable skill set for and a comprehensive user support net- endorphin Learning Edition (eLE). Based the high-end industry. Equally, smaller work via the endorphin forum. The eLE on the award-winning 3D character ani- animation studios can evaluate the soft- has no time limitations; the software is mation software endorphin 2.0, the eLE ware at their own pace, and have the op- motion file export disabled and is not to has no time restrictions, includes all rele- tion to rent endorphin 2.0 on a monthly be used for commercial production. vant product documentation and offers a basis, for maximum flexibility.” The full version of endorphin 2.0 retails comprehensive support network via the The eLE contains all of the same fea- at $12,795. eLE users also have the option company’s endorphin forum. The soft- tures found in endorphin 2.0, including: to rent the software on a monthly basis ware is fully functional; however, it is mo- multi-layer behaviors; enhanced adaptive for $1,595. tion file export disabled and is not to be behaviors; an intuitive GUI (including lay- For SIGGRAPH 2005, NaturalMotion will used for commercial production. ered behavior support on the timeline); be offering endorphin 2.0 as well as the “endorphin provides an entirely new and support for the Avid Alienbrain Stu- Learning Edition in booth #1760 at the approach to 3D character animation that dio asset management and Perforce soft- Los Angeles Convention Center, Aug. 2-4. will significantly impact how 3D charac- ware configuration management sys- ters are animated in the future,” said Tor- tems. Oxford, England-based NaturalMotion Ltd. sten Reil, ceo of NaturalMotion. “With the NaturalMotion’s eLE is available free of (www.naturalmotion.com) is the first company availability of a free eLE, animators will charge directly from the company’s Web to create 3D character animation software have the opportunity to educate them- site at www.naturalmotion.com, and in- [See NaturalMotion, Page 16]

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SCAD Offers New VFX Training

The Savannah College of Art and De- and ethnic thematic motivations. The and full-body motion for film, television sign (SCAD) will be at SIGGRAPH 2005 Savannah Film Festival, sponsored each and games,” said Jon Damush, vp/gm of (booth #2134). This year’s booth high- fall by the college, provides a venue for Vicon Motion Systems. “With its ultra- lights the beauty and charm of historic students to meet directors, writers and high camera resolution, fidelity and Savannah, Georgia, the college’s home actors from around the world, view new streamlined use, Vicon MX is bringing base. films, and participate in workshops and motion capture closer and closer into SCAD-Atlanta opened in March 2005 discussions with prominent individuals the creative process. SCAD students will at 1600 Peachtree St. in Atlanta’s mid- in filmmaking. be learning and using the same equip- town and offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, In keeping with the college’s mission ment that the best visual effects and Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts to prepare talented students for careers animation studios in the business have degrees in advertising design, anima- in the arts and design, the School of Film in the field.” tion, broadcast design and motion and Digital Media has added new tech- In addition, SCAD has incorporated graphics, fashion, graphic design, illus- nology to its course offerings to further new modeling and character and envi- tration, interactive design and game de- prepare students for careers in the en- ronment production software into its velopment, interior design, painting, tertainment industry. visual effects, animation and interactive photography, sequential art and vfx. For example, the Vicon optical motion design and game development curricu- The college has added new majors for capture system provides three-dimen- lum. Pixologic’s ZBrush enables digital the 2005-06 academic year, including a sional analysis of the motion of reflec- artists to create high-quality, original Master of Arts in cinema studies and tive markers using video and computer artwork in a highly creative and interac- B.F.A, M.A. and M.F.A. degrees in pro- technology. High-speed, high-resolu- tive environment. ZBrush is host to an duction design. The cinema studies pro- tion optical cameras precisely and non- extensive set of realtime 3D sculpting, gram offers advanced coursework in the intrusively track the motion of capture 2D/3D projection painting, 3D texturing history and theory of film within a di- subjects or objects, producing data that and deformation tools seamlessly inte- verse learning environment. In addition can then be edited and applied to realis- grated in one intuitive environment. to courses dedicated to cinema theory, tically drive computer-generated char- With instant feedback encompassing a students may explore animation and acters in real time in a variety of leading- unique synthesis of 2D and 3D capabili- film production, and take elective cours- edge applications. ties in a single stand-alone application, es in literature and art history. Through- “We are very excited that SCAD has ZBrush offers tremendous flexibility and out the program, students become fa- chosen to acquire a top-of-the-line Vi- appeals to a wide audience. miliar with the language of cinema to con MX motion capture system, which is In incorporating ZBrush into the SCAD support their discussion of various the world’s leading motion capture curriculum, the college has further posi- genres, alternative modes and national technology for capturing facial, hand [See SCAD, Page 16]

[Vicon from Page 1] con. “Some will demand the unbeatable megapixel grayscale motion capture MX Bridge enables customers to con- performance and data quality of a full camera. Vicon MX dramatically improves tinue using their earlier-generation Vicon new VICON MX upgrade, but for those the quality, flexibility and ease with which cameras while taking advantage of the with different needs — smaller budgets, motion capture data can be applied to latest Vicon technology advancements. It large arrays of pre-MX Vicon equipment realtime and off-line applications in life brings them up to the current hardware or the desire to increase their camera sciences, entertainment and engineer- standard, utilizes the significant increase counts — Vicon MX Bridge is the perfect ing. in 3D precision made possible by the solution.” For SIGGRAPH 2005, Vicon will demo unique Vicon grayscale processing and Please contact your local office or re- MX Bridge, MX Motion Capture and iQ 2.0 makes it possible to use new Vicon MX seller for pricing and availability. software in booth #1300 at the Los Ange- cameras side by side with previous-gen- Motion capture solutions from Vicon les Convention Center, Aug. 2-4. eration cameras, including MCam2, include high-resolution, high-frame-rate MCam, VCam and SVCam. cameras built by Vicon specifically for Vicon Motion Systems (www.vicon.com) is a “At Vicon we value our users, so we motion tracking. The Vicon MX realtime subsidiary of OMG plc with global headquarters wanted to give customers in all of our optical motion capture systems introduce in Oxford, U.K., and U.S. headquarters in Lake markets a variety of choices to tap into ultra-high-resolution, true grayscale pro- Forest, CA. OMG subsidiary 2d3 Ltd. produces our next-generation MX technology,” cessing and virtually artifact-free capture innovative visual geometry software deriving said Lasse Roren, product manager, Vi- with Vicon MX 40, the world’s first four 3D data from moving images.

© AWN, Inc. 2005. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. AWN.COM | 11 Focal Press to unveil two essential books for animators at this year’s SIGGRAPH conference Designing Sound for Animation and Rendering for Beginners slated to make their SIGGRAPH debuts...

Whether you are an animator, artist or 2D illustrator looking to move to 3D rendering you will be amazed by what can be achieved with RenderMan. In Rendering for Beginners, Saty Raghavachary offers a complete, non- technical introduction to RenderMan and rendering in general - finally a guide you don’t need a math degree to follow! Full of clear explanations and plenty of samples on the associated website for you to play with, this color guide will quickly get you up to speed with this powerful, professional program so you too can harness the power of the program to create top quality imagery.

"RenderMan for Beginners is bound to become a must-read for anyone interest- ed in Pixar's RenderMan. Saty's experience as both RenderMan practitioner and RenderMan teacher gives him a unique and valuable perspective. I can't wait to add a copy to my own graphics library." - Dana Batali, Director of RenderMan Development, Pixar Animation Studios

Author Book Signings at SIGGRAPH Focal Press Booth # 1356 Wednesday August 3rd from 12:30 - 1:30pm Meet & Greet with: Saty Raghavachary author of Rendering for Beginners and Robin Beauchamp author of Designing Sound for Animation Animation World Network | ANIMATION FLASH – SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION No 2 · JULY 26, 2005

NZTE at SIGGRAPH 2005

The New Zealand Trade & Enterprise consortium of international companies ZEALAND AT SIGGRAPH INCLUDE: (NZTE) will be at SIGGRAPH 2005 (booth from Microsoft to Nike, takes Augmented #1346) at the Los Angeles Convention Reality out of the lab and past the ARANZ (3D scanning and modeling tech- Center, Aug. 2-4, to promote the country’s limitations of head-mounted and hand- nology), Box Rocket (short films for wire- continuing excellence in visual effects, held hardware with demonstrations of less handsets and feature animation), animation, digital media talent and tech- next-gen AR platforms including mobile Click Suite (interactive simulations, games nology development. phones. and media), Digital Post (post-production, digital dailies, visual effects), Flux KEY COMPANIES DEMONSTRATING Media Design School — NZ’s leading Animation Studios (animation for music THEIR PRODUCTS AND PROGRAMS private institution specializing in high- videos, television series, games and com- INCLUDE: end creative education will promote its mercial brands like Nesquick), La Luna rich real-world training curriculum. (3D animated features) One Glass Eye Massive Software — Amid numerous (animation, broadcast graphics and spe- at-SIGGRAPH announcements, Massive Right Hemisphere — will demonstrate cial effects for Animal Planet and others), Software will be showing its Academy- its software solutions for managing Terabyte Interactive (interactive media Award-winning autonomous agent product graphics in more than 120 for education, sports and museum mar- animation system, now in the pipelines formats. kets), Truescape Visual Reality (photo and at A52, Animal Logic, Digital Domain, The video simulations for urban and rural Mill, Rhythm + Hues, WETA Digital and ADDITIONAL CREATIVE COMPANIES, planning) and Unlimited Realities (e-com- many other leading film and commercial TOOL-MAKERS AND INTERACTIVE merce, e-content and e-management so- effects studios. The company recently DEVELOPERS REPRESENTED BY NEW lutions). released its version 2.0 software and at SIGGRAPH 2005 rolls out pre-built, pre- motion captured Ready-to-Run Agents Art Institutes to Offer Animation for locomotion, ambient motion, stadium action and medieval sword Experts at SIGGRAPH 2005 combat. Via a series of artist talks at the booth, The Art Institutes will be attending on children, “adult swim” animation has customers will reveal how Massive SIGGRAPH 2005 at the Los Angeles Con- adults lining up for more. Thanks to hit TV helped them create believable digital vention Center on Aug. 2-4 (booth #1322) shows like Fox’s Family Guy adult cartoons multitudes for recent films and commer- and have invited several animation ex- are sweeping the market and stealing the cials. On Aug. 1, Massive Founder perts on everything from politics, pop ratings. Experts can explain why. Stephen Regelous will speak about culture, craft and careers. Massive during SIGGRAPH’s “Crowd and Career Trends: You’re hired, you’re fired Group Animation” course: http://www. AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS: — for many people the infamous phrase siggraph.org/s2005/main.php?f=confer is more than a reality TV-ism. The ever- ence&p=courses&s=15. Animation producer/director and The Art changing world of careers demands top- Institute of Portland Artist-in-Residence notch candidates with impressive Character Animation Technologies — Will Vinton presents a unique opportunity portfolios. Experts from the Career CAT demonstrates version 2.0 of its CAT for SIGGRAPH conference attendees this Services department talk about hiring plug-in for Autodesk 3ds Max, adding year. Talk to Vinton about all things trends, what it takes to land that all extra bones, new Inverse Kinematics animation, Claymation, including the important job, and how students can set and scaled animation of rigs to CAT’s California Raisins, the Noid, M&M’s “Red & themselves apart from the competition. advanced character toolset. CAT also Yellow” and The PJs’ Thurgood Stubbs. offers CATMuscle, the company’s Winner of Oscar, Emmy and Clio awards, In its second year, The Art Institutes intuitive skinning and skin deformation he will talk about his experience with The sponsors this year’s ACM SIGGRAPH 2005 tool. Art Institutes and his amazing career in Job Fair at the LA Convention Center. It animation. will be one-stop shopping for job HIT Lab NZ — Visionaries at HIT Lab NZ, seekers on Aug. 2-3, with 40 employers affiliated with the HIT Lab U.S. based at Move over reality TV, adults are looking available to interview potential candi- the University of Washington in Seattle for something more entertaining. While dates. Talk to these career experts about and a forward-thinking research Saturday morning cartoons are focused [See Art Institutes, Page 15]

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[NVIDIA from Page 1] 3ds Max delete lights, change their position, col- • Preview mode or or intensity, alter shadow maps — in • Network parallel rendering short change any lighting parameter • User-priority bucket order (spiral/crop you wish — and re-render the frame in window) seconds instead of minutes • Open, documented, royalty-free In fact, Sorbetto does this relighting formats on the final pixels; you make the chang- • Hardware accelerated es to the final image, not to an interme- • Multithreaded on CPU diate proxy, so there is no guesswork as • Efficient handling of complex scenes to what the lighting will look like in the • Efficient memory use final product. Sorbetto will vastly im- • 64-bit support prove the way you do lighting, not only • Support program available from by speeding up the lighter’s work, but • Relighting on “final pixels,” including NVIDIA also by accelerating the creative process full antialiasing, motion blur, transpar- by allowing for on-the-spot directorial ency, displacement, and production Pricing for Gelato with Mango plug-in decision making in dailies. shaders. Always identical to the final for Maya: $1,500, including first year of The Gelato Mango plug-in for Alias rendered image. maintenance & support. Gelato with Maya and the Amaretto plug-in for Au- • Adjust lighting Mango and Sorbetto: $3,700, including todesk 3ds Max developed by Frantic - Add/delete lights first year of maintenance & support. Films support Sorbetto functionality, - Move/reorient lights Academic and volume pricing available but Sorbetto resides in the Gelato ren- - Change any light shader parameter — for details contact: gelatosales@nvidia. dering engine, not in the modeling and - Change light linking (what lights com. animation packages that use Gelato. So shine on what surfaces) NVIDIA is announcing a significant Sorbetto is available for integration into • Add/delete lights price reduction at SIGGRAPH 2005 for any tool that creates an interface using • Recompute reflections and shadows the Gelato/Mango bundle (previously the Gelato API. • Recompute reflections automatically $2,750). The Mango (for Maya) and Am- • Change any lighting parameter aretto (for 3ds Max) plug-ins enable a New Features in Gelato 2.0: • Reposition/move lights much wider market of smaller studios • Sorbetto relighting technology • Selective relighting: recompute and individual artists — customers who • Volumetric (“deep”) shadows lighting for a crop window or speci- do not typically develop production • Frantic Film’s Amaretto plug-in fied object for even faster results pipeline tools — to use Gelato’s func- for 3ds Max • Interruptible—make changes on the tionality. The availability of these plug- fly before the last render is finished ins and this new pricing model make Feature Improvements since Gelato 1.0 • Supported by Mango plug-in for Maya Gelato very affordable to this larger launch and Frantic Film’s Amaretto plug-in for market segment. Frantic Films is still fi- • Caustics 3ds Max nalizing Amaretto distribution plans at • Subsurface scattering • Plug-ins for Alias Maya and Autodesk [See NVIDIA, Page 16] • Preview mode • OpenEXR image I/O plug-in • Major performance improvements • Mango plug-in for Maya WIA Kicks off 3rd Annual • Amaretto plug-in for 3ds Max • Windows XP support SIGGRAPH Meet-N-Greet • Linux 64-bit support To kick off the opening of the dy to walk the exhibit floor. Of course, Sorbetto Re-Lighting Features: SIGGRAPH 2005, Women In Animation learn more about Women In Anima- • Rapidly recompute changes to invites participants to the 3rd annual tion. And, like all WIA events, there is lighting; an order of magnitude or Meet-n-Greet in the Los Angeles Con- always a surprise. more faster vention Center, Room 506 starting at • All Sorbetto functions exposed in the 9:30 am -11:00 am on Tuesday, Aug. 2. For more information, contact Gelato API, not dependent on any Meet Birds of a Feather, just like your- [email protected]. particular modeling or animation self, from all over the world. Find a bud- software

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[Pipelinefx from Page 2] ny’s strong commitment to providing system built for environments as large companies so that demanding workflow its customers with the ultimate render 20 to 10,000 processors or more. Qube! pipelines could be created. The software farm management system for these fast is highly customizable, extensively scal- helps optimize studio hardware assets growing markets.” able and can be integrated into any pro- speeding up the rendering and game Pipelinefx’s customer base includes duction workflow. Qube! operates in build processes that are often bottle- Electronic Arts, Radical Ent., Lucas Arts, Red Hat Linux, Windows XP, 2000 and necks in film and game productions. Mainframe Ent., Reel FX Creative Stu- 2003 and Mac OS X environments. “Interactive entertainment and digital dios, Frame Set & Match, Switch VFX and media are tremendous growth markets Pratt Institute. Pipelinefx (www.pipelinefx.com), with that hold great potential for Pipelinefx,” Built by industry professionals for the headquarters in downtown Honolulu, and sales said Jeff Au, md of PacifiCap Group, Ha- most demanding 3D animation and offices in Los Angeles, California, was founded in waii’s largest venture capital firm and game production environments, Qube! 2002 and markets its class leading software to Pipelinefx venture capital investor. “This Remote Control is a next-generation en- the 3D animation, vfx, video and game markets new release demonstrates the compa- terprise class server farm management worldwide.

[Iridas from Page 6] pher and the colorist back on the same Munich, Germany-based Iridas (www.iridas. visually demanding and fairly complex in team.” com) first introduced uncompressed realtime terms of their look and feel. The pipeline SpeedGrade OnSet (standard edition) playback in 2001. It continues to be the leading has to be very efficient. SpeedGrade gives runs on Mac OS X (10.3 and above) and developer of resolution-independent playback us that.” Windows XP laptops and workstations. and non-destructive color grading technologies “We wanted to create an application The application is available for download for film, broadcast, entertainment and scientific for cinematographers that was light- at www.iridas.com and costs $199 per research. Iridas’ SpeedGrade, FrameCycler, DDS weight and easy to use, yet still integrated seat. Iridas will present SpeedGrade On- (Digital Daily System) and others applications directly with the full power of Speed- Set at SIGGRAPH 2005. Iridas will be lo- are used by most major animation and post- Grade DI,” said Patrick Palmer, Iridas coo. cated at the NVIDIA exhibit (booth 1714), production houses, including Warner Bros. “We had the first build of SpeedGrade Aug. 2 - 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Feature Animation, Industrial Light & Magic, The OnSet running on an off-the-shelf iBook. Center. Moving Picture Co., ReelFX, Lowry Digital and This technology puts the cinematogra- many others.

[Art Institutes from Page 13] digitally motivated generation. Institutes talk about the newest programs, why the Job Fair is so popular, tips for what the curriculum looks like and why participating and why sponsoring this is Students no longer have to worry about these degrees will attract a whole new a natural fit for The Art Institutes. The 31 the hassles that surround education demographic. schools in North America concentrate on because The Art Institute Online, a individualized employment assistance division of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Bigger and better toys come in the shape for our graduates and we know how allows domestic and international of software for most animators and important it is to make connections with students the freedom to attend class video game designers. Experts at The Art the right people. whenever and from wherever they Institutes offer insight into what new choose. Experts from The Art Institutes plug-ins, leading tools, and fun gadgets The political ads of last year have talk about how students can take instructors use to prepare their students disappeared, but political Web games advantage of this online opportunity for real world experience and industry and animated commentary have not and how it’s changing the face of success. thanks to groups like JibJab. Could it be education everywhere. last year’s race for the White House With 1,500-square-feet of combined classroom tapped into the world of Flash in order to The Art Institutes are proud to announce and general exhibit space, an interactive digital attract the attention of young adults? three new Bachelor of Arts Degree art class and award-winning design presenta- Experts at The Art Institutes offer their programs that are sure to be favorites tions using industry-related technology, The Art opinion on why the Web has become a among gaming enthusiasts everywhere Institutes (www.aila.artinstitutes.edu) will have crucial platform for political campaign- — Game Art & Design, Visual & Game a dynamic presence at the SIGGRAPH 2005 ing and how political games were Programming and Simulation & Virtual conference and exhibition. created to garner the attention of a Environments. Experts from The Art

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[Polhemus from Page 3] medical industry, university research, military ANIMATION FLASH digitizing technology solutions, eye-tracking training and simulation industry, and the SIGGRAPH 2005 SPECIAL EDITION systems and handheld three-dimensional computer-aided design industry. An ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK Publication scanners. These products are used for the AWN, Inc. 6525 Sunset Blvd. Garden Suite 10 [Avid from Page 9] Avid Technology Inc. (www.avid.com) is a Los Angeles, CA 90028 United States seminars at the Softimage Training Cen- global leader in digital nonlinear media Phone: (323) 606-4200 ter, where students will have an oppor- creation, management and distribution Fax: (323) 466-6619 tunity to explore XSI in greater detail. solutions, enabling film, video, audio, [email protected] The Training Center will also host several animation, games and broadcast profession- www.awn.com “Introduction to XSI” courses, taught by als to work more efficiently, productively and PUBLISHING professional instructors from Montreal- creatively. PRESIDENT based Centre NAD. Ron Diamond CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Dan Sarto [NaturalMotion from Page 10] animation to be created much faster than OPERATIONS (endorphin) based on Dynamic Motion conventional methods; thus significantly GENERAL MANAGER Synthesis (DMS), a technology that utilizes reducing asset production time and costs. With Gina Ruiz Adaptive Behaviors and artificial intelligence to customers such as Sony Europe, Sony America, simulate the human-nervous system. Based on Moving Picture Co., The Mill, Namco, Konami, EDITORIAL Oxford University research on the control of Rainbow Studios and Tigar Hare, endorphin is AWN EDITOR Sarah Baisley body movements, endorphin synthesizes 3D rapidly becoming the tool of choice for today’s VFXWORLD EDITOR characters in realtime. A breakthrough in 3D leading visual effects artists creating high-end Bill Desowitz character animation, this process allows animation. MANAGING EDITOR Rick DeMott EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Darlene Chan [SCAD from Page 11] Ryan Kingslien, head of the training de- tioned its students to meet the growing partment at Pixologic. CONTRIBUTION demand from production and game AUTHORS studios for highly detailed and photore- The Savannah College of Art and Design Sarah Baisley alistic creature and environment work. (www.scad.edu) exists to prepare talented Rick DeMott

“We look forward to being part of a re- students for careers in the visual and WEB DEV/ART nowned educational environment and performing arts, design, the building arts and ART DIRECTOR to the work that SCAD students do,” said the history of art and architecture. Deron Yamada WEB DEVELOPER Lionel Varay

[NVIDIA from Page 14] NVIDIA Corp. (www.nvidia.com) of Santa Clara, ADVERTISING this time — details will be announced California, is a worldwide leader in graphics and SALES in time for SIGGRAPH 2005. Gelato 2.0 digital media processors. NVIDIA graphics with Sorbetto will begin beta testing processing units (GPUs), media and communi- in August. Please contact cations processors (MCPs) and wireless media [email protected] for information processors (WMPs) have broad market reach on joining the beta program. and are incorporated into a variety of platforms, See Gelato 2.0 with Sorbetto demos including consumer and enterprise PCs, Please send your news for future at SIGGRAPH 2005 at the Los Angeles notebooks, workstations, PDAs, mobile phones editions to [email protected] Convention Center, Aug. 2-4, in the and videogame consoles. NVIDIA booth (#1714).