Link via Creation Engine
 The Architecture Edition includes CINEMA 4D, the Advanced Render and Sketch & Toon modules as well as the Architecture Extension Kit. The Architecture Extension Kit includes numerous essential tools for the creation of breathtaking architectural visualizations.
Architecture Extension Kit:
– Exchange Plugins for CAAD
– Virtual Walkthrough Tool
– Material eXchange Plugin
– Over 300 Furniture Items
– Over 400 Materials
– Shift Camera Object to Correct Perspective Distortion
– Quickstart Manual for Architectural Visualization
– Special Program Layout
Cinema 4D R11 Architecture Edition is available at an education discount price of $295 (Art; 3-year license) or $495 (Non-Art; 3-year license).
Link via Digital Arts
 When Avid released version 3 of Media Composer in mid-2008, it clearly intended to head off competition from the likes of Apple Final Cut Studio and Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium. A much keener price and a huge software bundle showed the company was not resting on its laurels anymore. So now we have the half-point update: it may not herald the huge policy change of version 3, but 3.5 still has some significant improvements over its predecessor.
Avid Media Composer 3.5 is available at an education discount price of $295.
Link via IT PRO
 FileMaker is a tool that lets you build databases: it’s been around for a long time and the latest version (10) is now available. One of FileMaker’s great strengths is that it is available for both the PC and the Mac. That’s great news for Mac users because they have, historically at least, been well served when it comes to a choice of database management systems (DBMS). It is even better news for companies that use both because FileMaker databases will run on both.
FileMaker has always had great facilities for the design of reports and forms. Pleasingly, this strength continues and is enhanced in version 10. The most obvious change is the movement of the Status toolbar to the top of the screen – it’s been clinging to its traditional position at the side of the screen for far too long. And to help you get started designing databases, there are 10 new templates to give your database a slick professional look.
FileMaker Pro 10 Advanced is available at an education discount price of $299
Link via Macworld UK
 Google’s 3D sketching software SketchUp offers a great way to lay out an initial design for a 3D scene or artwork. Illustrators and digital artists can use the free version for occasional work, then take their sketches into Photoshop and Illustrator to create artwork. Animators and 3D artists – and illustrators who use it regularly – should look to the paid-for Pro version, which offers 3D output to professional 3D suites, project-management tools and client-presentation functions.
Google SketchUp Pro 7 is available at an academic discount price of $49 to students.
Google SketchUp Pro 7 is available at no cost to instructors.
Link via gamedev.net
 Most game artists rely on Photoshop for their diverse texture pipeline. Whether mapping textures to 3D models, creating concept art or painting environment art, Photoshop is an essential tool. For 3D artists, the 3D features found in previous versions of Photoshop were not robust enough to have a significant impact on the texturing workflow. However, with Photoshop CS4 Extended, Adobe has finally got its 3D textures features to a point where they are really helpful. The new features allow you to load in a 3D object and paint directly on its surface using the common Photoshop tools. This is a huge leap for Photoshop users that work in 3D.
Other new improvements that have a radical affect on the time you’ll spend in Photoshop include the Adjustments and Masks panels, OpenGL support for much better performance, and the awesome new content-aware scaling feature. Overall, the new version is stronger than ever and the 3D texturing features make me just plain giddy.
Photoshop CS4 Extended is available at an academic discount price of $299.
Photoshop CS4 Extended College Student Edition is available at a student discount price of $199.
Link via Storyboards & Comps dot Com
I’ve been a storyboard artist for the past 25 years mostly in animation series work and have been using Toon Boom Storyboard Pro for the last two years. I am very satisfied with results.
I have no financial interest in Toon Boom, but I feel every board artist should at least try SBPro. I’ve worked in Flash, Sketch, Photoshop and Painter and feel the data management tools in this program make it far and away the strongest tool to board with. The program has lots of features but I’ve tried to highlight just the features I really like or dislike. (A Cintiq is necessary to take full advantage of the program.)
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro is available at an academic discount price of $285.
Link via CGSociety
Inspired by members of Wacom’s professional community, the next generation Intuos is anchored by the Intuos4’s amazing new pen performance, capable of capturing the slightest nuance of pen pressure against the tablet surface, as well as offering 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity.
Other innovative product modifications include a refined and intelligent industrial design that provides real advancements in looks, comfort and control. Specific workflow and productivity tools to savor include the shortcut and modifier keys with multiple customisable and application-specific profiles as well as the OLED (organic light emitting diode) displays beside the keys for quick reference.
OLED Display
The Intuos4 has eight programmable application-specific ExpressKeys on either side. “There is an accompanying soft blue OLED display next to each key with a graphic to help you remember what you assigned to what buttons. You can also adjust the brightness of the OLEDs. Once assigned there are icons automatically updated on the tablet like the hand tool shows the hand symbol as seen in the Photoshop interface. Very nice touch,” notes Pill.
Wacom Intuos4 Tablets Now Shipping!
Intuos4 Small Tablet w/Pen – $219
Intuos4 Medium Tablet w/Pen – $339
Intuos4 Extra Tablet w/Pen – $469
Intuos4 Extra Large Tablet w/Pen – $749
Link via Creation Engine
LogicKeyboard custom keyboards are now available through Creation Engine. Increase your productivity and control with keyboards designed for Photoshop, Premiere, Media Composer, Final Cut Pro, Aperture, and AutoCAD.
Link via Creation Engine
 AutoCAD Architecture 2010 is the version of AutoCAD software for architects. Creating designs and documentation is much more efficient using the softwareís purpose-built tools for architects. Automate tedious drafting tasks and help reduce errors. The familiar working methods and intuitive user environment offers immediate productivity gains with the flexibility to learn additional features at your own pace. The softwareís industry-leading DWG file format makes it easy to share and communicate designs with engineers and the extended project team. AutoCAD Architecture offers immediate productivity for architects familiar with AutoCAD software.
AutoCAD Architecture 2010 Student Version is available at an academic discount price of $152.
Link via PC Pro
 But those users producing static images rather than video haven’t been neglected, as Cinema 4D 11 includes a major overhaul of rendering. First, the Render Settings dialog has been simplified to concentrate on core settings, letting you add advanced controls as needed. Life has also been made a lot easier by the inclusion of a wider range of output presets targeting common paper sizes and video formats. Custom presets can also be saved and re-used including child presets that inherit all of a parent’s properties unless overridden – very handy for synching output for different resolutions.
Crucially, it’s not just the practicalities of rendering that have been reworked; the underlying engine has too. It’s impossible to be precise about what this will mean in practice for the end user, as it depends on your set-up and the sort of work that you produce. However, Maxon claims average speed gains of over 100% and that’s certainly true of the sample files we tested.
Faster rendering is the one feature that every user will benefit from and ensures that Cinema 4D 11 is a worthwhile upgrade for all. For new users and those producing animations, especially cinematic work, Cinema 4D 11 is essential.
Cinema 4D R11 (includes BodyPaint 3D R4) is available at an academic discount price of $195.
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