When I first opened Acrobat 9, I expected some new features, but nothing as impressive as those in Acrobat 8. Now here I am telling you that while Acrobat 8’s additions were great, those in Acrobat 9 are nothing less than spectacular!
I’m not inclined to claim that any new revisions in Acrobat are any better than a previous version–unless, of course, in my opinion it’s true. This is precisely the case in Acrobat 9, which leads me to call it a “must” upgrade for all serious Acrobat users.
Adobe’s marketing staff will tell you about some of the things they believe are the best additions and enhancements in the Acrobat 9 upgrade; all of the items they list may not be the same as what I find to be the most impressive in this new release.
The following is my personal categorization of the top nine best new additions to the Acrobat 9 family of products:
An amazing time-lapse modeling session showing the creation of a little character in modo has been posted by Hiroshi Yoshii, who is a famous graphics designer in Japan. This prolific and talented artist has customers all over the world and has recently built 150 characters using modo. Check the video here and see a collection of his many characters here.
You’re not Pixar , and you won’t be any time soon. If, however, you’re curious about creating your own 3D animations, from simple seconds-long clips to full blown machinima films, iClone 2.5 is definitely worth looking into.
iClone, from Reallusion is designed with one main purpose in mind: to make it easy for anyone, from the most experienced Spielberg to the clumsiest little Uwe Boll, to make movies with their computers. The software suite provides backgrounds, avatars, natural looking motions, and a ridiculous number of customization options—and it ties everything together with a wealth of tutorials to get would-be directors started quickly.
From concept to final rendering and output, iClone 2.5 blasts you through the process quickly and effortlessly. There’s a lot of stuff this package has to brag about, and very little about which to complain.
Plus, get the added benefits of a Roxio volume license with your purchase:
– One CD Key for all nodes makes the software easy to manage.
– Network Deployment Capability – create an image and distribute it across your network.
– Version Upgrade Protection is only available through the Roxio Volume Licensing Support and Maintenance Program.
Hurry! Offer ends June 30, 2008
* Pricing noted is per node. Minimum 10-node purchase of a single title required. Pricing valid for new license purchases only. Offer does not apply to individual boxed copy or retail purchases.
In the end, its hard not to recommend the Intuos3 6×11 tablet for photographers, designers, or artists. Like most Wacom products that have preceded it, the Intuos3 is exceptionally well-made and easy to use. The 6×11 size is arguably “perfect” for most users because it provides an ample active area and an even larger base.
If there is any drawback to the purchase of the Intuos3 it would have to be cost. At the full retail price of $369 some younger artists in college or struggling freelancers may not be able to afford this tablet. Of course, there are some things that are simply much more difficult if not impossible to do without a pen tablet. There are some cheap pen tablets on the market with similar active areas that retail for less than $100 … but absolutely none of those “imitation” tablets even come remotely close to the capability and durability of the Intuos3.
If you can justify the cost, the Intuos3 6×11 makes the perfect companion for your studio. People who arent using Photoshop or Painter on a daily basis probably dont have any need for this type of product, but if youre a working photographer or artist who is currently only using a mouse and a traditional desktop or laptop computer then you absolutely must go out and purchase this product.
Watermarking videos with Squeeze 5
By Dave Komatar, QA Tech, Sorenson Media Inc.
Ever need to brand your video? For many reasons we often have a need to make sure that the files we produce don’t end up being used without permission. Watermarking is a great way of showing off your completed work while still maintaining control. The watermarking filter can be applied to any output format within Squeeze 5. To activate the watermark you can either edit any filter or create a new filter by clicking the plus button. This will bring up the filter dialogue. Check the watermark filter and and you can preview the look by using the slider bar above the view window. As a default the Squeeze Vice is your watermark, but you can choose any .png, .jpeg, or .gif as your watermark. You can also customize the position, feathering and opacity of the watermark in this dialogue. It’s a quick and painless way to make sure your encoded video has your mark.
Vue 6 Infinite is nothing short of incredible! At first blush, one might look at this product and say that this is really only useful for animation and film production, but that would not be taking into account all of the other industries that could benefit from its use.
Vue 6 Infinite ScreenshotFor example, if you are a builder, architect, landscape designer, or other professional that needs to emulate an environment, Vue 6 is the perfect application to model your design and/or prototype as a proof of concept design. If you are in advertising, what better way to provide backgrounds and other layout art without having to go on location or pay a high dollar firm to do equivalent work? The uses are endless.
Adobe promised to make photo editing easier than ever, and, boy, it delivered with Photoshop Elements 6.0. Brimming with new features such as a Guided Edit mode, an amazing PhotoMerge Group Shot feature, and a slew of tools snatched from Photoshop CS3 tucked inside brand-new workspaces, Photoshop Elements 6.0 makes photo editing for amateur photographers, hobbyists, and scrapbookers more accessible – and more fun – than ever before.
7. MindManager is an awesome mind-mapping program. I’m going to use it to write all my big articles and powerpoint presentations from now on.
