New to the version 5 releases is the ability to process multiple files simultaneously on Macs that have multiple processors or multi-core processors. Encoding times on such systems have also been reduced. Sorenson says that users can now compress and encode up to 1.5 files on each core.
Also new are improved codecs to provide better video quality. VC-1 encoding is now supported for users creating video for Blu-ray Disc. Quality improvements have also been made to the encoders used for MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and H.264 video, in particular for High Definition (HD) settings. Watermark, Hue-and-saturation and sharpen pre-processing filters have been added, and inverse telecine, video fade and deinterlacing filters have all been improved.
On Spiderwick, Mulgarath, designed by Carlos Huante, was as a combination of demonic nastiness, snake skin, monster skin, and forest trees. He’s quite the combination of creatures. Once the model by Gionvanni Nakpil was completed, the models divided into multiple partitions, head, arms, legs, torso and back, then U/V’d. Groups of partitions (head group, etc ) were then imported into ZBrush for displacement goodness. The first stage of the work was importing “tree bark” reference images as alpha’s. Adjusting the radial fade, in combination with the “Drag Rect stroke” the alphas were applied to the surface. Other alpha’s created were done using the “simple brush” drawn in 2D mode. Then simply picked up using the “Grab Doc” option in the alpha menu window. This allowed me the freedom of creating a texture stamp on the fly when ever I needed something custom. Working in this fashion I was able to bridge the different types of tree bark image alphas to one another and their neighboring monster or snake skin surroundings. Other times I’d use a Start Up Alpha in combination with the “Inflate” brush or other and produce some really organic results. “Crop and Filling” an alpha to screen, was another method. I’d modify this with one of the 2D brush tools and then pick it the back up with the ‘Grab Doc” option. Simplicity was key for me; the more inventive I got with a simple approach, the better the results I was able to achieve. I was blown away by what I could do in ZBrush.
CALABASAS – At Final Draft Inc., the company motto is “Just add words.”
Diablo Cody did – going on to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the movie “Juno.”
Of course, writing a screenplay is more than just a fill-in-the-blanks exercise. But getting the format right is important.
Cody initially bought a finished script at a bookstore to serve as a guide. But her agent intervened, suggesting that she buy the script-writing software developed by Final Draft – titled, appropriately, Final Draft.
“I said, `This had better be worth it. I had no money. Im really glad I bought it,” she told Variety columnist Anne Thompson.
Easy to use and great value for digital imaging enthusiasts
The Bamboo Fun is Wacom’s attempt at a consumer graphics tablet, with half the sensitivity and resolution of its high-end Intuos range, but many of its qualities. Aimed at the entry-level user, with a matching price, it’s designed for everyday use. It relies on USB for both data and power, and its styling betrays its living-room PC aspirations, as does its widescreen aspect ratio.
First introduced for Nikon in developing its Capture NX editing software Nik now offers to all users of Adobe Photoshop and compatible editors the power of their U-Point technology. What is special about U-Point technology? Imagine doing away almost completely with ever having to deal with intricate selecting of an object or masks.
With U-Point you just drop a point on the item you want to adjust and away you go. Say you want to make a blah looking sky bluer. Traditionally you’d have to select the sky, then painstakingly go in to mask out trees (selecting tiny areas where the sky shows through the branches and leaves gives new meaning to the word ‘tedious’. All that time and effort in masking all so you can get a natural looking effect.
With Viveza its SO much easier! You drop a Control Point in the sky that should be blue, adjust the top slider to the area of the image you want effected and then go down the adjustment ‘tree’ of sliders to separately adjust your Light adjustments – Brightness, Contrast or Saturation.
Newbury Park, CA – April 9, 2008 – MAXON Computer, a leading developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions, today announced that there are now over 1,000 tutorials available on its online education and training resource, Cineversity. This major milestone underscores MAXON’s commitment to helping artists maximize their creative potential by providing instruction on some of the world’s most advanced visual effects techniques and methods.
Just under a month ago, Adobe released Lightroom 1.4 and Camera Raw 4.4, which included support for lots of newer cameras. Several bugs affecting EXIF data, Olympus JPEG files, and performance were discovered shortly after the update, however, and Adobe quickly pulled the plug on the updates. Adobe has been working on both products, and has now updated the updates and released Lightroom 1.4.1 and Camera Raw 4.4.1.
The Lightroom 1.4.1 update fixes an EXIF data field bug that was causing incorrect modifications. The error has been corrected, and any images affected by the previous bug will be fixed the next time they are saved. As far as the Olympus JPEG issues go, artifacts should no longer appear in exported files, and any issues with unreadable DNG files should go away once problematic files are re-converted. Both updates are available from the Adobe Downloads section, or via the Adobe Update Manager.
Vitalize is a safe PC platform plug-in for Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla and Netscape Navigator (windows based computers only). Vitalize allows your website visitors to interact with applications and games created in Clickteam’s The Games Factory or Multimedia Fusion software packages.
Shawn talks to Josh Haftel from Nik Software about their new Photoshop plug in Viveza.
Two of the most important factors in creating great photography are color and light. Mastering the art of selectively correcting or enhancing each of these is now possible for every photographer without the need for complicated masks or selections, or expert-level knowledge of Photoshop. Integrating award-winning U Point technology, Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images.
Adobe Systems on Wednesday plans to release Adobe Media Player (AMP), a free download for playing Flash-based Web videos on Macs or PCs.
Written with Adobe’s AIR, AMP is a hybrid online/offline application that lets people subscribe to different video Webcasts. Adobe has signed on some initial partners including CBS, PBS, MTV Networks, Universal Music Group, CondeNet, and Scripps Networks. (See my colleague Rafe Needleman’s review of AMP on Webware.)
The videos are either streamed from the content producer’s Web site or they can be downloaded. Adobe will host a catalog, called Adobe TV, on its site where people can find videos. Because it’s written with AIR, people can be offline or online when they watch.
New to the version 5 releases is the ability to process multiple files simultaneously on Macs that have multiple processors or multi-core processors. Encoding times on such systems have also been reduced. Sorenson says that users can now compress and encode up to 1.5 files on each core.
