Computer Graphics World

MARCH 2010

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Web Gaming n n n n Customized Power The Mac Pro Workstation from Safe Harbor Computers The multiplayer online game was built using a range of Adobe products, including Flash. required an 800mb download. “You’d start the process and hope that when you woke up the next day [the file] transferred without prob- lems,” Cheng says. So, why choose Flash to reach the massive multiplayer online audience? Te answer, says Cheng, was simple: Te numbers added up. Te distribution of Flash is extremely wide; at last count, Adobe estimated the installed base at more than 98 percent of Internet-connected computers worldwide. Because Flash is already installed in most browsers, there is no need for players to download plug-ins, which is often a turn-off for potential audiences. “Adobe Creative Suite Web Premium soft- ware offers us a comprehensive and integrated set of design and development tools,” says Cheng. “We couldn’t have achieved the same quality, realism, and reach without it.” Moreover, the ability to develop quickly on the Flash platform, with its simple scripting lan- guage, enables the group to handle some very complex situations. Flash, maintains Cheng, is what facilitated the creation of the World Golf Tour games—as is the case with nearly all social games. “Social games could not have happened if it weren’t for Flash,” Cheng adds. A total of six million rounds of World Golf Tour were played in the first six months of the game’s inception, with the average player spending 38 minutes and completing 10 to 12 rounds of virtual golf on the site each week. It is now a popular gathering place for golf en- thusiasts who want to simply play a round or those who want to up the ante by competing in tournaments for prizes. It has also become a destination for actual golf vendors—includ- ing the USGA, PING, SkyCaddie, and Taylor- Made—to advertise their real-world wares, and for players to test out new equipment virtually. No one expects virtual golf to take the place of the real thing, but an experience like World Golf Tour shows that the grass can be almost as green on a computer screen as it is on the local fairway. n Karen Moltenbrey is chief editor of Computer Graphics World. Let Safe Harbor Computers help you design your perfect graphics workstation. With 22 years of experience, we will help determine your needs, suggest options to optimize your productivity, quote ONLY the components you require, then assemble, test and deliver to your door a powerhouse you’ll truly appreciate and enjoy! Configured with your choice of hardware and software for maximum speed and efficiency, a Mac Pro from Safe Harbor Computers is the professional’s first choice for 3D graphics and animation. Maximize your productivity with 64-bit 8-Core processing power and up to 32 GB of memory. With the optional NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 display card, make your machine perfect for motion graphics, 3D modeling, rendering, or animation. Visit www.sharbor.com to explore the possibilities and get an instant quote, or call us for assistance. Safe Harbor Computers is ready to get you in front of your new Mac Pro workstation! Adobe® Lightroom® Photoshop® 2 The essential application for digital photography workflows. Improve productivity with tools for import, enhancement, management, batch processing, and more efficient print output. Includes powerful new local adjustment brush feature. Vue 8 xStream Vue 8 xStream offers professional CG artists a complete toolset for creating and rendering exceptionally rich and realistic natural environments, using integrated operation with 3ds Max, Maya, LightWave, Cinema 4D and Softimage applications. Cinema 4D R11.5 Easy to use professional 3D animation software, with modular expandability to suit both artists and industry. Smooth and interactive feedback will let your creativity run free. Multi- core rendering is now faster than ever! Includes BodyPaint 3D R4 for texture painting. Maxwell Render™ V2 A physically correct, unbiased rendering engine, capable of simulating light exactly as it behaves in the real world. Render once! Then, adjust lights in realtime with Multilight™. Plug-in interface works with a large range of 3D and CAD applications. 800-544-6599 ZBrush® 3 A digital sculpting and painting program offering powerful features and intuitive workflows. All of the tools needed to quickly sketch 2D or 3D concepts and take the idea all the way to completion. With the ability to sculpt up to one billion polygons, creation is limited only by your imagination. www.sharbor.com SOLUTIONS FOR GRAPHICS PROFESSIONALS Safe Harbor Computers W226 N900 Eastmound Dr. Waukesha, WI 53186 800-544-6599 / 262-548-8120 Information/Orders 262-548-8157 Tech Support/RMAs - M–F 9am–4pm CST 262-548-8130 Fax Terms: POs accepted from schools and government agencies. • All checks require 7–10 days to clear. • Defective products replaced promptly. RMA number required for all merchandise returns. Returns accepted within 20 days, in original packaging, postage prepaid, undamaged. Opened software not returnable. Shipping charges not refundable. Returns subject to a 15% restocking fee. • Not responsible for typos. Prices subject to change. © 2010 Safe Harbor Computers. All rights reserved. March 2010 43 Cintiq 21UX Creative pros can work naturally and intuitively directly on the surface of the large-format 21.3" touch screen with 2048 levels of sensitivity. Ambidextrous design features sixteen programmable ExpressKeys plus two Touch Strips. New Tip Sensor in the pen captures subtle nuances of pressure.

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