Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/997235
www.postmagazine.com 8 POST JUNE 2018 BITS & PIECES LONDON — VFX studio Framestore (www. framestore.com) has entered into a strategic partnership with Magic Leap, a company that is building a next-generation spatial computing platform that will power mixed reality experi- ence. Framestore has been working with the company for several years to create original content and unique experiences that will be released later this year on Magic Leap One, Creator Edition. Through this partnership, the teams will enable more brands and customers to build creative and digital solutions that take ad- vantage of Magic Leap's core technology, which transforms the physical environment around the viewer into a boundless display, desktop, canvas, game room or workspace. "We are storytellers at Framestore, first and foremost; innovation courses in our veins," says William Sargent, Framestore CEO. "The promise of 'Mixed Reality' excites us enormously, and we are delighted that this collaboration with Magic Leap provides us with the chance to show the world the extraordinary potential of this new me- dium, as we experiment with new ways to share incredible narratives." "Framestore has an impressive track record in pioneering the early adoption of emerging tech- nologies," adds Rachna Bhasin, Magic Leap CBO. "As a Magic Leap early access partner they are ideally positioned to support companies ready to explore and innovate with the potential of spatial computing. Our partners are at the forefront of next generation content and experiences, and we're excited to be working with Framestore on several projects." Framestore's credits include Oscar-winning films such as Blade Runner 2049, Gravity and The Golden Compass. Its artists are also responsible for iconic and memorable characters such as Paddington Bear and the GEICO Gecko. LONDON — Creative software developer Foundry (http:// foundry.com) has announced the latest updates to its flagship lighting, 3D painting and look development and lighting tools, Katana and Mari. According to the company, the product updates will pro- vide a more user-friendly experience and improved response times, enabling artists to achieve powerful results, with great- er efficiency. Continuing to support both small and large studios, Katana 3.0 brings a new viewport driven by Pixar's USD Hydra technology. The toolset ships with the 3Delight rendering plug-in, giving users the option to enjoy the best- in-class live rendering free of charge for interactive renders and an affordable option for batch renders. The UI has been modernized, and performance improvements mean that Katana 3.0 is up to 1.5x faster than the previous version. Mari 4.1 users will benefit from improved artist friendly color management including: color picking, a more intuitive colorspace toolbar, easier management of channels, per- ceptually linear display of scalar channels and more. Mari 4.1 also benefits from new functionality for selection groups that vastly increases user efficiency. "We're always looking to bring improved speed and effi- ciency for our users," says Jordan Thistlewood, senior prod- uct manager, look development and lighting at Foundry. "We have worked closely with our customers over the last year to improve Katana and Mari where it matters most, to ensure they can work with tools that are consistently at the cutting-edge of development. We are very happy to provide an artist- friendly UX to color management in Mari 4.1 and the updated UI/UX of Katana 3.0 driven by the new Hydra powered viewport. These developments and our fu- ture plans are key to ensuring that all artists are armed with the best creative tools in look development and lighting." FRAMESTORE PARTNERS WITH MAGIC LEAP FOR MIXED REALITY WORK FOUNDRY LAUNCHES KATANA 3.0 AND MARI 4.1