Computer Graphics World

Eyeon Forms SWAT Teams PRODUCT: TRAINING Eyeon Software, maker of the Fusion compositing appli- cation, introduced its new SWAT certifi cation program to ensure that new and established VFX artists receive the training and support they need to realize their full creative potential. With the new SoftWare Artist Training (SWAT) umbrel- la program, the company has expanded its international network of trainers, colleges, online resources, and in-house product support personnel to ensure that every Eyeon artist is up-to-speed on the latest versions of Fusion, Generation, Rotation, and Vision. Eyeon will deploy trainers to assist new customers on- site to ensure that their artists are able to transition seam- lessly to the new software. In addition, the SWAT umbrella consolidates all the available training options for Eyeon applications through Eyeon's VFXPedia.com resource Web site. Training partners on track to become SWAT-certifi ed include Class-on-Demand, cmiVFX, Digital Tutors, NADS, NYU, Seneca College, Sheridan College, and others. "Innovation is no longer just about the technology; it's about knowledge of the tools," says Joanne Dicaire, direc- tor of business development and marketing at Eyeon. "Seasoned veterans don't want to feel like beginners when they move to a new application. Shake artists, for example, have done some of the best VFX work in the world, and when they move to Fusion, we want them to produce work that refl ects their true abilities right away." The SWAT program goes beyond the compositor's work. With Eyeon's new Generation products, facilities now have a means to visualize and manage their whole pipeline with a degree of ease not previously available. 4 June 2009 During the past several weeks, a number of companies introduced major new hardware and software products at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show. We have highlighted some of those here in the Spotlight and Products (pg. 47) sections. Additional product and company news from these conferences can be found online at www.cgw.com. New Quadro FX Offerings PRODUCT: GRAPHICS CARDS Nvidia recently introduced its most advanced top-to-bottom line of Quadro professional GPU solutions in the company's history, including the fl agship Quadro FX 5800. Spanning from sub-$100 entry-level to stand-alone visual computing systems, this series includes: the 4 GB, ultra high- end Quadro FX 5800 ($3499) and FX 4800 ($1999); the FX 3800 ($1199) at the high end; the mid-range FX 1800 ($699); the entry-level FX 580 ($199) and FX 380 ($149), and the NVS 295 ($159) business solution. The Quadro cards are available through system manufacturers such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo, and Nvidia channel partners. Separately, Nvidia introduced its SLI Multi-OS, which allows users and visualization applications, for the fi rst time, to take full advantage of multiple Nvidia Quadro GPUs from a single graphics workstation in a virtualized environment. Built into the new Quadro FX 3800, 4800, and 5800, SLI Multi-OS allows users to tap into the advanced visu- alization and compute capabilities of the Quadro GPUs for full graphics performance within a virtualized system. SLI Multi-OS works with Parallels Workstation Extreme's virtualization software and Intel's VT-d technology, assign- ing both the host and the guest virtual machine their own dedicated GPU. Available in the new HP Z800 workstation, these tech- nologies deliver application performance nearly identical to systems confi gured with a dedicated OS and GPU. The SLI Multi-OS supports selected combinations of Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Linux operating systems. PRODUCT: COMPOSITING The Foundry Unveils Nuke 5.2 The Foundry announced an upgrade version of its Nuke compos- iting software. Nuke 5.2 features new pre-comp tools that facili- tate collaborative workfl ow, Python UI improvements, metadata support, and the ability to register multiple Viewer Process Gizmos for user-defi ned viewer LUT processing, including new support for 3D LUTs and OpenGL GLSL shaders. Additionally, Nuke 5.2 enables video monitor output through Blackmagic and AJA Kona and Xena devices, and introduces a RED R3D Redcode format reader that brings the full range of picture information into a full 32-bit fl oat-processing envi- ronment. Nuke 5.2 is priced at $3500.

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