Computer Graphics World

O N TH E C OVE R S E E IT I N When Bernie Frischer decided to share his love and appreciation of ancient Rome with the general public, little did he realize that the project would span decades. Now, he is nearly ready to unveil his huge, interactive 3D model, dubbed Rome Reborn 2. • Post's year-end issue takes a look at the year past and the year ahead. • Elliot Graham edits Gus Van Sant's Milk. • Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman directs his fi rst fi lm, Synecdoche, New York. Features History in the Making 16 A historically accurate digital re-creation of ancient Rome, built by scholars and CG technologists, broke new ground in terms of modeling, rendering, and data management, and the technological innovations will help further current urban modeling projects. By Karen Moltenbrey Production Style 26 Stu Maschwitz unites visual effects and postproduction/DI processes while orchestrating the comic-book aesthetic for The Spirit. By Barbara Robertson Angling for the Oscar 32 Many a moviegoer was entranced by movie excitement that unfolded on the big screen throughout the year. Stimulating visual effects put viewers on the edge of their seats, while CG animation made them laugh and cry. So, which ones are Oscar worthy? Industry experts offer their opinions. By Debra Kaufman Effi ciency Experts 40 Fathom Studios employs a conservative technological approach to creating its fi rst CG animated feature, Delgo, yet its story, characters, and aesthetic are anything but. By Karen Moltenbrey COVER STORY December 2008 • Volume 31 • Number 12 I n n o v a t i o n s i n v i s u a l c o m p u t i n g f o r t h e g l o b a l D C C c o m m u n i t y Departments Editor's Note Independent Minded 4 From start to fi nish, Fathom Studios in Atlanta broke the Hollywood mold for its newly released animated fi lm Delgo, taking a totally independent approach to fi lmmaking and distribution. Spotlight 6 Products Nvidia's D Series Quadro Plex. Dell's Precision M6400 and M6400 Covet. HP's EliteBook 8730w with DreamColor display. Adobe's Creative Suite 4. Lenovo's ThinkPad W700. News Intel offers details on Larrabee. User Focus Ansys fl uid simulation key to Speedo swimsuit design. Viewpoint 14 Unwrapping the process of texturing: How to get the least amount of distortion when working with 2D texture maps and 3D objects. Knowledge & Career 44 Easy, intuitive 3D animation tools offer fi lm students a quick and inexpensive way to previsualize their vision. Back Products 46 Recent software and hardware releases. 2 December 2008

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