Computer Graphics World

6 July 2009 Luxology Offers Modo 401 PRODUCT: MODELING The evolution of Modo took another leap recently as Luxology rolled out its latest 3D content creation software, Modo 401. With a focus on rendering and animation enhancements, Modo 401 delivers new features and workfl ows, which enable users to easily model on top of existing geometry, see changes in their scene immediately from the improved Preview renderer, and effi ciently re-use assets throughout the content creation process. These new features benefi t customers in an array of disciplines, such as architectural visualization, product design, game development, and adver- tising image production. Rendering enhancements include caustics, dispersion, blurry refraction, volumetric lighting, and Pixar-patented deep shadows. The new Instance Replicators allow dense amounts of surface detail, like welds, rivets, trees, and barnacles, to be rendered with trillion-polygon detail. Light linking and support for multiple environments provides precise control over how each part of a scene is individually lit. Modo 401 also supports stereoscopic rendering and will render on up to 32 cores across a network of 50 workstations. Animation improvements include inverse kinematics, dynam- ic parenting, channel constraints, and modifi ers. Modo's new animation capabilities facilitate the creation of sophisticated rigs in Modo 401 that can be driven with a few simple inputs. For example, a tank model can be rigged to track and turn accurately across undulating terrain while maintaining realistic tread and wheel movement. Pre-built animation assemblies provided with Modo 401 allow users to apply animation to their models automatically. Artist feedback during modeling and other operations is enriched with a deeply-threaded Preview renderer that boasts rapid updates and progressive rendering capability. Modo 401 boosts artist productivity by facilitating the re-use of assets throughout the content creation process. The offering ships with more than 1500 pre-built assets, including profi le curves, realistic surface fi nishes, fur presets, 3D props, vegetation, animated rigs, and professionally designed lighting environ- ments that illuminate a scene in two mouse clicks. Modo 401 boasts a number of other productivity enhancing improvements, as well as a new feature that enables a multi- tude of material appearances—from hair, bristles, and fur to water droplets, string, grass, and tinsel—for realistic product visualizations. (See www.cgw.com for a Modo 401 demon- stration video.) Modo 401 is available now for $995. Upgrades from any existing version of Modo remain at $395. Modo 401 runs on Mac and PC platforms, and is newly available for 64-bit Windows. PRODUCT: COMPOSITING Eyeon Software has made its Fusion 6.0 node-based compositing application available as an Open Release Candi- date. Optimized for the latest processing and graphics card technologies, Fusion 6 offers improved performance, along with a host of new features and capa- bilities, including full support for stereo- scopic content, Region of Interest/ Domain of Defi nition (RoI/DoD), inter- face refi nements, expanded 2D and 3D tool sets, and more. Signifi cant portions of the Fusion code have been re-written for the new generation of multi-core processors. A new GPU core for accelerated perfor- mance and GPU-based production- quality fl oating-point rendering has been added. The application also features a new color matrix tool, expanded spline- smoothing tools, and enhanced spline controls. Building on underlying GPU- optimization, Fusion 6 offers support for concatenated 3D LUTs and an all-new material system, which enables users to build their own custom shaders. Fusion 6 builds on the 3D capabilities of Version 5 with stereoscopic imaging tools, including camera controls for eye separation, convergence, and support for stereo display technologies, such as IZ3D and True3Di monitors, shutter glasses, and anaglyph production. The 3D environment tools now offer the ability to map refl ections and refractions using 3D cube and sphere mapping. Alongside the advanced 3D particle system from Version 5, the new version adds controllable 3D object fog. In terms of 2D, Version 6 includes a RoI/DoD system, allowing the artist to defi ne which parts of an image to render. It also offers RED fi le format support, including both 32-bit and 64- bit, and real-time .r3d proxy loading. Fusion 6 is resolution-independent and offers support for fi lm, HD, and video standards, making it suitable for fi nishing work as well as broadcast compositing. The image viewer has built-in histograms and color-correction tools, including color matching from reference plates and multi-point tracking and stabilizing. Fusion 6 costs between $2995 and $49995, depending on the number of licenses purchased. Eyeon Launches Fusion 6.0

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