Computer Graphics World

WIN VFX BCC 6 AVX Boris FX, a developer of integrated effects technology for video and film, has introduced Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX (BCC 6 AVX). Based on Avid's AVX 2 plug-in archi- tecture, BCC 6 AVX provides nearly 200 plug-in filters for use with Avid editing and finishing systems. The new release includes 15 new effects that range from realistic 3D vector-graphics extrusions to painting and image restoration, such as Extruded Text, Extruded EPS, Layer Deformer, Cartoon Look, Lightning, and Swish Pan. Each filter is either OpenGL-based or multiprocessor- accelerated for fast rendering speeds on modern computing and graphics platforms. New workflow enhancements include the ability to animate BCC filters in Adobe After Effects and transfer the animation to the Avid timeline while preserving After Effects keyframes. BCC 6 AVX also sports hundreds of factory-installed animated presets, saved in industry-standard XML format and able to be edited with XML-compliant text editors. Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX supports Avid Media Composer, Avid NewsCutter, and Avid Symphony, and is now available for $1995. Owners of previous versions of Boris Continuum Complete AVX can upgrade for $599. A 14-day trial version is available for free download from the compa- ny's Web site. Boris FX; www.borisfx.com Video Buying Stock Safe Harbor Computers has announced the Electric Crayon Studio stock footage collection by Patrik Beck. Initial offerings in the collection include more than 50 high- quality, rights-managed animations in SD and HD NTSC formats. Among the scenes currently available are planetary flyovers, fast- moving cloud formations, rotating globes made from a variety of materials, rippling flags, the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, and ticking clocks. Visitors to the Safe Harbor Web site can preview Flash versions of each animation file in its entirety before buying. The HD stock-footage clips are rendered at 1920x1080 theatrical resolution and are priced at $450 for in-house use and $650 for advertising use. SD clips are scaled or cropped to 720x486 from the original 1920x1080 size and cost $190. The anima- tions range in length from 60 frames to 1200 frames, and many are seamless loops. All animations are available for download within one business day of purchase. Safe Harbor Computers; www.sharbor.com AnimAtion Studio 5 Toon Boom Animation has released Toon Boom Studio 5, rebranded as multi-tech- nique animation software for learning and creating animation. Studio 5 enables users to become familiar with and to combine the main styles of animation, including stop-motion, traditional, digital, cut-out, and rotoscoping. Well suited to hobbyists, educators, and students, Version 5 boasts a simplified user interface, a new stop-motion animation capability, time-lapse imagery, and live view/image capture. Additional features include onion skinning, rotoscop- ing, optimized image playback, annotation layers for feedback, and new import and export options. Toon Boom Studio for Mac OS X on G5 and Intel-based systems and for Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Tablet PC (32 bit) platforms is now available for $400. Toon Boom Animation also offers the Stop-Motion Animation Workout, available electronically, priced at $27, and providing step-by-step instruc- tions on how to create a stop-animation short from start to finish. Toon Boom Animation; www.toonboom.com Plug-ins Accelerating Software Nvidia has revealed that its full line of Quadro GPUs are optimized to enable GPU-acceleration across the entire family of Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4) applica- tions, including Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Flash, and Photoshop. Nvidia has also announced the availability of GPU- accelerated software plug-ins for Adobe CS4 that are optimized to run on Nvidia Quadro graphics solutions. Nvidia is offering discounts of up to 50 percent on plug-ins that enable users to harness the power of the Quadro GPU and achieve time savings over conventional CPU-only solutions when creating 3D visual and lighting effects. Among the plug-ins offered is the Nvidia CUDA architecture-based Elemental Accel- erator 2.0 for Windows from Elemental Technologies. The plug-in leverages the CUDA parallel computing architecture, and offloads video encoding to the Quadro GPU. Nvidia is offering discounts on plug- ins from Elemental Technologies, Boris FX, Red Giant Software, and proDAD when purchased via the company's Web site at Nvidia.com. Nvidia; www.nvidia.com August 2009, Volume 32, Number 8: COMPUTER GRAPHICS WORLD (USPS 665-250) (ISSN-0271-4159) is published monthly (12 issues) by COP Communications, Inc. Corporate offices: 620 West Elk Avenue, Glendale, CA 91204, Tel: 818-291-1100; FAX: 818-291-1190; Web Address: info@copprints.com. 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