Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/27779
Studio Update pmG has released MessiahStudio5, the latest version of its CG visual effects software enhanced with user-suggested improvements. The new Dynamic Render interactive renderer shows users fully rendered images of a scene as changes are made, whereas the new Sketch mode enables animators and directors to draw in 2D on top of each frame, draw correc- tions and guides for animation feedback, or rough out a motion in traditional cell style before animating in 3D. UV Bake Render enables users to render complex materials created in Messiah’s shader fl ow to a UV-based texture map and export to game engines or models for sale. MessiahStudio5 CG production soft- ware is available in two versions—Basic, priced at $499, and Professional, priced at $1199—which come complete with effects, animation, rendering, and a soft- ware development kit (SDK). pmG Worldwide LLC; www.projectmessiah.com WIN MAC CG Combo Tweak Software and The Foundry have announced the integration of the compa- nies’ RV and Nuke software tools. The integrated RV/Nuke package adds high- performance RV playback to the Nuke node- based compositor and enables a seam- less visual effects workfl ow. The RV/Nuke package developed by Tweak Software with support from The Foundry creates an integrated workfl ow that provides artists tools to play back, organize, compare, and track the history of their work in Nuke. Tweak Software’s RV image and sequence viewer communicates with Nuke over a live connection to enable seamless interopera- tion. The RV/Nuke package is available as a no-cost download to current users of Nuke and RV. Tweak Software; www.tweaksoftware.com The Foundry; www.thefoundry.co.uk WIN RENDERING V-Ray Max Chaos Group has released its V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max rendering solution, which 48 March 2011 includes the V-Ray RT interactive render- ing system and V-Ray RT GPU, to meet the growing demand for 3D stereoscopic content. V-Ray 2.0 boasts new features and improvements designed to enable faster feedback and fi nal results. Version 2.0 adds native stereoscopic support, as well as support for light dispersion. Added utilities include: VRayLensEffects for producing glow and glare with support for obstacle images and diffraction, VRay- CarPaintMtl material with accurate fl ake simulation, VRayLightSelect to extract the contribution of individual lights, VRay- StereoRig for easy stereoscopic setup, VRayLensAnalysis for realistic distortion patterns for V-Ray Physical Cameras, VRayDistanceTex for a range of effects based on the distance between objects in the scene, and VRayMultiSubTex to assign different textures based on object ID. V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max is now available. Chaos Group; www.chaosgroup.com WIN VIDEO 3D Footage Artbeats announces its burgeoning Stereo- scopic 3D (S3D) stock footage library to meet the growing demand for 3D elements for television and fi lm. Current offerings include a variety of nature shots, plus the fi rst S3D aerial stock footage available to the royalty-free market. New 3D content will VIDEO Quick Check DSC Labs, a developer of products for image quality improvement, introduc- es Hawk Quick Check Chart (QCC), designed by senior video and broadcast engineer Gary Hawkins. Hawk QCC provides a simple way to match cameras on location. For a single- or multi-camera shoot, the Hawk QCC records critical information from an original scene setup using a primary chart; it then provides data for camera evaluation and scene matching. Hawk QCC measures 11x9.5 inches and features white patches for white balancing; gamma at 18 percent gray for accurate iris or lighting adjust- ment; black patches for scene black and fl are checking; fl esh tones for checking consistency of fl esh tones; and mid-gray strip top and bottom to monitor evenness of lighting. The new Hawk QCC is now available for $130. DSC Labs; www.dsclabs.com be added monthly, including pyrotechnic, city scene, establishment, winter scene, and additional aerial collections. Artbeats used Pictorvision’s gyrostabilized eclipse 3D aerial rig and two RED MX cameras with Optimo 17-80mm lenses to capture aerials of downtown Los Angeles, Holly- wood, Santa Monica, Long Beach, and the shores of Catalina. Artbeats’ 3D equip- ment will expand to include RED Epic cameras and a beamsplitter rig. Artbeats’ S3D stock footage is offered as Quicktime movie fi les with formats that include HD stereo pairs, separate HD right and left views, and 4K versions. Artbeats provides metadata specifi c to each S3D clip, an S3D Video Guide, and a free download- able full-HD-resolution S3D clip. Royalty- free pricing for S3D HD footage is $449 to $799 per clip. Artbeats FootageHub rights-managed S3D HD clips range in price from $499 to $1999. Artbeats; www.artbeats.com/S3D HARDWARE