Frame Rates
WinMac RealViz has announced availability of ReTimer SD, a frame rate manipulation tool for artists working in Adobe Systems' After Effects. ReTimer allows users to slow down or speed up any video or image sequence of any resolution up to PAL and NTSC formats. Users can also obtain smooth slow motion from existing footage without the need for slow motion cameras by automatically creating new in-between frames. ReTimer SD works as a plug-in for After Effects or compatible products such as Discreet's Combustion or Apple's Final Cut Pro. The cost is $790.
RealViz;www.realviz.com
OS X Effects
Mac Final Effects Complete for Mac OS X, a set of more than 100 software plug-in filters and transitions that generate film-style special effects for film, video, animation, DVD, and CD-ROM content, is now being offered by Media 100. Final Effects is designed as a toolkit for users of Media 100, Avid, Apple, and Adobe nonlinear editing systems. Among the filters included are Mr. Mercury, Ripple Pulse, Light Burst, Particle Systems, Light Ray, and Burn Film. Final Effects Complete for Mac OS X is $795.
Media 100; www.media100.com
Multiple Effects
WinMac Forty new or improved effects highlight the latest version of Useful Things, Profound Effects' plug-in for Adobe Systems' After Effects. Among the new effects are video tools that render in an After Effects layer, self-animating lines, and a variety of transitional effects. Ease-of-use improvements include a keyword search function that helps users search among the 200-odd total effects.
Profound Effects; www.profoundeffects.com
Modeling and Animation
Nature and Skies
WinMac Dosch Design has released two products in its new HDRI (High Dynamic Range Images) line. Both Dosch HDRI: Nature and Dosch HDRI: Skies contain 56 images for use in 3D design and animation applications. These images contain detailed lighting information such as direct sunlight with defined shadows or a cloudy sky with diffuse light and "soft" shadows that will add realism to work produced in software such as NewTek's LightWave, Softimage|XSI, Alias|Wavefront's Maya, Pixar's RenderMan, and more. The products cost $169 each.
Dosch Design; www.doschdesign.com
Web
Flash Editor
Win The Linx Flash Editor from Wildform allows users to import, edit, and combine Flash SWF files, including animations and audio and visual files, without having extensive knowledge of Macromedia's Flash. Instead, the program's WSIWYG interface makes it possible to create various kinds of dynamic Flash content within Linx. Linx works in conjunction with Wildform's Flash video encoder, Flix, and with its Flash Text animator, SWfX. Linx costs $49.
Wildform; www.wildform.com
Asset Management
Softimage|XSI BatchServe Version 1.5 is a Web-based client/server system for users of Softimage|XSI. BatchServe supplies an easy-to-use graphical interface for the automation and management of processing and rendering jobs in Softimage|XSI. It allows users to remotely monitor the progress of processing or rendering projects, offering tracking of individual machines, previewing of rendered images, and estimations of total render times, as well as numerous other operations. The cost is $495 per client license or $15,000 per site license.
Softimage; www.softimage.com
MARCH
4-8
Game Developers Conference 2003, held in San Jose, CA. Contact: CMP Media;
www.gdconf.com
APRIL
5-10
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2003, held in Las Vegas. Contact: National Association of Broadcasters;
www.nab.org
MAY
13-16
Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3), held in Los Angeles. Contact: Electronic Entertainment Expo;
www.e3expo.com