Primatte Chromakey Update
Win | Mac
Digital Anarchy presents Primatte Chromakey 3.0 for Photoshop, a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Primatte removes bluescreen and greenscreen backgrounds from both still images and footage. The result is the subject against a transparent background, with details—such as wisps of hair, translucent materials, and mesh fabrics—preserved. Features new to Version 3.0 include one-click auto-mask functionality, batch processing, improved blending between subject and backdrop, an enhanced user interface, and support for Intel Macs and Photoshop CS3. Primatte Chromakey 3.0 is priced at $299. Upgrade pricing is available. Primatte 3.0 supports Mac OS X and Windows 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, and Vista 32-bit systems.
CAD
nPower ProEtoMax
Win Power ProEtoMax, nPower Software’s latest Power Translators plug-in, enables the native translation of Pro/Engineer model and assembly files directly in Autodesk’s 3ds Max and Viz. Power ProEtoMax users can visualize, animate, and render native Pro/E CAD models within the 3ds Max platform, without any intermediate formats or loss of precision. The native Pro/E translator employs IntegrityWare’s precise geometric representation to generate renderings free of cracks and polygonal artifacts. Designed to accommodate large data sets, Power ProEtoMax provides tools for cleaning, preparing, and rendering imported Pro/E data, as well as control over tessellation quality via detail, maximum edge length, and arc length settings.
Power ProEtoMax imports CAD data, automatically sews disconnected surfaces, includes memory management tools, and provides editing options, such as flip face normals, trim and un-trim, project curves, sew faces, apply materials to faces, and snap to imported NURBS surfaces and solids, edges, faces, vertices, edge midpoint, and end points. Power ProEtoMax is priced at $2495. A free 30-day evaluation copy is available.
V8 Under the Hood
Win | Linux Bricscad V8 is a revamped version of DWG-compatible CAD software from Bricsys. The redesigned graphical user interface sports a new Drawing Explorer and Properties Bar, for more intuitive management of Bricscad DWG files. The Bricscad kernel has been rewritten from the ground up, providing a foundation for continued and rapid development. Development environments have been reworked and expanded, while a new Settings Manager provides an overview of system variables and settings. Additional features include a new LISP engine, extended raster image support, and compatibility with the native DWG 2007 file format and LISP, SDS, COM, and ObjectARX code. Bricscad V8 is offered in Classic and Pro versions; the latter adds Microsoft’s VBA environment and full ACIS modeling. The Bricscad V8 All-In package offered with Bricscad Classic and Bricscad Pro includes a Bricscad V8 license, one year of professional mail support, and a free upgrade to the next major version. Bricscad V8 can be downloaded from the Bricsys Web site for a 30-day evaluation period.
Bricsys;
www.bricsys.com
AcceliCAD 2008 V2
Win Autodsys has released AcceliCAD 2008 V2, a CAD software solution offering compatibility with AutoCAD 2008 DWG file formats. The original 2008 edition has been expanded to include: a batch-plotting interface for plotting multiple drawings and layouts in a single step, a systems variable editor with tool tips and help strings, EATTEDIT command for editing attributes, BBLOCK command for enhanced block creation, and a toolbar pull-down menu. Based on IntelliCAD software, AcceliCAD offers support for industry-standard commands, menu files, script files, shape files, fonts, hatch patterns, linetypes, and LISP, SDS/C++, and VBA programs. AcceliCAD 2008 V2 is now available at a cost of $375.
SIMULATION
Ansys Airpak 3.0
Win | Linux Ansys released Version 3.0 of its Ansys Airpak airflow modeling software, with enhancements to productivity, meshing technology, and realism. This latest version boasts a new user interface featuring a model manager, advanced object wizards, alignment tools, and four simultaneous views.
Airpak 3.0 delivers mixed meshing capability with mixed tetrahedral and hexahedral meshes, advanced meshing algorithms, and an automated hex-dominant mesher with triangular, tetrahedral, and pyramidal cells. An embedded optimization module, gradient-based optimization algorithm, and user-defined postprocessing functions combine to speed the design process. For the production of realistic scenes, users are able to visualize models with textured surfaces, set various degrees of transparency to surfaces, and apply lighting to models. Ansys Airpak 3.0 is available now.
VISUAL EFFECTS
GridIron Nucleo Pro 2
Win | Mac GridIron Software’s Nucleo Pro 2 helps visual effects artists using Adobe After Effects optimize their workflow. The latest version of the productivity tool harnesses the power of multiprocessor and multicore computers, and enhances workflows with its Spec Preview, Spec Render, Commit to Disk, and Background Render utilities. Nucleo Pro 2 supports 3D rendering applications via its Background Render Queue and Pre-Composition Proxies, enabling motion graphics artists to manage After Effects and 3D renders simultaneously. Among the 3D rendering applications supported are: Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, Maxon Cinema 4D, NewTek LightWave, Softimage XSI, and Apple Shake. Nucleo Pro 2, priced at $395, supports all versions of Adobe After Effects and After Effects CS3 Professional. Nucleo Pro 1 customers can upgrade to Nucleo Pro 2 for $99, whereas Nucleo users can upgrade for $350.
BCC 5.0 for AE
Win | Mac Boris FX is now shipping Boris Continuum Complete (BCC) 5.0 for AE, a suite of more than 180 filters for use with Adobe’s Creative Suite 3.0. BCC 5.0 for AE boasts custom on-screen controls and several new filters. Optical Flow, Open GL rendering, Film Process, Motion Key, and Optical Stabilization extend the feature set in Creative Suite 3.0, whereas BCC UpRez resizes image clips with minimal data loss, enabling high-quality SD-to-HD conversions. BCC Pan and Zoom lends to the “Ken Burns” effect, providing precise image scaling and re-sampling. BCC Damaged TV mimics a CRT-style television with a weak antenna signal, delivering gun offset, distorted edges, image roll, noise, scan lines, and interference lines. BCC MatchMove, BCC LED, BCC Prism, BCC Turbulence, BCC Noise Map 2, BCC Color Choker, and BCC Scan Lines round out the new offering.
BCC 5.0 for AE supports Adobe Creative Suite 3.0, Autodesk Combustion, and Eyeon Digital Fusion. BCC 5.0 for AE is now available for $895 to new users, and $299 as an upgrade. Users upgrading to BCC 5.0 for AE and BCC 5.0 for FxPlug can do so for $495.
FxPack Expansion
Mac Noise Industries, and its partners CoreMelt and SugarFx, debuted FxFactory Expansion FxPacks for Apple Final Cut Studio 2. Developed using Noise Industries’ FxFactory Pro plug-in manager, the new FxPacks provide eye-catching audio visualizations and professional templates for creating broadcast effects. The CoreMelt FxPack VeeYou is a collection of four plug-ins used to create graphic elements that automatically sync with the audio. The solution helps users produce Volume Unit level and EQ animations based on the audio in a Final Cut Studio project. The SugarFx Expansion FxPack, Portfolio, assists Apple Final Cut Pro and Motion users in the development of professional broadcast effects, such as opens, bumpers, and lower thirds. Now available, CoreMelt VeeYou is free and SugarFx Portfolio is priced at $59.
Noise Industries;
www.noiseindustries.com