SOFTWARE
Visual Programming
New Fabric
Fabric Softwarehas released Fabric Engine 2.1 with numerous Canvas presets, samples, and UI improvements aimed at making the development framework even easier to use. Highlights of the release include: Canvas presets that focus on geometry attributes, Canvas presets for Alembic, and DFGBindings for treating Canvas graphs as objects.
www.fabricengine.cm
Digital Content Creation
New Pricing
Maxon has announced the immediate availability of short-term licenses for its flagship software application, Cinema 4D Studio. These licenses are valid for three months ($600) or six months ($1,100) and are available as single-workstation or floating multi-licenses. Plug-ins that require the use of serial numbers can also be used with the short-term licenses. Perpetual licenses for Cinema 4D Studio and all other packages (Visualize, Broadcast, and Prime) as well as BodyPaint 3D will continue to be available.
www.maxon.net
Gaming Middleware
Sweet Set of 3D Tools
Marmalade Technologies has unveiled its Marmalade 3D with an all-new 3D editor and next-generation graphics architecture. Marmalade 3D Kit brings together a suite of tools and middleware to simplify the creation of 3D games, allowing users to export models from Maya, 3ds Max, or any modeling tool with FBX or Collada support into resources that can be directly used in Marmalade projects. The editor allows users to easily import 3D models and then lay out scenes rapidly with the help of controls. Once users are happy with their layout, they can simply export them in Marmalade format for direct inclusion into a project. Also new to Marmalade 3D Kit is the company’s next-generation graphics architecture, built to take full advantage of leading industry technologies. Marmalade 3D Kit is available now as part of the latest Marmalade Platform release, with the editor and next-generation graphics architecture debuting later this year.
www.madewith-marmalade.com
Postproduction
Tracking Made Easy
VR3, a company specializing in virtual studio and greenscreen studio technologies, has developed a new workflow and tools for recording data in a greenscreen production. Track2go records camera data and prepares it for postproduction, while giving an on-set impression of the final output. All tracking data is automatically synchronized and recorded with the video signals. Track2go records all camera parameters, which are captured by a real-time camera tracking system, in parallel to the video signals. At the end of production, the camera movements can be exported to FBX format. In postproduction, this data can be used to drive virtual cameras in 3D or compositing software, and can be used to add or change elements in the scene, after studio production. VR3’s real-time capability can be used for previsualization on-site.
www.vr3.de
Lighting
Illuminating Concept
The Nvidia Iray for Maya plug-in is now available as an annual subscription for $295 or a free 90-day trial, allowing users to experience physically based Iray rendering for scene lighting and design. With the plug-in, artists can take advantage of interactive, intuitive control throughout the entire look-development process using native Maya controls. Also available is the Nvidia vMaterials Catalog, a collection of curated and verified physically based materials, built with Nvidia Material Definition Language. All vMaterials can be shared with other MDL-compatible tools to save time within an easy-to-use workflow.
www.nvidia.com
HARDWARE
Cloud Computing
Power On-demand
Frame, provider of the Frame cloud service that lets users run any software in a browser, introduces its new system, Pro 64GB, that can run performance--demanding applications in the cloud. Frame Pro 64GB is optimized for modern, multi-core simulation and rendering applications. It packs two Intel Xeon CPUs, four Nvidia Grid GPUs, 64gb of memory, and an SSD flash drive in a cloud-based system that users can access on demand for under $4 per hour.
www.fra.me