14 July 2003
Reported, written and edited by David Duberman
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Xara
Online, a provider of Web page add-ons, last week released File Protect, a
utility that enables non-technical Webmasters or site owners to add
password-protected file download to a Website.
The
Web-based management of protected files and username/password lists requires no
server installation, and works with all Web browsers. Unless a valid username
and password is entered site visitors cannot access or download files. File
Protect can be used to protect any file type, e.g., Web pages, photos, music,
PDF or Word documents. The protected files are served from Xara servers, saving
the bandwidth costs. An optional free Excel utility allows editing of the
username list directly from the desktop.
http://www.xaraonline.com/home/applications/fileprotect_home.htm
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New from
Winferno Software, a developer of Web browser security software, is Secure IE
2003. The new version provides additional Web browsing security features as
well as productivity tools.
New
features are designed to let users surf without the need to regularly fiddle
with security settings on their computer. While the Automatic Security Tune-Up
automatically sets levels for different security zones, other new features are
said to add protection against potentially dangerous or malicious programs.
These features include automatic cookie authentication for downloading files;
upgraded automatic detection of viruses and configuration with virus scanning
software; and smarter handling of JavaScript-based, browser window sizing.
Users can block or accept pop-ups, ActiveX and JavaScript programs with the
click of a button on the toolbar.
Secure IE
2003 also features a new capability that allows for the creation of address bar
shortcuts. This feature provides direct access to search engines and Web
services via Secure IE's address bar. For example, typing: "go
travel" in Secure IE's address bar will start a search for the phrase
"travel" using Google. Similarly, "mo Clint Eastwood" will
begin a search in the Internet Movie Database for movies featuring Clint
Eastwood. Users can customize this feature to search for information by
creating up to 1000 of their own shortcuts to their favorite sites.
New
productivity features let users mark up Web pages with sticky notes; highlight
text; save complete Web pages, including HTTPS pages, as single files; tabbed
browsing; and the ability to create workspaces/browsing sessions.
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Turbo
Squid last week released Kaldera, from Mankua, as the latest offering in the
Discreet Certified 3ds max Plug-in program.
The 3ds
max plug-in lets users render full-scene information into texture maps based on
an object's appearance and relationship between itself and other objects in the
scene. These texture maps are then "baked" into the object; that is,
they become part of the object via mapping, and can be used to display the
textured object rapidly on Direct3D devices such as graphics display cards or
game engines.
Features
include:
http://www.turbosquid.com/dcpstore
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Coming in
August from Montreal-based Kaydara Inc. is Motionbuilder 5 ($995 USD), a new
version of the company's real-time 3D character-animation software. Aimed at
feature film, series broadcast, television commercial, FX, game and interactive
3D artists, the software promises a real-time photorealistic rendering engine
and "smart" character technology (HumanIK).
New
features include:
A $3,495
USD Professional Edition version will add support for advanced
motion-capture-editing tools, a software development kit (SDK), integration
with asset-management systems, and customer support and product development.
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Coming
next month from Adobe Systems is After Effects 6.0 for Windows and Mac OS X, an
upgrade of its motion-graphics and visual-effects software. The new release
integrates a new text engine for creating typographic animations, adds OpenGL
support and other performance improvements, as well as integrated vector paint,
a new motion tracker, keying tools and scripting support.
The new
text capabilities let users type, edit and format text directly in the
Composition window, providing immediate results. Users can edit and format text
from imported Photoshop files and can animate characters, ranges of characters,
words, or lines independently within a single text layer.
Performance
optimizations including support for OpenGL, a cross-platform standard for
accelerating rendering of 2D and 3D graphics, are said to improve the speed and
interactivity of on-screen rendering. In addition to improved multiprocessor
support and rendering optimizations, After Effects 6.0 Professional edition
provides a motion tracker. New vector-paint tools, based on Photoshop
technology, let users paint on a layer, retouching footage and creating mattes.
The Clone Stamp tool lets users clone across a sequence of frames over time.
Pro edition also includes Keylight, keying technology from The Foundry.
Professional
edition combines 2D and 3D compositing, animation and effects tools from the
Standard edition with features such as motion tracking and stabilization controls;
additional keying tools; over 30 additional effects; and render automation
using scripting and 16-bit per channel color support. Pro edition also includes
third party plug-ins such as 3D Assistants Lite from Digital Anarchy and
Zaxwerks Invigorator Classic.
http://www.adobe/com/aftereffects
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New from
Discreet is cleaner XL Service Pack (SP) 1, available for download. The update
to the media mastering, encoding and streaming software offers refined
parameter control, high-definition MPEG Windows Media 9 presets, and support
for MPEG sizes and rates.
http://www.discreet.com/support/cleanerxl/
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Informative
Graphics Corp. (IGC), a manufacturer of visualization and Web-collaboration
technology, and 3D Compression Technologies Inc. (3DCT), a company providing
component technology for 3D-data compression, last week released the $99
ModelPress Web Export plug-in for Rhino, to be distributed and supported by
3DCT. The plug-in adds a menu option inside the Rhino application to publish
Rhino models to ModelPress' ISF file format. The ISF format is readable by
IGC's free ModelPress Viewer, enabling non-Rhino users to have visual access to
the published and rights-protected model designs.
The
ModelPress 3D Publishing and Viewing system is designed to simplify the
distribution of 3D CAD models to make them more commonplace in downstream
business applications. The published Rhino model can be emailed or, optionally,
published as an HTML page that can be linked to any existing Web site.
Digital rights
that can be applied to the published Rhino model include on-screen copyright
banners, predetermined date expiration, and password protection. The exporter
also supports disable/enable for specific visualization features, such as the
ability to measure or perform cutaways. Using the ModelPress Export for Rhino
Plug-In, the publisher can control what is distributed and viewed without
exposing the intellectual design data contained in the native Rhino model file.
Download a
free trial version at http://www.3dcompress.com/Web/Products/ModelPress-RhinoPlugin.htm.
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Digital
ArtForms, Inc. will show its new modeling tool, InDex, at Siggraph 2003 in San
Diego. InDex, said to be the world's first commercial immersive modeling
system, tracks the user's hands rather than using a mouse and keyboard,
reportedly letting designers reach into space to shape their objects and
position themselves in their 3D scenes.
For a
preview of InDex download the Web movie at http://www.digitalartforms.com/transfer/index/IndexLarge.wmv.
(30MB Windows Media).
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DDD Group
plc and SGI say they'll work together to deliver 3D "glasses-free"
display solutions that complement Silicon Graphics visualization systems to SGI
end users and independent software vendors.
The
solutions will be based on DDD's TriDef Visualizer software, which simplifies
the integration of 3D LCD and plasma displays with existing OpenGL software
applications. The 3D display solutions will be aimed at end users in SGI's five
main markets: manufacturing, life sciences, energy, government and defense, and
media.
TriDef
Visualizer enables an OpenGL app to deliver output suitable for presentation on
a 3D display without the need to change the application code.
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Actuality
Systems, Inc., a developer of spatial 3D visualization technology, has been
granted key patents on its spatial 3D technology in both the U.S. and in
Taiwan.
The
patents (U.S. Patent No. 6,554,430 / Taiwan Letters Patent No. 162199) broadly
describe a volumetric three-dimensional display system and specifically cover
unique optics for Actuality's Perspecta Display. The patents teach the use of a
rotating projection lens for spatial 3D imagery that can be used for a variety
of applications.
"The
key to getting high image quality is making sure that each two-dimensional
slice of the composite 3D image is in crisp focus," said Gregg Favalora,
the company's founder and chief technical officer. "With this technology,
we've achieved exceptional clarity by using an image projection system with a
rotating lens. The design allows us to tightly fold the system's optical path,
providing a spatial 3D visualization product that is compact enough to use on a
desktop or in confined spaces. This particularly addresses the needs of users
in medical and military applications."
The
Perspecta Spatial 3D System consists of a 360-degree Perspecta Display with
Perspecta platform software, a driver for the OpenGL interface, and the firm's
proprietary Spatial Rendering Kernel. An SDK is available to members of the
firm's Developer Program. The system lets users render high-resolution spatial
images that can be viewed from any angle as the user moves around the display.
The display itself illuminates 100 million volume pixels, or
"voxels," within a 20-inch transparent dome.
Both new
patents are available for licensing.
http://www.actuality-systems.com
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Discreet
says it will sponsor and teach 3ds max and combustion advanced training
sessions in partnership with Oregon 3D during Siggraph 2003. The series will
run from Monday, July 28 to Wednesday, July 30 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
in San Diego.
Artist
Gary M. Davis will instruct courses on Discreet combustion software, used for
desktop visual effects, paint, color correction and compositing with integrated
workflow for 3ds max.
Courses
range from $99 for one course to $599 for the complete series (when registered
before July 11th 2003).
Course
topics include:
http://www.oregon3d.com/siggraph2003/
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Side
Effects Software, developer of Houdini 3D software, will hold a job fair for 3D
artists in conjunction with the Houdini Annual Meeting at Siggraph 2003. The
meeting will take place from 2-5 PM; the job fair and reception will
immediately follow from 5-7 PM in the San Diego Symphony's Copley Symphony Hall
at 7th and B Street in downtown San Diego. Attendees will be invited to meet
representatives from animation and effects schools and facilities including
C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, Digital Domain, Rhythm & Hues and Sony Pictures
Imageworks. Recruiting companies will be accepting materials on site, so
artists should bring their reels.
Register
at http://www.sidefx.com.
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Scheduled
for release in December 2003 from Electronic Arts is The Sims Bustin' Out for
Game Boy Advance. Currently in development at the company's Walnut Creek-based
Maxis studio, the title will let players create a Sim with a unique appearance
and personality to control through out the game. Players will also have to
satisfy the traditional eight core Sim motives including bladder, comfort,
hygiene, and hunger.
Players
begin living in a barn and earn their way through locations in SimValley to
eventually live in cool cribs, such as a mansion on the hill. Players will be
able to unlock over 20 locations such as the Biker Juice Bar and the Ultimate
Dance Club. There are eight new career paths for players to pursue including
Cliff Diving Instructor to Iron Pizza Chef. Players will be able to unlock a
scooter to race around SimValley. Players will meet and play with a cast of
over 30 new GBA-exclusive characters to the Game Boy Advance such as Salty Sam
and Bucky the Bull Rider. Players also can go to the pet shelter and adopt a
dog or cat. New to the Sims is a close-up social interaction screen that will
allow players to have conversations with other Sims and establish friendships
that will help them advance through levels and complete goals.
Unlike
previous The Sims games, players will not purchase items from a catalog, but
instead collect over 150 GBA-exclusive objects such as a punching bag, fishing
rod, and boom box. players obtain objects by attending auctions, going to
stores, or by trading with other characters. Players can trade rare objects by
joining in each other's once-a-day auctions if connected to another Game Boy
Advance with The Sims Bustin' Out.
The Sims
Bustin' Out Game Boy Advance version will support connectivity with The Sims
Bustin' Out Nintendo GameCube version. When connected, Game Boy Advance players
will unlock a special hidden level for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo
GameCube players will unlock a hidden game cabinet that will give their Sims
access to mini-games that they can play on their Game Boy Advance to earn extra
Simoleons. Players will also be able to download and play their Nintendo
GameCube Sim in the Game Boy Advance world and obtain Simoleons, motives, and
skills to bring back with them to the Nintendo GameCube version, enabling
players to take their Nintendo GameCube Sim with them anywhere.
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Just out
from Blizzard Entertainment is Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, which provides
gamers with a new chapter in the Warcraft saga. In the single-player campaign,
players revisit the war-torn world of Azeroth. Several months have passed since
Archimonde and the Burning Legion were defeated at the battle of Mount Hyjal,
yet a new threat has arisen.
The evil
Lich King Ner'zhul has been imprisoned inside the Icecrown glacier, deep within
the arctic continent of Northrend. Also, both the Night Elf renegade, Illidan,
and the traitorous Death Knight, Arthas, seek the Icecrown glacier and the
mysterious powers found inside. To save Azeroth from the forces of darkness,
players traverse uncharted lands and battle new enemies while uncovering the
schemes of these nefarious beings.
Features
include:
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id
Software and Activision recently released the second of three unlockable maps
for Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War. Titled Safe, the new
multiplayer level, developed by Nerve Software, is unlockable via download
through Xbox Live.
In Safe,
Allied players must work together to blow open a locked safe at the heart of a
bombed-out Axis stronghold, secure the secret Axis documents and escape, and
then escape to awaiting getaway truck. Lying in wait, the Axis team must mount
a fortified defense against the Allied tactics to prevent them from completing
their essential objective. Safe can also be played in Elimination, and
Stopwatch multiplayer game modes.
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Harry Potter
fans will be able to experience Harry's first year at Hogwarts with
next-generation graphics and updated gameplay in the Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone game from Electronic Arts. EA's UK Studio, the team behind the
original Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets games, which together have
sold over 20 million copies worldwide, joins Warthog Games in developing the
title for PlayStation2, Xbox, and GameCube. The game is scheduled for release
in the fall of 2003 under the EA Games brand.
The graphics
and gameplay for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, previously available
for PlayStation, PC, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Color, are updated with 3D
graphics.
Players
take the role of Harry Potter as he arrives for his first year at Hogwarts and
embarks on a journey to unravel the mystery of the Sorcerer's Stone. The
adventure includes encounters with characters Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger,
Rubeus Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore, and his nemesis Draco Malfoy.
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Summitsoft
Corporation says its new title, Endless Ages (from Avaria), is the first
massively multiplayer online game to offer no invisible load walls and
virtually zero lag. Endless Ages is also the first game of this type to add
player vs. player arenas popular among first person shooter fanatics.
In the
"seamlessly connected online first person shooter roleplaying game,"
characters gain experience per hit, not by kill, and can practice the arcane
arts of mind control and shapeshifting in addition to piloting, magery,
engineering, weapon tech, bartending, and others. The game also features:
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IDG World
Expo says this week's Macworld CreativePro Conference & Expo will serve as
the launching pad for innovative new products designed for the creative
community. Taking place July 14-18, 2003 at New York City's Javits Center, the
event will feature new products such as:
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- David Duberman
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©Copyright 2003 Motion Blur Media. All rights reserved. No reproduction in any for-profit or revenue-generating venue in any form without written permission from the publisher.