Curious Labs, developers of 3D character and design tools Poser and Poser Pro Pack, has signed an agreement with Adobe Systems where the two companies have agreed to work together on technology, content and marketing activities for Adobe Atmosphere software and Curious Labs' avatar-creation tools. Atmosphere world builders will have an easy system for building custom avatars. Additionally, both Adobe and Curious Labs incorporate Viewpoint technology, resulting in smooth skinned, bending 3D characters from Poser Pro Pack that can be used as avatars in Atmosphere 3D worlds.

Exluna, a new start-up dedicated to developing affordable 3D tools, is releasing Entropy, an advanced 3D rendering product. Entropy is the first offering of Exluna's "Look Development" tools and technologies, which allow digital artists to manipulate the appearance of 3D objects, using shading, lighting, painting and rendering techniques. Entropy will be unveiled at SIGGRAPH 2001 in Los Angeles on August 14-16, along with a first look at Exluna's bridge product for Discreet's 3ds max and 3D Studio VIZ scheduled for release this fall. Entropy will sell for US$1,500.

The Art Institutes - Journey Education Marketing National Animation Competition is sending first prizewinner 21-year-old Cody Pierson of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh on an all-expense paid trip to the SIGGRAPH Conference. Pierson's winning entry featured a rhino racing across a desert, which stops suddenly in mid-charge to watch a television showing four short vignettes that demonstrate Pierson's experiments with animation and style. He developed the animation using 3D Studio Max and AfterEffects.

* Side Effects' SIGGRAPH 2001 Houdini Training Seminar: Sunday, August 12, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include: Short Attention Span Film & Video Festival: Friday, August 03 - Thursday, October 18, 2001, North American Tour, USA. Side Effects' SIGGRAPH 2001 Houdini Training Seminar: Sunday, August 12, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA. Animation Brainstorming Session: Wednesday, August 15, 2001, Glendale, California USA. Daniel Langlois Foundation's Grants for Researchers in Residence: Thursday, January 31 - Tuesday, December 31, 2002, Montreal, Quebec Canada.

* Alias|Wavefront Siggraph User Group Meeting at SIGGRAPH 2001: Sunday, August 12 - Wednesday, August 15, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA.



Entry Deadline: Wednesday, August 01, 2001

* Vancouver Film School Presentation at Siggraph: Thursday, August 16, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA.

Make plans NOW to join fellow animators at SIGGRAPH 2001, August 12 - 17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Animation professionals all agree SIGGRAPH is a must attend. From Courses like "Shrek: The Story Behind the Screen" to a Paper session on "Natural Animation" and Panels that include "Non-Linear Animation for Production," SIGGRAPH 2001 offers the best technical sessions and the most renowned speakers. SIGGRAPH 2001 also has all the tools animators use in the year's largest exhibition of computer graphics hardware and software.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include: Vancouver Film School US Roadshow: Monday, July 16 - Friday, July 20, 2001, Dallas, Austin, Houston & Denver, Texas & Colorado USA. Comic-Con International: Thursday, July 19 - Sunday, July 22, 2001, San Diego, California USA. Puppet Short Film and Video Festival: Sunday, July 22, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA. Animation Workout with Guest Director Marc Cashman: Tuesday, July 31, 2001, Burbank, California USA. Bill Plympton's "Mutant Aliens" West Coast Premiere: Wednesday, August 08, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA.

On April 23, 2001, at NAB, the annual international conference of the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas, Softimage demonstrated version 1.5 of its SOFTIMAGE|XSI software and hinted that a new release would be ready for SIGGRAPH in July. "I can't say much more," program manager Michael Smith commented, "but this next release will be big." Softimage introduced its "INNOVATE::CREATE::COLLABORATE" tagline and displayed the power of XSI with images of Manta, a 3D character created in XSI.