The animated opening sequence for the February 3, 2002 broadcast of Super Bowl XXXVI on FOX Sports was created in Discreet’s 3ds max 4. The FOX network set the tone for the big game with a CG flythrough of a futuristic, stylized New Orleans scene and ended with a visualization of the Lombardi trophy during the beginning moments of the telecast. 3ds max software was used to model and animate low-polygonal CG characters creating a bustling atmosphere within the Mardi Gras setting.

Toon Boom Technologies’ Toon Boom Studio version 1.1 optimized for Mac OS X version 10.1 is now available. Developed by the Software MacKiev Company, this upgrade release includes new features, including export to iMovie projects, as well as a number of Aqua user interface improvements. New output options open up at least two new opportunities for iMovie users. Users can now use iMovie to add titles, transitions or effects to animated movies or enhance live-action footage with animated clips.

Digital Production Management (DPM) systems provider NXN Software and game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) have entered into an agreement where EA will use the NXN alienbrain DPM software to manage their game development projects at studios worldwide. Electronic Arts tested NXN alienbrain during the development of the game NHL 2002 and has implemented it completely for the production management of NHL 2003, as well as other titles. EA’s worldwide implementation of NXN alienbrain will provide development management continuity throughout EA’s internal studios.

Discreet is now shipping inferno 4.6, flame 7.6 and flint 7.6, the latest version upgrades to its visual effects system software. The new releases of Discreet’s inferno, flame and flint software comprise more than 100 new features and enhancements, focusing on product design, workflow, performance and extending the range and depth of their toolsets. inferno and flame now have new modes for color correction and other options in the Color Warper tool. The Modular Keyer rendering performance has also been optimized along with other key feature improvements.

Houdini artists will soon have the option of working with Hewlett Packard's 64-bit Itanium-based systems on both the Linux and Windows platforms. Side Effects Software has announced their intention to make Houdini 5 and Houdini Select available for Itanium-based systems in the first half of 2002. "We made a name for ourselves as an early adopter of emerging technologies as the first professional 3D software developer to support Linux," said Paul Salvini, chief technology officer of Side Effects Software.

Macromedia has announced the availability of a free update to Macromedia Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio that adds Windows XP compatibility and anti-aliasing support to improve the quality of 3D imaging. The updates can be downloaded immediately from www.macromedia.com/go/dir851/. Macromedia will also make a native Mac OSX version of the Macromedia Shockwave Player available at the end of January 2002.

Turbo Squid, an online marketplace that brokers 3D animation assets for content creators in the film, video, broadcast, Web and game development sectors has added 3D models from visual effects house Rhythm & Hues to its inventory. The Rhythm & Hues models, which will be sold both individually and as collections, include animals, military, office, household and transportation items. The first collections to be released are: Office Volume 1, Home Pack Volume 1, Military Volume 1, Transportation Volume 1, Animals Volume 1, Farm Animals Volume 1 and Marine Animals Volume 1.

Artmachine, a provider of brand management software, announced the availability of Studio Edition, a customized version of its flagship software product, Artmachine 2.0. Studio Edition provides television and motion picture distributors with asset digitizing, management and delivery of marketing and press materials for their media properties worldwide.

Discreet’s combustion 2, the latest version of its award-winning paint, animation and 3D-compositing software is now available. Unveiled at SIGGRAPH 2001, the combustion 2 software features were designed to provide artists with new capabilities and improved performance, all within an efficient workflow environment designed to make complex visual effects creation faster and simpler. combustion 2 provides new multi-format project capabilities for film and video, including 64-bit image-processing, advanced film grain tools and color Look-Up Table (LUT) management.

Adobe Systems unveiled the latest versions of its GoLive Web authoring and LiveMotion animation software during the Macworld Expo in San Francisco on Monday, January 7, 2002. The products represent Adobe's foray into software for authoring wireless content just as momentum builds for creating content that can be viewed on cell phones and other handheld devices. Adobe is positioning GoLive as the product of choice for Web designers looking to create dynamic content for mobile devices.