Technology

Examples of work done using PG Studio. Courtesy of Pepper's Ghost Productions.

GSN Communications Releases PG Studio. PG Studio is a production management tool that helps production houses produce cost effective computer animation. Among its features are script and storyboard breakdown into scenes, shots, and frames; organization of production documents according to script structure; identification of production tasks from the script; allocation of production tasks to creative and technical staff; establishment of total task time within the schedule; compilation of a running production budget including staff and resource requirements. PG Studio will debut at the Los Angeles Siggraph convention in August, and Pepper's Ghost Productions will be at booth 2428. For press information contact GSN at Tel. +44 171 228 1151; for all other queries contact Ken Royall at Pepper's Ghost Productions at Tel. +44 181 546-4900; fax +44 181 546-4284; or e-mail ken.royal@peppersghost.co.

Macromedia Acquires Elemental. San Franciso-based Macromedia, Inc. has announced an agreement under which Macromedia will acquire Elemental Software for $24 million in a stock for stock transaction. Elemental Software is a privately held company that develops and markets software that enables corporate users to build Web applications for e-business solutions. Elemental's products include Drumbeat 2000, Drumbeat 2000 JavaServer Pages Edition, and eStore Builder for Drumbeat 2000. Upon completion of the acquisition, the Elemental products will continue to be sold and supported as part of Macromedia's industry-leading suite of Web publishing solutions, and will be key components of Macromedia's overall solution for creating dynamic Web applications.

Read about Macromedia's newest versions of Dreamweaver and Fireworks in Jeff Williams' "Macromedia's Latest: Making the Web Easy."

Hash Releases Animation Master 99 Version 7.1. Vancouver, Washington-based Hash, Inc. has released an update to Animation Master 99, the 3D animation software program. In addition to carrying a low price tag, Hash offers many features found in higher priced packages and is supported by many animators as a low cost package that is capable of good work. New to version 7.1 are advancements in new real-time hardware technologies, enhanced rendering tools, and overall workflow performance enhancements. The upgrade is free to owners of Animation Master 99. For more information visit www.hash.com.

Tim Elston wrote about Animation Master in the July 1997 issue of Animation World Magazine in "Anything But a Hash Up: Animation: Master Version 5.0"