This year at NAB 2007, April 16-19 in Las Vegas, Autodesk will launch a series of extensions for its latest visual effects, editing/finishing and color grading products. These extensions are only available to subscription customers. The Systems Subscription model is designed to provide customers with more features and enhancements, more often, and with less disruption than traditional upgrade models.
In addition, the company will present Autodesk Incinerator 2007 clustering technology for the Autodesk Lustre digital color grading system. All new extensions, as well as Autodesk Maya 8.5 and Autodesk 3ds Max 9 3D animation, modeling and rendering software products, will be demonstrated at the Autodesk booth #SL1420.
Autodesk will also launch Lustre Color Management, an integrated, out-of-the-box solution that provides greater fidelity in color reproduction between Autodesk systems products. With custom-built look up tables (LUTs), this toolset accurately and consistently emulates how a digital image will appear when printed to film. It also brings various image input formats into a common frame of reference so they can be previewed and converted to the necessary output format.
The Lustre Color Management feature will be included in the new extension releases for Autodesk Inferno, Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Toxik visual effects systems, Autodesk Fire and Autodesk Smoke editing/finishing system, Autodesk Backdraft Conform background media management and I/O software, and Autodesk Lustre digital color grading system.
Extension 1 for Inferno, Flame, Flint, Fire and Smoke, offer numerous workflow enhancements, including Quicktime support for the Linux platform, enhanced timeline editing, and Autodesk Burn network processing solution embedded within modules. The extensions also provide new color calibration capabilities with Lustre Color Management, major improvements to conform, and new features such as a redesigned Automatic 3D Tracker and Lens Distortion.
Toxik Extension 2 provides new creative tools for film visual effects and enhances features introduced in Toxik 2007. New features include Retimer, which allows artists to change the speed of a clip, and Grain Management, which enables artists to add and remove grain characteristics from live and computer-generated footage.
With two extensions since the release of the Lustre 2007 system, Autodesk continues to build on the solution's graphics processing unit (GPU) feature set. Features in Lustre 2007 extension 1 and 2 include: VTR emulation for playback control, GPU-acceleration with all Secondary layers, and additional GPU accelerated grading functions such as RGB curves, gamma, and shape softness.
A series of concurrent workflow demonstrations will be showcased daily at the Autodesk booth. These workflows will include the Flame, Smoke and Lustre systems, along with Autodesk Backdraft Conform, and Autodesk Wiretap application programming interface.
Many of the industry's top digital artists will demonstrate their film and television work at the Autodesk booth. Scheduled presentations include:
* CBS station branding, promos and identifiers created with Autodesk Smoke, demonstrated by Michael Ruzicka, production director at CBS Corp. Boston
* Lustre color grading work for EL CANTANTE and BALLS OF FURY, presented by David Cole, senior colorist at LaserPacific Media Corp.
* EVAN ALMIGHTY work in Smoke, shown by Michael Landon, Fire and Smoke artist at NBC/Universal
* Commercial post-production work with Flame, presented by John Budion, senior Inferno artist at RhinoFX
* Maya work on GHOST RIDER, demonstrated by Dr. Patrick Witting, effects animation supervisor for the film at Sony Pictures Imageworks
* FOX broadcast commercial created with Autodesk 3ds Max, presented by Jeremy Jozwik, lighting supervisor, and Nick Whitmire, animator at Tigar-Hare Studios
Autodesk will be hosting a user group event, as well as master classes for Flame and Smoke, on April 15. Both classes will include extensive tips and tricks, and will be co-instructed by Autodesk clients. For more information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/nab2007.
Autodesk's solutions will also be featured at the following partner booths:
* Sony booth #SL2823: Autodesk Flame visual effects software* BOXX Technologies booth #C4909: Autodesk Maya animation software* HP booth #SL3820: Autodesk Toxik visual effects software
Autodesk Inc. (www.autodesk.com) is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
