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Digital-Tutors Announces First XSI 5 Training Kits

Digital-Tutors announced the availability of the highly anticipated FUNDAMENTALS OF SOFT AND RIGID BODIES IN XSI and FUNDAMENTALS OF MENTAL RAY IN XSI training kits, the newest releases in a growing library and first release of training material for XSI v.5.0. A free trial of SOFTIMAGE|XSI V.5.0 FOUNDATION is included with both, FUNDAMENTALS OF SOFT AND RIGID BODIES IN XSI and FUNDAMENTALS OF MENTAL RAY IN XSI training kits providing immediate access to explore the software and expand the users skills.

Digital Tutors has delivered the very first set of training tools for XSI v.5.0, covering two often complex topics in the software with straightforward and compelling instruction, said Jason Chinny Brynford Jones, XSI product manager for Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology Inc. Any 3D artist looking to gain a better understanding of dynamics and rendering will surely benefit from these titles.

FUNDAMENTALS OF MENTAL RAY IN XSI provides more than three hours of project-driven training and guides you step-by-step through XSIs powerful native rendering engine, mental ray. Perfect for students, professionals, and companies using mental ray in their creative workflow, FUNDAMENTALS OF MENTAL RAY IN XSI provides a unique approach to learning the powerful capabilities of mental ray. Popular topics include: global illumination, final gathering, controlling photon emission, optimizing render speed, HDR lighting, caustics though glass and liquid, subsurface scattering for realistic skin effects, cartoon-style rendering, depth of fields lens effects, using Render Map to create textures with light info baked in, specialized lighting/shading nodes in the Render Tree and several additional lessons designed to give users a firm understanding of mental ray in XSI.

FUNDAMENTALS OF SOFT AND RIGID BODIES IN XSI offers hands-on projects developed to maximize your understanding of soft and rigid body dynamics and increase your productivity with timesaving tips. Popular topics include: setting up rigid body simulations with active and passive rigid bodies, forces and environments, effectively using both ODE and physX rigid body engines, converting simulations to animations, creating soft body simulations from objects and clusters, animating soft bodies, influencing soft body dynamics with animation, transferring soft body deformation/motion using GATOR, creating simulation-based rigs for characters and vehicles and a variety of lessons designed to increase productivity with proven time-saving tips and fun hands-on projects.

For a full outline and pricing information of FUNDAMENTALS OF MENTAL RAY IN XSI, visit: www.digitaltutors.com/store/product.php?productid=377.

For a full outline and pricing information of FUNDAMENTALS OF SOFT AND RIGID BODIES IN XSI, visit: www.digitaltutors.com/store/product.php?productid=378

Digital-Tutors is more than just training. The experience involves a global community that provides unlimited access to free interactive training videos, the opportunity to participate with chitCHATs, staying up-to-date with industry news, artist interviews, studio profiles and informative newsletters. The DT Community can be accessed at www.digitaltutors.com/chit_chat/register.php.

A pioneer of interactive video-based training, Digital-Tutors (www.digital-tutors.com) develops award-winning and unrivaled training solutions for emerging digital artists. Recognized as among the largest resources for online training, Digital-Tutors allows artists to master software at their own pace and learn with fun, intuitive, and hands-on projects.

SOFTIMAGE|XSI (www.softimage.com) is a complete 3D modeling and animation solution for the film, broadcast, post-production and interactive entertainment industries. SOFTIMAGE|XSI software is the creative engine behind the Avid Computer Graphics toolset, and an integral player in Avids Make, Manage and Move Media strategy. It is the industrys first 3D nonlinear production environment providing artists the freedom to make professional computer graphics, 3D animation and vfx. Softimage is proud to count amongst its customers: Troublemaker Studios, CaféFX, Giant Killer Robots, R!OT, The Mill, Stan Winston Studios, Pixel Liberation Front, La Maison, Hybride, Janimation, Quiet Man, PSYOP, Cinepix and Nerd Corps.

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