Another 3d Printing Source

I found another 3d printing place called Ponoko. They do pretty much the same thing that Shapeways does but a little different. They let you print your 3d things. They seem to have a slightly funner attitude about things. No pun intended. They have a "3D App Gateway" which is a fancy way to say they link to programs that let you create 3d objects for printing. Check that out. The companies listed have all used Ponoko's 3d api to create a 3d printing business. This includes Autodesk's 123D.  They have a variety of materials and like Shapeways you can buy a sampler pack of possible materials for use in printing your model. Check them out HERE

SIGGRAPH EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS TODAY

SIGGRAPH EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS TODAY...

                                                 Nuff said here.

A Starfield Generator to Create the Heavens

Mass Digital has been around since at least 2003. Nice to see I am finally getting around to stumbling upon them. Starpro their product generates accurate star maps of our galaxy.

Maas Digital's StarPro is the best way to render beautiful, astronomically correct star fields - now available for Adobe After Effects, The Foundry Nuke, and NewTek Lightwave 3D.
StarPro works with any 3D package that can export camera motion to After Effects or Nuke, including Maya, 3D Studio Max, Softimage, and more! It seems like a fun program just to play around with. Starpro has been used in some high profile projects already Take a look Here

SIGGRAPH 2012 Electronic Theatre Reel Is Out !

The SIGGRAPH Electronic Theatre  teaser reel is out today. The BEST OF THE BEST. Say no more...

Cobwebs Max Script Gets new V6.0 Upgrade

 I am not a MAX guy. Never was and it's probably to my detriment. I am a fan of natural phenomena represented by 3d computer graphics. There is an ever shrinking list of mountains to climb in CG. I always thought of GOOD cobwebs as one of them. Now a new MAX script does wonders for getting your CG covered in webs. Perhaps in time for The Amazing Spiderman, but I digress. Cobwebs V6.0 does a bang up job of creating spooky looking spider webs and cobwebs. John Martini developed the script in his spare time. His site is jokermartini.com. Check him out. The best part of this . . .the script is free.
 

 

 

SIGGRAPH 2012 Announces Computer Animation Festival Winners

SIGGRAPH 2012

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SIGGRAPH 2012, 5-9 August at the Los Angeles Convention Center, announces the Computer Animation Festival's Best in Show, Jury Award, Best Student Project, and Well Told Fable Prize recipients. A total of 94 films will be shown during the Computer Animation Festival. Nominees were chosen by an expert panel of jury members from 601 submissions representing 43 countries.

The Computer Animation Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award. This year’s selections will be featured during the Computer Animation Festival through a series of daily Festival Screenings and the iconic Electronic Theater, allowing attendees to get a glimpse behind the making of computer-generated effects, visualizations, and animations.

BEST IN SHOW AWARD
Réflexion
Directed by Yoshimichi Tamura, PlanKtoon; France
 
In a boutique in Paris, Louise looks at her reflection in the surrounding mirrors. Tonight, she has a rendezvous with Jules, her fiancé. Suddenly she notices that she's late, and goes off in great haste to her flat to get ready. Réflexion is a description of women's concerns about the way they look.

JURY AWARD
How To Eat Your Apple
Directed by Erick Oh, Independent; USA
 
Here is a delicious apple. How would you eat it?

BEST STUDENT PROJECT PRIZE
Estefan
Directed by Jeff lCal, Brigham Young University; USA
 
Estefan, the world's greatest hairdresser, must design a hairstyle for Clara, a woman with no hair, in order to preserve his reputation.

BEST STUDENT PROJECT PRIZE RUNNERS-UP
Globosome
Directed by Sascha Geddert, Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg; Germany
 
In the vastness of space, a small speck of rock is inhabited by the most peculiar lifeforms: Dark little dots that start to replicate fast and begin to show signs of intelligence. "Globosome“ tells the story of the rise and fall of these little creatures. 

Herr Hoppe und der Atommüll
Directed by Jan Lachauer and Thorsten Löffler, Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg; Germany

A barrel of nuclear waste drops into the living room of Herr Hoppe, an average suburban German. He has to get rid of it and does it in his own wacky way.

WELL TOLD FABLE (WTF) PRIZE
Rosette
Directed by: Romain Borrel, Gaël Falzowski, Benjamin Rabaste, and Vincent Tonelli, Supinfocom Arles; France

 In a cured meats deli, a customer starts fantasizing about the butcher. She takes us into a clichéd vision of couple-hood, transcribed, for better or for worse, within a universe of pork products.
 

Siggraph is sneaking up on us swiftly. If you are planning on going then you should try and book everything by June 18, 2012. That is the last day to take advantage of discounts.

If you want to see what is going to be happening so you can plan ahead the Advanced Program is always a good place to start. You can get it as a PDF HERE