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

Etsy Site is Finally Up and Running

I finally got around to getting part of my Etsy site up. What's Etsy? It's like an Amazon.com for hand made crafts, art, vintage stuff, and other home made goods. My wife and I make small and uniquely painted night stand tables. I also do salt dough sculpture (not on site yet) and pen and ink drawings. If you're bored and have time come by "Color In Wood" and take a look.

Shapeways Leads the Pack in RPT Services

Shapeways has been around for many years now and I consider them to be the best of the 3d printers out there. The New York based company can turn around your 3d print in about 10 days. That's not bad for individualized custom service.

 

 

Shapeways does some interesting things. amongst them is their catalog of items that you can get made for yourself but put a custom flair on it. Take these candle holders above. you can use your own word to create a really neat and personal gift.

 Shapeways has a nice selection of materials that range in price from $20.00 a cubic CM for sterling silver to 18 cents for ceramic per cubic CM. There are a nice range of colors as well. check out the materials HERE

If you want to get a good sense of the process then check out this VIDEO

I highly recommend  Shapeways for your first project as it is a fairly simple procedure to get your 3D work into your hands as a real world object. It is also somewhat gratifying to actually hold something created by your 3d program and now cast in something such as stainless steel. Give it a try.

For No Other Reason Than It's Neat #5

 

When it comes to graphic software giants the big Death Star in the universe is Autodesk. I still can't say Maya and Autodesk in the same breathe without choking. Maybe Death Star is not the right analogy. They are more like the Borg. They have been trapsing about the cosmos for years buying up small graphics software companies and technologies absorbing them  into the collective. There doesn"t seem to be anything wrong with that as long as they continue to innovate at a healthy pace. Autodesks newest adventure is an online affair called 123D. It has been in public BETA for quite some time now and it seems to target the low end every day joe.

123D is a small suite of programs that let the user do some really neat things. It brings rapid prototyping to the masses. There are 4 main component programs that are possibly available as a web application, for the PC, Mac, and Ipad/Iphone. Each one uses user created geometry in different ways.

123D is a modeler available for the PC only that allows the user to use some sophisticated modeling tools to 3d model whatever suits you and then send that model to a RPT service for a real world 3d printed replica.

123DCatch allows the user to take photos and turn them into a 3d object of that photo. THis of course can be RTP'ed out for a real worl 3d printed object. This application is available on the PC, Ipad, and as a web application. A series of photos taken of your object are sent to the cloud for calculation and assembly into a 3d object.

123D Sculpt is an Ipad only app that introduces the user to 3d digital clay and 3d texture map painting.

Lastly is 123D Make which can take user generated models and create a different kind of rapid prototyped piece not generally as widely known. 3d models are transformed into a pattern for assembling real cardboard lasered pieces that are fit together too represent the object. Very neat. This application is available  as a web application, for the PC, Mac, and Ipad/Iphone.

You can check it all out at http://www.123dapp.com/