V-Ray 2.0 Update with Hair & Fur Capabilities

Chaos Group is pleased to announce an update to V-Ray 2.0, delivering
outstanding new features and improvements, including enhanced GPU functionality
using V-RayRT and new Hair and Fur capabilities. Visit chaosgroup.com, and
download today!

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/v-ray-2-0-update-with-hair-fur-capabilities/

Get to Know the Maya Interface

If you're new to Maya, check out this breakdown of the Maya interface and
familiarize yourself with one of the greatest 3d tools ever created.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/get-to-know-the-maya-interface/

New VFX Heavy Trailer - MS1 Maximum Security

Check out this new trailer for MS1 Maximum Security starring Guy Pearce. The
logline sounds a bit cheesy, but if you can get past that, it looks like a
pretty solid flick. Logline: a man who's wrongfully convicted of espionage
against the US is offered his freedom if he can save the president's daughter
from an attack on a supermax prison in outer space

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/new-vfx-heavy-trailer-ms1-maximum-security/

LA Post Production Group Meeting Tonight

Motion Media is sponsoring the Los Angeles Post Production Group & would like to
invite you to the December Event - Tonight!

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/la-post-production-group-meeting-tonight/

Free Cinema 4D R13 & BodyPaint 3D Upgrades Released

The free update of Release 13.051, which is available immediately, is a
continuation of these efforts. This update is recommended for all R13 users. A
detailed list of updated features can be found here.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/free-cinema-4d-r13-bodypaint-3d-upgrades-released/

Siggraph Los Angeles Holiday Party

Come check out the Siggraph LA 2011 Holiday party at Cinespace in Hollywood.
Network with other visual effects & animation artists while enjoying drinks and
appetizers. Also, Motion Media has 20 free siggraph memberships to give away to
some lucky attendees.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/siggraph-los-angeles-holiday-party/

The Foundry Introduces MARI 1.4!

MARI 1.4 introduces Adobe® Photoshop® layered PSD import and export
functionality, OpenColorIO, triplanar projection and masked filters. Designed to
speed up workflows, standardise colour management, and be even easier to use and
more flexible than ever before, MARI 1.4 is an ideal tool for every artist in
your pipeline.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/the-foundry-introduces-mari-1-4/

3Dean: Sunlight System/Vray Sun animations in 3ds Max

3Dean shows you how to use the Sunlight System/Vray Sun to create architectural
sunrise/sunset animations in 3ds Max.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/3dean-sunlight-systemvray-sun-animations-in-3ds-max/

Totally Sweet Black Friday Deals

Check out Our upcoming Black Friday Deals on everything from Cinema 4D to Avid
Media Composer 6. Get unheard of low prices from us, and they're only good for
this weekend, through Monday night at midnight so don't wait till the last
minute.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/totally-sweet-black-friday-deals/

Name Your Price on Autodesk & The Foundry - One Day Only

Cyber Monday (Nov. 28, 2011) Motion Media is having a "Name Your Own Price"
campaign for Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, Softimge & Motionbuilder as well as Nuke,
NukeX & Ocula from The Foundry. You don't want to miss this amazing opportunity
to get these tools at an unheard of low price.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/name-your-price-on-autodesk-the-foundry-one-day-only/

3Dean: Loopable Flag tutorial using Cloth in 3ds Max

3Dean shows you how to create a loopable cloth sim for a flag in 3ds Max.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/3dean-loopable-flag-tutorial-using-cloth-in-3ds-max/

Phoenix 2.0 Released!

Chaosgroup Phoenix FD 2.0 has been released! See the enhancements in particle
and GPU previews. Purchase Phoenix 2.0 full seats and upgrades at Motion Media

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/phoenix-2-0-released/

3Dean: Using Poly Tools to Create Details in Geometry in 3ds Max 2012

Using Poly Tools to Create Details in Geometry in 3ds Max 2012 by Motion Media.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/3dean-using-poly-tools-to-create-details-in-geometry-in-3ds-max-2012/

3Dean: Creating Stairs Using the Spacing Align Tool in 3ds Max 2012

Short tutorials on using the align spacing tool in 3ds Max 2012 to create some
stairs.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/3dean-creating-stairs-using-the-spacing-align-tool-in-3ds-max-2012/

Autodesk Amazingly Easy Upgrade Promotion

If your current Autodesk® software is version 2008 or older, making the move to
the latest release is easier than you think. Save up to 45%* when you move
before January 13, 2012.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/autodesk-amazingly-easy-upgrade-promotion/

NewTek Unveils LightWave™ 11

NewTek has announced  LightWave™ 11, a powerful new version of its Emmy®
Award-winning, professional 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software.

LightWave 11 fits into any studio pipeline seamlessly, offering support for
Autodesk Geometry Cache and FBX, including pixel-perfect camera matching with
Autodesk Maya cameras. It also supports the Unity game engine and Pixologic GoZ
ZBrush workflow, making it ideal for all production environments, including
smaller specialized studios and individual artists.

About LightWave 11

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/newtek-unveils-lightwave%e2%84%a2-11/

eyeon Software releases Fusion 6.3!

Fusion 6.3, based upon deep image compositing technology, offers copious new and
innovative advancements. Some of the newest features include: Volumetric
Lighting, advances in Color Science, Primatte 5, lens distortion tools, and AJA
Kona 3G playback support.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/eyeon-software-releases-fusion-6-3/

The Foundry Releases Ocula 3.0

The Foundry released Ocula 3.0 today, which is now faster to set up, easier to
use and capable of producing higher quality results than ever before. Current
Upgrade promotion going on, save up to 25% off. Call Motion Media at
310-450-4000 to get a quote.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/the-foundry-releases-ocula-3-0/

AICP Southwest 2011 Sponsor Reel

Check out this really cool piece that Element X Creative did for the AICP
(Association of Independent Commercial Producers).  They used Softimage, After
Effects, Syntheyes and more to create this beautifully done intro video. Check
it out below.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/aicp-southwest-2011-sponsor-reel/

Video: Action 3D Compositor in Smoke for Mac

Grant Kay and Autodesk have put together a nice series on the Action 3D
Compositor in Smoke for Mac and I've gathered all the videos here for you to
check out.  If you're thinking about getting in to Smoke for Mac or if you're a
current user, I'd highly recommend checking out this video series.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/video-action-3d-compositor-in-smoke-for-mac/

Updates to Trapcode Form & Lux

Red Giant has released some updates to Trapcode Lux and Trapcode Form that can
be downloaded from their site with the new Trapcode Suite Installer.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/updates-to-trapcode-form-lux/

Export Projects from Cinema 4D Directly to After Effects with New Plugin

Maxon announced an all new, free plugin, that allows you to directly export from
After Effects into Cinema 4D R13, and back to After Effects. Read more for the
Download Link.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/export-projects-from-cinema-4d-directly-to-after-effects-with-new-plugin/

Getting Started with V-Ray for 3ds Max

Anybody that owns V-Ray knows that the licensing process leaves much to be
desired, and is one of the more confusing processes out there with little
documentation that's easy to find. Well look no further, Motion Media has put
together a simple to follow, short video showing you everything you need to know
to install V-Ray and get up and running smoothly.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/getting-started-with-v-ray-for-3ds-max/

The Foundry Releases KATANA 1.0

Today leading visual effects software developer The
Foundry(www.thefoundry.co.uk)
announces the release of KATANA 1.0.
In tandem with this release Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a Lucasfilm Company,
has purchased a site
license of KATANA.

KATANA is a look development and lighting tool, replacing the conventional CG
pipeline with
a flexible recipe based asset workflow. KATANA is built from the [...]

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/the-foundry-releases-katana-1-0/

Very Cool Abstract Cinema 4D Animation

Maxon posted this video on their Facebook page today and I thought I'd pass it
on to you guys.  It's very well done and showcases the amazing stuff you can do
with Cinema 4D R13.  What's your favorite part?

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/very-cool-abstract-cinema-4d-animation/

Retouching Tutorial with Mocha Pro

Imagineer posted a new tutorial on Retouching with the remove tool and clean
plates. This tutorial shows you how you can not only use the remove tool to take
away, but also to add to the shot. It was done by Martin Brennand of Imagineer,
let us know what you think.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/retouching-tutorial-with-mocha-pro/

Amazing Research Into Inserting Artificial Objects into Photographs

This is a very cool demo of a bit of software that is in R&D right now, that
allows users to light objects in a scene completely naturally. You can insert
an object into an existing image and it naturally takes on the light of the
scene. Someone needs to add this feature to their software soon! (ehemm,
Adobe!) What are your thoughts on the video? Cool or not impressed?

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/amazing-research-into-inserting-artificial-objects-into-photographs/

ZBrush Dinosaurs used for Discovery Show

Check out the ZBrush work in Dinosaur Revolution from the Discovery Channel.
Discovery Channel's Dinosaur Revolution showcases the work of the world's best
dinosaur illustrators and animators along with fossil research to show what the
life of dinosaurs was really like. The series features never-before-seen
behaviors of these amazing creatures.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/zbrush-dinosaurs-used-for-discovery-show/

New Davinci Resolve 8.1 Software Update

Blackmagic has just released the Davinci Resolve 8.1 software update and it
comes with an extensive list of improvements and additions.  If you're a
Davinci user, you're definitely going to want to download this one.  You can
download the updated version here, and look after "read more" for the full list
of new features.

Here's what's new:

FCPX XML round trip support for:
Frame accurate cuts
Dissolves
Speed changed events
UltraStudio 3D support using ThunderBolt™
ACES Colorspace support
Shaper LUT support
Avid AAF export for simplified AMA round trip with handles

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/new-davinci-resolve-8-1-software-update/

Copa America Official Re-brand using Maya & Cinema 4D

Check out this really cool re-branding of the Copa America done by Superlativ.
Click to view more in progress videos to see how they made the cloth in Maya,
compositing in After Effects and more.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/copa-america-official-re-brand-using-maya-cinema-4d/

Adobe Photoshop Image Deblurring Sneak Peak

Adobe unveils a new potential feature of a future version of Photoshop at their
annual MAX event, Image Deblurring. Check out the video from the show.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/adobe-photoshop-image-deblurring-sneak-peak/

Matrox MC-100 Product Info Webinar

Matrox is having an MC-100 Product Webinar. Learn how you can use one
inexpensive device to monitor, distribute, switch, multiplex, and converge your
SDI video feeds within your environment.

You may view the latest post at
http://blog.motionmedia.com/matrox-mc-100-product-info-webinar/

Getting Started with Smoke for Mac 2012

Our friends at Autodesk have done a great job of creating tutorials for just about everything you can think of in Smoke for Mac, so I thought I'd share their tutorial on getting started and installing Smoke on your mac.



If you don't already have Smoke for Mac, you can get it here - Autodesk Smoke for Mac 30 Day Trial

Autodesk Subscription Advantage Packs 2012 Released

Get your modems ready for some serious downloading!

Autodesk has released the subscription advantage packs for Maya 2012, 3ds Max 2012, Mudbox 2012, Motionbuilder 2012, Softimage 2012 and Smoke for Mac 2012.

Autodesk® Subscription Advantage Packs help you get ahead by giving you early access to the latest product enhancements.  Available for select products, Subscription Advantage Packs vary and can include additional product features, integrated web services, and robust design content. These enhancements expand software capabilities, promote collaboration, support sustainable design, and enrich renderings. Autodesk® Subscription Advantage Packs help you stay on the leading edge of your industry with the most current software features, and can increase your productivity with new functionality that helps you visualize and design faster.

Don't have Subscription?  Get it Here

Autodesk Cloud now Available for Subscription Customers

Autodesk® Subscription now gives you a greater advantage with Autodesk® Cloud capabilities that help you increase mobility, improve collaboration, and optimize your designs—advancing the way you work.

Along with upgrades to the latest software releases, online technical support, and flexible licensing privileges, Autodesk Subscription now provides 3 GB of Autodesk Cloud storage per seat. This enables you to store numerous files in the cloud, extending your workflow beyond the desktop and giving you the freedom and mobility to work wherever you’re most effective. Autodesk Cloud also enables you to share design files with anyone, anytime, anywhere via a web browser or mobile device without the need for desktop software. This promotes collaboration between teams and helps you improve project quality and results.

Autodesk Subscription also provides exclusive access to certain Autodesk Cloud services. Depending on your product or suite, you might have access to the Autodesk Cloud rendering service, Autodesk® Inventor® optimization service, Autodesk® Revit® Conceptual Energy Analysis service, Autodesk® Green Building Studio® service, Autodesk® Buzzsaw® service, and more. These services enable you to perform computer‐intensive functions in the cloud, which means you can explore and visualize more design options, streamline collaboration, and optimize your designs—without investing in expensive hardware.

The enhanced capacity and capabilities of Autodesk Cloud now available through Autodesk Subscription give you a greater advantage—with more power and mobility to help improve project results and accelerate innovation.

V-Ray for Softimage Beta Announced

Chaos Group has announced the Public Beta for V-Ray for Softimage.  V-Ray for Softimage is the newest addition to the Chaos Group portfolio of rendering solutions and is planned to be launched the end of this year.

Currently, they are running a Beta Program, aimed at animators, CG design practitioners, game developers and others who will get the chance to be the first to test the software and provide valuable feedback and suggestions for new features to the Chaos Group Development Team.

If you're interested in signing up, click on the link below and get started.

V-Ray for Softimage Public Beta

V-Ray for Softimage Public Beta is Here

Chaos Group has announced the Public Beta for V-Ray for Softimage.  V-Ray for Softimage is the newest addition to the Chaos Group portfolio of rendering solutions and is planned to be launched the end of this year.

Currently, they are running a Beta Program, aimed at animators, CG design practitioners, game developers and others who will get the chance to be the first to test the software and provide valuable feedback and suggestions for new features to the Chaos Group Development Team.

If you're interested in signing up, click on the link below and get started.

V-Ray for Softimage Public Beta

Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Service Pack 2

Service Pack 2 from Autodesk for 3ds Max® 2012 and 3ds Max® Design 2012 software includes fixes for issues with stability and performance based on customer feedback.

3ds Max 2012 Service Pack 2 is a cumulative update, it includes the following Hot Fixes and Service
Packs:
  Hot Fix 1 – Autodesk 3ds Max 2012
  Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Service Pack 1
  Hot Fix 2 – Autodesk 3ds Max 2012

Readme (pdf)

Matrox Convert DVI now has Mac Support

Mac support for the award-winning Matrox Convert DVI and Convert DVI Plus HD-SDI scan converters is now available for you to download.

Now Mac users can also benefit from these easy-to-use HD-SDI scan converters to make the most of their computer-based content in broadcast and live event environments. Mac software release 1.0 provides support for Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and 10.7 (Lion).

Download release 1.0 for Mac

Pixologic Unleashes ZBrush 4R2!

Pixologic has released Zbrush 4R2!

ZBrush 4R2 is a free upgrade to all registered ZBrush users.

ZBrush 4R2 introduces significant new sculpting features, as well as major enhancements within the Best Preview Render (BPR) system.

DynaMesh, the new base mesh generator, will allow you to realize your concepts via a workflow that ignores the traditional geometry barrier. To gain an unparalleled accuracy with your brush, the new Lazy Curve Mode allows precise strokes to your mesh whether in symmetry mode or not. The capability to apply an environment HDRI (High Dynamic Range Image) to the new LightCap system will give your finished images a remarkable level of believability.

Pixologic will send upgrade emails to the address that is on record from your purchase of or upgrade to ZBrush 4.

Click here to purchase ZBrush 4R2

More Zbrush 4R2 information Here.

Blackmagic Price Reductions and New Products Shipping

Today, Blackmagic Design announced that the HyperDeck Studio and the ATEM Television Studio have been released and are now shipping from Australia. There is a large number of backorders that need to be filled, but it is a first come, first served process so get your order in today and you should receive your product within a week or two.

Also, Blackmagic announced that select Mini Converters are dropping in price, including the SDI to HDMI (CONVMBSH), HDMI to SDI (CONVMBHS), Analog to SDI (CONVMAAS) and the SDI to Analog (CONVMASA). These converters have dropped in MSRP to $295, and are available at Motion Media for only $280.25

Also, the new Heavy Duty Converters are now shipping and also have a reduced price of $395 MSRP.  Those are the Analog to SDI converter (CONVMH/DUTYAAS), SDI to Analog converter (ONVMH/DUTYASA), HDMI to SDI converter (CONVMH/DUTYBHS) and the SDI to HDMI converter (CONVMH/DUTYBSH).

Cubix Now Offers GPU Expansion On The Go

Cubix Corporation announced today its new GPU-Xpander Mobile product for Apple iMac and MacBook products which feature Intel's high-performance I/O connectivity Thunderbolt technology. The new Xpander Mobile, which is based largely on Cubix's existing GPU-Xpander PCIe slot expansion technology, will initially feature one PCIe x16 slot (x4 electrical) and one PCIe x8 slot (x4 electrical), plus a 175W power supply. The Xpander Mobile is designed, like all other Cubix Xpander models, with an open architecture allowing users to add or remove OS X-compatible PCIe I/O controllers at will.

Create the Next Autodesk 3ds Max Design Box Cover

Autodesk and CG Architect have announced a competition to design the cover art and splash screen art of the new version of 3ds Max Design.

So you want to be a hero?

Here’s your chance. Submit a scene or design you’ve created using Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2012 or Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design 2012 software, and it could be featured on the next version of3ds Max Design box cover and splash screen.

Not only will the winning submission be seen by thousands of 3ds Max Design users on a daily basis, to the winning designer will also receive a 3DBOXX 8550 XTREME Quad GPU Workstation (with 4 Nvidia GPUs; 1 Quadro and 3 Tesla), plus US$5,000 in cash. Runners-up will receive an NVIDIA® Quadro® 5000.

Autodesk is looking for inventive concepts or renderings of architectural design, mechanical or industrial/product designs like buildings, bridges, vehicles, furniture, and consumer products. Entries will be judged on imagination, innovation, and ingenious use of the max logo, not production quality (See the rotating images at the top of this page for reference). Winners will have the opportunity to work with the Autodesk production team to complete final production renderings.

Get the 30 Day Trial software for 3ds Max Here and 3ds Max Design Here.

Submit your designs from Friday, September 9, 2011 to Sunday, October 31, 2011.

Official Contest Rules | Prizes | Submit Here | Judges

 

The Foundry Announces Hiero VFX Project Management Software

The Foundry announced a new software that will soon be in Beta call Hiero.

HIERO is a desktop application for collaborative VFX workflow - a scriptable timeline tool that conforms edit decision lists and parcels out VFX shots to artists, allows progress to be viewed in context, and liberates your finishing systems and artists for more creative tasks.

HIERO has been built to work ‘out of the box’ with NUKE, and can also be custom-scripted to work with other applications in your facility.

Because HIERO is open and scriptable via the Python programming language, it is an editorial tool that fits naturally into any VFX pipeline.

If you would like to sign up for the BETA Click Here.

Wacom Announces Cintiq 24HD

There have been rumors circulating about a 24" HD tablet from Wacom, and they've finally become reality.  Wacom announced the Cintiq 24HD (DTK2400) today and they are supposed to be shipping immediately.  This brand new Cintiq boasts a 1900x1200 display with new connection via DisplayPort as well.   The Cintiq 24HD is 3 inches bigger than the 21UX and has a $2500 price tag.  Check out an in depth, hands on video from Engadget by clicking on the "Read More".

AJA Announces Multiple New Products at IBC

A lot has been happening this week at IBC, especially from AJA Video Systems.  They have announced some really cool new products that are going to be shipping later this year.

In the Convert category, AJA has introduced a new UDC Mini-Converter, which is an up/down/cross converter in a super small package.

In the Editing arena, they have their new Io XT, which is the first product from AJA using Thunderbolt technology.  It has two Thunderbolt ports to allow for daisychaining and supports both 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 workflows.

AJA has also introduced the all new KONA LHe Plus, replacing the original KONA LHe. It is basically an updated version of the original KONA, offering performance improvements and a lower price point.

Physical Particles from Flour & Tissues

Check out this cool video from Video Copilot, showing you how you can make some nice particle effects using just some ordinary flour and tissue.  Maybe your next project could use some actual particles and not digital ones?

Matrox Announces New SDI to HDMI Mini Converter

Matrox Redefines the SDI to HDMI Mini Converter With Launch of MC-100
One Unit Lets Users Monitor, Distribute, Switch, Multiplex, and Converge Video Signals

Matrox MC-100, a dual SDI to HDMI mini converter that supports a wide range of display resolutions through 3G, Dual Link, HD, and SD-SDI will be introduced at IBC2011 on September 8. This single portable unit can be used as an HD-SDI switcher, a distribution amplifier, a multiplexer, and a 3D processing unit, making it the most versatile mini converter on the market.

It meets the needs of broadcast engineers and A/V professionals who have diverse needs when it comes to managing SDI signals within their environments — for monitoring, distributing, switching, multiplexing, and converging 3D. Until now, they have been forced to purchase different devices to perform these tasks. The new Matrox MC-100 solves all these challenges in one inexpensive, easy-to-use device. It should be in every video professional's toolbox.

Maxon Cinema 4D R13 Now Shipping!

Today, MAXON announced the immediate availability of CINEMA 4D Release 13, the next generation of its industry- leading 3D motion graphics, visual effects, painting, and rendering software application. With all new character tools, integrated stereographic capabilities, stream-lined multi-artist collaboration and physical rendering, CINEMA 4D Release 13 builds on the company’s 25-year legacy of enabling digital content creators around the world to produce highly engaging content quickly and easily for a variety of industries.

Full Press Release Here

If you are currently on an active MSA with Maxon, you will get an automatic email with download information on how to get your copy of R13.  If you are not currently on an MSA, you will need to purchase the upgrade to Cinema 4D R13 from whichever version you're currently on.  If you'd like a quote on the upgrade, contact us at 310-450-4000 x204.

Thinkbox Krakatoa Cracks 7 Billion Pixels

You think you are working with large files, wait until you see what Thinkbox, along with Fusion IO and Supermicro accomplished with the new version of Krakatoa MX 2.  7 Billion Pixels per frame.  Yes, I said 7 Billion with a B.  That is pretty amazing.

I actually had the pleasure of seeing this firsthand at the Thinkbox suite in Vancouver and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed.  Of course, they weren't using your run-of-the-mill desktop machine to make this happen, they used a 4 CPUs x 10 Cores (40 cores, 80 threads) machine with 256 GB RAM was used to test the latest Beta of Krakatoa MX 2 and explore how core configurations and available memory affect the rendering performance.

If you want to read their findings and more about the test results, click here to read the full story on the Thinkbox Blog.

Improve Efficiency with Nuke Mari Bridge

Join us for this Free webcast on September 8 at 1pm PST and learn how you can integrate Mari into your Nuke workflow to save time and frustration with 3D Projections and painting. Learn how the Nuke <> Mari Bridge uses a quick and simple method for exchanging files between Nuke and Mari and how you can increase your productivity by using it.

What Is It?

The NUKE <> MARI Bridge delivers a focused workflow to provide NUKE artists with MARI's dedicated 3D paint tools, making digital environment and projection work more efficient and final composited scenes more believable. The workflow allows compositing artists to address common challenges faced when using 3D projection techniques to build digital environments.

Concepts we will be covering in this sesssion:

• Setting up the bridge between Nuke & Mari


• Basic paint features of Mari for compositors that are not familiar with the product


• Setting up a camera projection environment in Nuke for matte painters


• Sending projection setups to Mari for paint fix work


• Round trip back to Nuke for the final composite

Who Should Attend?

This class is ideal for any compositor looking at how to use MARI for projection and matte painting in combination with NUKE. We'll get you up and running in no time!

Presented By Deke Kincaid, Creative Specialist

Deke Kincaid is a Creative Specialist at the Foundry. He has worked in feature film and commercial production for 12 years. Originating from the east coast of the US, he lives in Los Angeles California and has worked at a wide variety of visual effects and creative studios including Motion Theory, Weta Digital, Rhythm & Hues, Method, Technicolor and Asylum VFX

The Details

Date & Time: September 8th, 1pm PST
Where: Online

Nuke & NukeX Summer Deal Extended

Good news! The Foundry has extended their Nuke Summer Deals until the end of September, so you still have time to get an amazing deal on a NUKEX upgrade. There are two summer deals, The Works and The Projection Package.

The Works from The Foundry

• Nuke to NukeX upgrade


• Mari


• Furnace


• Two (2) Renders


• 1 year maintenance

The Foundry Projection Package

• Nuke to NukeX upgrade


• Mari


• 1 year maintenance

For more info on the Nuke/Nukex Summer deals, click here.

XoliulShader 2 for 3ds Max Now Available!

Laurens Corijn and Robbert-Jan Brems have released their updated XoliulShader 2.0 for 3ds Max.

Check out the shaders real-time viewport capabilities below.



Download XoliulShader 2.0 at the official XoliulShader 2 website and also check out the gallery section of the Highres viewport captures showcasing XoliulShader.

Wacom Inkling Preview

Coming Soon from Wacom!

Inkling bridges the gap between traditional, freehand sketching and digital development by capturing a digital likeness of a pen-on-paper sketch.

Pixologic Zbrush Z4R2 DynaMesh Video

Check out the video over at The Zbrush community Forums of  Z4R2 beta, which is coming this September.

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?t=157573

DynaMesh enables you to explore multiple concepts in a very short period of time. You do not need to create a base mesh to fit your target-concept, or even have a specific concept in mind. You may simply select a sphere, activate DynaMesh, and let your creative juices flow! It is exhilarating to freely reshape the mesh and quickly explore many ideas until you arrive at a concept worthy of progressing into finer detail.

 

VFX Eye Candy: Portal: No Escape

Not just another Fan Flick on YouTube! Check out the short below, in HD preferably!

Wacom Cintiq 24HD Approved by FCC

In a bit of long awaited news regarding the Cintiq series of displays from Wacom, the FCC has put it's stamp of approval on the Cintiq 24HD, according to the tech blog Engadget. The new model, as the name implies, is apparently a 24" model with at least a 1920x1280 resolution, which would be a step up from the Cintiq 21UX, which is only 1600x1200 resolution. The Wacom Cintiq 21UX has been very hard to come by for the last year, with Wacom struggling to keep up with demand, however Motion Media currently has 10 in stock and ready to ship (as of 8/24/11, call for current availability)

New Mari 1.3 Ptex Tutorial Videos Posted

The Foundry's team has just released a couple new videos showing you how to use the Ptex in mari 1.3. If you use Mari, these are a must see, if you don't have Mari, this could be the reason to get it.  Click on read more to see more videos.

Part 1

CalDigit and Mac OS X Lion

CalDigit has announced support for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion throughout their line of storage solutions and interface cards.

Because of CalDigit’s close relationship with Apple, support for the HDPro2, HDOne, CalDigit RAID Card/HDElement, CalDigit VR and CalDigit VR mini is built right into Lion, and does not need any additional drivers installed. However, new versions of companion software such as RAID Tool and RAID Shield can be downloaded from CalDigit’s support page at http://www.caldigit.com/support.asp.

CalDigit’s line of USB 3.0 and 6G SATA products also support Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. Drivers for these products can be downloaded from CalDigit’s support page at http://www.caldigit.com/support.asp.

Autodesk Maya 2012 Subscription Advantage Pack

Fresh from Siggraph 2011 -There's more to come shortly with blogs and news full of videos, but I have the following thus far courtesy an update on Autodesk's site.  You only get the following if you are on CURRENT subscription!  Contact us to add or renew your subscription!

The Autodesk® Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk® Maya® 2012 software provides new tools to help manage increasing scene complexity required by today’s games, film, and television productions.

Features:

Alembic point caching—Efficiently manage complex simulated and animated data, with the ability to read and write Alembic open computer graphics interchange format.
Bullet Physics—Create highly realistic soft body, rigid body, and ragdoll simulations with high-performance open source AMD Bullet Physics engine.
New Node Editor—Manage and debug complex node networks with a new Node Editor that features drag-and-drop connections, color coding, and three levels of detail.

Autodesk Mudbox 2012 Advantage Pack for Subscription

The Autodesk® Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk® Mudbox™ 2012 software delivers powerful new tools that help solidify its position as an industry-leading 3D paint and sculpting solution.

This update is only for those on current subscription, contact us to learn more!

Features:

Gigatexel engine—Create massive amounts of detail—in the range of billions of texels—to help produce highly detailed assets.

Edge hardness, creasing & smoothing support—Import and work with models created in Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Autodesk® Maya® or Autodesk® Softimage® software that contain edges with hardness, creasing, and smoothing data.

Combine Bump and Normal maps—Combine painted bump map detail with extracted normal map detail to produce a single normal map—even in tangent space.

Enhanced tiling—More easily paint and sculpt tiled detail to create seamlessly repeating textures and maps. Duplicate and Flip—More easily duplicate objects, and optionally flip them to create mirrored versions.

3ds max Subscription Advantage Pack 2012: Adobe AE interop, render passes, Activeshade Iray

Courtesy of Ken Pimentel's awesome "Maxed Out' blog! Ken gives us the update on the new advantage pack for 3ds Max 2012! The advatage packs are available to subscription customers only - so contact us to make sure you are current if you aren't already!

Here's the brief overview.
Render Passes/State Sets
We're introducing something called "State Sets" to perform the work of render passes
State Sets in 3ds Max 2012

Render Pass System
Segment your scene for downstream compositing more easily with an entirely new render pass system.

Adobe After Effects Interoperability (Yay!)
3ds Max artists whose creative toolsets include Adobe® After Effects® software can now enjoy a level of interoperability that sets a new standard for 2D/3D data exchange.

ActiveShade Interactive iray Rendering
Experience a truly iterative creative process for finalizing renderings, with new ActiveShade support for the iray® renderer from mental images®.

Enhanced Interoperability with Adobe Photoshop

.NET Exposure of the 3ds Max SDK
Effectively leverage .NET enabled languages (such as C#, F#, IronPython, IronRuby, and Visual Basic .NET)

Autodesk Softimage 2012 Advantage Packs for Subscription

The Autodesk® Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk® Softimage® 2012 software delivers practical new production tools for Softimage artists and Technical Directors.

This is only for  licenses on subscription!  Contact us to learn more.  Enjoy!

Features:

Modeling tools—Enjoy new options for thickness, hole capping, edge cutting, and extrusion, together with a new Add Smooth Edge Loop tool.

Selection tools—Create different component selections faster and more easily.

Bullet Physics—Take advantage of enhanced collision detection in ICE (Interactive Creative Environment) and rigid body simulations with newly integrated Bullet Physics.

Animation & scene management—Enjoy improved overall productivity with a number of enhancements that increase efficiency throughout the pipeline.

ICE enhancements—Now customize production and pipelines more easily with the ability to attach and run script code inside ICE Compound Property Pages.

Autodesk Maya 2012 Hotfix 4

Autodesk Maya 2012 Hotfix 4 includes several important fixes, refer to the readme for more information.

Readme: English

Important notes:

• Hotfix #4 includes an update to Maya Composite. You must uninstall your existing Maya Composite before installing this update. Mac and Linux users: the update is included in the Hotfix 4 installer. Windows users: use the separate download below.


• For installation on Mac OS X, if you have newer components on your machine (such as QuickTime or DMM), a warning message may appear at the end of installation indicating a failure. This message indicates a component failure, not a failure of the Maya installation.


• Every hotfix is cumulative; it contains the fixes from the hotfix(es) that preceded it. For example, Hotfix #2 includes the fixes released in Hotfix #1, therefore you do not need to download and install both hotfixes.

Maxon Cinema 4D Release 13 Announced

Next Generation Simplifies Character Animation, Adds Stereographic Capabilities and Physical Rendering.

Today, MAXON announced CINEMA 4D Release 13, the next generation of its industry- leading 3D motion graphics, visual effects, painting, and rendering software application. With all new character tools, integrated stereographic capabilities, stream-lined multi-artist collaboration and physical rendering, CINEMA 4D Release 13 builds on the company’s 25-year legacy of enabling digital content creators around the world to produce highly engaging content quickly and easily for a variety of industries.
As MAXON commemorates its 25-year anniversary and its most successful year to date in 2010, Harald Egel, MAXON founder and CEO, observes that today’s work environments are marked increasingly by designers creating content in remote locations, working on various platforms and production pipelines, as well as producing more 3D stereoscopic material.

Nuke and NukeX 6.3v2 Released

Hot on the heels of the highly anticipated NUKE and NUKEX 6.3 release, NUKE and NUKEX 6.3v2 is now available!

Post-launch we became aware of a couple of bugs that could cause users a headache, so we've worked round the clock to fix them quickly...

So, what's been fixed?

We've fixed a memory problem in NUKE, which was causing a notable slowdown in rendering speed when using the 3D Particles System.

There was also an issue loading NUKE on OSX and Linux when the language was configured to something other than English. That's also now fixed.

Check out the full list of additions and improvements made to NUKE and NUKEX 6.3

Autodesk Maya 2011 Tips & Tricks Webcast

Autodesk Maya 2011 Tips & Tricks Webcast Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Pacific Autodesk® Maya® 2011 delivers many advances including a revitalized user interface, enhanced viewport interaction, new 3d editorial capabilities, integrated color management, and improved character skinning and animation tools. In this webinar, hosted by Autodesk Technical Specialist Lee Fraser, you will see how to get the most out of Maya 2011. This webcast will also cover key features available in the new Subscription Advantage Pack for Maya 2011. The Subscription Advantage Pack expands users ability by providing higher-level access to animation, shading, and effects tools. In this webinar we'll explore some of the tools that make this possible including: Substance procedural textures – Achieve a wide range of looks with a new library of up to 75 Substance procedural textures. Craft Animation tools – Create more believable, complex camera movements that mimic real-world setups with 4 new camera rigs from the Craft Director Studio plug-in bundle. Effects Assets – Select from a range of easy-to-use effects, and assign them to an object as easily as assigning a shader. Motion capture samples – Use new motion retargeting capabilities with up to 70 new motion capture samples. Don't miss this opportunity to see how Maya 2011 frees you up to focus on your creativity. Register Now

Chaos Group Customer Success Story :: Method Studio

 

 

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Chaos Group gives us another customer spotlight. This time its Method and their work on Halo:Reach"Deliver Hope" .

If you missed it click the link above.

With the coming of the E3 Expo in June. We  went back in awe of the visually stunning work from BLUR and interview with Kevin Margo CG Supervisor at Blur Studio.

"V-Ray is a supremely brilliant rendering engine with mind bending approaches to visualizing 3 dimensional form that encourages philosophic ontological discussions about the nature and observation of reality itself."

We at Motion Media can't wait to see what  BLUR is working on for this year's E3 Expo!

BLUR STUDIO has been creating award-winning visual effects, animation and design, applying its creative skills across various mediums. We produce 3D character animation, motion design and visual effects for feature films and television, game cinematics & trailers, large format films, location-based entertainment, commercials and integrated media. Located in Venice, California, we combine the passion and excitement from our directors, animators, designers, concept artists, and writers with our clients into a collaborative creative approach that results in compelling visuals and storytelling.

Order your V-Ray for 3ds Max or Maya at our online shop!

 

Pixologic announces ZBrush 4 Trial version!

Pixologic is pleased to announce the availability of a ZBrush 4 Trial version for both Win and Mac!

The ZBrush 4 Trial grants you access to all of ZBrush 4's powerful features (including all plugins) for 30 days. For your convenience, these days can be spread out however you like over a total of 45 days. Use them at your leisure or consecutively!

In order to get the most benefit from the ZBrush 4 Trial, download the

*Getting Started with ZBrush" guide!

This interactive PDF covers ZBrush's key features in every area from sculpting to painting and finally rendering your work. The informative text is supplemented by links to other tutorials and even videos, helping to demonstrate and reinforce what you've learned.

There's never been a better way to get to know ZBrush!

Click Here for the "Getting Started with ZBrush" guide.

Click Here to Start Your ZBrush 4 Trial Today!

To Purchase Zbrush 4 click Here!

Autodesk® Maya® 2011 Feature Videos

mental ray 2011 Announced!

More details to follow as I get them - but I can tell you this:

3ds max 2011, maya 2011, and softimage 2011 will all be compatible with the same version of mental ray!  Finally!
In addtion, mental ray standalone will now be licenses PER MACHINE, and not per cpu.  For all of you have are curretly using mental ray, this means you effectively just doubled your licenses! (in the case of using it in 2 proc machines)

mental ray does not have an upgrade path - you must be on subscription in order to get the newest release, contact Motion Media to find out details, cost etc.

Battleship Trailer Released Today

Check out the new trailer for Battleship the movie from Peter Berg.  It's pretty vfx heavy, but I certainly don't remember that alien ship from the board game!

What are your thoughts on this remake?

Matrox MXO2 and CompressHD support for Lion now available

Release 2.3 for Mac is now available for Matrox MXO2 Family and CompressHD.

Release 2.3 provides the following new features for Matrox MXO2 Family and CompressHD:

• Support for Mac OS X Lion v10.7.


• Added closed captioning workflow support for web deliverables (.mov) using Matrox MAX technology in Apple Compressor. When an SCC (CEA-608) closed caption file is associated with your source media file in Compressor, Matrox MAX technology now embeds the closed caption data to the encoded video file when encoding at 1:1, or when downscaling.


• Updates to address specific customer issues and to improve overall stability.

The timely release of the new driver means that you can immediately take advantage of the great new features of Lion while continuing to reap all the productivity benefits of your Matrox MXO2 devices with Final Cut Studio and many other applications.

CityEngine 2011 New Features

Check out the cool new features of CityEngine Pro, by Procedural.  Procedural was recently acquired by Esri.

In front of an audience of more than 14'000 people, Gert van Maren, 3D product manager at Esri, showed in an impressive live demo some of the new capabilities of CityEngine 2011. He demonstrated the novel drag'n'drop features allowing easy-to-use GIS data import, comfortable placement of landmark models, and simplified rule assignment. Furthermore the brand-new Style Manager has been introduced which allows for a interactive preview and selection of different rule templates. This and more can be seen in the video below:

The Foundry NUKE and NUKEX 6.3 now available.

The most anticipated release of the year is now available! The vast array of improvements and additions to NUKE and NUKEX 6.3 will blow you away.

This is our BIGGEST EVER release of NUKE, expanding the parameters of traditional compositing.

Production proven on Commercials and Episodic Television as well as Film, NUKE and NUKEX put more control into the hands of artists, ensuring they can stay in the software for longer and avoid round-trips to other departments.

Find out more and secure your copy today.

So, what's new?

3D Particles (X)
NUKEX's true 3D particle system integrates seamlessly with NUKE's 3D workspace.
Artists can create a range of particle effects quickly and effectively within the composite including breaking windows, dust, fire and rain. No need to go back and forth to an external 3D rendering package.
Planar Tracker (X)
Dramatically speed up common compositing tasks such as sign replacement, element inserts and clean plate generation, with NUKEX's Planar Tracker.
Any new element to be matched to a planar surface can easily be tracked, placed and animated.
Denoise (X)
Our Sci-Tech® Award winning research team have built on their 2007 FURNACE work to produce a completely new Wavelet-based Denoise algorithm, resulting in cleaner and more visually pleasing results with less artefacts.
Grid and Spline Warping
We've completely rewritten the Spline and Grid Warping tools in NUKE to make them more intuitive and accurate to use. The point and spline UI is shared with RotoPaint allowing the exchange of curves, attachment of spline and grid points to trackers, editing of animation in the curve editor / dope sheet and Python scripting support.
Audio Scratch Track
The Audio Scratch Track works with NUKE’s curve editor, allowing artists to match their VFX to audio cues and generate animation curves from audio waveforms.
Displacement Shader
This surface shader applies dynamic tessellation and displacement of 3D geometry at render time, resulting in quicker and higher quality 2D-3D stereoscopic conversion. This also has a similar effect on other 3D VFX compositing tasks such as virtual environment creation.
Deep Compositing
Deep Compositing allows artists to work with 'deep images' containing multiple opacity or colour samples per pixel. This allows rendering of CGI elements without predetermined holdout mattes, avoiding the need for re-renders when content changes.
And there's more..!

DaVinci Resolve 8 with NVIDIA Quadro graphics and Cubix GPU-Xpander!

 

Imagineer Systems mocha news: tutorials, training, case studies & more

Imagineer Systems mocha news bites for July. Case study Identity FX and Green Lantern

"What people don't realize is, it's most often the simplest of scenes thatare the most complex to recreate in 3D space. In Green Lantern, recreating the kitchen scene was much more difficult than the action shots because the challenge wasn't to make things pop out of the screen, but to create a truly immersive experience, like the viewer is in the kitchen. mocha is huge component of what we do on shots like this." - Leo Vezzali, Identity FXread more New video tutorial Face tracking & mochaImport from MamoWorld In this tutorial, Mathias Moehl shows how he used mocha for face tracking and his After Effects script mochaImport to assist in this "monster-face" distortion technique. If you have never watched Mathias' tutorials, they are well done and offer useful tips, tricks and a bit of political humor. Make sure to visit MamoWorld for more tutorials and information on Mathias' excellent AE scripts. watch now New course from CGS Workshops Rotoscoping with mocha taught by Steve Wright Computer Graphics Society invites you to join Steve Wright, senior visual effects compositor and master trainer for a 4 week course on rotoscoping with mocha. Beyond how to rotoscope and track, students will also learn core rotoscoping skills that can be ported to any rotoscoping program - keyframing strategies, shape breakdowns, how to inspect your own roto work, and much more.  Starts August 8, 2011.learn more

Autodesk Smoke: Conforming Timelines from Adobe Premiere Pro

Grant Kay put up an excellent video showing the workflow from Adobe Premiere to Smoke on his blog located at The Area.  You can go to his blog to see other videos about smoke here.

Below is an excerpt:

Adobe Premiere Pro has a variety of options for exporting media and metadata such as EDLs, AAFs and XMLs. But which one would you use with Autodesk Smoke?

While EDLs will give you an edit with tape-names and timecode, using an AAFs will give you all that plus the ability to link to the same media you’ve already been working with in Premiere.

Check out this video for the workflow!



It is very simple and easy to export an AAF and conform it in Autodesk Smoke.

Please check the on-line Wiki database to see what is supported when conforming an Adobe Premiere Pro AAF in Autodesk Smoke. To my knowledge you should be able to look at the Avid AAF Conforming notes on the Autodesk Wiki that will tell you which features are supported when conforming from AAF.

And just so you’ll have them all in one place, here are links to my previous blogs showing conform in Smoke from Final Cut Pro 7 and Avid Media Composer. Remember, no matter what application you’re using to edit, if it exports an EDL, XML or AAF, you can conform it in Smoke.

Coming very soon… A new videos series giving a high level overview of Smoke for Final Cut Pro 7 editors presented by myself and Final Cut Pro Editor, Rick Young (www.macvideo.tv)

Thanks for all the feedback and comments. Please keep them coming in.

Please take care where ever you are!

Signing off
Grant

AJA New Updates Available for FCP 7 and FCP X

AJA announced software and driver updates early this week and continues development with another update today.

AJA have just released a new 9.0.3 software release for KONA, Io Express and Io HD users that solves a possible Kernel Panic problem for Final Cut Pro 7 users with OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard), in addition to other improvements.

For FCP X users AJA have released an updated KONA X Beta software version for KONA 3G, KONA 3, KONA LHi and KONA LHe.

You can find the new AJA Mac and Windows software, plug-ins, and release notes at: http://www.aja.com/support/index.php

The Foundry MARI 1.3v2 introduces NUKEMARI Bridge!

The Foundry builds a bridge between NUKE Compositing and MARI Paint

MARI 1.3v2 delivers a focused workflow to provide NUKE artists with MARI's dedicated 3D paint tools, making digital environment and projection work more efficient and final composited scenes more believable.

What is it?

NUKE <> MARI bridge allows compositing artists to directly address common and time-consuming challenges faced when using 3D projection techniques to build digital environments:

• Manage reference photography and paint seamless 3D projections.


• Easily fix warping and stretching artifacts.


• In-paint holes and occluded areas, often exposed from adjusted camera views.


• Remove unwanted markers and scene objects.


• Build invisible set-extensions.

Simple to setup, quick and easy to use - models, projections and images are sent from NUKE to MARI and back in a single step, or over a network when artists need to collaborate, share skills or save time.

Seamless results, intuitive painting.

Follow the link for detailed information

http://vimeo.com/22989271

Vicon Boujou now available for Mac

Emmy Award-Winning Matchmoving software that enables you to add computer generated effects seamlessly into your film or video footage.

Building on its industry leading automatic toolset boujou software, boujou 5 allows you to solve complex shots even faster and to step in and work directly with the data. boujou 5 has a unique way of solving which radically accelerates the way you work, you can now solve even more shots in less time.

boujou 5 takes the headache out of matchmoving. Two clicks and the majority of your shots can be matchmoved automatically. No manual tracking required, saving you time and resources.

boujou 5 Features

boujou 5.0.2 is now available to existing customers for download here
URL: boujou_5_release
Password: handel

New Automatic Sequential Solver
Previous versions of boujou took the entire shot into account before delivering a solve. boujou 5 looks at a single frame at a time, enabling the user to intervene as needed and making the entire process significantly faster.

Fully Functional Graph Editor
The Graph Editor enables the user to manually tweak the camera data and, if necessary, resolve. boujou 5 also provides the ability to lock valid sections of solve data or sections known to be correct. Those sections can then be used to improve other areas.

Reference Frames
The Reference Frames feature enables users to import still images taken with any camera and use them to assist in a solve.

New Target Tracker
The Pattern Matching Tracker in boujou has been completely rewritten so it provides a faster workflow. Target Tracking now can specify a pattern on a single frame as well as tracking multiple patterns simultaneously.

The Foundry Summer Sale - Extended

There's never been a better time to get NUKEX with our unbeatable Summer offers...

• Have you been eyeing up all the extra tools in NUKEX?


• Do you already have NUKE, but really need NUKEX?


• Do you do a lot of projection work and really want to add MARI's paint tools to your arsenal?

If you answered yes to any of the above, we have a great NUKEX summer offer for you.

OFFERS OUTLINED BELOW END 31ST AUGUST 2011 Extended until September 30th.

Offer 1 - The Projection Package
Offer 2 - The Works

AJA Software update supporting Adobe CS5.5 Now Available!

AJA is pleased to announce software and driver updates for the KONA(3G) and Io Express supporting Adobe CS5.5 both windows and Mac.

AJA Windows KONA and Io Express version 5.5

KONA and Io Express version 5.5 for the Windows adds support for Adobe Premiere CS5.5, After Effects CS5.5 and Adobe Photoshop CS5.1, with significantly improved performance for the Adobe Mercury Engine in Premiere Pro CS5.5.

AJA Mac Plug-ins for Adobe for KONA and Io Express version 9.0.1

AJA Mac Plug-ins for Adobe version 9.0.1 for KONA and Io Express are now available, adding support for Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5, Adobe After Effects CS5.5 and Adobe Photoshop CS5.1, with significantly improved performance for the Adobe Mercury Engine in Premiere Pro CS5.5.

You can find the new AJA Mac and Windows software, plug-ins, and release notes at:
http://www.aja.com/support/index.php

Reprogramming your New or Existing V-Ray Dongle

The V-Ray licensing system is not an automated setup.

There are some steps required to obtain your license,  before V-Ray can render out those beautiful images.

You should have already received your Chaos Group account login information and hardware lock (Dongle) from your Motion Media account representative.
Download your V-Ray version for either 3ds Max, or  Maya.
Install the software and also the WibuKey drivers.
Right then lets head over to the V-Ray licensing video for the complete steps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiMDvsKutP0

Once complete you will receive a file with the extension *.RTU within 24 hours.
Unzip the *.RTU file to your desktop.

Close the V-Ray licensing service,  if it is running. You can do this either by right-clicking
the V-Ray license service icon in the Task Bar and selecting Exit,  or if it is running as a
service - from the Control panel > Administrative tools > Services applet.
Double click the *.RTU file to reprogram the V-Ray dongle, and restart the V-Ray service.

Ready set Render!

Conan on Final Cut Pro X

Pretty hilarious video from the Late Night with Conan.

Luxology Modo Summer training special

Until August 30th Luxology are offering all of the Modo downloadable training videos at 50% off.

modo Training Videos

 

Learn modo with innovative projects

 

Learning modo with the included on-line documentation is really just a starting point. Luxology has brought together a diverse collection of learning materials in video form that modo users can work with individually or in a classroom setting. These videos are step-by-step screen capture movies of carefully designed projects to help you learn to use modo for a specific industry or for specific result. Relevant content is included. It’s like having a modo instructor helping you achieve the results you want. Save 50% on selected Training Videos between now and August 30th.

 

Get started with modo 501 and the training videos at the Motion Media online Shop.

Autodesk SIGGRAPH 2011 VANCOUVER free guest expo passes

SIGGRAPH is around the corner with 46 days left until it begins.

Autodesk is kind enough to offer free expo passes to the event!

Send an email or contact your Motion Media account Representative to get your free Exhibits pass  Code.

We at Motion Media are excited about SIGGRAPH 2011 and  can’t wait see everyone at the show in Vancouver!

AJA Mac Product Updates for FCPX and FCP7 -KONA X beta driver

AJA is providing KONA X beta driver software and workflow advice for users adopting the new Final Cut Pro X from Apple. In addition, for users staying with Final Cut Pro 7,  AJA is also releasing new KONA, Io Express & Io HD 9.0.1 software for Mac with increased functionality.

Final Cut Pro X and AJA

Final Cut Pro X is the latest update for Apple's popular non-linear editing software. It features a new user interface and boasts new, exciting features for editors. However, the way editors interact with third party tools, like the AJA KONA cards, is different from previous versions of Final Cut Pro. AJA has prepared a document that explains how editors can use AJA products with the latest version of Final Cut Pro.

You can download the document here:
http://www.aja.com/pdf/FCP_X_and_AJA.pdf

KONA X Beta drivers are available for KONA users running Final Cut Pro X with KONA 3G, KONA 3 or KONA LHi. Users running Final Cut Pro 7 should use AJA KONA version 9.0.1 drivers. Before installing KONA X Beta software, ensure you thoroughly read the PDF mentioned above.

In addition to KONA X Beta drivers, AJA has also posted VTR Xchange 5.

This release is recommended for use with Final Cut Pro X and is also backward compatible with Final Cut Pro 7. New VTR Xchange features include batch capture and more advanced clip naming.

Version 9.0.1 Software for Io Express, Io HD, and KONA

Now available for download, software version 9.0.1 for KONA, Io Express and Io HD brings a whole new Control Panel layout with improved navigation!

In addition, there are a number of improvements and fixes for each product. Please read the release notes for more information.

Download KONA X Beta driver and KONA version 9.0.1 here:
http://www.aja.com/support/index.php

Matrox Releases New features for MXO2 Devices

New features  announced at NAB are included in releases 5.5 for PC and 2.2.3 for Mac which are now available for the Matrox MXO2 Family and CompressHD. Highlights of the new releases include support for Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium, capture support for Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder, and presets for new H.264 encoding parameters in Adobe Media Encoder.

More detailed information and Download for the new Matrox software release can be found on the Matrox support section.
Download release 5.5 for PC and 2.2.3 for Mac

The Foundry NUKE 6.3v1b20 Beta is now available

The Foundry have released another Nuke Beta Version 6.3v1b20.

NUKE 6.3v1 Release Notes

Important Notes:

It is available to customers with an existing Nuke license key and valid maintenance.

Be aware that this is a beta build, some features are not yet fully implemented, and its performance cannot be relied upon in a production environment.

Follow the link for complete details, introduction videos and download information for this Beta Release.

Don't have a seat of Nuke?

You can purchase Nuke at the Motion Media online shop.

Nuke(X) evaluations are available for 30 Days.

Contact an Account Associate at Motion Media for more details.

Ph: 310. 450-4000

Autodesk Maya 2012 Hot Fix 2

Autodesk Maya 2012 Hotfix 2 includes several important fixes, refer to the readme for more information.

English Readme PDF.

Important notes:

• For installation on Mac OS X, if you have newer components on your machine (such as QuickTime or DMM), a warning message may appear at the end of installation indicating a failure. This message indicates a component failure, not a failure of the Maya installation.


• Every hotfix is cumulative; it contains the fixes from the hotfix(es) that preceded it. For example, Hotfix #2 includes the fixes released in Hotfix #1, therefore you do not need to download and install both hotfixes.

These new updates are now patches and not full downloads as before. You do not and should not Remove your installation of Maya 2012

The Foundry MARI 1.3 now available

MARI 1.3 is a creative texture-painting tool that can handle extreme projects. MARI was developed at Weta Digital to handle the massively complex, highly detailed look development work demanded of the texture department by projects such as DISTRICT 9, THE LOVELY BONES, and AVATAR.

WHAT'S NEW IN MARI 1.3?

• Ptex - Per-Face Texture Mapping


• Displacement Preview *


• Snapshots


• Environment Mapping


• Tiled textures

Complete details and video at the Foundry!

Chaos Group May 2011 Newsletter!

The May Newsletter from Chaos Group is out.

Have a read and also don't miss the V-Ray 2.0 for Maya training videos.
Starting with the overview below and many more at the Chaos Group YouTube channel.

Autodesk Softimage 2011 Service Pack 2 Available

The latest service pack for Autodesk® Softimage® 2011 software is now available for download on the Autodesk website. Softimage 2011 SP2 includes several important fixes.

• For more information on this service pack, please visit the Autodesk Softimage Services & Support page.

 

Just to be clear this is for 2011 and includes these bug fixes below.

The full list of fixes is as follows:

FELX-1993:           Scene Corruption and Failed Imports Using Models Containing Corrupted Materials
FELX-1991:          Repair Shader corruption for previously persisted scenes

IMPORTANT:  If problems still occur when working with external material libraries, change them to be internal.

Also included are the fixes that are found in HOTFIX 1 and 2 which addressed the following issues:
FELX-1702:           Disconnected shaders when importing Referenced Model
FELX-1651:           Scene Corruption due to Material
FELX-785:             3rd party renderers crash on Linux
FELX-670:            Custom renderer DirtyList isn't cleared properly
FELX-120:            UVunfold fails to load when in suite license mode
FELX-88:               Scene corruption - Softimage  crashes when you try to load scene after saving it
UDEV00258435:    Saved scene is corrupt

Realistic Facial Animation & Motion Tracking

Check out this video of a facial animation from a company called Janimation. Pretty cool stuff.

Mocha Pro Remove Module Overview Video

Imagineer's Martin Brennand recently created this fun video showcasing some great examples of mocha Pro's remove module in action.

• object removal


• wire removal


• removing tattoos and blemishes


• multi-pass removals

If you are running mocha for After Effects, that ships with CS4 & CS5, this is what you are missing!

Save hours of time on complex tasks with mocha Pro.

Imagineer releases mocha v2.6

new release! version 2.6 for mocha, mocha Pro & mocha AE improved Nuke support, faster tracking & stability improvements

New point release for all current mocha products: Nuke Roto Export Improvements: now supports a 1:1 keyframe relationship between mocha and Nuke 6.2 roto keyframes.   Tracking on Windows Speed Improvements: multiprocessing optimization on Windows operating systems result in faster tracking speeds.   New SSF Batch Export Feature: ability to export unlimited roto layers in popular Shake .SSF format Improved After Effects tracking export Project Save and Load Speed Improvements   General Stability & Bug fixes · Upgrade is free to all customers with a valid mocha v2.x, mocha Pro, and mocha AE v2.5 license or support contract. Download the latest Release! Get mocha with improved Nuke Support at the Motion Media Store.

 

 

Motion Media is Donating 1% of sales in June to Red Cross

June is Red Cross month at Motion Media. We want to give back to the American Red Cross for all of their hard work not only in Japan, but all over the world.  So in June, we are raising funds for the Red Cross via a Comedy Night & Auction for VFX, Animation, Film & TV Professionals as well as donating 1% of sales in June. We believe that, with the help of our customers and community, we can raise $35,000 to donate.

On June 9th, we're having a Comedy Night & Auction Fundraiser at the Hollywood Improv with all benefits going to the American Red Cross and their relief efforts in Japan. We currently have over $54,000 worth of vfx/animation software & hardware donated from our amazing sponsors like Adobe, Autodesk & AJA, with more to come. If you're interested in attending this free event, click here to RSVP.

Also, all of June, we will be donating 1% of all sales from our vendors that donated gear for our auction.  So 1% of anything purchased during June, 2011 from the following list of vendors will be donated to the American Red Cross.

• 3D Connexion


• Adobe


• AJA


• Autodesk


• Axceleon


• Blackmagic Design


• ChaosGroup


• E-on Software


• G-Technology


• Luxology


• Maxon


• PipelineFX


• Pixologic


• PNY Nvidia


• Red Giant Software


• The Foundry


• Thinkbox Software


• Tiger Technology


• Vicon


• Wacom

Together with your help, we hope to knock this out of the park! Hopefully we'll see you on June 9th!

Update 2 for AutoCAD/LT 2011

Autodesk has released Update 2 for AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011. 32-bit and 64-bit versions of this update can be found at the following links:

AutoCAD 2011 Update 2
AutoCAD LT 2011 Update 2

This update is only for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT and cannot be applied to vertical products that are based on AutoCAD 2011.

Important: Before installing Update 2, you must install Update 1.1 for for your respective product. Update 2 does not include the fixes from Update 1.1 so both updates must be installed separately. If you have already installed Update 1.1, you can proceed with installing Update 2. The previous updates can be found at the following links:

AutoCAD 2011 Update 1.1
AutoCAD LT 2011 Update 1.1

Before installing Update 2, I strongly recommend you review the associated readme file for installation instructions, deployment notes, and details about the primary issues that are resolved by Update 2.