News

Autodesk Introduces Extensions for its Visual Effects and Finishing Systems Offering Additional Compressed Media Support and 3D Workflows (16/9/2008)

At IBC, Autodesk is launching extensions for its Smoke 2009 finishing effects system and the 2009 versions of Autodesk Inferno, Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Flint visual effects systems. The systems will be showcased at the Autodesk stand #7-D21.

Highlights of Extension 1 for Smoke 2009
Editorial enhancements
* Side-by-side source and record views: Smoke operators can build a narrative structure from the ground up. Includes side-by-side Source and Record players, instant access to basic editing functions, the means to easily create sub-clips, and the ability to work with a source and record a clip simultaneously.
* Audio gain rubberbanding: allows the user to quickly and easily set audio levels in the timeline.

Workflow improvements and expanded format support
* Real-time deliverables: when multiple resolutions from a high-quality master need to be output, this new mastering-to-VTR tool enhances efficiency by providing real-time up and down conversions without having to render. Outputs source files of up to 2K 12-bit images to most video formats.
* Support for additional compressed media formats: supports QuickTime animation with alpha and QuickTime motion-JPEG, XDCAM, XDCAM HD codecs, and Panasonic P2 AVC-Intra media at bit rates of 50 and 100 mbps.
* Enhanced support of QuickTime metadata: to further increase interoperability with Final Cut Pro, Smoke now uses time-code and reel-name information contained in Apple QuickTime files when importing or soft-importing QuickTime metadata.
* Enhancements to import image browser: artists can work more efficiently with industry-standard digital acquisition formats. It's faster and easier to browse and recursively scan clips in P2 and XDCAM directory structures.
* Support for external proxies: when working with high-resolution images such as film scans, existing proxies can be imported rather than re-generated.
* Full-image resolution output to the broadcast monitor: ability to send a selected clip to the SDI output of the NVIDIA graphics card to offer clients a full-screen view on the broadcast monitor.

OpenEXR workflow enhancements
* Floating-point processing in the colour corrector and colour warper: support for 16-bit floating-point processing has been extended to the Colour Warper and Colour Corrector, providing greater control over the entire original colour range of 16-bit file formats.
* Remote Rendering of 16-bit floating-point action setups: with the addition of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700, artists can now use the latest GPU-accelerated version of Autodesk Burn software to remote render Action setups based on 16-bit OpenEXR files.
* New HDR viewer: provides a more accurate and flexible view of logarithmic, linear, and video images in modules supporting multiple viewers, and the player exposes even more image detail.

Highlights of Extension 1 for Inferno 2009, Flame 2009 and Flint 2009
New creative tools
* Animated GMask 3D extrude*: this new tool extends 3D compositing with the ability to import free-form GMask geometries into Action and extrude them to create textured 3D objects. GMask geometries can be animated to more easily design graphic looks.
* Enhanced auto-stabilisation*: the precision of the new auto-stabilisation tool has been extended to automatically track an object based on the region of interest.
* Object tracking with the 3D tracker*: further enhance the fast, accurate 3D tracker in Flame by giving artists the ability to isolate moving objects in a complex scene. Along with camera tracking, object tracking offers a powerful combination of tools that help integrate new elements with complex moving scenes.
* Motif tool*: a very fast symmetrical pattern (kleidoscope) generation tool that can be used to make textures with ease.
* Exposure node: with support for 16-bit floating-point processing, the exposure node allows artists to design both realistic and creative effects by adjusting the exposure and the contrast of their images.
* Particle presets: more than 80 new particle presets provide artists with a very fast and easy way for artists to start using Inferno, Flame, and Flint's powerful 3D particle effects.
*Not available in Flint.

Workflow improvements and expanded format support
* Real-time deliverables: when multiple resolutions from a high-quality master need to be output, this new mastering-to-VTR tool enhances efficiency by providing real-time up and down conversions without having to render. Outputs source files of up to 2K 12-bit images to most video formats.
* Support for additional compressed media formats: supports QuickTime animation with alpha and QuickTime motion-JPEG, XDCAM, XDCAM HD codecs, and Panasonic P2 AVC-Intra media at bit rates of 50 and 100 mbps.
* Enhanced support of QuickTime metadata: to further increase interoperability with Final Cut Pro, Smoke now uses time-code and reel-name information contained in Apple QuickTime files when importing or soft-importing QuickTime metadata.
* Enhancements to import image browser: artists can work more efficiently with industry-standard digital acquisition formats. It's faster and easier to browse and recursively scan clips in P2 and XDCAM directory structures.
* Support for external proxies: when working with high-resolution images such as film scans, existing proxies can be imported rather than re-generated.
* Full-image resolution output to the broadcast monitor: ability to send a selected clip to the SDI output of the NVIDIA graphics card to offer clients a full-screen view on the broadcast monitor.

OpenEXR workflow enhancements
* Floating-point processing in the colour corrector and colour warper: support for 16-bit floating-point processing has been extended to the Colour Warper and Colour Corrector, providing greater control over the entire original colour range of 16-bit file formats.
* Remote rendering of 16-bit floating-point action setups: with the addition of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700, artists can now use the latest GPU-accelerated version of Autodesk Burn software to remote render Action setups based on 16-bit OpenEXR files.
* New HDR viewer: provides a more accurate and flexible view of logarithmic, linear, and video images in modules supporting multiple viewers, and the player exposes even more image detail.

Availability
Autodesk anticipates that Extension 1 for Smoke 2009 and Extension 1 for the 2009 versions of Inferno, Flame and Flint will be available in October 2008. Autodesk Subscription customers will receive these extension releases as a benefit of subscription.

www.autodesk.com 

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