VizWorld.com

SolidSmack has an article from Bruce Buck, an employee of Metso Texas Shredder, who uses an impressive workflow of several tools in creation of models and media materials.  In the article he discusses how they use CAD tools for the actual design (SolidWorks, NX, and AutoCAD), and TeamCenter for asset control, and then KeyShot, HyperShot, and BunkSpeed Shot for their high-end marketing renderings.

We also try to leverage our CAD data to help marketing and sales. In this particular project, the deadline for submitting marketing materials for an industry magazine was the first week in July. I didn’t have much time so I took what was completed by then and started painting the model up in HyperShot. However, just for kicks, I had also just gotten a brand spanking new 6-core, 64-bit system from SolidBox that had SolidWorks and KeyShot installed, and decided to paint the model up on that system in parallel since time was a-wastin’. To my amazement, the shiny new SolidBox got the first render done in 1hr 24min. My old dual-core workstation, with the same output settings, took 8hrs 46min. Over 6 times faster. Since I had to do a second pass with just the internals showing, and since the deadline to submit to the ad agency was the next morning, I ditched the old machine and finished the project up in KeyShot.

It’s an impressive suite of tools and I’m sure a bit of a headache of a workflow, but he shows how the variety of tools actually give him a lot of power and flexibility.

via Behind the Design: Making Machines that Eat Cars (NX, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Teamcenter, Keyshot and Shot) >> SolidSmack.com.

Graphics workflow

Anyone working with realistic imagery on computers, be it video processing, visual effects, or computer generated images, has at some point had to deal with Gamma and lighting effects.  Stu Maschwitz, of Prolost.com, has long been an advocate of “linear light”, described briefly as such:

Back in the day I blogged a lot about how compositing and rendering computer graphics in “linear light.” a color space in which pixel values equate to light intensities, can produce more realistic results, cure some artifacts, and eliminate the need for clever hacks to emulate natural phenomena.

He’s been advocating this for years and it’s slowly gained traction in the industry, and this week fxguide interviewed “Master Zap” of Mental Images and discusses “linear workflow” at length.  This leads Stu to proclaim this:

Which is so very awesome, because I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

It’s just no fun going around telling people “Oh, so you put one layer over another in After Effects? Yeah, you’re doing it wrong.” Or “Oh, you launched your 3D application and rendered a teapot? Yeah, you’re totally doing it wrong.”

So, if you’re interested in how to start using Linear Workflow then read Stu’s blog for some quick instructions for AfterEffects CS4, and listen to the fxguide interview.

But if you want to know why you should be using Linear workflow, then it’s best summed in Mark Christiansen’s “Adobe After Effects CS4 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques“.From the description:

A thoroughly packed, informative read, this masterful guide focuses on explaining the essential concepts, features, and techniques that are key to creating seamless movie-quality visual effects. Users who are comfortable with After Effects will find a helpful review of After Effects fundamentals—managing footage, viewing and editing layers, animating type, and more—so they can learn how to work smarter and more efficiently. Readers of all levels will learn core techniques for effects compositing including color matching, keying, rotoscoping, motion tracking, emulating the camera, and concluding with using expressions in After Effects, written by contributor and expert Dan Ebberts. The final section of the book delves into creative explorations, demonstrating professional effects that readers might want to re-create.

Readers will also find comprehensive coverage of all that’s new and makes this version of Adobe’s effects program such a boon to video pros of all stripes: searchable timelines and projects, Photoshop 3D layers import, the Cartoon effect, Imagineer Systems’ Mocha for Adobe After Effects, improved workflow for mobile devices, and more.

Throughout the book, beautiful full-color examples demonstrate what’s possible, while the companion DVD offers demos of After Effects CS4, sample footage, and software plug-ins.

So if this isn’t already in your collection, head on over to Amazon and check it out!

via ProLost – ProLost Blog – Passing the Linear Torch.

Graphics adobe, aftereffects, book, feature, resource of the week, workflow