Archive for the ‘Animation’ Category

If your favorite TV, Music, Technology and Pop Culture stars could create their own alien life forms, what would they look like? Would they be passive or aggressive? Would they have two eyes or 10? Maxis, an EA announced a new web site that aims to find out. Maxis has invited more than 50 creative celebrities to design their own out-of-this-world alien species with the Spore Creature Creator. The Spore Creature Creator is a stand-alone product and creativity toy box where players create their own unique creatures, bring them to life with entertaining animations, and share them online with friends around the world.

Participants created their own species using the Spore Creature Creator and uploaded it to www.Sporevote.com, where fans can then log on, view the creatures and vote for their favorite.

Participants (in alphabetical order), include:

• Adam West
• Andrew WK
• ANT
• Benjamin McKenzie
• Bijou Phillips
• Breckin Meyer
• Brian Eno
• Carlos Santana
• Christopher Titus
• Cole Sprouse & Dylan Sprouse
• David Arquette
• David Lynch
• DJ AM
• Drac Studios
• Elijah Wood
• Emeril Lagasse
• Flight of the Conchords
• Greg Grunberg
• Hal Sparks
• John Aboud
• Margaret Cho
• Mario Lopez
• Melissa Joan Hart
• Peaches
• Stan Lee
• Stephen Colletti
• Steve Aoki
• Joey Fatone
• Alex Greenwald
• Chad Michael Murray
• Jaime King
• Jason Ritter
• Katy Perry
• Masi Oka
• Michelle Pesce
• Neil Patrick Harris
• Sal Masekela
• Will Wright
• Zachary Levi
• Alex Albrecht
• Alex Bogusky
• Brian Cecente
• Charlene Li
• Craig Newmark
• Curt Schilling
• Eric Nakamura
• Gary Vaynerchuk
• Geoff Keighley
• iJustine
• Jay Aldeson
• Joel Johnson
• Kent Nichols
• Kevin Rose
• Mark Cuban
• Michael Arrington
• Philip DeFRanco
• Richard Branson
• Robert Scoble
• Scott Beale
• Veronica Belmont

The Spore Creature Creator is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. The downloadable demo version is free. The retail version has an MSRP of $9.99 in North America. Fans that want to create their own creatures can download a free trial version of the Spore Creature Creator at www.spore.com.

Spore ships for the PC, Mac, Nintendo DS and mobile phones on September 5, 2008 in Europe and September 7, 2008 in North America and Asia. A limited-edition collectors edition of the game, the Spore Galactic Edition, is also available, which includes the ‘Making of Spore’ DVD, “How to Build a Better Being” DVD from the National Geographic Channel (NGC), ‘The Art of Spore’ hardback mini-book, a fold-out Spore poster, and a premium 100-page Galactic Handbook.

www.sporevote.com was created and managed by Mekanism. You can learn more about Mekanism at www.mekanism.com.

For everyone involved with, or interested in the animation media industry, I think you will really enjoy this new creation technology. The Immersion Corporation, a developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, has launched four new products and services for the motion capture (mocap) and animation industries. Attendees of SIGGRAPH 2008 will see the new offerings in booth 1422 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, August 12–14, 2008.

MicroScribe Connections for Autodesk Maya Software

“MicroScribe Connections for Autodesk Maya provides an amazingly intuitive and robust user interface,” said John Walsenko, a digital arts instructor. “The system lets you accurately digitize even very small models with fine detail. Taking points is easy, quick, and feels very natural, like tracing over an object. In addition, using the MicroScribe tip as a 3D cursor, you’re able to move points, curves, and objects in 3D space directly, immediately, and exactly. No need to fumble with awkward and time-consuming planar mouse positioning.”

Immersion’s MicroScribe digitizer and MicroScribe Connections for Autodesk Maya plug-in dramatically speed up 3D modeling and animation workflows for Maya 2008 software. Using the MicroScribe system, Maya users can quickly and accurately digitize physical objects while controlling point density so that the result is a “lightweight” polygon model optimized for Maya workflows. Using the MicroScribe stylus as a 3D cursor, users can save significant time by easily manipulating virtual objects and quickly setting camera paths and light positions.

Improvements to the CyberGlove II Wireless Data Glove

Immersion’s CyberGlove II wireless motion capture glove now allows data collection within a 49 ft (15 m) radius, a 50% improvement over the previous capability. In addition, the system has been used to simultaneously collect data from as many as six performers on a production stage. Up to 12 gloves can be supported from a single computer.

Motion Capture Synchronization Software

Immersion is now offering customized software for mocap studios to provide automatic time-stamping for efficient data synchronization of a variety of motion capture products, including optical trackers, headcams, facial markers, and wireless CyberGlove systems. Using a central computer and a standard LAN, the captured data can be calibrated and exported in BVH or other format. Synchronizing whole-body motion capture data as it is generated during real-time production can dramatically reduce post-processing time.

VirtualHand for Autodesk MotionBuilder Software Compatibility

At SIGGRAPH, Immersion is also introducing the beta version of VirtualHand for Autodesk MotionBuilder software, developed for the expected Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009 release. Customers will be able to use the new software package to test the seamless integration of real-time hand and finger motion capture using the CyberGlove II wireless glove.

“We are excited at Immersion’s support of the upcoming release of Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009. For years the VirtualHand plug-in has connected MotionBuilder with Immersion’s CyberGlove II Wireless gloves, giving animators a highly accurate and time-efficient method for capturing realistic hand and finger movement,” said Curtis Garton, MotionBuilder product manager at Autodesk.

“Immersion is excited to be supporting the 3D modeling, animation, gaming, and mocap industries with these four new products,” said Leslie Mulligan, vice president and general manager of Immersion’s Gaming and Design Technology business group. “They help creative professionals shave hours, days, or possibly even weeks off production times.”

Immersion is a member of the Autodesk Developer Network.