With SIGGRAPH 2002, the digital graphics industry’s premier trade show, fast approaching, hardware and software manufacturers are scrambling to be ready with their latest product and strategy announcements.

The following is a list of what some of the major providers of post, animation, F/X and editing gear – with the addition of audio – have been up to in recent months, and what announcements they plan to make at SIGGRAPH, July 21-26 in San Antonio, TX.

-www.siggraph.org

Alias|Wavefront

Based in: Toronto

Products: Maya series 3D content creation software

The latest: In April, Alias|Wavefront dropped the price of its entry-level Maya Complete from US$7,500 to US$1,999, and the professional level Maya Unlimited from US$16,000 to US$6,999. Previously, Alias|Wavefront expanded the accessibility of Maya by qualifying it for BOXX technologies’ 3DBOXX workstations. This move is especially beneficial to budget-conscious productions, since BOXX runs on AMD processors, rather than the more expensive equivalent from Intel.

The software company has also introduced online product activation, allowing customers to register Maya products via e-mail, automating what can otherwise be a time-intensive process.

Most recently, Alias|Wavefront released Maya Resources|2D and 3D procedural texture plug-ins, its first resource tool for Maya. Three new 2D and six new 3D-texture plug-ins provide users with some basic textures they can use as a starting point and customize to individual needs.

-www.aliaswavefront.com

Apple

Based in: Cupertino, CA

Product: Final Cut Pro

The latest: The newest version of Apple’s nonlinear editing system, Final Cut Pro 3, continues to target entry-level, professional and portable editing. It is available for Mac OS9 and OSX and works with DV, standard definition and high definition. Editors on the move can carry large quantities of timecode-accurate video. With a PowerBook G4, more than 24 hours of footage can be stored on the 48GB internal hard drive. A new voice-over tool uses the PowerBook’s microphone, allowing users to record V/O right into the timeline while working in the field.

With FCP’s G4 realtime effects, PCI hardware is not necessary to preview transitions and F/X, and a new Quickview Preview mode allows editors to easily preview complicated F/X before rendering. It offers new color-correction capabilities, and the Autosave Vault lets users save and time-stamp projects at specified intervals, making it easy to return to previous stages of a project.

-www.apple.ca

Avid Technology

Based in: Tewksbury, MA

Products: Avid Xpress, XpressDV, Media Composer, Symphony, Avid|DS, Avid|DS HD and Avid|DS HD Editor

The Latest: Avid has released v6.0 of its editing and finishing systems Avid|DS (SD) and Avid|DS HD and Avid|DS HD Editor. V6.0 uses interfaces similar to those in Media Composer, helping users transition to HD editing. Another new feature allows large quantities of information to be transported from Media Composer to the Avid|DS systems. For example, when performing an offline edit of an HD project in Media Composer, a ‘super EDL’ allows the user to take information, including titles and text, into Avid DS|HD to finish. Avid has also used code optimization to increase the speed of Avid|DS and DS HD while staying with Pentium 4 processors.

New versions of Avid XpressDV, Xpress, Media Composer and Symphony were released in June. XpressDV, Avid’s software editor exclusively for the DV format, boasts new professional-level color correction and is now available on the Windows XP and Mac platforms. Xpress offers several new features to improve workflow. MetaSync allows an editor to synchronize metadata, such as subtitles, with video. Xpress through to Symphony offer greater F/X capabilities and a new keyframe model for F/X that allows editors to set keyframes and manipulate detailed transitions.

-www.avid.com

Digidesign

Based in: Daly City, CA

Product: Pro Tools

The latest: Digidesign, Avid’s audio production division, offers three versions of its new Pro Tools|HD workstation, each including the latest Pro Tools software. Pro Tools|HD 1 features 96 audio tracks and up to 32 channels of I/O; HD 2 supports up to 128 audio tracks and 64 channels of I/O; HD 3 supports up to 128 audio tracks and 96 channels of I/O, making it easier to manage complicated projects and audio effects. The basic Pro Tools|HD starts at approximately US$10,000.

Digidesign is also releasing several other new products. SYNC I/O is a synchronization device for HD with support for all timecode formats and clock sources. MIDI I/O is a USB-powered MIDI interface with support for Digidesign Time Stamping and 10 MIDI I/O ports. And Pre is a remote controllable eight-channel preamp designed specifically to work with HD.

-www.digidesign.com

Discreet

Based in: Montreal

Products: inferno, flame, flint, fire, smoke, edit, 3ds max 5

The latest: At SIGGRAPH 2002, Discreet will release 3ds max 5, its modeling, animation and rendering solution, which will sell for US$3,495. The new version includes features that allow users to create accurate and subtle lighting as well as Curve and Dope Sheet Editor, merge animation tools, and a new Set Key system. Character-based animation management systems increase artist control, and film and TV users will benefit from advanced rendering solutions, including radiosity, ToonShading, Area Light Shadows and the ability to simulate hi-res scenes on low-res geometry.

Earlier this year, Discreet released combustion 2, desktop compositing software that runs on Macs and PCs. Also at SIGGRAPH, Discreet will launch inferno 5, flame 8 and flint 8.

-www.discreet.com

Quantel

Based in: Newbury, U.K.

Products: iQ, eQ, gQ, Qpaintbox, QEffects

The latest: Using the same technology as iQ, Quantel’s multi-res, multi-format media platform, eQ, the new editing and F/X system, handles SD and any resolution of HD, allowing users to forgo the hassles of converting from different resolutions. Quantel builds on Qpaintbox, its desktop graphics application, by adding a host of new media tools with new resolution co-existent software.

Generation Q products run on an AAF-based format, and Quantel has created an AAF archive that enables a project’s information, including metadata, to be stored to a data infrastructure. Information is saved transparently in a standard format that can be accessed by any AAF-complement system.

Toronto’s Eyes Post Group was the first company in North America to install the Quantel iQ post-production media platform last summer, and recently purchased its second iQ system.

-www.quantel.com

Side Effects Software

Based in: Toronto

Products: Houdini modeling, animation, compositing and rendering software

The latest: Side Effects has recently released Houdini 5.5 and the new Houdini Select. Houdini Select is being offered at a reduced price of US$1,299 and includes a selection of the tools available in the full version of Houdini. New features of Houdini 5 include immersive procedural technology with customizable viewport handles, which allows artists to work directly in the viewport. It also offers an interactive interface which traditional artists can use through direct manipulation. 5.5 features an expanded shader gallery, a new compositor, drag-and-drop interface and enhanced character and animation tools. VOPs, an interactive node-based shader and F/X builder streamline workflow.

-www.sidefx.com

Softimage

Based in: Montreal

Products: Softimage|3D, Softimage|XSI

The latest: Softimage has cut the price of its entry-level 3D character animation software Softimage|3D from US$2,995 to US$1,495, no doubt in response to a similar move by Alias|Wavefront. There has been no price drop so far on the high-end Softimage|XSI, which sells from US$4,995 to US$8,995.

Softimage|3D v.4.0 offers new features and enhancements, including multiple UV texturing, enabling designers to assign multiple UV-mapped textures on polygon mesh domains. Animators will be able to exercise greater control over animation function curves for plug-ins with Dopesheet control for shader and custom Fcurve. Also, interactive normal editing allows designers to edit selected shading normals on polygon mesh models, and the shade view will give instant feedback on shading modifications.

Softimage|3D was used by Industrial Light + Magic to create more than 80 animated characters in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, including Yoda, the Kaminoans and Dexter Jettster.

-www.softimage.com