AWN Headline News

3Dlabs, Inc. announced that NEC Corporation has chosen the 3Dlabs Oxygen GVX1 graphics accelerator as the mid-range offering for the NEC Windows NT Express5800/53Wc workstation series. Featuring Pentium III 550Mhz processors, the NEC Express5800 workstation line includes a wide range of products from entry-level to high-end systems that deliver outstanding graphics performance needed by most the complex design and engineering 3D applications.

REALAX introduces new modules and features of its powerful 3D-realtime tool RXscene.

The widely recognized and extremely easy to use 3D-tool allows the quick andsimple creation of 3D-realtime simulation. Existing 3D construction data can beimported in RXscene, combined with computation data using the RXscript-API,and simulated in realtime. The virtual test environment is ideally suited forDigital Prototyping and Digital Mockup (DMU). Different camera positions

Cambridge Animation Systems will show Animo 3 at SIGGRAPH. This latest version of Animo implements a 3D backbone into the current Animo 2D system, allowing seamless integration of 2D and 3D animation. Animo 3 enables users to load animated model and scene files from 3D Studio MAX and Alias|Wavefront's Maya. Within Animo 3, 3D elements can be translated, rotated and scaled using familiar 3D tools as well as the existing 2D tools and filters; coloring effects can be controlled; and 3D models can be animated with the 2D components.

Leading the delivery of interoperable Storage Area Networks (SAN) to the marketplace, DataDirect Networks Inc. has introduced SANware, a series of certified SAN application suites that incorporate hardware, software, professional services and support to solve customers' unique storage management needs. The company's SANware Application Suites were developed as a turnkey solution to address end-user requirements of proven and tested SAN solutions that minimize system downtime and ensure smooth implementation.

What changes can we expect to come about in the relationship between humans and large data repositories? How will intelligent environments influence our access to information? Is there really a clear boundary between the artificial and the real? And finally, how will the latest innovations in Information Technology come together to help us turn information into knowledge that is useful and meaningful?

The Ottawa School of Art (OSA) has launched an innovative, structured program teaching basic animation skills. The Animation Certificate Program has grown from courses run over several years.

The Ottawa School of Art was founded in 1879 and incorporated in 1976 as a non-profit charitable organization. School focus is high caliber visual art training.

Several films produced by RIT students will be screened at this year's SIGGRAPH conference including 'Head Quarters' by Jason Donati, 'Evolution in the First Person' by Elouise Oyzon and 'division' by George Nadeau. RIT will have an alumni, students, faculty and friends reception on Tuesday evening. Marla Schweppe, Duane Palyka and Johnny Robinson, all of the School of Film and Animation will attend the conference. In collaboration with the RIT School of Printing, students in the RIT School of Film and Animation have produced flipbooks again.

Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc., announced the worldwide availability of 3D Studio MAX Release 3 software, the latest release of its award-winning, professional, 3D modeling and animation solution designed specifically for Intel architecture and Microsoft Windows NT. Shipping with the 3D Studio MAX R3 software is a free update to Character Studio" Release 2.2. With an enhanced collaborative workflow environment and powerful new renderer, 3D Studio MAX supports hundreds of third-party commercial and free plug-ins, many of which will be available for 3D Studio MAX R3 software today.