Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 15, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
At NAB 2010, Autodesk presented the new 2011 product versions of its creative finishing solutions for visual effects, editorial finishing and colour grading: Autodesk Flame, Autodesk Flare, Autodesk Flint, Autodesk Smoke and Autodesk Lustre. The 2011 releases include new creative tools, improved interoperability and a complete finishing workflow for Stereo 3D (S3D) in film and television.
Autodesk’s creative finishing solutions have already been used to create impressive content for films (“Avatar”, “The Hurt Locker”, “Inglourious Basterds” and “Shutter Island”), well-known television series (“CSI NY”, “NCIS”, “Mad Men” and “Big Love”), many commercials (the video-game trailer The Beatles: Rock Band) and music videos for “American Idol”, the American equivalent of “Deutschland sucht den Superstar”.
“Film and television production is a fiercely competitive market where the stakes are high, whether competing for audience favour or integrating new technologies such as 3D stereoscopy,” explained Stig Gruman, Vice President Digital Entertainment at Autodesk. “With the 2011 versions of our creative finishing products, our customers differentiate themselves from the competition and create content that attracts the world’s attention. 3D technology is Autodesk’s core competence, so it is a natural step for us to establish ourselves as the market leader in end-to-end stereo workflows.”
Demand for S3D in film and television continues to rise. ESPN, Sky, Discovery and other broadcasters are also adding stereo formats to their programming this year, for example at this year’s Masters Tournament golf event. In “Avatar”, 70 percent of the total material was created using 3D stereoscopy technology. Hollywood will release at least twenty 3D films this year.
Stereo 3D Workflow
The 2011 versions of Flame, Flare, Smoke and Lustre include finishing functions for 3D stereoscopy projects that expand the CG pipeline from Autodesk Maya 2011. They build on familiar and proven creative workflows for visual effects, editorial finishing and colour correction. The new stereoscopy functions are designed specifically for S3D finishing with minimal disruption to existing processes. Important new functions:
• Cross-product support for the stereoscopic 3D camera rig in Autodesk FBX 2011
• Support for stereoscopic camera rigs and objects in Action, the 3D compositing environment of Flame and Smoke
• Simultaneous stereoscopy workflows for visual effects, editorial finishing and colour grading
• Stereo mode for monitoring and previewing in Flame and Smoke
The Stereo 3D Workflow Inspires
“The stereoscopy workflow and toolset in Flame are extremely powerful and intuitive. At last, I have all the tools needed to deliver 3D shots quickly and smoothly.” – Ara Khanikian, Senior Flame Artist, Rodeo FX (Canada)
“Stereoscopic compositing was always extremely complicated – until now.” – Ivar Beer, Head of Digital Production, CinePostproduction (Germany)
“What is truly amazing is that it feels as though the S3D functions have always been there. You can hardly imagine the new release without the stereo workflow. I do not have to learn new software or technology or a new language. I already speak the language.” – David Klinkowize, Designer and Editor, Creative Group (USA)
“Because the stereoscopy function is integrated into Flame, our artists do not have to deal with a completely new system. That is a huge advantage for us, both in terms of workflows and financially. The 3D functions in Flame are structured in a similar and familiar way, so even complex projects can be set up relatively easily.” – Jonathan Hancock, 2D VFX Manager, BSkyB Creative (USA)
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Autodesk Smoke 2011
Since its market launch in December 2009, Autodesk Smoke for Mac OS X has quickly gained a foothold in the Apple-based market segment. For the first time, a complete solution for editorial finishing is being offered on this platform. With integrated tools for editorial finishing, conforming, colour correction, keying, tracking, paint, rotoscoping, compositing and 3D VFX, Smoke offers an efficient solution for editors who previously had to rely on multiple applications to develop high-quality finishing content. Smoke is also available as a complete solution for Linux.
New Functions in Smoke 2011
• New tools for editing, viewing and compositing Stereo 3D content
• Simple conforming of AAF or XML files from Apple Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer using drag and drop
• Native application-side support for RED RAW media and H.264 QuickTime
Autodesk Flame 2011
The current 2011 versions of Flame and Flare provide new creative tools and expanded 3D support for visual effects, design and finishing:
• New GPU-based pixel-shader rendering system for improved rendering quality, as well as support for the new texture-mapping functions and lighting effects
• New Substance library for procedural textures with at least 100 nearly photorealistic textures that can be applied to 3D objects, 3D text and surfaces
• Native application-side support for RED RAW media and H.264 QuickTime
• Support for individual rendering layers when soft-importing OpenEXR media files
• Optimised 3D compositing – support for multiple outputs in the Action module: Z-depth, normal and matte passes, expanded support for lens flare, parallax, reflection and specular highlight
Autodesk Lustre 2011
The S3D functions in Autodesk Lustre expand the development of creative looks with precise control over colour and lighting effects when grading stereoscopic and standard projects.
• New support for grading OpenEXR media
• Expanded RED workflow: support for RED Rocket through Mac Wiretap Gateway
• Open management of grading metadata
This year, Lustre’s original developers received an Oscar in the Science and Technology category for Lustre technology. Lustre was first used on “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and marked the beginning of a new generation of digital intermediates for colour correction and look development.
Product Availability
The 2011 versions of Flame, Flare, Flint, Inferno, Lustre, Smoke for Mac OS X and Smoke Advanced are scheduled to ship later in April. Further information on functions and benefits at http://www.autodesk.de.
