GridIron Software today announced
the availability of NucleoR Pro 2, an upgrade to the productivity
enhancement tool that optimizes the workflow for visual effects artists
using AdobeR After EffectsR. With workflow enhancements like Spec
Preview, Spec Render, Commit to Disk, and Background Render, Nucleo Pro
allows creative professional users to harness the full power of their
multi-processor or multi-core computer.
New Features in Nucleo Pro 2
Nucleo Pro 2 expands the workflow possibilities with support for 3D
rendering applications in the Background Render Queue and
Pre-Composition Proxies.
Background Render Queue for 3D Applications
With Nucleo Pro 2, motion graphics artists can manage After Effects and
3D renders from one convenient spot. Simply drag projects for any of the
supported applications into the Background Render Queue. Then specify
the appropriate render settings and allow Nucleo Pro to initiate and
manage the render in the background. Support is available for most
popular 3D rendering applications, including: Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk
Maya, Maxon Cinema 4D, Newtek LightWave, Softimage XSI, and Apple Shake.
Pre-Composition Proxies
After Effects allows compositions in a timeline to be represented by
pre-rendered frames to improve preview performance. This is known as
proxying. Nucleo Pro 2's Pre-Composition Proxy feature makes proxying
extremely simple by allowing the addition of a proxy with a single
keystroke. If a proxied composition is changed, Nucleo Pro 2 re-renders
only the modified frames in the background, then updates the
composition's proxy automatically. After Effects users now have an easy
way to proxy without ever having to worry about a proxy getting out of
date, or ever having to manually render and import the proxy frames.

"It's important for creative professionals to work in a fluid
environment, where they can move easily between different programs and
maintain their creative momentum. GridIron Software addresses this need
with Nucleo Pro 2, which allows Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max users to
render projects in the background, while continuing their work in our 3D
animation, modeling and rendering applications," said Rob Hoffmann,
senior product marketing manager at Autodesk.

"The Orphanage had direct input on the feature request list for the
release of Nucleo Pro 2. We're happy to see the ability to cache
pre-composition proxies made the cut. This allows us a new way to tag
parts of a clip to be rendered in the background, as well as later apply
updates only to the necessary frames in the render," said Stu Maschwitz,
Co-Founder and CTO at The Orphanage.

Pricing and Availability

. Nucleo Pro 2 ($395 US) supports all versions of Adobe After Effects
version 7.0 and the new After Effects CS3 Professional on both Windows
and Mac OS X.

. Nucleo Pro 1 customers may upgrade to Nucleo Pro 2 for $99.
. Nucleo customers may upgrade to Nucleo Pro 2 for $350.

www.gridironsoftware.com