Autodesk, Inc. today announced extensions for
the Autodesk Smoke 2009 finishing effects system, and the 2009 versions of
Autodesk Inferno, Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Flint visual effects systems.
Available to customers on subscription, these extensions provide many new
features, including: real-time deliverables for mastering to multiple
formats without rendering; enhanced floating point toolset; more than 80
new particle system presets for Inferno, Flame and Flint; improved Smoke
editorial workflow; additional compressed format support; and greater
interoperability with the Autodesk Lustre digital colour grading system.

We’re meeting the demands of post-production houses that want to expand
and differentiate their businesses by offering highly creative,
effects-centric finishing,” said Stig Gruman, Digital Entertainment Group
vice president, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. “With powerful new creative
capabilities, complete clip compatibility between Flame and Smoke, native
playback of streaming media formats, and expanded codec support, our
customers are poised to benefit from the most open, collaborative and
affordable Autodesk systems to date.”

“We are delighted that Autodesk’s visual effects and finishing systems will
support AVC-Intra natively,” said Tadao Shimozuru, director of Professional
AV Systems B.U., Panasonic AVC Networks Company. “With the new P2 Varicam,
AJ-HPX2700/3700, launching in the same time frame, customers will be able
to enjoy an ideal file-based workflow with full raster, 10-bit video
quality.”

Autodesk’s visual effects and finishing systems will be showcased at the
Autodesk booth #7-D21 during the International Broadcasters Convention
2008, to be held in Amsterdam’s RAI Convention Center, September 12-16.

Highlights of Extension 1 for Smoke 2009

Editorial Enhancements

• Side-by-Side Source and Record Views: Enables Smoke operators to build a narrative structure from the ground up. Includes side-by-side Source and Record players, instant access to basic editing functions, the means to easily create sub-clips, and the ability to work with a source and record a clip simultaneously.
• Audio Gain Rubberbanding: Allows the user to quickly and easily set audio levels in the timeline.

Workflow Improvements and Expanded Format Support

• Real-Time Deliverables: When multiple resolutions from a high-quality master need to be output, this new mastering-to-VTR tool improves efficiency by providing real-time up and down conversions without having to render. Outputs source files of up to 2K 12-bit images to most video formats.
• Support for Additional Compressed Media Formats: Supports Apple QuickTime animation with alpha and QuickTime motion-JPEG, XDCAM, XDCAM HD codecs, and Panasonic P2 AVC-Intra media at 50 and 100 modes.
• Improved Support of QuickTime Metadata: To further increase interoperability with Apple Final Cut Pro, Smoke now uses time-code and reel-name information contained in Apple QuickTime files when importing or soft-importing QuickTime metadata.
• Advanced Import Image Browser: Artists can work more efficiently with industry standard digital acquisition formats. It is faster and easier to browse and recursively scan clips in P2 and XDCAM directory structures.
• Support for External Proxies: When working with high-resolution images such as film scans, existing proxies can be imported rather than re-generated.
• Full-image Resolution output to the Broadcast Monitor: Ability to send a selected clip to the SDI output of the NVIDIA graphics card to offer clients a full-screen view on the broadcast monitor.

OpenEXR Workflow Enhancements

• Floating-Point Processing in the Colour Corrector and Colour Warper: Support for 16-bit floating-point processing has been extended to the Colour Warper and Colour Corrector, providing greater control over the entire original colour range of 16-bit file formats.
• Remote Rendering of 16-bit Floating-Point Action Setups: With the addition of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700, artists can use the latest GPU-accelerated version of Autodesk Burn software to remote render Action setups based on 16-bit OpenEXR files.
• New HDR Viewer: Provides a more accurate and flexible view of logarithmic, linear and video images in modules supporting multiple viewers, and the Player exposes even more image detail.

For a complete list of features and benefits please visit
www.autodesk.com/smoke.

Highlights of Extension 1 for Inferno 2009, Flame 2009 and Flint 2009

New Creative Tools

• Animated GMask 3D Extrude*: This new tool extends 3D compositing with the ability to import free-form GMask geometries into Action and extrude them to create textured 3D objects. GMask geometries can be animated to more easily design graphic looks.
• Better Auto-stabilization*: The precision of the new Auto-stabilization tool has been extended to automatically track an object based on the region of interest.
• Object Tracking with the 3D Tracker*: Advances the fast, accurate 3D tracker in Flame by giving artists the ability to isolate moving objects in a complex scene. Along with camera tracking, object tracking offers tools that help integrate new elements with complex moving scenes.
• Motif tool*: A fast, symmetrical pattern (kaleidoscope) generation tool that can be used to make textures with ease.
• Exposure Node: With support for 16-bit floating-point processing, the Exposure node allows artists to design both realistic and creative effects by adjusting the exposure and the contrast of their images.
• Particle Presets: More than 80 new particle presets provide artists with a fast and easy way to harness the Inferno, Flame, and Flint systems’ powerful 3D particle effects.
• *Not available in Flint.

Workflow Improvements and Expanded Format Support

• Real-Time Deliverables: When multiple resolutions from a high-quality master need to be output, this new mastering-to-VTR tool boosts efficiency by providing real-time up and down conversions without having to render. Outputs source files of up to 2K 12-bit images to most video formats.
• Support for Additional Compressed Media Formats: Supports QuickTime animation with alpha and QuickTime motion-JPEG, XDCAM, XDCAM HD codecs, and Panasonic P2 AVC-Intra media at 50 and 100 modes.
• Greater Support of QuickTime Metadata: To increase interoperability with Final Cut Pro, Smoke now uses time-code and reel-name information contained in Apple QuickTime files when importing or soft-importing QuickTime metadata.
• Advanced Import Image Browser: Artists can work more efficiently with industry-standard digital acquisition formats. It is faster and easier to browse and recursively scan clips in P2 and XDCAM directory structures.
• Support for External Proxies: When working with high-resolution images such as film scans, existing proxies can be imported rather than re-generated.
• Full-image Resolution Output to the Broadcast Monitor: Ability to send a selected clip to the SDI output of the NVIDIA graphics card, to offer clients a full-screen view on the broadcast monitor.

OpenEXR Workflow Enhancements

• Floating-Point Processing in the Colour Corrector and Colour Warper: Support for 16-bit floating-point processing has been extended to the Colour Warper and Colour Corrector, providing greater control over the entire original colour range of 16-bit file formats.
• Remote Rendering of 16-bit Floating-Point Action Setups: With the addition of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700, artists can use the latest GPU-accelerated version of Autodesk Burn software to remote render Action setups based on 16-bit OpenEXR files.
• New HDR Viewer: Provides a more accurate and flexible view of logarithmic, linear and video images in modules supporting multiple viewers, and the Player exposes even more image detail.

For a complete list of features and benefits please visit
www.autodesk.com/inferno, www.autodesk.com/flame and
www.autodesk.com/flint.

Availability
Autodesk anticipates that Extension 1 for Smoke 2009 and Extension 1 for
the 2009 versions of Inferno, Flame and Flint will be available in October
2008. Autodesk Subscription customers will receive these extension releases
as a benefit of subscription.

Training
Users can get up-to-speed quickly on new features through free online
training videos for Smoke and Flame. Autodesk also offers classroom-based
and on-site training for artists of all levels, who are looking to further
sharpen their skills.