Shotgun

Shotgun is a new take on “production tracking”, providing access to critical and dynamic project information to everyone working on a project. Shotgun runs right in a browser, so all content is available to everyone on any platform and in any location.


Everyone has constant access to the latest project schedule, which can be filtered, sorted, and grouped and then saved off as live reports.

Create tasks and milestones, view and edit with interactive Gantt charts

Drill in to "Workrooms" for all the "Things" in your schedule, like Shots, Assets, Sequences, and more, to see how they are...

"My Tasks" page for everyone with an account

Track bid and logged time on each task, then see summaries

View task "roll up" summaries on reports for Sequences, Shots, Assets, etc.

Rapid task creation with customizable task templates

API hooks enable task related automation

The system is completely open, with a flexible python API that lets you quickly integrate into your pipeline.

Open Python API provides full CRUD access to all data

Tap into the event stream for event driven triggers

Special tools for integrating Asset Management and Code repository systems

Extend the UI with URL page and tab widgets

Shotgun is now in private beta.

Open Dynamics Engine

ODE is an open source, high performance library for simulating rigid body dynamics. It is fully featured, stable, mature and platform independent with an easy to use C/C++ API. It has advanced joint types and integrated collision detection with friction. ODE is useful for simulating vehicles, objects in virtual reality environments and virtual creatures. It is currently used in many computer games, 3D authoring tools and simulation tool.

Link to the website of Russell Smith, the primary author of ODE, is here.

CG-Source.com

CG-Source.com is a site dedicated to deliver the highest quality textures possible. The quality and resolution is unmatched by any other site. The current average resolution is 101 megapixels per texture.


Futher more free tools like the FloorGenerator and MultiTexture Map is given away for free to help improve your renderings.

www.cg-source.com

Bullet 2.71 Physics SDK released: Disney Maya Plugin, CUDA experiments

Bullet 2.71 Physics SDK has been released.

Walt Disney Studios contributed their in-house Dynamica Maya Plugin for Bullet physics simulation. This Dynamica plugin has been used for their 3D animated movie Bolt. Furthermore some initial work on integrating a btCudaBroadphase has been introduced, to accelerate Bullet performance using CUDA on NVidia GPUs. So expect some more performance increases in upcoming releases.


Download the compiled releases here.

Maya and NVIDIA Cards

Working on Maya scene and it would start flickering and jumping around the scene whenever you try to interact with the 3d view? Here's a simple fix. Go to your Nvidia display properties tab and turn OFF the Threaded Optimization setting.


If you are usinge Nvidia GeForce graphics cards/drivers and find that the Maya scene view does not refresh correctly, you can set the following environment variable in the Maya.env file to reduce flickering/stale view that may occur:

MAYA_GEFORCE_SKIP_OVERLAY=1

Enjoy.

Yo Frankie!

The Blender Institute has just released a new project. After releasing under the Creative Common two awesome Pixar quality short subjects Elephants Dream and Big Buck Bunny, the Blender Institute is now releasing Yo Frankie!, a fully free and open source 3D game under the Creative Common license, everything from the artwork to the code is freely re-usable and modifiable even commercially.

By running the game directly from Blender, you can even modify it and see what happens directly from the software, a nice way to learn how to do your own game.

MR Materials

MR MATERIALS is a really good site if you're looking for Mental Ray Materials, shaders, and textures for Autodesk Maya, Max and Softimage XSI. It also has good articles and tutorials related to Mental Ray.

You can go to the site here.

Renderwiki

Found a cool site.

Renderwiki is a website on native renderers found in 3d applications like Mantra (Houdini), and Mental Ray (both as standalone and Maya Plugin).

The site is very informative because it deals with rendering on both a theoretical and production level.

The site link is here.

Power Unleashed

Close to two months since we finished the short film, it's finally online.

Power Unleashed is a 4 minute short film for Roadrunner to showcase their special effects capabilities. Directed by Sid Maderazo, it is the story of a boy who aims to impress a girl through his powers, but unfortunately fails to do so as he still has to discover how to control it.

The short film can be watched in the following links:

High Resolution

Low Resolution

Loooong days.....sleepless nights....behind the scenes of the short...(minus the screaming and hair-pulling ofcourse)...

PART ONE - Concept and Development
PART TWO - Production Design
PART THREE - Cinematography
PART FOUR - Kodak
PART FIVE - Color Correction
PART SIX - Virtual Set
PART SEVEN - Cityscape
PART EIGHT - The Kids
PART NINE - The Tree
PART TEN - The Cathedral
PART ELEVEN - Ground Zero
PART TWELVE - Motion Capture
PART THIRTEEN - The Bug
PART FOURTEEN - Finale
PART FIFTEEN - Sound Design
PART SIXTEEN - Conclusion

License to Grill Recipes

I found the recipes from Rob Rainford's show "License to Grill" from the Discovery Home Channel. I just love to barbecue and it's one of my favorite shows.

I'll make it a goal to try one recipe at least once a week...

From the episode: Saturday Afternoon BBQ
Volcanic Shrimp with Dipping Sauce
Spicy Smoked Ribs with Pineapple Rum Glaze
Maple Lemon Wings
Greek Kabobs

From the episode: Poker Night with the Boys
Hickory Smoked Baked Beans
Brick Chicken
Steak Fajitas
Stuffed Oversized Shrimp

From the episode: Blackout Cookout
Chicken Drumsticks Wrapped in Bacon
Grilled Scallops with Apple Cider Accent
Salmon Kabobs
Grilled Vegetable Frittata
Smoked Veal Loaf

From the episode: 40th Birthday Bash
Smoked Mushrooms
BBQ'ed Peppered Mussels
Port Marinated Racks of Lamb
Port Marinated Chicken
Grilled Russets
Smoked Onions with Herb Caper Dressing

From the episode: Aerobic Marathon BBQ
Rotisserie Veal Roast
Caesar Shrimp
Polenta Kabobs
Mint and Cumin Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Grilled Potato and Yams

From the episode: Wine & Cheese Party
Oak Smoked Lamb Chops in a Red Wine Olive Marinade
Creamy Squash and Sweet Potato Parcel
Honey White Wine Marinated Smoked Lobster Tail
Smoked Corn with Spicy Cheese Butter

From the episode: Caribbean Bon Voyage Fiesta
Passion Fruit Apple Sauce
Smoked Pork Loin
Grilled Swordfish
Caribbean Salad
Jerk Snapper
Rumapalooza Cooler

From the episode: Godfather Italian Feast
Tuscan Grilled Veal Chops
Lamb Loin with Rosemary
Grilled Squid
Grilled Pasta
Panzanella Skewers
Grilled Endive & Radicchio Salad

From the episode: Japanese Farewell Dinner
Grilled Miso Chicken
Grilled Bok Choy
Easy Japanese Salad
Wasabi Whipped Cream
Peking-Style Spit Roasted Duck
Smoked Japanese Noodle Salad

From the episode: Rock Concert Pre-Party
Proscuitto Wrapped Veal
Blackberry Smoked Pepper Pork Loin
Smoked Peppers
Asparagus Rafts
Grilled Sweet Onions
Scallops with Parmesan Crust

From the episode: Bar-Beer-Cue Celebration
Brew Burgers
Brown Ale Maple-Glazed Chicken Wings
Warm Potato Salad with Beer
Chicken on a Beer Can

From the episode: The Saucy Contest
Sweet & Spicy Mint Sauce
Lemon Honey Sauce with Garlic
Maple Mango BBQ Sauce
Apple Glazed Roasted Ham
Grilled Rack of Lamb
Grilled Drumsticks
Golden Mustard Barbecue Sauce
Wrapped & Glazed Turkey Breast

From the episode: Paint the Fence
Smoked Hot Dogs
Homemade Smoked Ketchup
Smoked Pineapple Carrot Salsa
Peanut Chicken Burgers
Lamb Berry Burgers
Portobello Cheeseburgers
Grilled Bacon Onion Wedges

From the episode: Taste of the Sea
Grilled Grouper & Almond Butter
Smoked Mint Trout
Grilled Tuna with Peach & Onion Relish
Grilled Salmon
Pasta Salad
Tomato BBQ Bread Salad

From the episode: Pool Party
Chicken Teriyaki
Onion Water Lamb Chops
Avocado, Grapefruit, Red Onion & Feta Salad
Smoked Spicy Turkey

From the episode: Hawaiian Luau
Fennel & Orange Salad
Luau Tropical Prawns
Sweet & Sour Sauce for Pork
Hawaiian Piggy on the Cue
Yams

From the episode: Mardi Gras
Blackened Catfish
Mardi Gras Cornbread
Creole Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Hickory Smoked Turkey Legs

From the episode: Superstar Celebration
Grilled Shrimp in a Peanut Sauce
Baby Potato Kabobs
Mushroom Kabobs
Grilled Chicken in a White Wine Tarragon Sauce
Grilled Gazpacho

From the episode: Surprise Guests
Grilled Polenta
Grilled Pear Arugula Salad
Grilled Haddock with White Wine Garlic
Smoked Haddock
Pesto Baguette
Mushroom Rice
Grilled Pineapple
Asian Grilled Shrimp

From the episode: Mexican Fiesta
Grilled Red Snapper in Corn Husks
Roasted Vegetable Quesdadillas
Grilled Chicken for Burritos
Smoked Guacamole
Smoked Salsa
Watercress Salad with Orange and Tequila Dressing

From the episode: Luna Eclipse
Grilled Chicken Tikka
Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Grilled Fennel with Anchovy Garlic Butter
Smokey Banana Salsa
Avocado and Watercress Soup

From the episode: The Engagement
Grilled Oysters in the Shell
Zucchini Crab Cakes
Grilled Lobster with Basil Mayonnaise
Arugula Salad and Dressing
Smoked Tomato Salsa
Chocolate Fondue with Grilled Pineapple and Pears

From the episode: Karaoke Slow Ribs
Whiskey-Glazed Smoked Spareribs
Spicy Grilled Beef Short Ribs
Smoked Rice
Asian Grilled Shrimp
Smoky Beans
Grilled Mixed Vegetables

From the episode: Mediterranean Dinner
Grilled Octopus
Lamb Kabobs
Tzatziki Dip
Grilled Fresh Sardines
Steamed and Smoked Artichokes
Couscous Salad with Grilled Vegetables

From the episode: Blind Date with Garlic
Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise
Trout with Proscuitto and Sage
Grilled Vegetables with Garlic Anchovy Dip
Wild Rice Pecan Salad
Nicoise Salad

From the episode: Parent's Night Out
Grilled Clams with Lemon Butter Sauce
Caribbean Rum Shrimp
Cajun Shrimp Love Sauce
Grilled Corn Salad
Scallop and Salmon Brochettes
Skewered Scallops with Prosciutto

From the episode: Charcoal vs. Gas Bocce Ball Tournament
Grilled Sea Bass with Mango and Red Onion Salsa
Spicy Barbecued Chicken Legs
Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic and Cherries
Barbecued Seafood Soup in Pineapple Bowl
Cabbage Salad

From the episode: Girls Championship Game
Grilled Stuffed Chicken
Grilled Pita Chips
Grilled Veggie Cornboats
Shrimp Salad
Blue Margarita

From the episode: Hole In One
Smoked Scallops with a Citrus Vinaigrette
Pernod Butter
Pernod Smoked Lobster
Pernod Rice
Rubbed & Grilled Stuffed Tenderloin
Roasted Baby Potatoes
Roasted Leeks and Carrots

From the episode: Toga Party
Smoked Corn on the Cob and Garlic Chive Butter
Marinated Lamb Sausage and Grilled Vegetables with Feta
Macerated Grapes
Half Naked Shrimp
Iced Oysters Off the Grill
Robbie's Toga Punch
Grilled Herb Pizza

From the episode: Garage Sale Brunch
Toasted Cinnamon Fruit Kabobs
Muffin Tin Barbecued Eggs
Smoky Canadian Bacon
Granny Smith Buttermilk Pancakes
Grilled Onion Hashbrowns

From the episode: The Block Party
Barbecued Oyster Kabobs
Spicy Chicken Wings
Grilled Antipasto in Endive Boats
Spicy "Tater" Skins
Margarita Shrimp
Peachy Sauce
Pork Tenderloin Kabobs
Cranberry Pineapple Sauce

Enjoy!