Paul Moran
January 19th, 2003, 03:10 PM
http://www.vfxtalk.com/newsimages/dfreview.jpg (http://www.digitalpostproduction.com/2002/10_oct/reviews/digitalfusion4.htm)
Malcolm Sim of Threshold Digital brings us an insight into how they have reaped the benefits of the fantastic new version release...
As long time users, we were very curious to see the new features included in eyeon software’s Digital Fusion 4, as often with a new release, we have the potential to greatly improve our productivity.
I can safely say that we have not been disappointed. DF4 provides a wide variety of new features including a new scripting language, better rendering features, support for floating point color depth, exciting new grid warping tools and many other improvements.
The single largest improvement, as far as we’re concerned, to Digital Fusion is the new fully integrated scripting language known as DFScript. The new system is based on the Lua language and can be picked up by almost any beginner programmer. Already, the scripting language has sped up our production pipeline in many different ways. We are using it to batch process incoming Cineon files into proxy jpegs and turning up the render quality settings on all tools when we go to final render. We have also been able to use the new scripting language to allow our 3D render manager, Spider, to manage Digital Fusion renders. Like all post facilities, our renderfarm is finite and having the ability for a rendernode to be both a 3D and compositing node without splitting or dedicating nodes for only a single use, makes our farm more efficient.
At Threshold Digital we deal with a wide variety of challenging projects. We recently did a large format stereoscopic ride for Hershey Park. What we needed was a compositing package with the flexibility to deal with each unique situation as it arose. During the project we used Fusion’s built-in calculations and expression to control the spatial relationship between our two eye images. When we started using DF4 in the middle of the project we were able to streamline this process using DFScript. The enhanced paint and new grid warp functions provided us with options we otherwise would have had to use three or four other packages to complete.
One thing that has really impressed us about the latest beta is what is included for a reasonable price. The much improved paint tool goes far beyond scratch removal or background fixes. The addition of a fully integrated grid warp tool allows for complex distortions and image deformation at any stage of the composite. Eyeon has also increased the power of its color control palette by supporting floating point color depths, allowing for a much more extensive range of control and the ability to work at multiple resolutions within the same project. All of these improvements have increased the speed and efficiency of our pipeline because we can stay in one software package and are no longer reliant on bouncing around with different applications.
Another feature that has really become a major bonus for us is the advanced particle suite. With full 3D control over the particles and all the normal features, including object collision, wind and gravity, this collection of tools is quite impressive and unique to this price range.
The re-designed tracking tool provides us with a variety of new alternatives. Shots that we used to take into our 3D package for tracking and particle simulations can all be done in composite. This adds another layer of speed and flexibility that is always important with tight schedules.
Often, we work directly with clients and they need to see the changes and implements immediately. The new method of previewing and caching work has really helped with this issue. Digital Fusion now caches all your work as you build your composite. So when it comes time to review your work, instead of creating a preview, you just press play to cache any missing frames and watch the preview. As you make subsequent changes fusion re-caches only the frames that are affected.This saves large amounts of time, as unchanged sections are no longer being reprocessed. This new process makes Fusion a RAM hog, especially when you are working in 2k or other large formats. Fusion’s proxy scaling functions do allow for greater speed increase and less of a need for large amounts of RAM until you go to final render in HQ.
The package now includes, scripting, paint, particles, macro tools, cluster rendering, extensive color controls and many more features at the heart of our production pipeline.
We can rely on it for any and all the work done at Threshold Digital including television, film, theme park ride and multimedia production.
Threshold Digital is a Santa Monica-based, IBM-powered effects facility that specializes in film and theme park features. The company’s most recent effects projects include a 3D stereoscopic attraction for Hershey Park, an interactive ride for Disneyland Paris and the upcoming feature film A Guy Thing from MGM.
source: DigitalPostProduction (http://www.digitalpostproduction.com)
Malcolm Sim of Threshold Digital brings us an insight into how they have reaped the benefits of the fantastic new version release...
As long time users, we were very curious to see the new features included in eyeon software’s Digital Fusion 4, as often with a new release, we have the potential to greatly improve our productivity.
I can safely say that we have not been disappointed. DF4 provides a wide variety of new features including a new scripting language, better rendering features, support for floating point color depth, exciting new grid warping tools and many other improvements.
The single largest improvement, as far as we’re concerned, to Digital Fusion is the new fully integrated scripting language known as DFScript. The new system is based on the Lua language and can be picked up by almost any beginner programmer. Already, the scripting language has sped up our production pipeline in many different ways. We are using it to batch process incoming Cineon files into proxy jpegs and turning up the render quality settings on all tools when we go to final render. We have also been able to use the new scripting language to allow our 3D render manager, Spider, to manage Digital Fusion renders. Like all post facilities, our renderfarm is finite and having the ability for a rendernode to be both a 3D and compositing node without splitting or dedicating nodes for only a single use, makes our farm more efficient.
At Threshold Digital we deal with a wide variety of challenging projects. We recently did a large format stereoscopic ride for Hershey Park. What we needed was a compositing package with the flexibility to deal with each unique situation as it arose. During the project we used Fusion’s built-in calculations and expression to control the spatial relationship between our two eye images. When we started using DF4 in the middle of the project we were able to streamline this process using DFScript. The enhanced paint and new grid warp functions provided us with options we otherwise would have had to use three or four other packages to complete.
One thing that has really impressed us about the latest beta is what is included for a reasonable price. The much improved paint tool goes far beyond scratch removal or background fixes. The addition of a fully integrated grid warp tool allows for complex distortions and image deformation at any stage of the composite. Eyeon has also increased the power of its color control palette by supporting floating point color depths, allowing for a much more extensive range of control and the ability to work at multiple resolutions within the same project. All of these improvements have increased the speed and efficiency of our pipeline because we can stay in one software package and are no longer reliant on bouncing around with different applications.
Another feature that has really become a major bonus for us is the advanced particle suite. With full 3D control over the particles and all the normal features, including object collision, wind and gravity, this collection of tools is quite impressive and unique to this price range.
The re-designed tracking tool provides us with a variety of new alternatives. Shots that we used to take into our 3D package for tracking and particle simulations can all be done in composite. This adds another layer of speed and flexibility that is always important with tight schedules.
Often, we work directly with clients and they need to see the changes and implements immediately. The new method of previewing and caching work has really helped with this issue. Digital Fusion now caches all your work as you build your composite. So when it comes time to review your work, instead of creating a preview, you just press play to cache any missing frames and watch the preview. As you make subsequent changes fusion re-caches only the frames that are affected.This saves large amounts of time, as unchanged sections are no longer being reprocessed. This new process makes Fusion a RAM hog, especially when you are working in 2k or other large formats. Fusion’s proxy scaling functions do allow for greater speed increase and less of a need for large amounts of RAM until you go to final render in HQ.
The package now includes, scripting, paint, particles, macro tools, cluster rendering, extensive color controls and many more features at the heart of our production pipeline.
We can rely on it for any and all the work done at Threshold Digital including television, film, theme park ride and multimedia production.
Threshold Digital is a Santa Monica-based, IBM-powered effects facility that specializes in film and theme park features. The company’s most recent effects projects include a 3D stereoscopic attraction for Hershey Park, an interactive ride for Disneyland Paris and the upcoming feature film A Guy Thing from MGM.
source: DigitalPostProduction (http://www.digitalpostproduction.com)