NEWS •FEBRUARY 28, 2001
Avid OMF Comes to After Effects 5
Plugin automatically imports Avid projects

Software developer Automatic Duck has announced the forthcoming release of OMF Composition Import, a plugin for Adobe After Effects 5. OMF Composition Import allows users to bring Avid OMF projects into After Effects automatically. Wes Plate, president of Automatic Duck, told us he expects the first release around the time of the NAB show in April. It will be released first for the Macintosh, with a Windows version following as soon as possible, he said. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 27, 2001
Maxon Unveils Cinema 4D Art
New 3D app targeted toward designers

Maxon Computer today announced a brand new product in its lineup of 3D software—Cinema 4D Art. The new program is not an addon to Maxon's Cinema 4D XL. Rather, it's a standalone targeted toward designers and those who work in print and product visualization. Read More

NEWS • FEBRUARY 26, 2001
After Effects 5 Goes 3D
Exclusive After Effects 5 QuickTime demos and tutorials!

Adobe has finally announced the forthcoming release of After Effects 5.0, the company's long-awaited (but still unavailable) update to its video compositing and effects suite. The new version includes a huge number of changes, including new 3D compositing capabilities, some new filters from the company's just-announced acquisition of Cycore's Cult Effects and 16-bit per channel color support (in the Production Bundle only). We have exclusive footage of After Effects 5 (created by our in house production staff at DMN TV), along with some introductory tutorials from Total Training and demonstrations of the product from Adobe. (Please note that these QuickTime files will be posted at 6 a.m. Pacific Time.) Read More

NEWS ANALYSIS • FEBRUARY 26, 2001
Adobe and Mac OS X
Native takes a back seat to Classic

Adobe After Effects 5.0 is the biggest news to come out of the second-biggest software company in a big while. It brings 3D to the most popular compositing software in the world. It brings a whole host of new features, including parenting and JavaScripting. And it brings the first shot to OS X we've seen from a Mac third-party developer. Read More

NEWS • FEBRUARY 26, 2001
Adobe Acquires Cycore Cult Effects, Atomic Power Evolution
Filter sets make it into After Effects 5

Adobe has acquired the assets of Cycore's Cult Effects and Atomic Power's Evolution, two sets of popular plugins for Adobe After Effects. The result is that these company's filters will now be included in After Effects 5, though some of them will only be available in the After Effects 5 Production Bundle. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 21, 2001
Apple, NVidia Announce GeForce 3
Macworld keynote also reveals new iMacs, new iTunes, new Cube and new pricing on the Cinema Display

Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivered his keynote address to the crowds at Macworld Tokyo this evening. Aside from the usual fare of one-sided competitions in which the G4 trounces Pentiums IIIs in Photoshop tests, Jobs did offer a few glimpses into the future of the Mac. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 21, 2001
McQ Releases Cutter 2.0 Software Edit Controller for Mac
New version does interformat 24p/30i

McQ Software Systems today released a 2.0 upgrade to its Cutter edit controller software for the Macintosh. Cutter runs on any 68040 or higher Mac with RS-422 serial ports. It turns the Mac into a cuts-only videotape edit controller. The new version adds support for edit control during conversion of 24 FPS progressive HDTV material to 30 FPS interlaced NTSC video, or 30i to 24p for audio layback. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 21, 2001
Sharp Announces 28" LCD Monitor
Widescreen model to sell for $17,000

Sharp today announced it will begin shipping a new 28" widescreen LCD monitor this month. The new model, the LC-28HM2, features widescreen high-definition resolution and 1,280 x 768 component video inputs and provides viewing for video sources from HDTV signals and DVDs to XGA, SVGA and VGA computers. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 21, 2001
Total Training Launches Photoshop 6 Series
New 12-tape series available in NTSC and PAL

Total Training has released the latest in its line of training videos: Total Training for Adobe Photoshop 6. The new series, like the previous one, is hosted by Deke McClelland, author of the Photoshop Bible and Photoshop for Dummies. Samples from the Photoshop 6 series can be found in Creative Mac's tutorials section, as well as the tutorials section of our sister site, Digital Media Designer. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 21, 2001
Hitachi Cuts Price on Plasma Monitor
42" model foes for $10,000

by David Nagel
Executive Producer
dnagel@digitalmedianet.com

Hitachi has reduced the price of its 42" plasma display panel, the CMP4120HDU. The model now sells for $9,995 and includes a new extended warranty. The CMP4120HDU provides a 160-degree viewing angle and a contrast ratio of 700:1. The CMP4120HDU can also be mounted either vertically or horizontally. It features a native resolution of 1,024 x 1,024. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 19, 2001
Apple Ships High-End G4 with SuperDrive
New 733 MHz model sports four 64-bit PCI slots

Apple today announced that it's shipping the 733 MHz G4 with the Pioneer SuperDrive, several weeks earlier than expected. Apple announced the model last month at the Macworld conference in San Francisco. The SuperDrive is a combination CD-RW and DVD-R, which means it can read and write CDs and DVDs. DVDs created with the SuperDrive can be played on consumer DVD devices. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 19, 2001
ElectricImage Updates Amorphium Pro
New version gets 'significantly improved' Flash rendering

ElectricImage today announced an update to its Amorphium Pro software for Macintosh and Windows. The new version adds new features and better rendering for Flash output, according to ElectricImage. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 19, 2001
Macromedia Updates Flash 5 for Mac
New version fixes bugs

Macromedia today released an updater for the Macintosh version of Flash 5. The new version, Flash 5.0a, fixes a number of bugs that were causing Flash to crash on the Mac. These include situations such as leaving the Sound Panel open, exporting complex animations, exporting to animated GIF, dragging and dropping frames to the timeline and nudging objects with the arrow keys. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 19, 2001
ALAP Ships InDesign Plugins
New publishing tools include ItemMarks, InPrint and Nudge

A Lowly Apprentice Production (ALAP) has started shipping three new page layout and publishing tools, as well as an update to InBooklet. InBooklet is an Adobe InDesign plugin for page imposition. The new version adds expanded printing capabilities to allow 2-up printer spreads and 3-up and 4-up consecutive pages from Adobe InDesign. InBooklet allows users to impose pages from a single InDesign document with full control over margins, gaps, bleed, creep and crossover traps. InBooklet 1.01 is a free update from 1.0. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 14, 2001
RE:Vision Updates Twixtor
Update fixes bugs for AE, Commotion, Combustion and Final Cut Pro

RE:Vision Effects this week launched an update to its ReelSmart Twixtor plugin for Adobe After Effects, Discreet Combustion, Pinnacle Systems Commotion and Apple Final Cut Pro. Twixtor allows users to speed up, slow down and change the frame rate of image sequences. It synthesizes unique new frames by warping and interpolating frames from the original sequence. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 14, 2001
3M Ships Portable LCD Projector with Mac Control
New models offers 1,400 ANSI lumens, XGA resolution

3M today announced a new model in its lineup of portable digital projectors. The seven-pound MP8747 offers 1,400 ANSI lumens and a resolution of 1,024 x 768 at 24 bits. It also offers digital keystone correction, which, according to 3M, keeps the projected image square automatically. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 13, 2001
Sony To Introduce Network VTRs
Company to focus on IP-based products at NAB

Sony says it will introduce networkable video decks at this year's NAB convention in Las Vegas in April. The company says it will also show off a whole slew of IP-based applications and systems, including servers, data systems, cameras, switchers, monitors, newsroom systems and asset management systems, along with new switchers and routers that are switchable between HD ands SD digital formats. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 13, 2001
Microtek Debuts Film Scanner
ArtixScan 4500t includes 25 megs of device and color profiles

Microtek has released a new film scanner today that it claims delivers drum-quality film scans. The new model, the ArtixScan 4500t, is a multi-format scanner targeted toward imaging professionals on Mac and Windows that uses a 10,000-element CCD to produce 42-bit depth at a maximum optical resolution of 2,571 DPI and a 3.9Dmax. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 12, 2001
Panasonic Intros 24p HD Cinema Cam
Panasonic enters the HD Cinema market with AJ-HDC24A

Panasonic has announced the AJ-HDC24A HD Cinema Camera, the first multi-frame-rate progressive-scan digital high definition camera. The AJ-HDC24A shoots at 24 frames progressive, in addition to others selected by the operator, including 60, 12 and more. By allowing multi-frame rates, it allows the cinematographer to "overcrank" or "undercrank" to alter the recorded speed of the action to create a specific effect. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 12, 2001
Canon To Ship High-Speed Film Scanner
New model offers 4,000 DPI for $1,100

Canon says it will ship a new high-speed film scanner in the second quarter of this year. The new model, the CanoScan FS4000US, offers 42-bit, 4,000 DPI resolution; 14-bit A/D conversion; USB and SCSI-2 interfaces; and scratch and dust removal capabilities. The new scanner accepts 35 mm and Advanced Photo System films, including slide film, and has a dynamic range is 3.4. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 12, 2001
Yamaha To Ship 16x FireWire CD-RW
Mac drive rips audio CDs at 40x

Yamaha today announced its new CRW2100FXZ, a FireWire CD-RW drive that writes at 16x, rewrites at 10x and reads at 40x. The drive is compatible out of the box with FireWire-equipped Macs and is expected to ship this month. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 12, 2001
Epson Brings 2,440 DPI to Large Format with new Stylus Pro 5500
Other large-format models get discount

Epson today announced it's lowering prices on three of its professional large-format printers. The company also started shipping the Stylus Pro 5500, a 13" (wide), 2,440 x 720 DPI printer that uses Epson's new Archival Inks. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 12, 2001
Mac Gets 2 Gigabit Fibre Channel RAID
Chaparral ships A8526 controller

Chaparral Network Storage today started shipping its A8526 Fibre-Channel RAID controllers, which now sport a speed of 2 gigabits per second. The new controllers are based on a new technology from JNI in the form of the Emerald IV chip, which is designed to run on the Mac and other platforms. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 9, 2001
Canon Beefs Up ZR Camcorder Line
Three new models due in second quarter

Canon today announced three new models in its ZR line of digital camcorders targeted toward the prosumer market. In addition to capturing DV footage, two of the new models will also ship with MultiMediaCards for capturing still images at 640 x 480. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 9, 2001
SoftPress Ships Freeway 3.1
Mac Web design tool allows direct Flash editing

SoftPress has released version 3.1 of Freeway, it's Web design and page layout tool. Freeway 3.1 includes new features and performance improvements, as well as maintenance enhancements, according to SoftPress. Freeway takes an approach to Web page layout similar to desktop publishing tools and is targeted to designers. It includes support for multiple master pages; typographical features (such as converting typefaces to GIFs, while maintaining their editability); cascading style sheets; built-in graphics optimization; rollover editing; and JavaScripting. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 9, 2001
ALAP Releases Xpert Align
Plugin brings quick alignment to Quark

A Lowly Apprentice Production (ALAP) has release Xpert Align, an XTension for QuarkXPress that allows users to align items in a Quark document. It can align items left, right, top and bottom, as well as horizontal center and vertical center. It can also be used to distribute items vertical top, center and bottom and horizontal left, center and right. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 8, 2001
Maxon Updates Cinema 4D, BodyPaint 3D
New Cinema 4D supports Photoshop layers as textures

Maxon Computer today announced updates for Cinema 4D XL and Cinema 4D Net, as well as BodyPaint 3D. The new versions of Cinema 4D (version 6.3) add support for BodyPaint 3D's .b3d texture format. In addition, pictures in .psd Photoshop format with layers can be used as texture. Other improvements include enhanced alpha channel capabilities with multi-layer materials and the simultaneous display of the texture grid in shading mode. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 7, 2001
Digital Film Tools Releases Composite Suite 1.5
Plugins for Avid and After Effects include selective color adjustment, natural lighting effects

Digital Films Tools has released version 1.5 of its Composite Suite, a collection of 14 plugins for Avid Macintosh systems and Adobe After Effects. Plugins in the set include tools for selective color correction, matte generation, natural lighting effects and several natural effects, such as fire, smoke and explosions. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 7, 2001
Medea Lowers Prices on VideoRaid, AudioRaid, VideoRack
VideoRack RTX drops $1,700

Medea has lowered the prices of its VideoRaid SCSI and RT disk arrays, as well as its SCSI AudioRaid drives and VideoRack systems. VideoRaid SCSI arrays offer 20 and 40 MB per second sustained data transfer rates and storage capacities up to 160 GB. VideoRaid RT sustains a data transfer rate of 65 MB per second and is available in capacities up to 450 GB. VideoRack RTX disk arrays offer sustained data transfer rates up to 135 MB per second and storage capacities to 600 GB per rack. AudioRaid and AudioRack SCSI support up to 128 tracks of 24-bit/96 kHz audio. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 5, 2001
Wacom Offers Deal on Painter 6
Discount price for new and existing customers

Wacom has started offering a special deal to its customers on the purchase of Corel Painter 6. Now through Feb. 21, owners of Wacom Graphire and Intuos tablet systems can buy Painter 6 for $199. (it's usually priced at $399.) Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 5, 2001
Nikon To Release Digital SLRs
5.47 megapixel camera shoots three frames per second

Nikon today announced the impending release of two new digital SLR cameras. The company says the new models are the fastest on the market, with high-speed image processing that produces three frames per second on the D1X for up to nine consecutive shots at resolutions up to 5.47 megapixels. The other new camera, the D1H, produces up to five frames per second for up to 40 shots at 2.74 megapixels. Read More

NEWS •Feb. 05, 2001
ALAP Updates ImagePort to 1.1
New version supports Photoshop adjustment layers in QuarkXPress

A Lowly Apprentice Production (ALAP) has released a 1.1 upgrade to ImagePort, an XTension for QuarkXPress that allows users to import Photoshop files directly into Quark with layers intact. The latest release adds support for adjustment layers as well. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 5, 2001
Toshiba Announces New Digital Cameras
3.3 megapixel model to sell for $599

Toshiba today announced its new lineup of digital cameras, ranging from the $249, 1.3 megapixel PDR-M11 to the $599, 3.3 megapixel PDR-M65. The cameras will be on display beginning next week at the PMA show in Orlando beginning Feb. 11. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 5, 2001
Bitstream Releases Font Collection
'Cambridge Collection' includes 200 fonts on unlocked CD

Bitstream today announced the release of the Cambridge Collection, a new CD of 200 fonts for Mac and Windows in both TrueType and PostScript formats. The collection includes several Bitstream originals, such as Amerigo and Chianti, as well as "fun" and "elegant" fonts. The Cambridge Collection comes with 200 fonts in total, including display faces and families of text faces, selected from Bitstream's typeface library. Read More

NEWS • FEBRUARY 1 , 2001
Worley Plugins Come to Mac LightWave
Taft, Polk, Gaffer and Sasquatch get discount through Feb. 9

Worley Laboratories has released the long-anticipated Mac versions of their popular plugins for NewTek’s LightWave 3D. These plugins, previously available only for Windows, include Gaffer, Polk, Taft, and the most recent hair plugin Sasquatch. These plugins are identical to the Windows versions. Read More

NEWS •FEBRUARY 1, 2001
Waves Releases Renaissance Vox Compressor Limiter for Mac and Mac TDM
'One-knob' limiter also includes noise gate

Waves Ltd., a developer of audio software and hardware, today released Renaissance Vox for the Macintosh and Macintosh-based TDM systems. Renaissance Vox is a "one-knob" compressor limiter that also includes a noise gate. Read More

NEWS • FEBRUARY 1, 2001
Human Software Releases Textissimo 3.0
New Photoshop plugin adds 750 effects

Plugin developer Human Software today released version 3.0 of its Textissimo filter for Adobe Photoshop and Corel PhotoPaint. Textissimo works around a virtual engine made of approximately 25 basic operations, such as emboss, Gaussian blur, gradient, color matrix, wind, noise, textures and other operations in combination with up to 28 alpha channels. Operations can be edited and combined to create new effects on text and graphics. Read More

NEWS • FEBRUARY 1, 2001
Fuji Introduces Three Digital Cameras
High-end models sport new Fujifilm Super CCD

Fuji Photo Film today introduced three new models in its FinePix line of digital cameras. Two higher-end models will see their debuts later this year, while the low-end FinePix 2300 will start shipping in April. Read More

NEWS • FEBRUARY 01, 2001
Xerox Goes Wide Format
52" ColorgrafX uses two-roll online media

Xerox Engineering Systems is adding more weight to the wide-format market with the introduction today of the ColorgrafX X2 wide-format piezoelectric inkjet printer. The new model is a 54", six-color (tonal, not hexachromatic) printer that supports both 720 DPI and 360 DPI for final and draft output. Read More

NEWS • JANUARY 31, 2001
Poser Pro Pack Ships
Addon allows character animation to be exported to Flash

Curious Labs today announced the release of Poser Pro Pack, a 3D character modeling and animation package, for the Macintosh. Curious Labs is the company formed by some of the original developers of Poser after the dissolution of Metacreations' software division about a year ago. Read More

NEWS • JANUARY 31, 2001
Cinema 4D, BodyPaint Demos Available for OS X
OS X versions to take "full advantage" of the power of new operating system

Maxon Computer has released demo version of its Cinema 4D XL and BodyPaint 3D applications for OS X. The company had demonstrated their 3D applications running on OS X at the Macworld Expo held earlier this month in San Francisco. This latest release joins a whole slew of 3D developers who have announced or released programs for OS X, which is due to ship in March. Read More

NEWS • JANUARY 31, 2001
Addonics To Ship 'Pocket CD-RW'
Slim drive to include FireWire, USB/USB 2.0

Addonics Technologies today announced it will ship a "Pocket CD-RW" drive later this year. The "Pocket" in "Pocket CD-RW" refers to the drive's slim profile, which, according to Addonics, is about 0.8". The rest of the drive has about the same dimensions as a CD jewel case. Read More