News Stories

3D audio enhances military situational awareness

5.15.2012

[StrategicDefenseIntelligence]

….

Giving sound a tag – for instance a certain distinct noise meaning the movement of an enemy detachment – and giving it context in 3D space enables to a soldier to react immediately without having to read a label, even when the source is behind him. It can also appear to move in accordance with sensors detecting the movement of the tracked item on the battlefield.

During military operation in urban environments, audio is often a more primary sense than vision, providing a soldier with an early warning system. However, sounds like gunshots can bounce off densely-packed buildings, giving an incorrect location, so an artificial 3D cue through headphones could eliminate this.

The research also shows that using audio cues requires little or no training compared with interpreting readouts. By giving a perceived location that matches the actual one, a soldier instinctively knows where to turn and look.  …

See the full story here: http://www.strategicdefenceintelligence.com/article/BUCoc60r1Io/2012/05/09/insight_3d_audio_enhances_military_situational_awareness/

Maker Movement Purists Bothered by ‘Closed System’ 3D Printing Cartridges

5.15.2012

[BetaBeat]

“We’ve been engineering our tails off to bring you the best personal 3D printer and we rejected the proprietary cartridge model for printing materials which other companies use, because we encourage sharing and iteration,” MakerBot founder Bre Pettis wrote last week on the MakerBot Industries blog.

…

The 3D printing ecosystem is taking off, and more competitors are slipping into the space. The Cube, which starts at a very affordable $1,299, is the tiny, slick, Wifi-enabled printer that has some pundits speculating it may be the first 3D printer to appeal to the mainstream consumer. The Cube uses proprietary printer cartridges, with plastic available in ten colors. “With our EZ load Cartridge changing to a different color or replacing an empty cartridge is a breeze,” Cube says on its site.

It may be EZ, but it’s not open, maker movement purists say. “I know it’s an odd balance between wanting 3D Printing to go mainstream by making it extremely user-friendly and removing barriers, but when you hand me closed up cartridges of filament and everything is ‘pop it in and go, replace through our store using our proprietary fittings and canisters’ it feels really foreign to the whole Maker movement,” user Tim Owens commented on the post. …

See the full story here: http://betabeat.com/2012/05/14/maker-movement-purists-bothered-by-closed-system-3d-printing-cartridges/

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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