Phoenix Tools, an Italy-based computer graphics software developer, announced the release of Origami 2.0, a high-end set of modules and utilities for Softimage|3D, and a new Maya Shader plug-in. Origami 2.0 allows users to extract or reconstruct the lost 3D information from a set of photographs or a motion sequence. The new package is faster and easier, with greater reliability, giving the user a complete set of tools for all the steps that constitute the complex process of camera tracking and 3D reconstruction. The new version is totally integrated in the 3D authoring environment of Softimage|3D, which means that the user can visualize and use the results immediately, saving time by not moving from one application to another. Origami 2.0 also delivers improvements to all the operative modules: PT_2DTracker, PT_3DCameraTracking and PT_3DSceneReconstruction. The company has also released its first collection of shaders dedicated to Maya 2.5 and 3.0. The Maya Shader v1.0 collection provides Maya artists with a kit of advanced tools for creating better quality images. All the shaders are nicely integrated in the Maya GUI and are hardly distinguishable from the native ones. The Maya Shader v1.0 collection consists of three surface shaders, twelve procedural texture generators and four utility shaders. The collection is available for NT and Irix platforms. The Linux version will follow as the Maya Linux version is shipped. Origami 2.0 and Maya Shader Collection v1.0 are available through authorized Phoenix Tools resellers. An Origami 2.0 permanent license costs US$2000, while an EZ-Tools 12 month subscription costs $500. The Maya Shader retails for $350. To learn more about the new tools visit Phoenix's Website at: www.phoenixtools.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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