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CombustionR4 with Gary M Davis   
Gary M Davis

a bit about me...
My primary function is computer artist for hire on a contract/consulting status. My secondary function is traveling, teaching and writing as a certified training specialist for animation software.
I am a firm believer that when one is creating an artwork of any kind, the final piece is what matters, not how an artist gets there. The software and hardware tools that we utilize in this fast-moving industry should be secondary; not a measure of prestige and/or talent. You can not teach someone to paint just by handing them a paintbrush


Gary M. Davis
 After earning a BFA in Computer Animation from the university honors program at Bowling Green State University, Gary toured extensively for three years with various electronic recording artists performing animation and visual effects.  During the next six years, Davis was heavily involved with the motion simulator and ride film industry.  There are over a dozen patents for the work on these projects including hemispherical and cylindrical acquisition and delivery of stereoscopic media.  In 1999, Gary formed visualZ and became primarily involved with broadcast clients including ABC, MTV, FOX, USA and The Sci-Fi Channel. Davis has also created numerous animations for Compaq, Budweiser, Haxan Films, Disney and Universal Studios.  Drawing upon over twelve years of industry experience, he continues to travel as a hired gun for contract production work and is also one of three certified Discreet Training Specialists for both 3ds max and combustion.  Gary has written for several publications including the official Discreet Courseware, Post Magazine, CGChannel.com, The Mensa Bulletin and Create Magazine.  Davis recently completed his first book, The Focal Easy Guide to Discreet combustion 3.  He can best be reached through his website at www.visualZ.com
 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Ships Combustion 4—Desktop Visual Effects and Compositing Software for Apple Macintosh

New Version Helps Macintosh-based Artists Realize their Ideas with Sophisticated New Tools and Workflow to Create Visual Effects

 

San Rafael, Calif., December 20, 2005—, Inc.(NASDAQ: ADSK), today announced it has begun shipping Combustion 4 software for Apple Macintosh.  Combustion 4, ’s desktop visual effects software consists of a powerful feature set including vector paint, particles, effects, animation and 3D compositing.  This new version for the Mac operating system streamlines the creative process for visual graphics creation by providing enhanced interoperability with third-party desktop applications, improved paint tools and workflow efficiency.  

Combustion software can be used in the creation process to realize compelling visual effects sequences for motion pictures, television episodics and cutting edge commercials.  Recent projects that relied on Combustion software in the creative process include: Fantastic Four (Meteor Studios), Serenity and the Sci Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica television series (Zoic Studios), and the Seven Swords (Digital Pictures Iloura, Australia).

 

Key new features in Combustion 4 software for Mac include:

·         Diamond Keyer—second generation of sophisticated keying algorithms, used to remove green screen/ blue screen background data in film or video, is derived from ’s Discreet Flame, an visual effects system, and adds a new level of advanced keying technology

·         Time-Warp—fully key-frameable, time-remapping operator for quickly creating slow motion and speed-up effects

·         B-spline vector shapes and new point-grouping for faster, more efficient rotoscoping

·         Custom capsules—create and save encapsulated single or grouped operator nodes

·         New optimized ‘Fast Gaussian Blur’—removes fine image detail for a smoothing effect that can simulate motion or a blurred speed look

·         Merge operator—new optimized operator to quickly merge two layers of the same size using any of the transfer nodes in Combustion software

·         Enhanced paint—new paint tools, grids and rulers, Bspline in paint and new customized brushes

 

“This release of Combustion 4 for the Macintosh underscores ’s commitment to providing the best visual effects technology on the best OS platforms that allows motion graphics artists to realize their creative ideas,” said Marc Petit, vice president of  product development and operations at Media & Entertainment division.  “Our Macintosh customers will be very pleased with this latest release of Combustion, bringing the advanced Diamond Keyer from our professional systems products to the desktop level.”