Adobe Flash Platform, Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation and more !

Adobe Flash Platform

Last minor updates

Adobe Flash Player Release Candidate
Flash Player 1o.1 – first official version of the Open Screen Project – is now release candidate. It means that the official version will come very soon now. So stay tuned !

But you always may read and install the Flash Player 1o.1 RC for testing purpose. Indeed Adobe explains that ‘Consumers can try the prerelease of Flash Player 10.1 to preview hardware acceleration of video on supported Windows PCs and x86-based netbooks‘. For that Adobe supply a component dedicated to monitore memory. This component contains an ActionScript 3.0 class file that reports the total amount of memory used by the application it is running in :

¬ Read Press release and the Release Notes
¬ Download Flash Player 1o.1 and the Memory Monitoring Component

Squiggly preview 3
On 3oth march 2o1o, Adobe announced the availability of the 3rd preview version of the Squiggly libraries which allows developers to easily add spell checking functionality in any Flex 3 or Flex 4 based text control. Adobe has build its reputation with high quality products for pinting and editing with InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat. In this tradition Adobe has improved the Flash Player by supplying a new Text Layout Framework, by creating an actionscript library for integrationg XMP metadata and with this Squiggly actionscript library.

BluePrint preview 2
On 8th april 2o1o, Adobe has released the 2nd preview release of the project ‘Blueprint‘, the plugin for Adobe® Flex® Builder™ 3 and Flash® Builder™ 4 that allows users to query for Adobe Flex and Adobe Flash code examples found on the Web directly inside of the development environment. Adobe is really taking care about the community. A lot of initiatives are done to exchange with the community. After Adobe Labs Ideas, Adobe Community Help AIR Application, the BluePrint project is a new brick to this growing wall.

Adobe Photoshop Family products updates

In 2o1o the Photshop’s activity is very rich. As I mentioned in the post about the CS5 launch, Adobe realised a web site specially for the 2oth Anniversary of Photoshop.

Adobe Camera Raw and DNG Converter

As far as the Photoshop application is concerned, Adobe has published on 5th april 2o1o the Camera Raw 5.7 plugin release candidate. The Camera Raw plug-in provides access within Photoshop to the raw image formats produced by many digital cameras. By reading the short release notes I notice that Adobe has already anticipate the new version of Lightroom because ‘Camera Raw 5.7 includes an updated demosaic algorithm designed to provide compatibility with settings applied in Lightroom 3‘.
With the Camera Raw plugin, you will find the DNG Converter application. DNG Converter utility allows users to convert thair raw files produced natively by their digital camera into DNG format file. Digital Negative (DNG) is an open raw image format owned by Adobe used for digital photography. Note that Adobe extended the DNG format to the cinema industry with the CinemaDNG format !

Like Apple who is so product design orient, I like how Adobe is graphic design oriented. Note the About page od the DNG Converter. It’s free, unuseful, but so nice to see… Everything is in the detail…

Read also Adobe documentation:
¬ [PDF] Understanding digital raw capture
¬ [PDF] Linear gamma

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

As long as I can remember that the first time Adobe is developing so clearly 2 versions of the same application at the same time.
On 5th april Adobe announced the release candidate of the last coming version update of the official Lightroom application : Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.7 release candidate.

Few days sooner, on 23rd march 2o1o, Adobe announced the next version of the same application in beta phase : Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta 2. For a good understanding of the improvement of this new version, read the Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 beta 2 Release Notes [PDF] and watch the Adove TV show : What’s new in Lightroom 3 Beta 2

For general information stay tuned on
¬ Lightroom Journal
¬ Adove TV

I recommend you to download Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta 2 and to try it !

Lightroom Learning Center

For any photographer using Photoshop family products user, you must have in mind that the National Association of Photoshop Professionals is offering free online resource.

Dont forget that Apple has revealed its 3rd version of Aperture!

Autodesk Butterfly

Autodesk have published a new version of Project Butterfly at the end on march 2o1o. Among the new features, you can overlay your design on a Google Maps from within Butterfly. So you can include planning infrastructure design, urban planning, or just placing your house plans on the site. Fantastic ! If you wan t to know about Google Maps integration and other features (Large raster support, New Collaboration widget, Measure tools), read this excellent post from the Autodesk Project Butterfly blog.

I really recommend the Autodesk Butterfly experience !

Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation Edition

Based on Autodesk 3DS Max or Autodesk Maya DCC software, Autodesk offers 2 Digital Entertainment Creation Suites.

¬ Autodesk® 3DS Max® Entertainment Creation Suite 2011
¬ Autodesk® Maya® Entertainment Creation Suite 2011

Here below is a refresh of what the Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation Suite is made :

Autodesk 3ds Max or Autodesk Maya
Autodesk® 3ds Max® and Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software provide integrated 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing.
Autodesk® Maya® software is a integrated 3D modeling, animation, special effects, rendering, and compositing solution.

Autodesk Mudbox
Autodesk® Mudbox™ software is a digital sculpting and texture painting software application.

Autodesk MotionBuilder
Autodesk® MotionBuilder® software is a real-time 3D character animation productivity suite for film animation production and virtual cinematography to complement both Autodesk® Maya® and Autodesk® 3ds Max® software, as well as other Digital Content Creation (DCC) applications that support Autodesk® FBX® file format.

Note that the AREA web site is becoming a real companion for the 3D designer and is visually more adapted for creation, animation and design topics!

And more !

Aldebaran Robotics Choregraphe

By reading the last numero of the ‘Planète Robots’ magazine edited by RobotImpact, I’ve discovered the existence of Choregraphe, the visual programing software supplied by Aldebaran Robotics firm to animate the Nao robot. The beta version (1.o.o) was initiated on december 2oo8. The current version I downloaded for testing purpose is now 1.3.3. Choregraphe requires the installation of Python 2.5.2. Note that if you want to take advantage of the software Choregraph, you would have to be member of the Aldebaran Robotics firm.

I will write a post to introduce you Choregraphe. But I’ve already start using the software (I just have 30 days! to test it) and the first impression is very positiv. Even if I think the software may be improved in temrs of usability and design, the current state is very good. It very easy to program a first project and the possibility offer by this application are really promising !

I highly recommend Nao and Choregraphe !

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