Think 3D Printing Is Wild? Try This Method On For Size (UV-cured resin)
One robotic arm supports a souped-up version of a digital projector at a stable height, while a second holds a vat of resin. (This resin has honey-like consistency, not unlike the stuff your dentist might use to make a mold of your teeth.) The second arm moves the resin vat into the projector’s beam of light, and the designer tells the computer where and when to expose that vat to the projector’s UV rays. This, amazingly enough, instantly hardens a specific portion of the resin.
And if that’s not mind-blowing enough, consider this: As the robotic arm moves lower, the rest of the liquid resin drops away as the arm moves it lower, which makes it appear as though the clear model is being “pulled” out of the vat of liquid.
3net forms studio, shifts focus
3D broadcaster 3net has shuffled its production and distribution efforts under a new banner to meet shifting demands on the US channel and the international market.
The channel – a joint venture between Sony, Discovery Communications and Imax – will do “very few acquisitions and many more commissions” in its near future according to 3net CEO Tom Cosgrove.
Those commissions – and coproductions, which will also remain part of the 3net mix – will come from both indie shops and the newly formed 3net Studios, he told C21.
Meanwhile, the studio will look to export more content to the world market, where Cosgrove observes demand despite what some see as 3D’s failure to click with consumers.
“There was enormous hype, beyond what was realistic,” Cosgrove told C21 of early expectations around 3D. But he added that the still-promising sales figures on sets and movies indicate a market that’s headed in the right direction.
See the full story here: http://www.c21media.net/archives/90228
Also see http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-3dnet-20121016,0,4311647.story
Abu Dhabi Film Festival: DeSouza brings 3D motion capture to the masses
3D supervisor Clyde DeSouza explained how 3D and motion capture technology - normally the preserve of Hollywood blockbusters - is becoming accessible to low-budget and indie filmmakers, during his 3D Master Class at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.
DeSouza demonstrated what he described as the “humble” Microsoft Kinect - a motion sensing input device, normally used by gamers who own the Xbox console.
Along with software such as NuiCapture, which digitally captures the movement of skeletons, and FaceShift, which does the same for facial expressions, DeSouza explained how consumer hardware can be used to make low-budget CGI films. ...
“3D is not just a tool - it’s a new medium to engineer emotion.”
See the full story here: http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/abu-dhabi-film-festival-desouza-brings-3d-motion-capture-to-the-masses/5047771.article
Disney plans 3D home entertainment push
Disney is focusing on 3D content on the home entertainment front for the holidays, with Blu-ray Disc 3D (BD3D) releases planned for Tinker Bell and the Pixar blockbuster Brave, both 2012 titles.
The studio is also planning a BD3D release of Up (2009) and a re-issue of the classic Finding Nemo on BD3D, which recently swam its way into theatres in a new 3D print.
Meanwhile, the studio has scented the connected television opportunity, and has partnered up with consumer electronics giant LG to offer 3D movie rentals within the LG 3D World App, which comes embedded on connected LG Smart TVs.
See the full story here: http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/24559/disney-plans-3d-home-entertainment-push.html
3D Starts Popping Up in U.S. Homes
With the help of box office hits like "The Avengers" and "Prometheus," 3D Blu-rays are starting to make a dent in the home video market.
While it isn’t making the headlines it was two years ago, 3D for the home is quietly catching on in U.S. households, Nielsen and Home Media Magazine research shows. Recent theatrical hits are generating significant chunks of their total unit sales from 3D.
Read the full story here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/3d-starts-popping-up-us-380198
Lytro camera getting parallax effect and 3D display support, lands in Hong Kong (video)
Lytro isn't done extending the usefulness of its light field camera just because we have manual controls. Another update due by the end of the year will take advantage of that focus-independent sensor to allow a parallax-based 3D effect in photos: invoke a 'full' focus in reviewing shots and you can start poking around the scene in a limited way without having ever touched a dual-sensor camera. Appropriately, we're also getting support for examining photos on 3D monitors and TVs that emphasize the added depth.
See the full story here: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/18/lytro-adding-parallax-effects-and-3d-display-support/
Massive 3-D Printing Factory Opens In Long Island City
Shapeways’ new 25,000-square-foot “Factory of the Future” on 48th Avenue and 30th Street, which contains a production and distribution center, is partially still under construction and is the latest company to move into the once-bustling manufacturing neighborhood.
The facility, which creates designs on the surfaces of 3D objects, will be able to print up to 5 million unique products each year and it will create as many as 50 manufacturing jobs, the company announced.
Read the full story here: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121018/long-island-city/massive-3-d-printing-factory-opens-long-island-city
3net Goes 4K
3net, the joint venture from Sony, Discovery and IMAX, has formed 3net Studios, a new global production and distribution division that will create and market 4K as well as 3D content.
3net Studios, based at both Sony Pictures headquarters in Los Angeles and Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., will continue to produce in 3D as well as what it’s referring to as “TotalD,”— native 3D4K, 2D4K, 3D2K and both 3D/2D HD formats.
Read the full story here: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/net-goes-k-/215946
Don’t like 3-D Movies, Deal With it, Because They are Here to Stay
In 1990, three movies were released that were shown in 3-D in select movie theaters. Last year nearly 75 movies were released that were shown in 3-D in select theaters. There is no doubting the fact that movies shown in 3-D are becoming more and more popular as each year passes. And recently television screens that display movies and television shows in 3-D have been released, however they have received significant amounts of criticism, and while one day may occupy every household in the world, are currently simply not generating significant amounts of revenue. In my personal view and in the view of numerous industry analysts, the true potential of the industry lies in the companies who possess the technology and capabilities of not only shooting movies in 3-D, but also showing them in 3-D. IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX), Dolby Laboratories Incorporated (NYSE: DLB), and Real D(NYSE: RLD) are some of the publicly traded companies that meet these specifications. Out of these three companies IMAX Corporation stands out as an industry trailblazer and leader. However Real D and Dolby both meet these requirements, and could be considered as healthy investments in the 3-D industry. Real D is more invested in the technology of 3-D, while Dolby is more diversified as opposed to just 3-D.
(Chart of IMAX financial data.)
See the full story here: http://beta.fool.com/makinmoney2424/2012/10/10/dont-3-d-movies-deal-it-because-they-are-here-stay/13877/?ticker=DLB&source=eogyholnk0000001
How HP Could Reinvent 3D Printing…and Itself
[Philip Lelyveld comment: This article contains a useful graphic of the markets and market sizes for 3D printers.]
Read the article here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevefaktor/2012/10/15/how-hp-could-reinvent-3d-printing-and-itself/