Resources > Documents and papers

With SIGGRAPH 2017 currently under way a lot of companies are showing off their latest technology relating to computer graphics. Square Enix held a presentation that showcased the in-house technology used on Final Fantasy XV as well as showing off characters from the pre-rendered CG movie Final Fantasy XV Kingsglaive running in real-time. Several topics are covered including AI, animation and much more. Watch the video embedded in the news post or visit Youtube.

Australia-based Migenius have tested Iray 2015's performance on various graphics cards. Check out the results on their website.

(Updated) Volume 2 has been released.
Allegorithmic's Wes McDermott is putting together a guide that covers the theory of PBR and practical guidelines for application. Volume one focuses on the theory of physically-based shading and rendering. Volume 2 covers guidelines and workflows for creating PBR textures. More on Allegorithmic's website.

ColliderVisuals studio has released a free guide that explains how to use Unreal Engine 4 and 3DS Max for Archviz. More on ColliderVisuals' website.

A number of papers and material related to courses, talks and new technologies presented at SIGGRAPH can be found on the sites of Ke-Sen Huang and Stephen Hill.

Docracy is a new site that serves as a repository for free, socially-curated contracts and other legal documents. It also allows for e-signing documents. More at Docracy.

Mike Monteiro, co-founder of Mule Design Studio, and his lawyer Gabe Levine give some healthy advice on using contracts and setting expectations in writing. More at Mule Design's blog.

The Core Skills of VFX is a handbook produced by Skillset, a UK industry body that supports skills and training for individuals and businesses. The handbook offers a clear presentation of the VFX industry's voice regarding what skills the industry currently needs. More at Skillset.

If you're interested in learning more about the history of computer graphics, this is an excellent resource: "A Critical History of Computer Graphics and Animation" and the "CGI Historical Timeline", both courtesy of Wayne Carlson, former Director of Ohio State University's Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD).