IRIDAS announced today a public beta program for the FrameCycler 2.0 studio edition application. FrameCycler is a high speed digital flipbook tool for Windows that allows for uncompressed real time playback of film resolution frames. Bundled with advanced features for motion and frame analysis, FrameCycler is a valuable tool for all artists dealing with digital animation. Scheduled release date: April 12 2001.

Discreet will distribute for the first time in Max's history, a trial version of the 3D program. The CD will contain a fully functioning 15-day demo of 3ds max 4, a character studio 3 demo, a Reactor demo, and a Flash presentation on the Discreet range of 3D products and 11 tutorials for using max 4.
More info at Computer Arts magazine.

At the recent Intel Developer Forum, Louis Burns, general manager of Intel's Desktop Platforms Group, announced that Intel was working on a new generation I/O spec that would replace PCI. The spec, which looks to prepare I/O technology for the coming age of 10-GHz processors, will move away from shared buses, as in the Infiniband initiative for servers. There's already support in the industry behind another standard called HyperTransport from Advanced Micro Devices and analysts fear that Intel's new technology could split the industry.
More information available at News.com.

Even if we are Max freaks, it may be good sometimes to look some others package demo reels...Enjoy XSI-reel from Softimage, here.
It looks more like a marketing reel than a demo reel, anyway, it funny to hear them that they finally have multiple cameras, scripting, .... :)

Check out these very nice images by Spanish artists Sergio Miruri and Jorge Seva. Only the "Archivista" images have been done using GI (the others were generated with Max's scanline renderer).

TranslucencyR4 0.6 by Grant Adam - 2x faster.
PinStack by Grant Adam - Restores position in stack when an object's reselected.
ChilliSkinner v2.8.0 Beta 1 for R4.
Blurbeta's BSPack_012 with new ModifierManager and CameraTransfer scripts.
Technical Camera Modifier V0.9 By Frido Nahon, useful to correct the perspective within the camera in architectural visualizations.

Three reviews at C3mag:
Body Paint 3D & Deep Paint 3D
Integra's Insight
Flat panel monitors compared
Planet3DArt reviews Amorphium Pro.

KotaArt is dedicated to the promotion of 2-D and 3-D digital art with the express purpose of elevating the stature of digital artforms to that enjoyed by traditional art forms such photography, sculpture, and painting. Their aim is to promote works of talented new artists in the hope that the unknown digital artist of today will become the Michelangelo of tomorrow. Visit the site for more information about their latest contest.