New features in Pixar's render farm managing software include UI enhancements, command line and scripting interfaces and resource-sharing controls for maximizing utilization. More on Pixar's website.

Researchers at Microsoft have come up with a technique for smoothing and stabilizing motion in sped up videos. Hyperlapse reconstructs how a camera moves throughout a video, and plots out a smoother camera path and stitches pixels from multiple video frames to rebuild the scene. More on Microsoft.com.

Chaos Group has released a video that announces compatibility of their renderer with The Foundry's line of software. Supported applications include Modo, Nuke, and Katana. For more information visit Chaos Group's V-Ray website.

Spanish artist Eloi Andaluz has posted online a highly creative project: a pinball game that runs in 3DS Max. Pinball Pro uses ThinkingParticles' Bullet physics implementation and rules-based approach to recreate a quality real time Pinball that is totally modifiable and configurable (with original textures by graphic designer Simon Léveillé). Its aim is also to be a resource for learning ThinkingParticles tricks and techniques. Pinball Pro will soon be available for purchase. Watch a video and find out more on AndVFX.com.

Pixologic has disclosed the new features of the upcoming version of its sculpting, painting and detailing software. Highlights include new low-poly modeling tools, instancing, a 64-bit version of 4R7 and a ZBrush to Keyshot bridge. The new features were demoed at the recent ZBrush Summit. Find out more on the ZBrush Central.

New features in PipelineFX's render farm management system include: (more...)

Filmmaker, photographer and head of 3D Studio/MAX development Gary Yost has created his latest work "Hawaiian Tree Bones" making interesting use of infrared timelapse photography and grading. Watch the video on Vimeo and read the making of on NikonRumors.com.

A number of interesting renders have been created by Lee Griggs, technical artist at Solid Angle, using dense distribution of primitives based on image maps. The images were made using Maya, XGen and Arnold. The technique has been reproduced by Archviz artist Bertrand Benoit to create another batch of aesthetic renders, this time using 3DS Max, Forest Pack Pro and V-Ray. Find the images on the sites of Lee Griggs and Bertrand Benoit.