Brings Enhanced 3D Integration to Visual Effects and Motion Graphics Artists

VANCOUVER, BC - August 26, 2002 - electricFX today announced the public beta availability of eFX Extract3D™, a new effects plug-in for Adobe After Effects. With the release of this plug-in, motion graphics and visual effects artists now have quick and easy access within After Effects to powerful "hidden" 3D image channels rendered by 3D animation applications like 3DS Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Softimage and Electric Image.

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Using the eFX Extract3D plug-in, After Effects artists can easily view, extract, mask and color-map image file footage using up to 12 additional channels of 3D information rendered by 3D animation applications, including Z Depth, Material ID, Object ID, Texture UV, Surface Normal, Non-Clamped RGB and Coverage. With eFX Extract3D, users of either the Standard Version or Production Bundle of After Effects can work with 3D image file footage using RPF, RLA, PIC/ZPIC and EI/EIZ formats in any After Effects project. With the Production Bundle, eFX Extract3D fully supports 64-bit-per-pixel color (trillions of colors) for greater detail and color fidelity.

Integrates 3D Animation with Visual Effects Compositing

The demand for an ever-increasing range of motion graphics and dynamic visual effects is driving the need for innovation in the entertainment content creation workflow. In particular, the ability to link 3D animation products with visual effects compositing software has become a very hot topic. Production facilities are finding that they no longer can depend on using a single stand-alone 3D application to "do it all" in their effects projects. Many crucial tasks such as keying, rotoscoping, color correction, layering and lens effects are accomplished much more quickly and easily in a desktop compositing application. Consequently, the connection between 3D animation software and visual effects compositing software has become a crucially important link that content creators are looking for ways to integrate and optimize.

The new eFX Extract3D plug-in for Adobe After Effects directly addresses this integration challenge by making it easier to employ critical 3D information together with regular 2D imagery in the desktop compositing workflow. This plug-in enhances the ability for visual effects and motion graphics artists, working in After Effects, to create effects based on a variety of 3D metadata, such as pixel depth (distance from the camera), object identifiers and surface characteristics. When this 3D information is imported into After Effects, accompanying a 2D image sequence, eFX Extract3D uses it to assist the artist in creating sophisticated visual effects through compositing techniques that rely on the 3D metadata.

Enhances Connection between After Effects and 3DS Max

Adobe After Effects is the most widely used software for desktop compositing, visual effects and motion graphics. In early 2002, Adobe unveiled the ability for After Effects to import 3D metadata from in Rich Pixel Format (RPF) files generated by 3D applications. The RPF file format was developed by Discreet to facilitate the exchange of 3D metadata and 2D images between 3D animation and desktop compositing software. Discreet's 3DS Max, the leading 3D application for digital content creation, provides many specialized tools and features that may be used by 3D artists to produce RPF files containing a rich combination of 3D and 2D information.

With its new eFX Extract3D product, electricFX is introducing the first in a series of plug-ins dedicated to enhancing the ability of After Effects artists to effectively utilize RPF files and the 3D metadata they contain.
This new series of plug-ins is focused on making it easier and more cost-effective for production houses to achieve tight, efficient integration between 3DS Max and After Effects in a wide range of content creation workflows. This enhanced connection between After Effects and 3DS Max will be of interest to digital content creators in a variety of industries, including film, television, console games, web media, simulation rides and architectural modeling.

eFX Extract3D also works with RPF files created by Maxon's Cinema 4D, plus with RLA files (a precursor to RPF) created by Alias|Wavefront's Maya and other 3D applications. In addition, it allows After Effects artists to make use of the pixel depth information contained in EI/EIZ and PIC/ZPIC files created by Electric Image and Avid's Softimage.

Streamlined, Intuitive 3D Compositing Workflow

After Effects artists can employ eFX Extract3D to create advanced visual effects based on 3D channels, through a streamlined, intuitive interface that greatly simplifies the process of viewing, selecting and extracting 3D channel information. Additional eFX Extract3D features offered in After Effects for the first time include automatic calculation of color-mapping black and white points, plus full support for creating 64-bit color images (trillions of colors) directly from 3D channels - this is particularly useful in preserving rendered detail to avoid undesirable "depth banding" in the resulting visual effects.

Pricing and Availability

eFX Extract3D is available now in a Public Beta version at the special introductory price of $65, directly from electricFX. To order, go to www.electricfx.com/beta . This special price is offered for a limited time only. After the release of Version 1.0, eFX Extract3D will be offered at the full retail price of $95. Participants in the Public Beta program will receive a free upgrade to Version 1.0 when it is released.
A fully-functional evaluation version of eFX Extract3D is available for download from www.electricfx.com/products .

About electricFX

electricFX Inc. develops digital media software tools. Founded in 1997, electricFX integrates solid software development practices with strong knowledge of desktop software and digital media workflows, drawing on areas such as 3D graphics and animation, user-centered design, usability engineering and object-oriented methods. Companies such as Adobe Systems and Microsoft have licensed electricFX technology for use in their digital media tools and applications. A privately-held company, electricFX is based in Vancouver, BC.

Visit the electricFX site at www.electricfx.com,
email sales@electricfx.com,
or call toll-free 877.731.1820.
Outside North America, call +1.604.731.1820.

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electricFX Inc.
106 - 2050 Scotia Street
Vancouver, BC, V5T 4T1
Canada
toll-free: 877.731.1820
overseas: +1.604.731.1820
www.electricfx.com

Press Contact:
Jess Forrest
electricFX
voice: 604.731.1820
fax: 604.648.9465
email: jforrest@electricfx.com

electricFX, eFX Extract3D, and electricfx.com are trademarks of electricFX Inc. Adobe and After Effects are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
3DS Max is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc. Maya and Alias|Wavefront are trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Cinema 4D is a trademark of MAXON Computer GmbH. Softimage is a registered trademark of Avid Technology, Inc.
Electric Image is a trademark of Electric Image, Inc.
All other trademarks mentioned are held by their respective owners.