IBC 2009: Autodesk Launches Lustre 2010 and Extensions for Visual Effects Products

Creative Tools Provide Improved Performance, Open Platforms and Interoperability.

AMSTERDAM - Autodesk, Inc launched Autodesk Lustre 2010 digital color-grading software and Extension 1 releases for the 2010 versions of its visual effects and editorial finishing software: Autodesk Flame, Autodesk Inferno, Autodesk Flare, Autodesk Flint and Autodesk Smoke. Autodesk will showcase these releases at Autodesk Booth #7-D21 during the International Broadcasters Convention (IBC) 2009 in Amsterdam's RAI Convention Center, September 11 - 15, 2009.

"This year we've continued to increase value for our customers," said Stig Gruman, vice president, Autodesk Digital Entertainment Group. "We are focused on providing not only a broader set of creative tools, but also a more efficient workflow with improved support for open platforms and cross-product data formats like RED and Avid DNxHD."

Autodesk systems products have helped shape several of this summer's biggest movies, including "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Autodesk solutions have also been used in the creation of television programs, "Mad Men," "House," "Entourage," "Sid the Science Kid" and "Little Krishna" and many commercials, the recent Orbitz' campaign and popular Super Bowl 2009 ads like "Budweiser's "Fetch," Career Builders' "Tips" and Bridgestone Tires' "Taters."

Autodesk Lustre 2010 Highlights

Autodesk Lustre color-grading software for creative look development gives artists greater control over final color and lighting effects for both stereoscopic and standard television and film projects. Lustre is available in stand-alone turnkey configurations and is also available as a software-only companion when installed on the same platform as Smoke and Flame software. "The implementation of the new Degrain tool in Lustre eliminates the need for an external degraining solution, saving us time, extra bandwidth and nightshifts. Plus, with 48 layers in Lustre, I really can't think of a situation where I'd run out of layers," said Sebastian Gohs, Lustre 2010 beta tester and colorist at Cinepostproduction, Berlin.

Lustre 2010 Key Features and Creative Tools

* Four times more secondary grading power than Lustre 2009 with 48 layers and unlimited shapes per layer
* New Degrain tool with ability to degrain entire shots as well as defined areas
* New Grade Bin providing large view of grades and associated metadata

Lustre 2010 Workflow Enhancements

* Improved interoperability with Flame and Smoke with bidirectional multilayer timeline exchange and cross-product codec compatibility
* New support for MXF with Avid DNxHD (import)
* Enhanced RED workflow adds RSX file support, ability to copy transcode settings from shot to shot and support for real-time 2K streaming of 4K R3D files
* Improved efficiency through proxy-sharing between color-grading and visual effects applications

2010 Extension 1 Releases of Autodesk Flame, Inferno, Flare, Flint and Smoke

With interoperability as a key focus area for Autodesk tools, these extension releases share many of the same improvements to their feature sets and all contain the same workflow enhancements. Flame, Inferno, Flare and Flint are visual effects finishing software for high-speed 2D and 3D compositing, advanced graphics and interactive client-driven design. Smoke is an advanced timeline-based system for high-value editorial finishing and visual effects.

Availability

Autodesk anticipates that Lustre 2010 will be available in October 2009 and Extension 1 for Flame, Inferno, Flare, Flint and Smoke will be available in September 2009. Autodesk Subscription customers will receive extension releases as a benefit of Subscription.

Training

Users can get up to speed quickly on new features through free online training videos for Flame, Inferno, Flare, Flint and Smoke. Autodesk also offers classroom-based and on-site training for artists of all levels, who are looking to further sharpen their skills. fxphd offers online professional vfx, post and production training for Autodesk software