FlowLine             
www.flowlines.info
www.scanlinevfx.com
offcial oscar press release 		Architecutre and development of the Academy Award-winning simulation system "FlowLine"
FlowLine is a system developed for the VisualFX industry to realistically simulate water/fire/particle and physics effects.
It was used in the following productions among others :
  • Megalodon - Haialarm auf Mallorca (RTL TV movie)
  • Sturmflut (RTL natural desastres TV movie)
  • Inferno (Pro7 natural desastres TV movie)
  • Poseidon (Wolfgang Petersen's remake of the class The Poseidon Adventure)
  • 300 (Warners Brothers adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel)
  • Harry Potter und the Order of the Phoenix
  • The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian
Am February 9th, 2008 the Technical Achievement Award (2007) of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was bestowed to FlowLine.

Contrary to other simulation programs, FlowLine's module-based approach not only makes it possible to control the parameters of a simulation, but also the simulation itself.
This flexibility permits the 3D artists to build and adjust the simulation to each scene accordingly. These abilities to optmise simulations more easily ensure faster results and a new quality of visual effects. The artist is able to link the simulation elements ( e.g. water, fire, particles or physics) as desired.
    The poster child for this are the scenes from Warner Brothers blockbuster 300 in which hundreds of ships float on the raging sea. The raging waves and roaring storm let the ships drift and collide with each other and the cliffs at the coast. They shatter into hundreds of pieces, throwing the crew overboard and floating on the water. All of the elements in these scenes influence each other : The water influences the ships, shatters them, the wind swirls the debris through the air until it falls into the sea where waves are raging.
Some features of FlowLine's simulation framework :
  • an (extendible) architecture based on open plugins
  • An user interface designed for Technical Directors AND artists.
      This makes it possible for non-mathematicians to influence the simulations instead of simply changing predetermined parameters.
  • Allows for interaction between all elements of the simulation (e.g. oil swimming on water, igniting, an explosion throwing debris through the air which plunges into the water influencing the fire that is floating on the surface)
  • Complete platform independent - FlowLine runs on windows and linux (both 32 and 64 bit) in Autodesk 3DMax, Maya, VRay and MentalRay.
  • Direct integration into, and data transfer with the 3D Application of choice
  • High simulation speed through new approaches to simulations that go beyond the classical scientific algorithms.
  • It's own virtual memory management that allows the use of more than the predetermined 2GB memory on 32 bit systems
FlowLine was developed entirely in C++ and has a common code base for all platforms wich makes multiple development unnecessary.






   
 DeepSpaceRace
www.deepspacenight.net
the game page
 DeepSpaceRace is a high velocity space race game for the release of the new Bablyon CD
- The Game -
Take the spaceship of DJ L.X.R. on a fast-paced 3D hunt through an asteroid field. Fly through gates, destroy asteroids and collect the symbols they contain. Use the afterburner for the ultimate SpeedKick but beware of flying too fast ...
System requirements are .NET 2.0 (C#) and the current DirectX 9.0C version. Supports gamepad and key controls.
Additional thanks to Bernhard Stumpf at BlackSail Pictures for additional modelling and texturing, as well as Thomas Burkhard at unim.de for additional sound effects.
The game can be downloaded here.


   
 Versionize
Database oriented, platform independent version management
- Versionize -
Versionize is no common system for version management like SVN, CVS or similar systems although basic similarities do exist between them.
It was designed specifically for the troubles and needs in the area of VisualFX. It, for example, only manages the data but does not save it itself, because it would be too ineffective for larger picture sequences.
  • Versionize manages resources (e.g. 3d files, image sequences ...) and their versions
  • The versions are based on earlier versions of the same resource.
  • The versions can depend on other versions (of different resources).
  • Resources can be compiled of different types and their specific data packages.
  • Versionize does NOT save the data itself, a specialised FileServer does. Versionize only saves links
  • It offers direct integration into graphics applications like 3Ds Max
  • It offers an open plugin structure to easily add new commands and resource types.
  • It offers a complete group based user management.
  • It incorporates a platform independent command line tool.
  • It includes several platform independent GUI tools
  • To organize the resources tags, hierarchical and normal name/value pair attributes can be added
Should you be interested in using Versionize and need additional information, send a mail to tg@novaimages.de

   
 Perl Scripts
Data evaluation and automation through Perl scripts
Nowadays data exists in abundance but remains relatively useless as long as it cannot be recorded and evaluated automatically.
Over the last years many scripts have been developed for various customers to analyse websites, link together databases or clean them, or to automate repeating tasks. 		   
 Graphics scripts and tools
Graphics scripts and tools
Every movie production needs hundreds of additional tools for administration and also for the 3d artist. They can range from simple Filecheck scripts to partly automated modelling tools, complex rigs, motion control robot controls, or even entire workflow systems.
Our tools were used in productions such as Lissi und der wilde Kaiser, (T)raumschiff Suprise, Megalodon, 300, Held der Gladiatoren, Bibi Blocksberg 2 and many others.
Should you be interested in our expertise or the development of customized scipts, please contact us via tg@novaimages.de 		   
 Starship Highlander - BridgeSim
The BridgeBlog (german only)
www.raumschiff-highlander.de 		Starship Highlander - BridgeSim Project
Which boy (or many a girl) did not dream of standing on the bridge of a starship ?
And how many have build their own cockpit out of cardboard boxes ?
For more than 16 years now Starship Highlander has been around, among the increasingly popular standing of Live Action Role Playing (LARP) groups. But instead of running through woods, wielding swords and hunting orcs, they prefer to play on the bridge of a starship, phaser firmly in hand.
To make the LARP more interesting and more atmospheric even, it was decided at the end of 2007 to turn the bridge into one huge simulation.
In effect this means that the operations of a spaceship will be simulated as "realistic" as possible without losing sight of the fun LARPs provide.
Currently, BridgeSim incorporates the following features :
  • Wired control stations, switches, keys and other control elements are connected to a computer via USB.
  • An intelligent audio response system of the ship's computer that prioritises, summarizes or even ignores incoming messages.
  • Simulation of ships power plant
  • Simulation of the energy consumption of the various station
  • Live configuration of the ship's systems to adjust the simulation and it's every details to the plot as it moves along without having to restart the system
  • Skinning capability of all systems
Furthermore the following features are planned :
  • an interactive stellar chart (kind of google space ;-))
  • 3D flight simulation
  • integrated videoplayer
  • Ships Database
  • Diagnostic Screens in the Medical Department
  • Complete weapons and shields simulations
  • Damage simulations of the various systems due to overtaxing or general wear and tear
  • HTML based remote controlling of the simulation, for example by IPod Touch
  • a complete network of the various computers
  • Simulation of an additional crew and other resources
Even though the project might sound like utter lunacy, the technical challenges it provides cannot be ignored.
Apart from "problems" of designing a spaceship functioning in the realm of common logic, the command stations that control the virtual ship have to be designed. The bottom line is that the attempt is made to design computer systems of a modern battleship or aircraft carrier with many of it's intricacies. Even though the fact it's just a game is an alleviating factor, it also contributes to the difficulties because in the end the game has to have priority over the simulation.
This means not only a virtual control of a spaceship is required but also a very real control of the simulation which can be controlled entirely by remote and extended WITHOUT too much of an effort.
BridgeSim is a platform independent invention based on C++, QT4 and OpenGL

You can find much more details (but only in german) in the BridgeBlog