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The father of the most popular Computer Graphic algorithms will tell at VIEW Conference 8 (6-9 November 2007, Turin, Italy) the story of two Worlds colliding: movies and games.
Ken Perlin is one of the fathers of Computer Graphics and is considered a great mathematician and a great artist. He is a researcher and a University teacher. More than twenty years ago, in 1985, he created one of the most important and popular software tool to create hyperealistic 3D materials: from clouds to fire, from marble to wood. Since then his Perlin Noise, in its numerous incarnations, has become a fundamental component of any 3D software package.
Software tools as Pixar Renderman, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3DS Max, Newtek LightWave 3D, Softimage XSI and many more have included shaders, textures and plug-ins strongly based on Perlin Noise to generate patterns, textures, surfaces but also to create interesting motion paths and visual effects.
Ken Perlin has a past as a lead scientist in Research and Development for digital visual effects for films. With the New York-based MAGI in early 80s he was responsible for the first generation of 3D shaded animated graphics ever used in a film. In fact, he developed most of the software used by Walt Disney Production for the visionary visuals of the feature film TRON (1982).
At the beginning of 90s most of american films with digital visual effects have used it since the tools available implemented shaders and textures based on the Perlin Noise. Digital visual effects and Computer Generated Imagery created with this algorithm can be found in: The Abyss, Titanic, The Lion King, Aladdin, Terminator 2, True Lies, Star Wars Episode I, Star Trek movies, Batman movies and others.
This astounding achievement made Prof. Ken Perlin a winner of a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1996.
His main contribution is in the texturing field while recently he has been involved in advanced research in simulation and interactive animation as: synthesizing human emotions and behaviors in the creation of believable digital characters.
Today, Prof. Perlin holds an interesting position relating to the videogame industry. Games are the technical solutions most suitable to direct digital actors in real-time and the work of animators together with the programming of procedural code should assure the believability and the richness of interaction at the top.
At VIEW Conference 8, from 6th to 9th November 2007, in Turin, Italy, Prof. Ken Perlin will talk about the convergence between the medium where he started, cinema, and the most advanced technology for entertainment: computer games.
You cannot miss his talk, titled "Bridging the Gap between Games and Movies" where you will learn the most qualified opinion of one of the greatest expert in both fields.
For further information, the full Conference schedule and details about Prof. Ken Perlin, visit the official website:
VIEW Conference 8
http://www.viewconference.it/
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Article written by Massimo Curatella
VIEW Conference
Online PR Manager