dvGarage Ships New Version of Conduit for Apple=20
=46inal Cut Pro 5.1.2 and Motion 2
Combines High-End Nodal Compositing with=20
High-Performance GPU Acceleration; Includes Free=20
Three-Month Membership to Pixel Corps
SAN FRANCISCO – Nov. 28, 2006 – dvGarage, a=20
provider of tools and training for the next=20
generation of media artists, today announced that=20
Conduit version 1.5, a nodal compositing plug-in,=20
is now available for Apple Final Cut Pro 5.1.2=20
and Motion 2 users. Conduit version 1.5 utilizes=20
Apple’s FXPlug technology to combine high-end=20
nodal compositing with high-performance Graphics=20
Processing Unit (GPU) acceleration, providing=20
Apple Final Cut Pro and Motion 2 users with a=20
powerful variety of visual effects compositing=20
tools that render in real time. In addition,=20
Conduit version 1.5 is bundled with a free=20
three-month Pixel Corps membership (a USD $200=20
value), an hour of video training and a quick=20
start guide.
“Conduit fuses the entire compositing process=20
into an efficient GPU program,” says Alex=20
Lindsay, dvGarage founder and chief architect.=20
“As a result, when you build an effect in=20
Conduit, you’re actually getting better=20
performance and color precision than Final Cut=20
Pro offers on its own.”
Developed in partnership Lacquer’s Ben Syverson=20
and Pauli Ojali, Conduit relies on the GPU, which=20
powers graphics boards and is often much faster=20
than the computer’s own Central Processing Unit=20
(CPU) when calculating visual functions. This=20
provides blazing fast render speeds to augment=20
the power of an “open-ended” compositing=20
environment. As a result, users can do complex=20
effects, even to HD frames, without incurring=20
much or any delay.
“Conduit is an essential element in the=20
production of MacBreak,” says Ben Durbin,=20
technical lead on MacBreak. “Conduit provides=20
many of the functions of a high-end compositor=20
but contained inside the FXPlug within Final Cut=20
Pro or Motion. We’ve moved all the greenscreen=20
composting for MacBreak into Final Cut Pro and=20
Conduit. Now the rendering times are nearly the=20
same as outputting the raw footage, saving us=20
valuable time.”
Conduit’s interface allows users to build complex=20
composites while watching their results in real=20
time. A list of Conduit’s key features is as=20
follows:
* Real-time HD performance
* Advanced color correction capabilities
* Film-class color precision
* Flexible node-based workflow
* Artifact-free color manipulation
* Blazing speed
* Easy to use
* Superb keying capabilities of both HD and DV footage
* Multipass and visual effects compositing capabilities
* Compatible with High Dynamic Range images
Pricing and Availability
Conduit is available for download from dvGarage’s=20
website at: www.dvgarage.com. Priced at USD $149=20
MSRP, download contents include: Conduit for=20
Apple Final Cut Pro 1.5.1 or Motion 2, a=20
three-month membership to Pixel Corps, over an=20
hour of video training and a quick start guide.=20
Conduit system requirements include: Apple Final=20
Cut Pro 5.1.2 or Motion 2 and the related Apple=20
=46inal Cut Pro 5.1.2 or Motion 2 hardware=20
requirements. For more information, please visit:=20
http://www.dvgarage.com/prod/prod.php?prod=3Dconduit15&sub=3Dfeatures.=20
About dvGarage
Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., dvGarage=20
is dedicated to providing tools and training for=20
the next generation of visual artists around the=20
world. Founded in 2001 by industry veteran, Alex=20
Lindsay, dvGarage, is the home of dvMatte and=20
numerous video training products on topics=20
ranging from 3D to Illustrator to Photoshop. A=20
list of dvGarage’s products include: 3D Toolkit=20
2.5, Maya Lab 1, Maya Lab 2, Camera Mapping Lab,=20
Multi-Pass Render Lab, Graffiti Collection,=20
dvMatte Pro, dvMatte Blast, Composite Toolkit,=20
CTK Companion, The Surface Suite, Surface=20
Toolkit, Reflection Toolkit, Grafitti Collection,=20
Aircraft Parts, Water Damage, Terrain Toolkit,=20
Illustrator Lab 1, Illustrator Lab 2, Photoshop=20
Basics 1, Photoshop Basics 2, and training on=20
Photogrammertry, QuickTime Pro and Realviz=20
Stitcher. For more information, please visit:=20
www.dvgarage.com.
About Lacquer
Lacquer Oy (Ltd) is a privately held, limited=20
liability company registered in Helsinki,=20
=46inland. The company’s founder and Managing=20
Director is Pauli Ojala. The Chairman of the=20
Board of Directors is Olli Hypp=E4nen, who is=20
Senior Vice President of Software Production at=20
Basware Corporation. Conduit has been created by=20
Pauli Ojala and Ben Syverson. Lacquer’s=20
publishing partner is dvGarage Inc. For more=20
information about Lacquer Oy, please visit:=20
www.lacquer.fi.