Chaos Group

Chaos Group Tours Australia in May 2012

Dates: 21 May – 01 June
Location: Sydney, Melbourne

Chaos Group is organizing a series of launch and educational events in Australia in the second half of May. If you happen to be near Sydney or Melbourne at that time, don’t miss the opportunity to meet our team; we have prepared exciting demos and interesting case studies. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Monday, May 21st, 2012
12:15pm-1:45pm
Lecture at the College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Paddington

Chaos Group’s Lon Grohs will show examples of artwork created using V-Ray and showcasethe V-Ray features that help artists in different industries achieve amazing CGI resuts.

Outline:
•    Introduction to V-Ray and Physically-based Rendering
•    V-Ray for 3ds Max: The Evolution of Design Visualization
•    V-Ray for Maya: Redefining VFX Workflows
•    Phoenix FD: Simulation and Special Effects
•    V-Ray RT: Working in Real-time, The Future of Rendering
•    Q&A

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
RTC VisDay 2012

Lon Grohs will be delivering a keynote speech and a V-Ray workshop at VisDay 2012. Learn more.

May 24th– June 01st, 2012

We will be visiting our Australian customers and delivering trainings and lectures at universities. More info to follow.

Creating Award Winning Commercials with V-Ray

Date: 17 May, 2012 (Thursday)
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Want to know how those amazing visual effects you see in commercials are actually created? Are you curious about the tools used by VFX artists? Then come spend an evening at Escape Studios on Thursday, May 17, 2012 with award-winning Director Andy Hall from a52 as well as Lon Grohs, Vice President of Business Development at Chaos Group.

Learn more and register for this event.

Mastering the Crowd: Learn how to create daunting crowd shots

Date: 16 May, 2012 (Wednesday)
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA

If you are fascinated by the impact of crowds in film productions, join a special evening at RFX and take a behind-the-scenes look at the stunning crowd scenes in Once Upon A Time.We invite you to join AlexandrePillon of Golaem, Lon Grohs of Chaos Group and Mike Romey of Zoic Studios for an exclusive industry night where you'll learn first-hand how to create crowd scenes in a Golaem Crowd/ V-Ray pipeline.

Learn more and register for this event.

Chaos Group goes to Oslo in May

Dates: 14 - 16 May, 2012
Location: Oslo, Norway



Hungry for the latest in VFX and creative technology? Want to meet up with like-minded people from the CG industry? Then join us on May 14th-16th, 2012 in Oslo for the 7th international seminar “Digital Storytelling 2012: The Art and Science of Visual Effects”.

Featuring speakers from some of the best-known visual effects studios, this event will surely be a treat for CG enthusiasts.

Chaos Group is an official partner of this event. This year we are giving away a license of choice to 2 lucky visitors in a prize draw.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Venue:
Filmens Hus (The Film House)
Dronningens gate 16, Oslo, Norway
How to get there

Get your ticket:
A limited amount of seminar and workshop seats are still available at http://whatever.netron.no/digistorytelling

Ural CG Artists Meeting

Date: 12 May, 2012
Location: Yekaterinburg, Russia

Yekaterinburg will host the next Ural CG Artists Meeting (UCGAM) on May 12th, 2012. UCGAM is a series of meetings aimed at computer graphics and visual effects professionals that provide a great opportunity for networking and learning.

Be sure to join us for this event where our friends Dmitry “dimson3d” Chekhlov and Anton Danilov will deliver two V-Ray workshops:
•    Introduction to V-Ray
•    V-Ray for Maya. Optimization and automation with V-Ray Toon and V-Ray Proxy

When: Saturday, May 12th, 2012
    14.00 - 17.00 — Session Reports
    17.00 - 20.00 — Networking

Where: Softline Training center, Russia, Yekaterinburg, 8 March st., 194 "I", 1st floor. Stop of transport "Ujnaya".

How: The event is free; anyone can easily register at the official event page Vkontakte and Facebook.

V-Ray 10th Anniversary Celebration Begins at FMX 2012

Date: 08-11 May, 2012
Location: Stuttgart, Germany

The Chaos Group team is gearing up for 4 exciting days at FMX 2012. We started the year with significant improvements to our portfolio, announcing an update with outstanding new features and improvements to V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max and V-Ray 2.0 for Maya. The excitement grows with the latest additions to our suite of innovative rendering solutions: V-Ray for Softimage, V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino and Phoenix FD for Maya which is now in Beta.

Meet up with the Chaos Group team at FMX and help us celebrate V-Ray's 10th anniversary. We've got some great demos planned and some goodies to give away!

Learn more and register for our anniversary events!

V-Ray for Rhino Workshop in Paris

Location: Paris, France
Date: 02 April, 2012

If you happen to be in Paris on April 2nd, don’t miss the workshop organized by our partner Cadatlantique. Bring your questions and experiences and see a demo of the new features in V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino. To guarantee your place, please book in advance at cadlantique@aol.com.

MASTER CLASS "V-Ray as the most comprehensive rendering solution for small VFX Studios" with Ruslan Ogorodnik

Location: Production Service EXPO 13th - 15th of March, Hall. 7, Hall 6 Krasnopresnenskaya nab., 14 Expocenter
Date: 15 March, 2012
Starts: 11:30
Ends: 17:30

Our reseller, CSD – Consistent Software Distribution, will organize a Master Class "V-Ray as the most comprehensive rendering solution for small VFX Studios", run by Ruslan Ogorodnik.
 
The Master Class will focus on V-Ray for 3ds Max – a comprehensive rendering solution, combining the power of the distinguished V-Ray rendering engine with the flexibility and the unprecedented speed of the interactive rendering system V-Ray RT, now running on GPUs. This high-performance rendering solution offers a variety of functions: the creation of shadows and light in real time, distributed and cross-platform visualization.

The Master Class will be run by Ruslan Ogorodnik, CG Supervisor at “The Chimney Pot”, a prestigious Swedish postproduction studio with locations in Oslo, Copenhagen, Berlin and Warsaw. Ruslan has created computer graphics for film productions such as “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (nominated for 3 Oscars), and for clips of famous singers, such as Ozzy Osbourne’s “Let me hear your scream”, Madonna’s “Celebration”, Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and many others, participated in the production of movies such as “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, among others.

Registration to the event can be done here: http://www.cinefex.ru/blog/forms.php

Chaos Group’s Official Launch in Colombia

Location: Medellin; Bogotá, Colombia
Dates: 12 March - 15 March, 2012

As part of its expansion in South America, Chaos Group will be visiting Colombia. Organized with our local official reseller, Naska Digital, the tour aims at enhancing Chaos Group’s position in Colombia, as well as the entire region, through a series of events targeting both local businesses and educational institutions.

Starting on March 12th in Medellin, the Colombian tour will encompass official launch events, university events, and workshops for professionals and teachers. The official launch of Chaos Group will be marked during two events organized in Medellin (13 March) and Bogotá (14 March).

For more information about the events and registration, please visit the Naska Digital website.

CABSAT 2012

Location: Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Date: 28 February - 1 March, 2012

Our reseller, MEDIASYS FZ-LLC, will participate in CABSAT 2012 - the Middle East's largest digital media & satellite expo. Stop by their booth, S2-E32 in Hall - Sheikh Saeed 2, to see a demonstration of V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max and V-Ray 2.0 for Maya.

Highlights include:

•  New Hair and Fur Capabilities
•  V-Ray RT GPU Enhancements
•  Tighter Maya Integration

3D Talk Event in Hamburg Organized by Chaos Group’s Partner Picturetools

Location: Hamburg, Germany
Date: 14 December. 2011
Organizer: Picturetools
Venue:  CinemaxX Hamburg - Dammtor
Dammtordamm 1 20354 Hamburg - Neustadt
Featured products: V-Ray 1.5 for Rhino, Phoenix FD 2.0. V-Ray for Softimage, V-Ray 2.0 for Max, V-Ray 2.0 for Maya

We are excited to participate in the 3D Talk event in Hamburg on 14 December, organized by our partner Picturetools.

We are pleased to invite you at our booth where we will show demonstrations of our complete portfolio of rendering solutions: V-Ray for Softimage, V-Ray for Rhino, V-Ray for Maya, V-Ray for 3ds Max and Phoenix FD.

Event participants who attend our presentation will be among the first to hear about the features of V-Ray for Softimage which will be released in Q1 2012. Our presenter will also cover V-Ray for Rhino; its new version is also set to be released in the beginning of 2012.

Chaos Group will also be giving away a V-Ray license to one lucky participant.

Siggraph Asia 2011

Location: Hong Kong, China
Date: 13-15 December
Organizer: C/o Koelnmesse Pte Ltd
Venue:  Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
1 Expo Drive
Wanchai
Hong Kong, China
Featured products: V-Ray 2.0. for 3ds Max, V-Ray 2.0. for Maya, Phoenix FD 2.0, V-Ray for Softimage

Link: http://www.siggraph.org/asia2011/en

For a fourth consecutive year, our team will take part in the Asian edition of the biggest global CG event – Siggraph (13-15 December 2011).

We are very enthusiastic about our participation, as we have lots to share with you. We have set up a special event page where you can see a full program of our participation and details about the presentations, which will be delivered at our booth. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Chaos Group Presents New Developments in its Portfolio at the Russian CG Event

Location: Moscow, Russia
Date: 03-04 December 2011
Organizer: Sergey Tsyptsyn, CG Event
Venue:  Holiday Inn Sokolniki
Rusakovskaya street, building 24, 107014, Moscow
Featured products: V-Ray 2.0. for 3ds Max, V-Ray 2.0. for Maya, Phoenix FD 2.0, V-Ray for Softimage

Another year has passed, and it is time for the Chaos Group team to go back to Moscow on 03 and 04 December for the annual Russian CG Event which brings together top CG professionals and key industry players for a two-day series of workshops, presentations, master classes and many more.

We have set up a special event page, where you can see all the details about our participation and more information about the venue and tickets.

And, take note! We will give away two V-Ray licenses – one during the workshop and one during the presentation. Make sure you reserve your seat in advance by registering here.

Digital Drawing Days in Italy

Location: Arezzo, Italy
Date: 03-05 December. 2011
Organizer: 3DWS
Venue:  ETRUSCO HOTEL, Sala Auditorium, Arezzo, Italy
Featured products: V-Ray 2.0 for Max

Chaos Group’s team put on its radar an exciting event in Italy dedicated to the latest developments in the CG industry. The Digital Drawing Days organized by our partner 3DWS will feature three days of specialized workshops and exhibitions – Technology Day, Creative Day and Engineering Day.  Chaos Group’s portfolio will be presented as part of the Technology Day on 03 December. We are looking forward to this important industry event!

RENDE(E)R DAY in Munich

Location: Munich, Germany
Date: 02 December. 2011
Organizer: 3D Cyberdream
Venue:  Eschenstrasse 2, 82024 Taufkirchen bei München
Featured products: V-Ray 2.0 for Max and V-Ray 2.0 for Maya

Our friend Oliver Markowski of Full Blown Images will present three automotive projects from his portfolio for which he used V-Ray extensively. He will also provide some general V-Ray tips at the RENDE(E)R DAY organized by our reseller 3D Cyberdream.

3D Community Day in Spain

Location: Madrid, Spain
Date: 01 December. 2011
Organizer: Autodesk, Techex
Venue:  LAUGHTER MADRID - C / Atocha, 125, Madrid, Spain
Featured products: V-Ray 2.0 for Max


Autodesk and Techex invite you to the 3D Community Day where you can learn about the recent work of artists, animators and experts in special effects. As a proud sponsor of the event, Chaos Group will participate with a presentation of the capabilities of V-Ray for 3ds Max; Javi Martínez will acquaint you with his project The Accuracy of Time. We hope to to see you at the event!

Chaos Group to Participate in Autodesk University 2011

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: 29 November – 01 December
Organizer: Autodesk, Inc
Venue:  The Venetian Hotel
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Featured products: V-Ray 2.0. for Maya

Our team is getting ready for another key industry event – the Autodesk University, where designers, engineers, architects and technology leaders will meet to share ideas, knowledge and best practices.

Don’t forget to stop by our partner's BOXX booth (booth #140) where our VP Lon Grohs will present V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max. Our Sales Representative Deyan Evlogiev will also attend the event and you can meet him if you are interested in collaborating with Chaos Group. Send us an email at sales.software@chaosgroup.com if you’d like to arrange a meeting with our team at Autodesk University. See you there!

Exhibit Floor Schedule
Tuesday, November 29
6.30 pm - 9.30 pm

Wednesday, November 30
11.30 am - 2.00 pm
6.30 pm - 9.30 pm

Thursday, December 1
11.30 am - 2.00 pm

Chaos Group’s Reseller Presents V-Ray® for 3ds Max and V-Ray® for Maya at the Ciclope Festival in Buenos Aires

We are happy to announce that our reseller Clacksoft is currently taking part in the International Advertising Craft Festival Ciclope taking place in Buenos Aires on 14-16 November. The festival is bringing together agencies and production companies from around the world and will be giving awards to the best creative teams.

Clacksoft will amaze you with its innovative stand where the latest technologies will be on display: there will be stereoscopic projections, 3D games to play live and reels from partner companies alongside product presentations. Visitors will enjoy this in a lounge area where they can relax, play and get information. What better way to learn about V-Ray?

Event Summary: The Making of “Real Steel”

When: November 3rd, 2011 7pm-10pm
Where: Escape Studios

Approximately 50 students and artists filled the main training room at Escape Studios’ newly opened facility in Santa Monica to watch Digital Domain present a behind the scenes look at the making of the VFX for Real Steel.

The Escape Studios Team

To lead off the event, Digital Domain’s Digital Environments Supervisor, Geoffrey Baumann, gave an in depth look at the photography and thorough documentation done on set.  Environment panoramas, HDRs, and camera and light locations were all captured on location, and terabytes of reference materials were sent back to the DD team.

Next, Animation Supervisor, Erik Gamache, walked through the challenges of creating believable robot animations and fight sequences.  Erik described how they were able to take the mocap provided by actors on stilts, which lacked the correct proportions and the necessary weight and gravity of 9’ tall robots, and modify the animations to achieve the final results.

Erik Gamache, Animation Supervisor

Digital Lighting Lead, Blake Sweeney presented how sophisticated lighting setups were created and rendered in V-Ray; and he described how they were able to use the VRayBlendMtl and a series of masks to reveal layers of damage as the robots battled it out in the ring.

Blake Sweeney, Digital Lighting Lead

The final presentation by the Digital Environments Lead, Justin van der Lek demonstrated how the various elements were brought into Nuke and composited for the final result.  He explained how they were able to achieve a sophisticated crowd set up using individual characters captured on green screen that were dynamically placed in their proper locations.

To round out the evening, raffle prizes were awarded by the event sponsors.  The first three winners took home Real Steel Crew Packages from Digital Domain, and another lucky winner received a free V-Ray course donated by Escape Studios.  The grand prize winner was awarded a free license of V-Ray for Maya, courtesy of the Chaos Group.

It was an exciting and informative event, and hopefully, it’s the first of many more to come.

V-Ray® Fall Events in London

We are pleased with the opportunity to participate in three key industry events in the UK this fall.  We hope to see you there!

Chaos Group Presentation at the London’s Autodesk 3ds Max Group Meeting

Location: London, UK
Organizer: 3ds Max London User Group
Date: 02 Nov 2011
Venue:  Upstairs at The Plough, 27 Museum Street, WC1A
Who: Professional members from London's advertising, architectural and animation industries.

Our team is joining the regular monthly get-together of 3ds Max people in London for an in-depth look at V-Ray® for 3ds Max.

The 3ds Max London User Group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at The Plough, opposite the British Museum, to discuss ideas, methods and projects in a friendly, relaxed setting. Started in 2007, the group enjoys a great number of professional members from London's advertising, architectural and animation industries.

Anyone is welcome to attend, event details posted at www.3dslondon.blogspot.com

Check out the topics that our V-Ray expert prepared and make sure you stop by and ask your questions.

V-Ray® 2.0 for 3ds Max - the latest trendsetting rendering technologies by Chaos Group

1.    Memory efficiency with Render time subdivisions
2.    Displacement geometry - cool tricks
3.    Rendering heavy geometry with V-Ray Proxy
4.    V-Ray RT accelerating the shading process
5.    Creating advanced layered shaders
6.    Light Cache improvements - retrace threshold
7.    V-Ray stereoscopic rig - shade map optimizations for rendering stereoscopy
8.    Distance texture - use procedurally generated textures to create a wide range of effects based on the distance between various objects in the scene
9.    Lens analysis tool - easily match the distortion of your real world and your virtual cameras
10.    Multi-sub texture – assign different textures based on object ID
11.    Light select render element – extract the contribution of each light to the scene, change their intensity in post-production and compose them back together
12.    Adding realism to your refractive materials with light dispersion
13.    V-Ray RT running on CPU vs. GPU

Second Chaos Group participation at the Bluegfx Expo in 2011

Location: Ravensbourne, London, UK
Date: 03 Nov 2011
Organizer: bluegfx
Venue: 6 Penrose Way, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0EW
Featured products: V-Ray® 2.0. for 3ds Max, V-Ray® 2.0. for Maya, Phoenix FD, Pdplayer
Who: An industry day aimed at providing those who operate within the Media and Entertainment sector with the latest developments in technology

Chaos Group is coming again to London to participate in one of the newest industry events organized by partner Bluegfx.

Our team will meet you at the Chaos Group Demo Area to show you the latest in all our products, including V-Ray® for 3ds Max, Maya, Rhino, SketchUp and Softimage. Our product specialist will demonstrate some tips and tricks in Phoenix FD, the fluid dynamics system developed by Chaos Group, and the Pdplayer sequence player.

At 3pm, stop by the main stage to get more inside information on the newest in V-Ray 2.0 both for 3ds Max and Maya.

Shape to Fabrication

Location: London South Bank University
Date: 18-19 November
Organizer: Simply Rhino
Venue: The Keyworth Centre, Keyworth Street, London, SE1 6NG
Featured products: V-Ray® for Rhino, V-Ray® 2.0 for 3ds Max

Chaos Group is excited to announce we will be a sponsor for the upcoming Shape to Fabrication 4 Conference held at London's South Bank University on Nov. 18th and 19th.  A great line-up of presenters will be showcasing their cutting edge work in generative design and digital fabrication. Chaos Group will be sharing some stunning visuals of our customers' designs, and we'll be providing a sneak peek at the major developments and new features included in the upcoming release of V-Ray® for Rhino.