Realistic Car Sharing with Blender and Octane - Step by Step Tutorial By Arun Bharathi on March 25, 2025 Tutorials Arun Bharathi writes:In this video, we will be taking a look at how to create an awesome versatile car paint shader. Als,o I have bought a new mic so the audio should be a little better. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you for watching!

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Image: Xseed GamesCreating a brand-new IP can prove risky at the best of times, yet when Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka mentioned that Too Kyo Games' latest venture, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, had effectively plunged the studio into debt, it demonstrated just how much he and collaborator Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape, AI: The Somnium Files) believe in their vision.Launching on Switch on 24th April 2025, The Hundred Line looks to combine the visual novel approach of Danganronpa with tactical gameplay that might be more akin to Fire Emblem or Into The Breach. It boasts a vast, eclectic cast that, if past works are anything to go by, will no doubt be completely expendable after they are forced to defend a school from invading creatures.We recently caught up with both creators from Too Kyo Games via email to find out more about the project, whether Mr. Kodaka might ever return to Danganronpa, and what The Hundred Line's success means for the future of the studio.Nintendo Life: The Hundred Line: Last Defence Academy is Too Kyo Games first tactical RPG. Can you talk about this approach and what kind of challenges you faced with its development?Kazutaka Kodaka: This is our first in-house IP and is a collaborative work between myself and Uchikoshi-san. The game progression consists of multiple branching scenarios, and because the theme is war, that is why we needed to incorporate the tactical RPG into the game.Kotaro Uchikoshi: Creating the scenario and writing is always a challenge. Additionally, we had to take care of the financial part of development and invested quite a bit to produce this game, which was challenging for us.The creation was very unpredictable because there are so many branching scenarios that I had to take care of. It was a little bit challenging.Which games did you look at as inspiration for the tactical gameplay?Mr. Uchikoshi: Fire Emblem.Mr. Kodaka: Into the Breach and also Dynasty Warriors.Images: Xseed GamesThe idea of people, often school kids, being forced into a dangerous situation by a mysterious entity is very reminiscent of Danganronpa, Zero Escape, and Ever17. What is it about these kinds of scenarios that attracts [you both] to them so much?Mr. Kodakan: I know that this game is similar to Danganronpa, but it is my favorite type of game! That is why the idea is a little bit similar, but its not exactly the same.Mr. Uchikoshi: Kodaka-san created the main idea behind the game, the overall plot and concept behind it. Usually I create the characters in the game I make, so I have to think about the main idea behind the game first. However, because this game was based on Kodaka-sans idea, I had to think a lot about all the scenarios based on his idea, which was very interesting and a different way of writing scenarios.Mr. Kodaka previously mentioned a willingness to revisit Danganronpa again in the future. Is that still the case, or is your focus now solely on The Hundred Line?Mr. Kodaka: Danganronpa is a very memorable series for me. But right now I want to put all of my time, energy, and effort into The Hundred Line. Right now I am not thinking of returning to the series, Im completely focused on The Hundred Line.There are quite a lot of characters in this game. How did you approach their creation, and do you have a particular favourite?Mr. Kodaka: When I wrote this scenario I thought that each character could be the main character. I do not have a favorite character out of them all. That was my approach to writing them, thinking about creating each character as if they can be the main character.Image: Xseed GamesIts been mentioned that Too Kyo Games fell into debt with the development of Hundred Line. How are things at the moment, and how important will the games success be to the studio?Mr. Kodaka: If the game does not sell well, we may be done, so it is very important we put all our effort into the game and that it does well.Can you talk about the decision to make Hundred Line a console exclusive for Switch? And will this be a timed exclusive like Master Detective Archives?Mr. Kodaka: Spike Chunsoft owns the Rain Code IP so we cant comment on that. At the moment we do not have plans to release on other platforms, but since this is our in-house IP it is something we will discuss in the future. You never know!What are your thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 so far? Do you have any hopes for the console in the years ahead?Mr. Kodaka: We hope that the performance and the power of the console becomes better.Mr. Uchikoshi: If I was a player I would assume it would be fun using different consoles. But as a creator I feel the same as Kodaka-san and hope for more performance and power.Images: Xseed GamesThe two of you have worked together on multiple projects over the years, including co-directing Worlds End Club with your studio. How did you come to collaborate so frequently, even before Too Kyo Games, and have you changed your approach to working together at all?Mr. Kodaka: Before we worked together at Too Kyo Games we would meet occasionally to listen to each other's ideas or ask for advice on our own projects, but after we started working together at Too Kyo Games we started collaborating on direction and writing scenarios. If I talk World End Club, I was creative director so it was nothing to do with scenarios, more like Uchikoshi-san wrote the scenarios.The Hundred Line is our first collaborative piece together. So this is the first, and I hope it is not the last, but it is a huge milestone of the collaboration.Mr. Uchikoshi: Before, we were good friends, but now we work together, we work on the same title, and we are also business partners. We are much closer than we were before.This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.Thank you to Mr. Kodaka and Mr. Uchikoshi for taking the time to speak with us. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy will launch on Switch on 24th April 2025. Will you be picking it up? Let us know with a comment down below.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kWatch on YouTube Tough breakComing soon to SwitchRelated GamesSee AlsoShare:481 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Expands Switch Online's SNES Library With Four More TitlesArriving next weekPokmon Scarlet & Violet: Mystery Gift Codes ListAll the current Pokmon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift codesSakurai Says Japanese Developers Should Avoid Trying To Appeal To Western Tastes"I think that they seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games"

Update: The Golden age is over.Last month, Nintendo announced it would be discontinuing the My Nintendo Gold Points program, with it no longer possible to earn these points after a certain date.In case you missed this, Nintendo has issued a reminder on social media ahead of the big day next week on 24th March 2025 (or 25th March depending on your location). While you'll no longer be able to receive Gold Points from purchases, there will still be other ways to earn points:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

When Sam Weaver was vice president of product management at Unqork, he realized that the company needed a better way to manage its sprawling network of Kubernetes clusters which are groups of computing nodes. When Unqork couldnt find anything off the shelf, it assembled a 15-person team to build a Kubernetes management product. Despite the multi-million-dollar expense, Weaver said the resulting platform was just okay.Im thinking to myself, theres got to be a better way of doing this, Weaver told TechCrunch. I mean, what we had built was sufficient, but it was not by any means complete, and it took us about two years to do the build.Weaver (pictured above right) sat on the idea until he met Michael Guarino, an engineer with notable stints at companies including Amazon and Twitter back when it was still called that. When Weaver explained the problem to Guarino, he was surprised by his response: Guarino thought the issue was relatively straightforward to solve. Guarino then built a better system by himself in a few weeks.That platform became the basis for Plural. The companys platform consolidates an enterprises Kubernetes clusters onto one dashboard to make it easier for enterprises to streamline operations, manage these clusters, and deploy upgrades from one central spot.Plurals AI can also offer suggestions about optimizing cluster efficiency or diagnosing scaling issues, Weaver said. Plural is cloud and LLM agnostic.Weaver said that the hope is that Plural frees up time for developers because they dont need to search for information or bugs in their Kubernetes clusters. He added that the company can help teams run updates in hours as opposed to weeks.It reduces the operational overhead by about 90% is what weve seen with our users and customers, Weaver said. People are really excited for that because theyre actually able to go and get productive work done.Weaver said the timing for this solution is right. Over the past few years, enterprises went from managing one Kubernetes cluster to multiple a trend accelerated by the rise of AI.You have a lot of cattle running around that you can no longer just treat as individual clusters, Weaver said. So up until now, people have been taking a lot of open-source tooling from the ecosystem. Theres 2,000 projects in the Kubernetes ecosystem.Plural was founded in 2021 and launched the original version of its platform shortly after. The company now works with multiple enterprise customers, in markets like financial services and other regulated industries, according to Weaver, though he declined to disclose specific customer names or numbers.The startup also recently raised a $6 million seed round led by Primary Venture Partners with participation from Capital One Ventures and Company Ventures. Weaver said the team set out to raise $3 million but ended up doubling its round after seeing strong demand. The company wants to put the money toward deepening its product capabilities and eventually exploring areas outside of Kubernetes.Plural isnt alone in tackling Kubernetes cluster sprawl. Competitors include Loft Labs, a startup that has raised $28.6 million in venture funding, and Rancher Labs, a startup that raised $95 million before being acquired by Suse in 2020 for $600 million.Weaver thinks Plurals biggest differentiator is its architecture. He mentioned specifically the fact that Plural runs on a GitOps model, its product is self-hosted by each customer, and that each Kubernetes cluster has its own AI agent that runs on top of it.The enterprise basically has full control over how and where they deploy this thing, Weaver said. No data is sent home. Its not a SaaS service. Were heads down, were focused on continuing to add to the Kubernetes management platform that we have, and theres tons still to do that were excited about.

Apple said today it is opening up its catalog to let users build mix sets by integrating the platform with a number of tools. These tools include Algoriddims djay Pro software, hardware platformsAlphaTheta,Serato, inMusicsEngine DJ,Denon DJ,Numark, andRANE DJ.This will possibly attract DJs to explore Apple Musics catalog of over 100 million songs and also give aspiring DJs an opportunity to play around with some of these tools.The company is also launching a new DJ with an Apple Music category page, which features DJ-friendly editorial playlists, curator pages highlighting DJ software and hardware partners, and mixes for inspiration or practice. Apple Music is committed to supporting DJs. With this latest integration, were taking that commitment even furtherseamlessly connecting Apple Music with the industrys leading DJ software and hardware. This innovation brings the full power of Apple Music into the creative workflow, making it easier than ever for DJs to access, play, and discover music in real time, said Stephen Campbell, Global Head of Dance, Electronic & DJ Mixes at Apple Music. said in a statement.Apple said that since launching streaming for DJ Mix sets in 2021, the company has added thousands of sets on the platform. Different music streaming platforms have been looking into providing more tooling for song creation and remixing. In 2024, SoundCloud announced integration with six tools for editing, remixing, and custom sample creation. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Spotify is thinking about introducing tools and subscriptions that will allow users to remix songs. Startups like Point72 Ventures-backed Hook are also trying to create a market for legal remixes through their apps.

Get ready for an intense FMX! This years lineup is packed with top talent from ILM, Weta FX, Framestore, RISE, Pixomondo, and more! Were bringing you a first selection of must-see VFX conferencesexpect deep dives into the industrys latest innovations!Heres a selection of the VFX talks. You can see the complete program here.// Tuesday, May 6Red One: Michael Wortmann, VFX Supervisor at RISE.The Eternaut: Carlos Miras Sepulveda, VFX Supervisor at ReDefine.Captain America Brave New World: Dan Cox, VFX Supervisor at Weta FX.The Penguin: Johnny Han, Production VFX Supervisor & Emanuel Fuchs, VFX Supervisor at Accenture Song.Ronja the Robbers Daughter: Torbjrn Olsson, Production VFX Supervisor & Martin Hernblad, VFX Supervisor at Important Looking Pirates.// Wednesday, May 7The Assessment: Rolf Muetze, VFX Supervisor and Matthias Backmann, Compositing Supervisor, LAVAlabs moving images.Dune Prophecy: Terron Pratt, Production VFX Producer & Peter Lames, VFX Supervisor and Apollonia Hartmann, VFX Producer, Accenture Song.Better Man: Dave Clayton, Animation Supervisor at Weta FX.Mufasa The Lion King: Audrey Ferrara, VFX Supervisor at MPC.Wicked: Jonathan Fawkner, Production VFX Supervisor at Framestore.// Thursday, May 8House of the Dragon Season 2: Sabrina Christoforidis, Head of Studio (Europe) Pixomondo with Sven Martin, VFX Supervisor, Matt Perrin, Senior Visualization Supervisor, Mark Spindler, VFX Supervisor.Hagen: Jan Stoltz, Production VFX Supervisor with Franzisca Puppe, Production VFX Producer and Sebastian Lauer, VFX Supervisor & Katharina Hoffmann, VFX Producer at RISE.Here: Kevin Baillie, Production Supervisor and Jo Plaete, VFX Supervisor at Metaphysic.Andor Season 2: Mohen Leo, Production VFX Supervisor at Lucasfilm.// Friday, May 9Severance: Eric Leven, Production VFX Supervisor at ILM with Michael Huber, Co-Founder & VFX Supervisor and Alex Lemke, Co-Founder & VFX Supervisor at east side effects.Thunderbolts*: Jake Morrison, Production VFX Supervisor.See you in May! Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025The post FMX 2025: The Program appeared first on The Art of VFX.

Trellick Tower | , Flickr UserTowering over West Londons skyline, Trellick Tower is one of the most iconic examples of Brutalist architecture, embodying both the ambition and controversy of post-war high-rise housing. Designed by Ern Goldfinger and completed in 1972, the 31-story residential block was conceived as a solution to Londons housing crisis, prioritizing functionality, durability, and community-oriented design. While initially criticized for its stark aesthetic and association with urban decline, the tower has since been reassessed as a modernist landmark, achieving Grade II listed status* in 1998 and serving as a case study in the successes and challenges of high-density social housing.Trellick Tower Technical InformationArchitects1-6: Ern GoldfingerLocation: Kensal Town, London, United KingdomArea: 23,000m2 | 247,500Sq. Ft.Project Year: 1968 1972Photographs: Flickr and Unsplash Users, See Caption DetailsThe whole idea is not only to house people but to house them decently. Ern Goldfinger 7Trellick Tower PhotographsRiver View | IridescentiStreet View | , Flickr UserStreet View | Dacian Groza, Flickr UserFacade | Ethan NunnExterior | Dan Seddon via UnsplashSkyline | Ben Allan via UnsplashInterior | Steve Cadman, Flickr UserArchitectural Analysis: Structure, Materiality, and FormTrellick Tower is a quintessential example of Brutalist architectureits raw concrete faade, monumental scale, and stark geometric articulation express an uncompromising commitment to functional honesty. The design adheres to Goldfingers belief that materials should not be concealed but rather exposed to reflect their inherent qualities. The board-marked concrete surfaces, achieved through in-situ pouring, emphasize the buildings tectonic clarity, a characteristic hallmark of the Brutalist ethos.The towers composition is divided into two primary volumes: the main residential block and the adjacent detached service tower, connected at intermittent levels by external walkways. This separation was a strategic move, keeping noisy mechanical services like lifts and garbage chutes away from the living spaces and thereby enhancing acoustic comfort within the apartments.Goldfinger designed the Trellick Tower with a single-loaded corridor system, improving the double-loaded arrangements commonly found in high-rise housing. This strategy maximizes natural light and ventilation, ensuring each apartment benefits from cross-ventilation and expansive views. Units are accessed via internal streets in the sky, Goldfinger believed would foster a sense of community within the vertical structure.At ground level, a thoughtful urban response unfolds. Rather than isolating the tower as an autonomous object, Goldfinger integrated it with a public plaza, commercial spaces, and landscaped areas, reflecting his commitment to human-scaled urbanism. Despite its commanding verticality, the buildings interaction with the street remains a key aspect of its design intent.Structurally, Trellick Tower employs a reinforced concrete frame, a practical choice for cost-effective high-rise construction. The vertical load is primarily borne by two large cores, allowing for flexible interior layouts and minimal internal supports. Unlike the prefabricated panel systems widely used in post-war housing, Trellicks cast-in-place concrete ensures a greater degree of sculptural expression, with each surface bearing the imprint of its construction method.Goldfingers affinity for raw materiality extends to the detailing: deep-set windows, rhythmic balcony projections, and articulated corner elements contribute to an intense play of light and shadow, further accentuating the towers sculptural presence.Reception, Decline, and Resurgence: A Shifting Urban NarrativeUpon its completion, Trellick Tower faced harsh criticism. The Brutalist aesthetic, widely perceived as forbidding and dystopian, clashed with public expectations for domestic architecture. Furthermore, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, neglect and mismanagement by local authorities led to rising crime rates, turning the tower into a symbol of urban decay. Its association with social issues rather than architectural merit reinforced negative stereotypes about high-rise social housing.However, it is crucial to distinguish between architectural intent and policy failures. While Goldfingers design was meticulously planned, insufficient maintenance, lack of security measures, and socioeconomic challenges plagued the building, leading to its decline.By the late 20th century, attitudes toward Brutalism began to shift. Architectural critics and preservationists reevaluated Trellick Tower, recognizing its spatial ingenuity, structural clarity, and bold formal language. The resurgence of interest in modernist social housingdriven by a broader reevaluation of Brutalismled to its Grade II listing in 1998*, ensuring its protection from demolition.The tower also witnessed a transformation in demographic appeal: as Londons real estate market boomed, young professionals and design enthusiasts sought out its spacious apartments and panoramic city views. The same concrete surfaces once derided as oppressive became icons of architectural authenticity, demonstrating the cyclical nature of architectural taste.Trellick Tower Legacy and RelevanceTrellick Tower remains a powerful case study in the intersection of architecture, social policy, and urban identity. Its story underscores the inherent tensions in high-rise social housingbalancing density, affordability, and livability.While Brutalism continues to divide opinion, the fundamental principles embedded in Trellicks designlight, ventilation, structural logic, and community-oriented planningremain relevant today. Architects revisiting high-density housing can draw lessons from Goldfingers approach:The importance of material honesty and architectural integrity in mass housing.The role of human-scaled design in fostering community within high-rises.The necessity of sustained maintenance and social investment to uphold architectural intent.As cities grapple with housing shortages and rising urban populations, Trellick Tower offers a cautionary tale and a beacon of inspiration. Its early struggles highlight the consequences of neglecting post-occupancy management, while its later resurgence demonstrates the potential of well-designed high-rise living when given the proper stewardship.Trellick Tower PlansAxonometric View | Ern GoldfingerAxonometric | Ern GoldfingerFacade | Ern GoldfingerFloor Plan | Ern GoldfingerSection | Ern GoldfingerTrellick Tower Image GalleryAbout Ern GoldfingerErn Goldfinger (19021987) was a Hungarian-born British architect and a key figure in Brutalist architecture. He was known for his commitment to functional, high-density housing. Influenced by Le Corbusier and modernist principles, he emphasized structural clarity, raw materiality, and social responsibility in design. His most famous works, including Trellick Tower and Balfron Tower, were initially controversial but later recognized as significant contributions to post-war British architecture. Goldfingers work remains a touchstone in debates on urban housing, Brutalism, and architectural integrity.Credits and Additional NotesClient: Greater London Council (GLC)Structural Engineers: Ove Arup & PartnersContractor: GLC Department of Architecture & Civic DesignHeight: 98 meters (322 feet)Number of Floors: 31Total Residential Units: 217 apartments (76 one-bedroom units, 84 two-bedroom units, 57 three-bedroom units)Ern Goldfinger: The Life of an Architect byNigel WarburtonErn Goldfinger (Twentieth Century Architects)byElain HarwoodandAlan Powers

Still LifeIn Belgium, Stef Claes Architect makes the case for subtlety in North Sea ResidenceByKelly Pau March 25, 2025Interiors, International (Eric Petschek)SHARETucked between the North Sea and the Netherlands border, Knokke is a town in Belgium visited for its picturesque nature: beaches, salt marshes, dunes, and woodlands. Its fitting then thatStef Claes Architectwould opt for the quiet stillness found in the rural landscape for a residence in the areas Duinenwater. Aptly titled the North Sea Residence, the project is a vacation home for a family from Singapore. The interior architecture and design from Stef Claes marries the homeowners taste and background with a site-specific approach. Rather than making statements and grand gestures, the residences design has a quiet and minimal aesthetic, covering the home in a white base. The open connection to the land carries through in the flowing spatial orientation of the home. The architects prioritized key elements to delineate space in place of doors. In the kitchen for instance, the large block of Ceppo di Gr stone establishes the zone. The floorplan continues into the living and dining room, separated by a fireplace to visually divvy the layout. But perhaps the most careful consideration of the spatial delineation is found at the oversized sliding wood panel doors that reveal and conceal the staircase.Read more on aninteriormag.com. Belgium

One of the most recognizable buildings in Salem is theformer East Church, now occupied by theSalem Witch Museum. The East Church was constructed between 1844 and 1846 for the oldest branch of the First Church of Salem, which originally organized in 1718. The stunning Gothic Revival church has been credited to architectMinard Lafever(1798-1854), a prominent New York architect known for his Gothic, Greek and other Exotic Revival style buildings. Constructed of brownstone, a material Lafever utilized for his New York City churches built at the same time, the East Church exhibited pointed arch stained glass windows, crenellation resembling battlements, and once featured two, four-stage octagonal towers, which were cut down in the 1920s to their current height. The church suffered from a massive fire in the early 20th century and the church eventually moved out in the 1950s. The building was occupied by the Salem Auto Museum until another fire in 1969. In 1972, the Salem Witch Museum moved in and completely updated the interior.