You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereFortnite annual events are always a welcome update by players as they await to celebrate annual traditions like Halloween, Fortnites Birthday, and Christmas, all inside the games metaverse and the Battle Royale island. Updates like Fortnitemares and Winterfest bring big changes to the game including themed decorations around the island, quests, and free rewards.This year is no different after a successful Fortnitemares 2024, Epic is bringing another annual tradition with stacked content for Christmas with the Winterfest update on December 19, 2024. However, a new leak has emerged and offers players the first look at the free skin that players will get this year.Fortnite leak reveals free Christmas-themed Guff skin as Winterfest rewardFortnite leaker ShiinaBR has posted the first look at the upcoming Christmas Tree Guff skin that is rumored to be the free skin for Winterfest 2024 in Chapter 6 Season 1. This will be the second Guff skin that will be rewarded to players for free after Guff Gringle was given away in 2022.Christmas Tree Guff will be the free Winterfest skin this year. Image by ShiinaBR.Now this skin is themed after the iconic Lt. Evergreen skin which was released with Winterfest 2019 back in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1. To those wondering when would they be able to claim the new Guff skin, youll likely get it on the day of Christmas, which is December 25th.Since the Winterfest cabin is also rumored to return this year, players will be able to open presents from the cabin and one of those will have this leaked skin inside. However, more rewards have been leaked so far, which may be included in the presents or can also be quest rewards when Winterfest 2024 arrives.Until then, you can head over to all the quests available in Chapter 6 Season 1, to complete your Battle Pass which includes collab skins like Baymax, and claim V-Bucks so you can be geared up right in time before Winterfest. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler has a lavish new spot to call home. The NBA All-Star just signed the lease on a Miami Beach mansion for over $70,000 a month, the Real Deal reports. The exact price of Butlers new rental isnt publicly known, though the Hibiscus Island dwelling was asking $95,000 a month the last time it was listed as a rental. Should the Texas native decide to buy the place outright, its also for sale at $30 million.Per the listing, the 2001-built Mediterranean-style house spans about 6,100 square feet with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The roughly half-acre plot also hosts a sprawling backyard patio, a pool with a waterfall, a hot tub, and a boat dockall with panoramic views of the water and the Miami skyline. The homes great room features grand archways, a spiral staircase, and a chefs kitchen that comes complete with a waterfall-edge stone island and bespoke wood cabinetry. Nearby, a moody, charcoal-hued den is equipped with a built-in wet bar and French doors that open to the patio.Butler also maintains an AD-featured Spanish Revival-style abode in San Diego, which he bought in 2020. I grew up with a whole bunch of nothing, so Ive dreamed of having a home for myself, for my family, and I put everything into this house, the cover star told AD in October. This is for my kids. I do this to inspireto show that if you want something you can go get it. That home, crafted in collaboration with AD100 designer Tiffany Brooks, is outfitted with its own coffee shopthe first iteration of Butlers coffee brand, BIGFACE.Join NowHoliday Sale: Become an AD PRO member for only $20 $12 per monthArrowPerhaps its best that Butler keeps his Miami real estate a little noncommittal. The athlete, who is in his third of four years contracted by the Heat, is currently the subject of trade rumors. According to ESPN, Butler has said he is open to trading to the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors.

In 2014, heads turned when furniture behemoth RH unveiled its inaugural Gallery outpost in Atlanta. Imagined as a grand Southern estate, the Buckhead location illuminated a bold, multifaceted approach to retailone central to RHs upscale branding overhaul.Pictured above is the RH Lign King Bed in Oak.Courtesy of RHThese sensory-driven destinations, all of which occupy architecturally significant buildings, have recently sprouted in Raleigh, North Carolina; Palo Alto, California; and even Madrid. Next year in Paris, RHs transformation of a former Abercrombie & Fitch location on the Champs-lyses will ramp up the brands European footprint. But in the shorter term, the furniture giant still has tricks up its sleeve, as it opens a brand-new outpost: RH Newport Beach, The Gallery at Fashion Island. Comprising a whopping 97,000 square feet, its the largest RH Gallery yet, transporting customers as they wander through its four airy levels.Given the success of its Fashion Island legacy store, RH expanded within the bustling South California market with a visually impactful Gallery designed in-house. We believe great architecture amplifies and renders our product and brand more valuable, RH chairman & CEO Gary Friedman tells AD PRO. We either find great historical architecture and readapt it, or we build it, and RH Newport Beach is an entirely new design built from the ground up.

Behind the Scenes: Railway Station By Alina Khan on December 16, 2024 Behind the Scenes Head into Seifis art journey as he ventures through various render engines to skillfully master his hyper-realistic art.INTRODUCTIONHi, I am Alireza Seifi, a 3D designer and environment artist born in Tehran, Iran. My main field of interest and focus was cinema and film music so with that background, I joined the 3D industry like many other people in the early 2000's and started my career in 2005 seriously. In that time, I was mainly focused on recreating ancient monuments and architecture using 3DS Max, V-Ray, and Brazil render engine. Since I have worked with most render engines, I wanted to share my experience and history of working with these as well.Damavand Tomb Tower / 2011. 3DS Max, V-rayTehran Post and Telegraph Building / 2013. 3DS Max, V-rayLater in 2016-2017, I tried to switch to a more modern architecture style, archviz, and product visualization. It was at that point that I said goodbye to my old favorite render engine, V-ray, and switched to Corona Render which was and is very user friendly, artistic, and produced realistic results without tweaks and complicated settings.Melbourne Townhouse Replication / 2017. 3DS Max, Corona RenderAt the same time, the revolutionary Fstormrender was also released for 3DS Max, with which I made a lot of renders.Still Life / 2018. 3DS Max, FstormrenderI can say that before working with Fstorm, I had started working with Octane Render and Cinema 4D. I was a bit tired of 3DS Max and wanted to switch to Cinema 4D but Fstorm was sort of a simpler version of Octane for 3DS Max, Because of this, I stayed in 3DS Max more and produced more renders with Fstorm.MainFrames Lab / 2019. 3DS Max, FstormIt was around 2020 that I almost stopped working with 3DS Max and switched into Cinema 4D and Octane Render. Octane render has a specific spiritual look which was very satisfying to me, and also very helpful because I was switching to a more retro-style image creation.Galaxy Hill / 2021. Cinema 4D, Octane RenderWhile working with Octane Render was very satisfying, I was trying to create bigger scenes but I gradually faced the VRAM issue in Octane which my laptop GPU couldnt handle. So, interestingly, I switched back to Corona Render again not in 3DS Max but this time in Cinema 4D, and it shockingly gave me the exact retro result I was looking for. The deep shadows and special sense of Corona lights were outstanding; however, the light always needed to be controlled by blockers like in any other engine to get more dramatic and focused lighting. In total, it was more reliable and satisfying for me to work with CPU-based render engines than the GPU engines, even though the latter gives faster results as the first one is more accurate, worth it to try if you have a strong CPU.The Elevator / 2022. Cinema 4D, Corona RenderIt was around 2022 that I became more interested in Unreal Engine as well as Blender. After a bit of working with Blender, I started really enjoying Blender and Cycle. My main obstacle in Cycles was that I was not able to produce my desired results I used to get from other engines in the past so my results with Cycles always came with lots of trial and error. I watched a lot of tutorials and I should say that I was really influenced by the works of the famous Blender artist, Ian Hubert, and I really appreciate his and other Blender artists efforts in discovering and showing the abilities of Blender and Cycles to people. That way, I gradually started producing more works and renders with Blender and Cycles.Ships in The City / 2024. Blender CyclesINSPIRATIONI am deeply inspired by dreams, lucid dreams, and nightmares, so once in a while I used to recreate part of a dream in CGI. Railway Station was also based on a lucid dream I saw a few months ago; what I can remember was an Art Nouveau style with a lot of corridors in which I was moving through. The atmosphere was something between a retro shopping mall, a museum, and a 19th-century railway station like the famous Art Nouveau Metro in Paris, so I tried to achieve that combination as much as possible. Somewhere empty and abandoned, like on a Friday afternoon, but also cosy and pleasant to chill like European 19th-century urban designs.PROCESSIn the past, I used to make some sketches before creating the scene but I dont do it in recent years anymore. Rather, I prefer to block the scene directly in the 3D program. The first and most time consuming part of this project was finding good/related stained glass textures and some helpful Art Nouveau references to see the architecture and structure connections and after that, I started modeling.ModelingAbout the modeling process I can say that despite the past, I dont use subdivision modeling anymore but I do use the mid-poly method which is handy both for realistic rendering and also game modeling. Its mostly based on beveling but I should always think ahead about the bevel numbers to avoid jagged edges or have base mesh duplicates as backups for complicated objects before beveling.I had prepared this scene for Unreal Engine so all the objects were modular and easy to array.But my laptops old GPU, the GTX 1080, was not able to give good results for the stained glass using Lumen; Unreal has also stopped supporting its realistic render option, the RayTracer, for old GPUs like mine, so I had to render the scene with Cycles in Blender.AddonsHere, I should confess that the most advantageous feature of Blender over other 3D programs is its handy addons and asset browser, which make the process faster and easier for impatient people like me who want to see the final result in the shortest amount of time. This way I wanted to share the list of addons that helped me a lot in the project:Blenderkit for fast readymade materials and objects:Using Blender Kit, I was easily able to load a bunch of different materials that I didnt have the nerve to make from scratch dealing with 100s of complicated shader nodes distracting me from focusing on the creative side of the project.Hardops Boxcutter and Machin3tools for fast hardsurface modeling tools:Without these tools, its almost impossible for me to create fast hard surface models. HardOps array/bevel/mirror/modifier/boolean/.. tools all gathered in the Q menu really make the modelling process 10x faster.Also, Machin3tools features like the align tool, right-click save/export menu, etc., are very important for any project. I myself cannot work without them. For example, since I use Substance Painter a lot, the Machin3tools save menu gives the fast possibility of FBX, OBJ, etc., export and many other options with just pressing Ctrl+S.Sketchfab and its Blender import addon for realistic 3D scanned models:I cannot express the importance of Sketchfab for I have not finished any project without using Sketchfab 3DS scans, be it either the 3D landscapes, industrial/mechanical models, characters, etc. In this project, I used the train model from Sketchfab.Eco-Scatter and GScatter for scattering:Eco-Scatter is an extremely user-friendly scattering addon for Blender that I use for any project with scattering. Maybe many people havent heard about this addon, but I should say its incredible. Of course, I prefer scattering tools with biome support like Graswald GScatter, which have premade grass fields or ecosystems like 3DS Max Forest Pack Pro, but unfortunately Graswald has stopped releasing the addon for newer versions of Blender, so I cannot currently use it for my projects anymore, and I really miss it.Free Blender Plants Library:I used Blenders free plant library for this project and others as well. Its very handy and I even sometimes export its models and convert them to use in Cinema 4D as well.Quixel Bridge (currently fab) assets:Like many other people, I use Quixel Bridge (currently fab) for every project. I used the stone/marble materials and the grass models for this project from Quixel Bridge.PolyHaven addon:As always, I used the PolyHaven addon for fast HDRI lighting of the scene. In this scene, I first used PolyHaven to find the most suitable HDRI for environment lighting, and I also used the Blender sun for directional lighting, especially the light passing through the stained glasses and their effect on the floor. Even though I use PolyHaven for HDRI lighting, I sometimes forget that it has a very high-quality model collection that, in my opinion, might be the highest or one of the highest quality 3D models in the market.RenderingHere is the final render with some post-production. I still miss the LUT possibility in Blender, but the AGX and new Khronos in combination with curves manipulation give very satisfying results. This way, I apply the LUT in Photoshop with other effects.RENDER: Railway StationI would like to extend my special thanks to the BlenderNation team for giving me this opportunity. Thank you for taking the time to read my article. Feel free to reach out with any questions on my social media. Have a great day!About the Artist Alireza Seifi is a 3D visualizer and environment artist based in Budapest, currently working on 3D environment and filmmaking projects. Links

submitted by /u/Suspicious-Bad4703 [link] [comments]

NHTSA data shows five of the most fatal car brands. See where Tesla landsMarley MalenfantUSA TODAY NETWORKShow CaptionHide CaptionTesla Cybertruck modifications upgrade EV to a sci-fi police vehicleA host of mods for the electric Tesla Cybertruck has now been perfectly packaged for first responders and police departments.Thinking of purchasing a new car? Many consider the price, the color, the model and the gas mileage when looking for a vehicle. But safety should be the no. 1 priority.According to an analysis from iSeeCars, the current five most dangerous brands you could purchase today is the Dodge, Kia, Buick, Tesla and Buick.Despite their driver-assisted technology, Tesla's Model Y and Model S car are known to be dangerous on road, according to iSeeCars' data.Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst, said some of the blame falls on distracted drivers."New cars are safer than theyve ever been, he said. Between advanced chassis design, driver assist technology, and an array of airbags surrounding the driver, todays car models provide excellent occupant protection. But these safety features are being countered by distracted driving and higher rates of speed, leading to rising accident and death rates in recent years.Here is the top five list of most dangerous car brands.The five most dangerous car brandsAccording to their methodology, iSeeCars analyzed fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) of model year 2018-2022 cars with car crashes that resulted in at least one occupant fatality to identify the most dangerous vehicles on U.S. roads today.RankMakeFatal Accident Rate (Cars per Billion Vehicle Miles)1Tesla5.62Kia5.53Buick4.84Dodge4.45Hyundai3.9Tesla's past recalls, other mishapsThis year, Tesla had several recalls on their models for parts and labor issues.In May, Tesla recalled more than 125,000 vehicles over concerns of a malfunction with the vehicles' seat belt warning system could increase the chance of injury in a crash.The recall applied to:Model S cars made between 2012 and 2024Model X vehicles made between 2015 and 2024Model 3s made between 2017 and 20232020-2023 Model Y vehiclesThere were also recalls for nearly 4,000 of its Cybertrucks after regulators discovered the accelerator pedal could get stuck as a result of a manufacturing error. According to NHTSA's defect notice, the Tesla Cybertruck had an issue with its accelerator pedal, which could become stuck and cause unintended acceleration.

cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Shadowy BehaviourTurns out we can't have anything nice anymore, as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 spoilers are apparently already floating aroundThe film is due out later this week.Image credit: Paramount/ Sega News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Dec. 16, 2024 Be careful out there, Sonic fans, as spoilers for the third movie have seemingly hit the internet.Look, I'm not the biggest stickler for spoilers in the world, but they're still a bit annoying from time to time, and especially if it's for a film that hasn't even come out. There's a lot of joy in being surprised by something! And if you like me enjoy a good surprise, you might want to stay clear of anything to do with our good friend Sonic the Hedgehog, as it appears that spoilers for the third film have made their way online. I'm not going to link to it, but I have seen a video shared around of the film's post credits scene, which won't necessarily spoil the film itself considering the first couple of films just used them to set up the next one, but still something best viewed in the cinema.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. From what I've seen that's the one big spoiler that's been floating around, though it might still be worth muting some general Sonic-related terms just in case if you're particularly spoiler averse. You've only got four days to wait, as the film's worldwide release is this Friday, December 20, and the official Sonic the Hedgehog movie Twitter account has even said you shouldn't "disappoint Shadow" by sharing spoilers. You wouldn't want to do that now, would you? To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Last month director Jeff Fowler even specifically went out of his way to tease the post-credits scene for this third film, and earlier this month the film's producers confirmed there'll even be more than one of them - I can't tell you which of them have been shared online, potentially all of them, so again, best to stay off the internet for a few days. I'm sure you haven't managed to 100% complete Sonic x Shadow Generations yet so why don't you give that a go in the meantime.

Dun-dun-dun-duhh-duhWhile you wait for that Superman trailer, have a listen to the upcoming film's quite lovely main theme that calls back to the 1978 originalA little something to tide you over.Image credit: DC Studios News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Dec. 16, 2024 We won't be getting the first trailer for James Gunn's Superman until later in the week, but he has at least shared the main theme.There's a lot riding on James Gunn's shoulders at the moment. As co-CEO of DC Studios, he's the one leading the new DCU in a direction that'll either pay off tremendously, or have DC presumably abandon its connected film universe ambitions entirely (there's only so many times you can do a universe reboot, despite what the comics might tell you). As shared by Gunn himself on his personal Twitter account, a teaser trailer for his Superman film is finally coming this Thursday, offering up a first look at the new DCU - on the live action front, anyway, as his currently airing animated series Creature Commandos is actually the first project in the film universe. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.In order to tide you over until Thursday, though, Gunn also released a small snippet of what seems to be the film's main theme. You can check it out for yourself above, the audio paired with a sort-of-GIF of David Corenswet's Superman flying upwards, the theme playing as he does so. And it's quite lovely! Very mellow, nostalgic kind of vibe to it, and you don't have to listen too closely to hear that it has a callback to the 1978 Richard Donner directed film's main theme, of course incredibly composed by the one and only John Williams. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. This new theme will have been done by John Murphy, a composer who has a number of classics under his belt like 28 Days Later, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and 2021's The Suicide Squad, which Gunn also directed; this'll be the third film the pair has worked on together, as Murphy also did the score on Guardians of the Galaxy 3.After this week's teaser trailer, though, you've still got a bit of a wait to go, as Superman isn't due out until July 11 next year. I'm sure you'll manage!

In virtual production, this previsualization step is roughly the same, but the construction of the set takes place in a virtual environment instead of a physical space. This is handled by a specific team, called the virtual art department, which collaborates with everyone from VFX supervisors to carpenters to ensure a seamless blend of digital and real.When the set is created in digital space, virtual scouting can take place. Via this process, filmmakers can explore the space with virtual reality headsets and work out the best angles and shots, just like they would with real-world locations. Movies such as The Jungle Book and Avengers: Endgame used real-time engines for on-set previews of how green screen shots would look in the finished movies.Main virtual production techniquesUse of LED wallsWithout good-quality LED screens, ICVFX would fall apart. These fundamentally rely on the same technology that displays imagery on your TV, monitor, or smartphone, with a few key differences:No bezels: LED stages are created by building literal walls or volumes of multiple panels that seamlessly link together. Bezels are obviously a no-go in this environment, so LED screens feature edge-to-edge displays.Sturdy and versatile: The panels also have to be tough enough to withstand temperamental directors boots and versatile enough to mount in various scenarios, from large flat walls to cavernous volumes, where they can form part of the wall or ceiling.Increased brightness: Film sets are surprisingly bright places. A specialized LED screen is much brighter so it's visible on camera, even with studio lights in front of it, and so it can cast realistic lighting and reflections on physical actors and props. It also has a matte finish to avoid unwanted reflections on the screen itself.Excellent viewing angles: Have you ever noticed how cheaper monitors can look washed out when viewed from a certain angle? This effect would ruin a virtual production, so most LED panels are designed to be viewed from any angle.Low pixel pitch: Likewise, the distance between pixels on the screen (known as pixel pitch) must be as low as possible. If the pixel pitch is too high, theres a risk of a moire effect when the camera is close to the screen, which can cause unwanted wavy or shimmering lines. Today, 1.8mm is considered a good pitch but panels used in the production of Tomorrowland in 2015 featured a pitch as high as 11mm!Color accuracy and calibration: Spot-on color reproduction is essential for seamlessly blending the LED wall or volume with real-world props and actors. For instance, a virtual desert shot might use real sand on set, so its crucial that the colors and lighting match accurately.Rear projection and virtual setsRear projection is nothing new. Those unconvincing shots of actors driving cars against shaky backgrounds in old films made use of this technology by placing a car in front of a projector and replaying footage of a road. Fortunately, its come a long way since then but the fundamental principle is the same.In an ICVFX production, a car can be placed in front of a moving CG landscape to create a convincing illusion that the vehicle is in motion. However, unlike old rear projection systems, the angle, lighting, and content of the backdrop can be changed if necessary. We used this technique to create the moving steam train footage for Ray Tracing FTW.