Fans criticized Activision for using AI-made images in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Valve for not disclosing it on the game's Steam page.Apparently, Steam has been ignoring the issue for over a month now: https://80.lv/articles/steam-doesn-t-want-to-disclose-call-of-duty-black-ops-6-s-ai-usage/

Gabe Bossenberry showed us the process of modeling Sony's TC-510-2 tape recorder in Maya following the subdivision workflow, discussing texturing in Mari and Substance 3D Painter and sharing tricks that make the overall scene moody.Read the interview: https://80.lv/articles/how-to-model-a-photorealistic-used-tape-recorder/

Step into the scariest world in From Season 3 as revealed by WeFX in its shocking VFX breakdown. Known for their eerie atmosphere and spine-chilling visuals, this series takes horror to its best with the outstanding transformation of creatures, all wonderfully created by the talented artists of WeFX.Combining practical effects with seamless CGI, WeFX captures the nightmarish essence of the shows beings. Their intricate morphing designs and unnerving movements not only define the shows haunting aesthetic but also amplify the terror in every scene.This breakdown provides a glimpse into the artistry and technical expertise that go into the transformations, further proving WeFXs unparalleled ability to craft visuals that stay with viewers long after credits roll.The post From Season 3: A Haunting VFX Breakdown by WeFX appeared first on Vfxexpress.

The beauty of Wolfs lies in its visual effects that are so seamless one rarely feels that magic is happening before the eyes. beloFXs team of artists brought the movies chill atmosphere to life, crafting 298 shots into the artistry of subtle impacts on a single-night setting storyline.They had worked under the VFX supervisor, Huw Evans. Some of their invisible work was in digital snow and ice, environment extensions, and the progressive snowfall which so elegantly frames the narrative. The expertise really gave a visually immersive backdrop, amplifying the tension and emotion of the story without drawing away from the core.In an understated way, beloFX has shown that invisible effects can be powerful. Sometimes, the best VFX is when it becomes one with the world of the story.The post Wolfs: A VFX Breakdown by beloFX appeared first on Vfxexpress.

In the 1993 movie Jurassic Park, Dr. Ian Malcolm, a fictional math genius specializing in chaos theory, explains the butterfly effect, which holds that tiny actions can lead to big outcomes. A butterfly flaps its wings in Peking, Malcolm posits, and you get rain in Central Park instead of sunshine.What about when a federal agency flaps its wings? Should bureaucrats be required to think through the extended effects of decisions like funding a highway intersection or approving an offshore wind farm?Congress opened the door to this question in 1969 when it passed the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA. This law requires federal agencies to analyze the environmental effects of major proposed actions before making decisions.On December 10, 2024, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the first major NEPA dispute before the court in 20 years. The Supreme Courts ruling could significantly affect how NEPA applies going forward, especially with respect to climate change.The rule of reason testUnder NEPA, federal agencies considering major actions must prepare an environmental impact statementa detailed analysis of the reasonably foreseeable environmental effects of the proposed activity. The Council on Environmental Quality, a White House office that advises the president, has adopted rules that divide potential outcomes into three categories:Direct effects, such as cutting down trees to build a highway;Indirect effects that occur later in time or farther away, such as development spurred by building the highway; andCumulative effects of the action when added to the effects of other past, present and reasonably foreseeable actions, such as building multiple highways in a region.The Supreme Court last addressed NEPA when it unanimously ruled in 2004 that an agency only needs to consider effects that have a reasonably close causal relationship with the proposed action. The court also explained that where an agency lacks legal authority to prevent a certain effect, the agency cannot be considered legally to have caused that effect.Together, these limitations are known as the NEPA rule of reason standard. The tricky issue has been defining how far out in time, location and causation an agency should project when it analyzes potential effects.Only a small percentage of federal actions require an environmental impact statement, but those reviews can consume years in the timeline for approving major projects. Defining how broad they need to be is, thus, a critical question for industries such as transportation and energy production.A rail line in UtahThe Eagle County case stems from a proposal by a coalition of railway project developers to build an 85-mile rail line in Utah to transport waxy crude oil from wells to the interstate rail network. The developers sought a license from the Surface Transportation Board, an independent federal agency, which prepared an environmental impact statement and ultimately approved the license in 2021.Officials in Eagle County, Colorado, sued, along with several environmental groups, arguing that the environmental impact statement was defective. In their view, the Surface Transportation Board should have gone further in considering upstream environmental effects that the railway would induce, such as increased oil drilling, and downstream effects of refining and consuming that additional oil.This upstream/downstream effects question has been a hot NEPA topic over the past decade, mostly in connection with greenhouse gas emissions induced by oil and natural gas pipelines. In 2023, the Council on Environmental Quality issued guidelines addressing the question. Lower federal courts have grappled with it as well. Agency practice and judicial decisions since 2004 align more closely with a broad analysis approach, although the lines arent clearly drawn.Arguing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, lawyers for the Surface Transportation Board asserted that the agency didnt have enough information to analyze in detail where oil development might increase as a result of building the rail line, or how that oil might be used. But the court found that the agency had failed to adequately explain why it could not employ some degree of forecasting to identify those impacts.The board also had decided that it was not required to consider effects of increased oil production and refining, because it had no authority or jurisdiction over those activities. The D.C. Circuit rejected that argument, asserting that the agency could prevent those effects by exercising its authority to deny the license.What should agencies have to consider?Now, the Seven County Coalition is asking the Supreme Court to resolve whether NEPA requires an agency to study environmental impacts beyond the proximate effects of the action that the agency regulates.This question unpacks two themes that define how agencies should analyze projects indirect effects. First, to what extent does tort lawthe body of law that addresses wrongful actions one person causes to another personguide application of NEPA?Under tort law, a person claiming that someone else wrongly injured them must show that the accused could have reasonably foreseen the harm, and that their action was its proximate cause. To date, courts have expected agencies to consider the effects of their actions more broadly under NEPA, since a federal agency decision can affect many people and NEPA is intended to inform the public about the proposed action, not to resolve injury claims.Making the tort law approach standard for NEPA reviews, as the Seven County Coalition advocates, would allow agencies to limit consideration of indirect effects.The second question addresses the scope of agency authority. The Seven County Coalition argues that NEPA does not require regulators to study indirect effects outside the agencys direct control under their permitting authority. The coalition asserts that the D.C. Circuits broad-scope reading of the rule of reason risks saddling the Surface Transportation Board with endless make-work far outside its wheelhouse.Other interest groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, say the broad-scope version gives agencies effective power to regulate far beyond their delegated permitting authority.Conversely, Eagle County and the environmental groups argue that the board has the power to deny the rail line a license because of its indirect effects, so the agency should be required to consider those effects in its review. And in an amicus brief, the Howard University Law School Clinic argues that NEPAs broad indirect effects scope has proved to be a vital civil rights tool that empowers those who have historically been excluded from decision making processes.Concerns like these have led former federal officials and Council on Environmental Quality leaders from Republican and Democratic administrations to line up behind the rail line opponents. Members of Congress have also filed amicus briefs, with Democrats supporting the rail line opponents and Republicans supporting the developers.Climate change and NEPA reviewsIf the court supports the rail developers position on either of these two major questions, I believe 20 years of NEPA practice and case law under the rule of reason test will be nullified, and a new era of NEPA litigation will begin.Many pro-NEPA observers are worried about this possibility for one very important policy realm in particular: climate change.If the court were to move the foreseeability standard for NEPA reviews closer to tort law doctrine, it would provide agencies cover for doing little in their environmental impact statements to explore how proposed actions could contribute to climate change, beyond quantifying their direct greenhouse gas emissions.More bluntly, if the court rules that agencies dont have to consider indirect effects that are out of their direct regulatory control, most agencies could simply ignore indirect climate change impacts, since they have no direct control over sources of greenhouse gas emissions.Although the Supreme Court hasnt addressed NEPA directly since 2004, many of its recent rulings seem designed to reduce the power of regulatory agencies. In my view, NEPA isnt likely to fare well under that agenda.J.B. Ruhl is a professor of law, director of the program on Law and Innovation, and co-director of the Energy, Environment and Land Use Program at Vanderbilt University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Sports and spirits have long been sideline companions, but beer has traditionally dominated the game-day menu. Thats changing as liquor brands make strategic plays to win over sports fans, expanding their influence from stadium bars to Instagram feeds. This week alone saw three industry players make significant moves, including Pernod Ricard announcing Jameson as the official whiskey of Major League Soccer, Grey Goose partnering with the Australian Open, and Diageo launching a responsible drinking campaign with the NFL. These partnerships highlight a growing trend: Liquor companies are capitalizing on the massive reach of sports to shake up their brand presence, taking a shot at beers historically dominant role in the field.On Wednesday, Grey Goose unveiled a new relationship with the Australian Open, opening serve with a citrus vodka libation that will be sold at the tennis tournament next month, and following a playbook popularized at the US Open, where the Honey Deuce cocktail courted celebrities like Taylor Swift and Serena Williams.And liquor giant Diageo on Monday debuted a new safe drinking ad campaign called Take a Minute. Make a Plan, in partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, ride-sharing operator Uber, and the National Football League, the latest activation between Diageo and the sports league.[Photo: Grey Goose]The trio of announcements point to a growing trend among liquor brands to lure sports fans, taking a shot at a drinking occasion that has historically been dominated by beer brands like Budweiser and Miller Lite. Sporting events continue to draw large in-person crowds and millions of television viewers, even amid a fragmented media market, and liquor companies are doing more brand building by investing in TV advertising, promoting cocktails sold at stadiums, launching limited-edition branded bottles, and sponsoring tailgating parties.The reach of the NFL allowed us to activate our brands across all 50 states, says Ed Pilkington, chief marketing and innovation officer for Diageo North America.For Diageo, linking with the NFL was a slow burn. The league was reluctant to ink an official partnership with a liquor brand. For nearly 50 years, spirits companies adhered to a self-imposed restriction on any TV ads, partly due to concerns the ads could influence minors. But beer and wine companies werent as cautious, and over the decades, Budweisers Clydesdales and Miller Lite ads featuring prominent NFL stars flooded the airwaves. Beer quickly dominated at Americas largest stadiums.Diageo began to open the door by inking partnerships with NASCAR and some NFL teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. It also aired ads during NFL games, including a Water Break campaign in 2018 that reminded fans to stay hydrated and drink responsibly. Those actions built up enough goodwill for Diageo to become the leagues first-ever official spirits sponsor in 2021.[Photo: Crown Royal]Take a Minute. Make a Plan aims to remind NFL fans to pace themselves during the game, avoid overconsumption, and not drive after drinking. The idea was to make sure that when people go to a game, you think about how you get home safely, says Pilkington.For NFL activations involving alcohol, Diageo focuses efforts on Crown Royal whisky, Smirnoff vodka, and Captain Morgan rum, and promotes popular and accessible cocktails like the rum and coke and whisky on the rocks.Pernod Ricard has worked with individual NFL teams over the past few years, including setting up branded bars in the stadiums where the New York Jets and Giants and Las Vegas Raiders play. Sports is just part of the zeitgeist of the popular culture of the U.S., says Conor McQuaid, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America.[Photo: Smirnoff]The partnership with the MLS will include limited-edition branded packaging, in-stadium promotions, marketing campaigns, and the promotion of the signature Jameson and ginger ale cocktail with a slice of lime. Jameson will also establish deeper integrated partnerships with six clubs, including the LA Galaxy and New York City FC, and the MLS relationship will extend at least through when the FIFA World Cup is held in North America in 2026.McQuaid says the timing is right because of the rising popularity of both Irish whiskey and soccer.Jameson has been such a success story, driven by the U.S., and sparked a revival of a renaissance of Irish whiskey on a global level, he says. Weve arrived at a point where we believe we have the scale in the marketplace to take on a national sponsorship.Bacardi-backed Grey Goose has been serving a massive hit with the Honey Deuce, having sold more than 2.8 million since the cocktail debuted in 2007. You havent really been to the US Open unless you have a Grey Goose Honey Deuce, says Aleco Azqueta, VP of marketing for the brand. Its really become what the mint julep has to the Kentucky Derby.[Photo: Grey Goose]Grey Goose says the cocktails pink tint has helped make it a hit on social channels like Instagram and TikTok, and the Honey Deuces commemorative cup, which is updated annually to reflect the prior years tournament winners, has led to a vibrant resale market online. Grey Goose says the Honey Deuce is the top-selling cocktail across all sports.The vodka brand says it likes the US Open because of the prestige that comes with sitting alongside other luxury sponsors like Cadillac and Ralph Lauren. Grey Goose has also signed deals with several NBA teams, where it promotes the espresso martini and the more premium-priced Altius vodka. Bacardi also hopes to replicate the Honey Deuce success Down Under with the Lemon Ace, a mix of Grey Goose vodka, passionfruit syrup, and sparkling lemonade, garnished with a lemon ball and fresh mint.One thing we love about the Australian Open is that it is similar to the US Open, it has so much energy to it and it is not as stiff as some of the other tournaments, says Azqueta.[Photo: Teeling]Last year, Teeling signed a four-year agreement with the Notre Dame football team, combining two brands with shared pride in Ireland. The timing is especially fortuitous this year, as the Fighting Irish college football team has had a dominant season. Thankfully with the luck of the Irish, theyre having a pretty good season, says Jack Teeling, a founder of the whiskey brand.Notre Dame had recently inked a beer partnership with Guinness and was on the hunt for a potential spirits tie-in when the team found itself in Ireland last year to play rival Navy. It also brought 30,000 fans along to Europe, calling attention to the loyalty Notre Dame commands.This year, Teeling launched a Notre Dame-branded 24-year-old single malt, selling just 1,000 bottles at $500 apiece, and promotes the whiskey selectively in VIP and alumni areas of the stadium, not making it available to the younger student population.Were not pushing the shots culture, Teeling says. Were talking about elevated ways to enjoy Irish whiskey.

Tall ceilings and large windows allow light to flood the interior of this Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn, designed by New York studio Plan Plan.Serving Fujianese cuisine to the Prospect Heights community, Nin Hao occupies a space with generous 16-foot-high (4.9-metre) ceilings and large glass curtain walls on its south and east facades.Plan Plan added translucent Austrian curtains over Nin Hao's large windows to soften the sunlight enteringThese expanses of glazing let in an abundance of sunlight, so "the sense of transparency is omnipresent in this space" according to Plan Plan.The studio, which was known as CLAS until this year, added translucent Austrian curtains to soften the harsh light entering.Concrete columns are left exposed and cement tiles are intended to mimic traditional Chinese bricks"This filtered light, in turn, reflects off the polycarbonate-panelled wall on the opposite side, diffusing throughout the space and contributing to an atmosphere that feels airy, bright, and ever-changing," said the team.The layout is straightforward, with an open dining area facing the street filled with minimalist tables and pale wooden chairs.A large wall forms a canvas for a rotating series of artistsThis space is separated from the back-of-house area by a long bar that runs along a central axis beneath the polycarbonate panels.The counter front and other low partitions around the perimeter are wrapped in cement tiles designed to mimic traditional Chinese grey bricks.A long red table with matching stools encourages communal diningThick exposed concrete columns rise to a metal grid ceiling, lending the interior an industrial look, and a large wall is left intentionally blank so that it can provide a canvas for a rotating series of artists.Together, a spherical paper pendant, suspended linear fixtures, and cove lighting within the polycarbonate panels transform the restaurant into a glowing box at night,The bathrooms are lined with mosaics that depict famous paintings"Opaque and translucent, rough and sleek, traditional and contemporary, a series of contrasting pairs in dialogue echoes Nin Hao's ethos, which embraces its cultural roots while embodying a contemporary spirit and a well to adventure," said Plan Plan.In the restaurant's two bathrooms, the studio took a different approach and modelled the spaces on iconic paintings.Read: Herringbone brickwork covers Chinese restaurant The Tang in New York by New Practice StudioThe first is enveloped in mosaic tiles to resemble Spring Morning in the Han Palace by Qiu Ying, while the other's custom mosaic depicts the Hudson River Valley from Fort Putnam by George Henry Boughton.One also features a two-way mirror that faces the dining area, "heightening the sense of surprise and adventure in the restaurant" according to Plan Plan.Polycarbonate panels installed over the bar reflect light during the day and softly glow at nightTo encourage interaction between guests, Plan Plan also included a green-topped circular table with a rotating tray for playing mahjong and a long red table with matching stools for communal dining."Nin Hao wants to be a welcoming place for the local communities and people with different cultural backgrounds," said the studio. "With this spirit in mind, the dining space is also a canvas that invites engagement."The restaurant appears as a glowing box from the street after darkNew York City has no shortage of Chinese restaurants, and many have inventive and unexpected interiors that enhance the experience for diners.Examples include The Tang on the Upper West Side, which is lined with red herringbone brickwork, and nearby Atlas Kitchen where quirky illustrations line the walls.The photography is by Sean Davidson.Project credits:Interior design: Plan PlanSignage and graphic design: Yihuang Zhou, Yixuan CaoPlanting design: LivinFurniture fabrication: Big Sin WoodThe post "Transparency is omnipresent" at Plan Plan's Brooklyn restaurant Nin Hao appeared first on Dezeen.

Indian architects Harshit Singh Kothari and Tanvi Jain have completed Tiny House on the outskirts of Indore, a micro home prototype designed in response to India's shortage of affordable housing.With a compact footprint of 19.5 square metres, the home in the Madhya Pradesh state is designed in an attempt to demonstrate how the "aspirational image of an Indian house" could be achieved quickly and with a budget of 4,55,000 rupees (4,500).Harshit Singh Kothari and Tanvi Jain have designed a micro home in India"India faces a housing shortage of 20 million houses in rural areas and 1.5 million houses in urban areas," Kothari and Jain told Dezeen."This house was designed as a prototype in response to this large shortage of affordable housing," they continued.The home serves as a prototype for low-cost housing"The house design was based on a year-long research that included interactions with the target group living in houses of similar sizes whether they are rented houses, social housing, or self-builds," added Kothari and Jain."We realised that there was scope to experiment with and showcase that an aspirational house with aesthetic appeal could be built using standard methods of construction, at an affordable budget and quickly."Earth-coloured plaster coats the brick wallsGiven the small footprint of Tiny House, its interior was organised as a single flexible space with high ceilings, designed to be reconfigured for living, dining and sleeping.A daybed alongside the home's entrance can be pulled out to create a double bed, which is separated from a kitchen space with a foldable dining table by an area of shelving.Read: Cosmic reveals updated "high-quality" model of all-electric micro homeAt the rear of the home, a toilet and storage cupboards have been positioned beneath a mezzanine floor, where an additional sleeping area is accessed via a small ladder."Inspired by tiny houses and conceptually reconfigured to respond to the Indian climate, the house is organised around a single, multifunctional volume that can transform throughout the day," explained the architects. "Furthermore, strategically placed windows allow for ample light and quick ventilation of the spaces."Inside is a single flexible spaceAt the front of Tiny House is a small raised veranda sheltered by a corrugated canopy. It provides an external seating area alongside the entrance while shading the eastern side of the home from the late morning sun.Despite the small size and budget, Kothari and Jain wanted the home to feel "aspirational", using materials such as marble flooring, teak window frames and granite worktops. Externally, the brick walls of the home have been covered in earth-coloured plaster.It is designed to be reconfigured for living, dining and sleeping"Material choices were dictated by the aspirational image of an Indian house and we wanted to showcase that through considerate design and optimised construction, these were achievable at an affordable price point," said Kothari and Jain.Other micro homes that have previously been featured on Dezeen include a glazed home raised on stilts in Austria by Czech studio Jan Tyrpekl and a "non-pretentious" brick dwelling in Ecuador by PJCArchitecture.The photography is by The Space Tracing Company.The post Tiny House is an affordable and "aspirational" housing prototype in India appeared first on Dezeen.

This Tibetus Technical Bridge-Console is an overhead rail system for freestanding kitchen islands. It's made of anodized aluminum, and its purpose is twofold: It provides focused lighting close to the counter, and you can hang a variety of accessories from it. Strangely the manufacturer--Italian company Snaidero, they're basically the Pininfarina of kitchen designsdoesn't list what accessories they offer. But in the images we can see a stemware holder, a tablet holder, and an option to use either a strip LED or those tiny miniaturized track lighting units, which appear to be directionally adjustable. I have no idea what utility the racetrack-shaped golden hoop offers; can any of you connoisseurs of high-end kitchens fill us in?

This Kopak Utensil Set, by a startup called Lucaya, is the designey-est spork and knife set I've ever seen. It consists of two aluminum halves that slot into one another, simultaneously shielding the food-contacting surfaces, to form a monolithic object; neodymium magnets keep it together. A hole bored in the butt end of both utensils provides a connection point for a lanyard. These are up on Kickstarter for $40 a pop. At press time they were at less than $2,000 in pledges on a $12,000 goal, but there were still 28 days left to pledge.