MacworldMajor tremors in the iPhone rumorsphere last week, with the news that Apple is planning a name change for the next version of the iPhone SE. Goodbye, iPhone SE; hello, iPhone 16E.Here at Macworld our instinct when we hear reports like this is to respond first with skepticism and second with anger. Its probably not going to happen, we mutter, and if it does then were going to get mad. Why would Apple change a perfectly good and widely recognized brand in favor of one that is unfamiliar and, lets be honest, quite confusing? Does there really need to be five models in the 16-series iPhone range? And cant we leave the incomprehensible series of numbers and letters branding to the Android side of the aisle?But after the skepticism and the anger comes curiosity. Apple knows its marketing, so there must be some kind of logic here. Whats the rationale?Well, we know that Apple likes its letters to stand for something, even if its frequently coy about what that something is. SE stands for Special Edition. (Which, by the by, has always felt a little Orwellian. Whats so special about recycling an old design?) The E in 2002s eMac stood for Educationquite an easy code to crack, given its initial marketing to students and teachers. The C in iPhone 5c supposedly stood for Color, while the letter S stood variously for Speed (on the iPhone 3GS), Siri (on the iPhone 4s), Security (on the 5s), and Sheesh, Do We Really Have To Keep Coming Up With Words Beginning With S? in the years after until Apple gave up once and for all after the iPhone 11.There are many things this E could stand for, some of them considerably more accurate tags for a budget iPhone than Special Edition. Economy, most obviously. Or Entry Level (unless that would be EL?). After all, the whole point of the exercise is to be cheaper than the iPhone 16, although it would be understandable if Apple chose not to focus on that aspect of the product. Everyone wants a cheap iPhone but no one actually wants a cheap iPhone, if you see what I mean.Excellent, then? Or Effective? By all accounts the next version of the SEsorry, Eis going to boast a sparkling set of specs and features, with the antiquated Home button design finally a thing of the past and the RAM and processor bumped up in order to support Apple Intelligence. Some pundits even believe the long-gestated Apple 5G modem will make its debut in this product, bringing us improved battery performance and a point of difference, in a positive sense, from the late-2024 phones. The upcoming SE looks so promising, in fact, that it makes sense to create a new branding. Apple needs to mark a separation from the uninspiring 3rd-gen SE, and flag the fact that in tech terms this device is going to have a lot more in common with the iPhone 16. Ironically, the fact that the next SE really is going to be special means Apple cant call it that any more. The currency was debased by the last model. And if everyone is special, no one is.FoundryWelcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.Trending: Top storiesJason Snell explains why 2025 will be the year of Apple Intelligence (again).If you got a new iPhone for Christmas, you might want to return it.As a new year begins, the Macs Apple silicon transition is finally complete.Podcast of the weekOn this weeks episode of the Macworld Podcast, its all about your hot takes! You have thoughts about the iMac, the iPad mini and more! Its going to be a good one, so stick around!You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast onSpotify,Soundcloud, thePodcasts app, orour own site.Reviews cornerJourney Nova 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station review: Super-stylish and speedy iPhone charger.The rumor millThe iPhone SE 4 might not be so special after all.And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up forour newsletters. You can also follow uson Facebook, Threads, or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly transformed the chip industry since its mainstream arrival over the past two years, driving demand for specialized processors, accelerating design innovation, and reshaping global supply chains and markets.The generative AI (genAI) revolution that began with OpenAIs release of ChatGPT in late 2022 continues to push the limits of AI inference, large language models (LLMs) and semiconductor technologies. In short order, traditional CPUs, insufficient for AIs parallel processing needs, have given way to specialized chips: GPUs, TPUs, NPUs, and AI accelerators. That prompted companies such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel to expand their portfolios to include AI-optimized products, with Nvidia leading in GPUs for AI training and inference. And because AI workloads prioritize throughput, energy efficiency, and scalability, the larger tech industry has seen massive investments in data centers, with AI-focused chips like NVIDIAs H100 and AMDs MI300 now powering the backbone of AI cloud computing.At the same time, companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have developed custom chips (such as AWS Graviton and Google TPU) to reduce dependency on external suppliers and enhance AI performance.In particular, the AI revolution propelled has propelled growth at Nvidia, making it as a dominant force in the data center marketplace. Once focused on producing chips for gaming systems, the companys AI-driven hardware and software now outpaces those efforts, which has led to remarkable financial gains. The companys market capitalization topped $1 trillion in May 2023 and passed $3.3 trillion in June 2024, making it the worlds most valuable company at that time.The AI-chip industry, however, is about to change dramatically. Over the past several years, semiconductor developers and manufacturers have focused on supplying the data center needs of hyperscale cloud service providers such Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure; organizations have relied heavily on those industry stalwarts for their internal AI development.Theres now a shift toward smaller AI models that only use internal corporate data, allowing for more secure and customizable genAI applications and AI agents. At the same time, Edge AI is taking hold, because it allows AI processing to happen on devices (including PCs, smartphones, vehicles and IoT devices), reducing reliance on cloud infrastructure and spurring demand for efficient, low-power chips.The challenge is if youre going to bring AI to the masses, youre going to have to change the way you architect your solution; I think this is where Nvidia will be challenged because you cant use a big, complex GPU to address endpoints, said Mario Morales, a group vice president at research firm IDC. So, theres going to be an opportunity for new companies to come in companies like Qualcomm, ST Micro, Renesas, Ambarella and all these companies that have a lot of the technology, but now itll be about how to use it. This is where the next frontier is for AI the edge, Morales said.Turbulence in the market for some chip makersThough global semiconductor chip sales declined in 2023 by about 11%, dropping from the previous years record of $574.1 billion to around $534 billion, that downturn did not last. Sales are expected to increase by 22% in 2025, according to Morales, driven by AI adoption and a stabilization in PC and smartphone sales.If youre making memory or making an AI accelerator, like Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD or even Marvel now, youre doing very well, Morales said. But if youre a semiconductor company like an ST Micro, Infinium, Renesas or Texas Instruments, youve been hit hard by excess inventory and a macroeconomy thats been uncertain for industrial and automobile sectors. Those two markets last year outperformed, but this year they were hit very hard.Most LLMs used today rely on public data, but more than 80% of the worlds data is held by enterprises that wont share it with platforms like OpenAI or Anthropic, according to Morales. That trend benefits processor companies, especially Nvidia, Qualcomm, and AMD. Highly specialized System on a Chip (SoC) technology with lower price points and more energy efficiency will begin to dominate the market as organizations bring the tech in-house.I think its definitely going to change the dynamics in the market, Morales said. Thats why youre seeing a lot of companies aligning themselves to address the edge and end points with their technology. I think thats the next wave of growth youre going to see along with the enterprise; the enterprise is adopting their own data center approach.Intel will continue to find a safe haven for its processors in PCs, and its decision to outsource manufacturing to TSMC has kept it competitive with rival AMD. But Intel is likely to struggle to keep pace with other chip makers in emerging markets.Outside of that, if you look at their data center business, its still losing share to AMD and they have no answer for Nvidia, Morales said.While Intels latest line of x86 and Gaudi AI accelerators are designed to compete with Nvidias H100 and Blackwell GPUs, Morales sees them more as a stop gap effort not what the market is seeking.I do believe on the client side theres an opportunity for Intel to take advantage of a replacement cycle with AI working its way into PCs, he said. They just received an endorsement from Microsoft for Copilot, so that gives their x86 line an opening; thats where Intel can continue to fight until they recover from their transformation and all the changes that have happened at the company.To stay relevant in modern data centers where Nvidias chips are driving growth Intel and AMD will need to invest in GPUs, according to Andrew Chang, technology director at S&P Global Ratings. While CPUs remain essential, Nvidia dominates the AI chip market, leaving AMD and Intel struggling to compete, Chang said. AMD aims for $5 billion in AI chip sales by 2025, while Intels AI efforts, centered on its Gaudi platform, are minimal. Both companies will continue investing in GPUs and AI accelerators, showing some incremental revenue growth, but their share of the data center market will likely keep declining.Politics, the CHIPS Act and what happens after Jan. 20Geopolitical and economic factors such as export restrictions, supply chain disruptions, and government policies, could also reshape the chip industry. President-elect Donald J. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, has signaled he plans to impose heavy tariffs on chip imports.The CHIPS and Science Act is also promising billions of dollars to semiconductor developers and manufacturers who locate operations in the US. Under the Act, $39 billion in funding has been earmarked for several companies, including TSMC, Intel, Samsung and Micron all of whom have developed plans for, or are already building, new fabrication or research facilities.But in order for tax dollars to be divvied out, each company must meet specific milestones; until that time the monies remain unspent. While the promise of billions of dollars in incentives are unquestionably helping reshore US chip production, Morales pointed to the CHIPS Acts 25% tax break as a greater benefit.Even a company like Intelis getting about $50 billion dollars [in tax breaks], which is unheard of. Thats where the winning payouts are, he said.Though Trump has signaled that government funding to encourage reshoring is the wrong tactic, industry experts do not believe the CHIPS Act will be drastically cut when he regains office. We expect modest revisions to the CHIPS Act, but not something drastic as cutting funding yet to be dispersed, Morales said. The CHIPS Act received bipartisan support and any attempt to revise this would face pushback from states that stand to benefit, such as Arizona and Ohio.Though high-end processors to power energy-sucking cloud data centers have dominated the market to date, energy-efficient AI processors for edge devices will likely continue to gain traction.Think about an AI PC this year or a smartphone that incorporates AI as well, or even a wearable device that has a smaller, more well-tuned model that can leverage AI inferencing, Morales said. This is where were going next, and I think its going to be very big over the coming years.And, I think AI inferencing, as a percentage of the companies, will be as big if not bigger than what weve seen in the data center, so far, he added.From LLMs to SLMs and edge devicesEnterprises and other organizations are also shifting their focus from single AI models to multimodal AI, or LLMs capable of processing and integrating multiple types of data or modalities, such as text, images, audio, video, and sensory input. The input from diverse resources creates a more comprehensive understanding of that data and enhances performance across tasks.Over 80% of organizations expect their AI workflows to increase in the next two years, while about two-thirds expect pressure to upgrade IT infrastructure, according to a report by S&P Global.Sudeep Kesh, chief innovation officer at S&P Global Ratings, noted that AI is evolving towards smaller, task-specific models, but larger, general-purpose models will still be essential. Both types will coexist, creating opportunities in each space, he said.A key challenge will be developing computationally and energy-efficient models, which will influence chip design and implementation. Chip makers will also need to address scalability, interoperability, and system integration all of which are expected to drive technological advances across industries, improve autonomous systems, and enable future developments like edge AI, Kesh said.In particular, as companies move away from cloud-based LLMs and embrace smaller language models that can be deployed on edge devices and endpoints, the industry will see increased interest in AI inferencing.Its an environment where its feast or famine for the industry, IDCs Morales said. Whats in store for the coming year? I think the growth weve seen in the data center been phenomenal and it will continue into 2025. What Im excited about is enterprises are beginning to look at prioritizing IT spending dollars in AI, and that will break a second wave of demand for processors.

Welcome to our annual breakthroughs issue. If youre an MIT Technology Review superfan, you may already know that putting together our 10 Breakthrough Technologies (TR10) list is one of my favorite things we do as a publication. We spend months researching and discussing which technologies will make the list. We try to highlight a mix of items that reflect innovations happening in various fields. We look at consumer technologies, large industrial-scale projects, biomedical advances, changes in computing, climate solutions, the latest in AI, and more.Weve been publishing this list every year since 2001 and, frankly, have a great track record of flagging things that are poised to hit a tipping point. When you look back over the years, youll find items like natural-language processing (2001), wireless power (2008), and reusable rockets (2016)spot-on in terms of horizon scanning. Youll also see the occasional miss, or moments when maybe we were a little bit too far ahead of ourselves. (See our Magic Leap entry from 2015.)But the real secret of the TR10 is what we leave off the list. It is hard to think of another industry, aside from maybe entertainment, that has as much of a hype machine behind it as tech does. Which means that being too conservative is rarely the wrong call. But it does happen.Last year, for example, we were going to include robotaxis on the TR10. Autonomous vehicles have been around for years, but 2023 seemed like a real breakthrough moment; both Cruise and Waymo were ferrying paying customers around various cities, with big expansion plans on the horizon. And then, last fall, after a series of mishaps (including an incident when a pedestrian was caught under a vehicle and dragged), Cruise pulled its entire fleet of robotaxis from service. Yikes.The timing was pretty miserable, as we were in the process of putting some of the finishing touches on the issue. I made the decision to pull it. That was a mistake.What followed turned out to be a banner year for the robotaxi. Waymo, which had previously been available only to a select group of beta testers, opened its service to the general public in San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2024. Its cars are now ubiquitous in the City by the Bay, where they have not only become a real competitor to the likes of Uber and Lyft but even created something of a tourist attraction. Which is no wonder, because riding in one is delightful. They are still novel enough to make it feel like a kind of magic. And as you can read, Waymo is just a part of this amazing story.The item we swapped into the robotaxis place was the Apple Vision Pro, an example of both a hit and a miss. Wed included it because it is truly a revolutionary piece of hardware, and we zeroed in on its micro-OLED display. Yet a year later, it has seemingly failed to find a market fit, and its sales are reported to be far below what Apple predicted. Ive been covering this field for well over a decade, and I would still argue that the Vision Pro (unlike the Magic Leap vaporware of 2015) is a breakthrough device. But it clearly did not have a breakthrough year. Mea culpa.Having said all that, I think we have an incredible and thought-provoking list for you this yearfrom a new astronomical observatory that will allow us to peer into the fourth dimension to new ways of searching the internet to, well, robotaxis. I hope theres something here for everyone.

Other World Computing's CES 2025 offerings include massive storage with the OWC ThunderBlade X12 and connectivity with the OWC Active Optical Cable.OWC ThunderBlade X12The OWC ThunderBlade X12 is a high-capacity, high-bandwidth storage device aimed at video professionals, including digital imaging technicians on film and TV productions. OWC offers it can be used as a production shuttle RAID in a portable size.The aim of the device is that it solves the niche problem of a RAID solution compatible with RAID 5, that handles both massive storage capacities and sustained fast speeds for on-set footage ingestion. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Remedy Entertainment has been on a roll lately with titles like Control and Alan Wake 2. Its future line-up also looks very promising, with FBC: Firebreak coming this year. Max Payne 1 + 2 Remake has also entered full production, with Control 2 to follow at some point in 2025.With production values ramping, its interesting how Remedy has drawn inspiration from Naughty Dog of The Last of Us fame. This isnt a recent development either. Alan Wake 2 director Kyle Rowley said in the Behind the Voice podcast that he brought this up while working on Quantum Break.When I came to Quantum Break, I was excited about working on something that had One of my favorite games at the time was Uncharted And I remember discussing it with our lead animator. I was like, We should be aiming to kind of be like the European version of Naughty Dog. That would be cool if we could get that same level of feel, and that was the type of game I like to play. I was excited about working on it. Given the success of Alan Wake 2, which sold over 1.8 million copies as of November 2024, its safe to say that Remedy has achieved a similar expertise in crafting memorable narratives.Alan Wake 2 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here, where we gave it a nine out of ten.

When compared to the first-party outputs of other platforms, the Xbox Series X usually comes up short. However, 2024 saw significant improvements with several high-profile exclusives. Of course, there are plenty of third-party titles worth playing on the console as well, so without further ado, check out the 15 best Xbox Series X games of 2024.Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024Launch issues, Career Mode bugs, performance problems (more so on PC than console) even with all that in mind, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a worthwhile new addition to the Xbox library. The sheer range of new aircraft combined with new activities in Career Mode, World Photographer including walking outside your plane in multiple rich biomes and additional aircraft systems offer a rich experience. And when it works, theres nothing quite like soaring the skies and peering down all creation.

Set to launch not long from now on February 4,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is promising an authentic, grounded open world action RPG experience unlike most of what we see from the genre, and naturally, the game has had no shortage of eyes on it leading up to its release. To prepare for its launch, here, were going to go over a few key details about the game that you should know, from its open world setting to the sort of gameplay experience it looks set to deliver and more.SETTINGOne ofKingdom Come: Deliverancesbiggest selling points was its open world setting and how it was completely grounded in realism. Thats something that Warhorse Studios is looking to repeat with Deliverance 2. Set in the the early 15th century, the game will once again take players to what the developer says is an authentic and grounded recreation of Central Bohemia. You can also expect a much larger world this time around, though well get to that in a bit.STORYAs its name implies,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is a direct follow-up on its predecessor, which many were surprised by when Warhorse Studios first made the announcement. That, of course, means former blacksmith Henry will once again feature as the protagonist, and once again, you can expect him to become embroiled in a number of large-scale conflicts, on top of his own personal tale of revenge. According to the developer, the game will feature over 5 hours of cutscenes, so theres going to be plenty of story to get through.TWO MAPSSequels love to go bigger and better, and sure enough,Deliverance 2is doing that by having not one, but two full-fledged open world maps. The two maps will see players exploring the region known as the Bohemian Paradise and the city of Kuttenburg, though they will be entirely separate from each other. Overall, Warhorse Studios says the game is supposed to be about twice as large as its predecessor.KUTTENBURGThe aforementioned city of Kuttneburg is going to be a major location inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2.One of the worlds biggest hubs of trade and civilization at the time, the large silver mining city will be a new kind of environment for the IP. Speaking to IGN about the city, art director Viktor Hschl said, We are trying to depict a realistic, immersive, and believable medieval world that is being reconstructed to the best of our knowledge. Naturally, to achieve that, we are not only having our in-house historian, but we are very closely working together with universities, historians, museums, re-enactors, and a group of experts from different ethnicities or religious beliefs that we are actively incorporating into development as external advisors.LENGTHWarhorse Studios has made an effort to impress upon everyone just how massive of an experienceKingdom Come: Deliverance 2is going to be, and that certainly seems to be reflected in its runtime. According to its developer, the game is going to be about 80-100 hours long. Presumably, those looking to dive fully into its optional offerings will be able to get even more out of it.REPUTATION SYSTEMChoice and consequence mechanics are clearly going to be a big focus inDeliverance 2, and a reputation system will have a big role to play in that. Specifically, depending on your play style, Henry can develop different kinds of reputations for himself, which changes the way NPCs react to him. So if, for instance, you like to do a lot of thieving, NPCs will behave accordingly. Interestingly enough, Warhorse Studios says that will also impact what kinds of decisions Henry will be making in turn, both on micro and macro levels.COMBAT DETAILSKingdom Come: Deliverancesfirst-person melee combat wasnt to everyones tastes, butDeliverance 2is seemingly making some key improvements. On top of tighter controls, more responsive action, and mechanics that area easier to master, the developer is also promising more meaningful variety across different weapon types. That means swords and maces, for instance, will have their own fighting styles, advantages, and disadvantages, which should offer some interesting depth.CROSSBOWS AND FIREARMSKingdom Come: Deliverance 2sgreater emphasis on variety where weapons are concerned will also extend to newly introduced ranged options. Specifically,the game features crossbows and some firearms as available weapons, with neither having been an option in the first game. Obviously, melee combat is going to be your primary means of engagement in combat situations, though you are going to have ranged options now as well, at the very least.SURVIVAL ELEMENTSSurvival elements will continue to play an important role inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Players will have to ensure that Henry is eating and sleeping regularly, and how you choose to tackle those problems will have consequences. For instance, if Henry is found sleeping somewhere he shouldnt be, he will be woken up rather than being allowed to finish his rest. Meanwhile, depending on where you go to sleep, Henry can also be attacked and ambushed while hes sleeping.ALCHEMYHenry is a blacksmith by trade, but alchemy will also be an important part of the gameplay loop inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Specifically, going out into the world and looking for resources to gather will be something players will be doing plenty of, with those resources then being used to craft a variety of potions (and yes, the saving potion is returning as well).GRAPHICS MODESAs confirmed by Warhorse Studios,Deliverance 2will feature Performance and Fidelity modes both PS5 and Xbox Series X, with the former running at an upscaled 1440p at 60 FPS, and the latter at an upscaled 4K and 30 FPS. On Xbox Series S, meanwhile, the game will run at 1080p and 30 FPS, with no 60 FPS option offered.PS5 PRO ENHANCEMENTSUnsurprisingly,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2is also confirmed to feature PS5 Pro support. In addition to the aforementioned Performance and Fidelity modes, on Sonys more powerful console, the game will also feature a Pro mode, which will run the game at an upscaled 4K (courtesy of PSSR) and 60 FPS.PC REQUIREMENTSFor those hoping to play the game on PC,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2srequirements can be fairly steep. On the lowest settings, to run the game at 1080p and 30 FPS, youll need either an i5-8400 or a Ryzen 5 2600, alongside either a GeForce GTX 1060 or a Radeon RX 580, and 16 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, for a recommended setup that plays the game at 1440p and 60 FPS, youll require either an i5-13600K or a Ryzen 5 7600X, as well as either a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or a Radeon RX 6700 XT, and 24 GB of RAM. Regardless of which setup youre playing on, youll also need an SSD and around 100 GB of free storage.HIGH AND ULTRA REQUIREMENTSKingdom Come: Deliverance 2shigh-end PC requirements are where things get really demanding. To play the game at 1440p and 60 FPS at high settings, youll need either an i7-13700K or a Ryen 7 7800X3D, alongside either a GeForce RTX 4070 or a Radeon RX 7800 XT, and 32 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, for ultra settings, most of the requirements will remain the same, though on the GPU front, youll need either a GeForce RTX 4080 or a Radeon RX 7900 XT.EXPANSIONSIts clear thatKingdom Come: Deliverance 2isnt going to be lacking in content upon its release, but Warhorse Studios has plans to add plenty more in the post-launch period as well. The developer has confirmed that it will release three expansions for the action RPG, though at this stage, theres not much else thats known about them. Presumably, well learn more once the game itself is out.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Need to set up a production pipeline for your next VFX, animation or game development project? Check out open-source pipeline and project management tool Tik Manager 4.The Python-based tool is intended to be simple enough to deploy on small projects but robust enough to scale to heavy loads, and integrates with a range of industry-standard DCC apps.An intuitive, robust pipeline system for VFX, animation and games workDeveloped by DNEG Lead Creature TD Arda Kutlu, Tik Manager has been publicly available since 2019, but Kutlu describes version 4, released last year, as a milestone update.Although technically a successor [to the 2019 version], its essentially a complete rewrite based on extensive user feedback. In comparison, the previous version was quite limited in scope.Since the 4.0 release, Kutlu has continued to update Tik Manager regularly the current release is version 4.3 and has just launched a dedicated website for the software. Handles collaborative file access, version control and task managementTik Manager is designed to be artist-friendly, with an intuitive, no-fuss interface that lets users focus on the art, not the process, but robust enough to scale to larger projects.It has the core functionality that you would expect in a pipeline system, with users able to manage access permissions for shared files, create and assign tasks to be completed, manage versioning of assets, and publish updates to other team members.When publishing updates to a scene, Tik Manager automatically extracts the latest versions of the assets required and validates them against the technical standards defined for the project.Other noteworthy features include a localization option, making it possible for team members to cache files locally to reduce data traffic to cloud storage platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox.Works with a range of key DCC applications, across Windows, Linux and macOSTik Manager works cross-platform it is possible to combine Windows, Linux and macOS machines in the same pipeline and integrates with a range of key CG applications.As well as general-purpose 3D modeling, animation and FX tools like Maya, Houdini, Blender and 3ds Max, it works with texturing apps Mari, Photoshop and Substance 3D Painter, lighting and look dev tools Gaffer and Katana, and Nuke for compositing.The software also integrates with Flow Production Tracking, Autodesks production-tracking platform, formerly known as Shotgun and ShotGrid.Kutlu tells us that he plans to continue adding integrations, including both ZBrush and Unreal Engine, with Unreal Engine likely to be the platform next to receive support.System requirements and licensingTik Manager runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. Version 4.3 integrates with 3ds Max, Blender, Gaffer, Houdini, Katana, Mari, Maya, Nuke, Photoshop and Substance 3D Painter.The source code is available on GitHub under an open-source GPL v3 license. You can download compiled builds for free, although currently only for Windows.If you want to support development, you can join Arda Kutlus Patreon, or make a one-off donation via the PayPal button at the foot of the project homepage.Download open-source VFX and games pipeline system Tik Manager from the project websiteRead more about Tik Manager in the online documentationHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Artist and tools developer Tawan Sunflower has released Paint System, a free add-on that turn[s] Blender into Photoshop.The tool implements Photoshop-style layer painting in the open-source 3D software, enabling users to create non-photorealistic textures by painting directly onto 3D objects.A promising free add-on for painting non-photorealistic textures in BlenderTawan Sunflower describes Paint System as a simple but flexible painting system for non-photo-realistic-rendering in Blender in the video above, he describes it as inspired by the painterly look of Netflix animated series Arcane.It enables users to paint directly onto the surface of 3D geometry, using a range of preset brushes: the add-on supports the brushes included in Blenders Essentials asset library.Painting is layer-based, supporting layer opacity, layer clipping, and as of Paint System 1.1.6, the latest release Adjustment Layers.Supports a range of blending modes, including Erase Alpha for erasing parts of a modelPaint System also supports Photoshop-style layer blending modes, including Hue, Saturation, Value, Multiply, Divide, Lighten and Darken: the full list is shown in this part of the demo video.However, one of the most eye-catching is Erase Alpha, which renders that part of the layer transparent, making it possible to erase parts of the object by painting over it, as shown above.Can also be used to paint other material channels, including normal mapsWeve covered other free Blender add-ons for layer-based texture painting on CG Channel before, including HAS Paint Layers and Ucupaint.Paint Systems selling point looks to be its ease of use: it has a simple, intuitive UI, and is designed to avoid users having to manipulate Blenders Shader Nodes.However, artists willing to dive into the node graph can generate an even wider range of results.By adjusting the connections between the node group Paint System creates the rest of a material network, users can paint texture channels other than surface color, including the normal map.Price and system requirementsPaint System is compatible with Blender 4.1+. Its a free download. The source code is available under a GPL v3 license.If you want to support Tawan Sunflowers work, you can back him on Patreon.Download free Blender non-photorealistic painting add-on Paint SystemHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

4 expert tips for writing more in 2024Published inThe Medium BlogSent as aNewsletter2 min readJust now-- Were back and better-rested than everIssue #239: jungle gym careers, Billie Holiday, and questioning your defaultsWriting forces you to hear your thoughts, goes one of my favorite tweets. It is a confrontation with yourself.One of my resolutions this year and maybe one of yours is to write more. (Thankfully, theres a platform for that.) Making space in your life (and your mind) to actually get your ideas and experiences down, though, is harder than it sounds. In a story Ive revisited a few times over the years, writer and illustrator Sophie Lucido Johnson lists her tips for getting out of your own way. Ill be carrying these with me in 2025Confront the Mirror Monster, the voice in your head that says things like no one will ever care about what youre writing. One tactic: Dont reread what youve written until youve finished a Bad First Draft. Novelist Eileen Pollack calls this a zero draft, which I like because it sounds attainable. Just get something down, and then you can improve it.Stop downhill. Stop writing when youre excited to keep going, not when youre stuck so when you reopen that doc, you have a clear next step.Set a timer. The other monster in your head might say I dont have time for this! To vanquish this monster, try the pomodoro method. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Dont let yourself Ctrl-T away from that doc until time is up.Its just work. Its sometimes helpful to view writing less as creativity and more as simply work. It happens one word and one sentence at a time. Henry Miller has a rule (quoted by Johnson): When you cant create, you can work. Harris Sockel 1 sentence, 1 storyYour career is not a ladder its a jungle gym. (Matt Kornfield)Overheard at senior homes: the lyrics to Billie Holidays Easy Living (Loren Kantor)Dont rush to judge your past self they were doing their best with the information they had at the time. (Rikard A. Hjort)I love this list of unexpectedly specific life tips from Sasha Chapin: Being silly is a gift. You un-taboo silliness for everyone around you. A dose of practical wisdom: on resolutionsOne of the best resolutions you can make is to simply start questioning your defaults: the routines, behaviors, and mindsets you find yourself naturally falling into. Most of these are somewhat arbitrary, and changing a few of them, even in subtle ways (a new path for your midafternoon walk, a tweaked morning routine) may lead to a better life.