html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Adobe has unveiled a new Live Co-Editing feature in Photoshop, its image-editing and digital painting software, widely used in CG for concept art, illustration and retouching.The functionality, which makes it possible for multiple users to edit the same Photoshop document simultaneously, is currently available in private beta.Opening up new collaborative workflows for education and design reviewsUnlike Photoshops existing collaboration tools, Live Co-Editing enables multiple users to access and edit the same Photoshop document simultaneously.As well as enabling artists to collaborate on complex projects in real time, suggested use cases relevant to CG Channel readers include design reviews.Artists can invite supervisors and clients to access a file for example, a concept image or illustration and have them add comments or make edits to the document.Educators will also be able to teach techniques directly in Photoshop, with students able to follow along on the same document.Currently available in invite-only private betaLive Co-Editing is available in both the desktop version of Photoshop and the web app.However, unlike standard beta features, which are available to subscribers via Adobes Creative Cloud desktop app, its currently in invite-only private beta.To apply to join the beta program, you need to fill out a short online survey.Price, system requirements and release dateLive Co-Editing is currently in private beta. Adobe hasnt announced a final release date yet.You can find details of system requirements and pricing in this story on Photoshop 26.2, the current release.Read more about Live Co-op Editing in Photoshop on Adobes blogHave 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.

Find out how Yellow Brick Games leverages Chaos, Nanite, Lumen, and a host of other UE5 features to bring magical mechanics and interactive environments to its upcoming third-person action adventure game Eternal Strands.

PC makers are betting everything on the AI bandwagon. At the CES 2025 tech trade show in Las Vegas last week, AI technology was everywhere.Read More

Palestinian developer Rasheed Abueideh has raised (just over) $240,000 to begin production on Dreams on a Pillow, a video game about the 1948 Nakba.The project raised precisely $240,502 through crowdfunding platform LaunchGood, surpassing its target of $194,800 after receiving backing from over 3,300 people.The title will take the form a "pseudo-3D stealth adventure" inspired by a Palestinian folk tale set during the Nakba. The United Nations explains Nakba means "catastrophe" in Arabic and refers to the "mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war."In a post on Bluesky, Abueideh thanked backers for their support and explained production on the game will commence imminently.Abueideh said he hopes to "make history" in the game industry by bringing Dreams on a Pillow to market after initially struggling to secure funding via more traditional means.As noted on the project page, Abueideh previously worked on a title called Liyla & The Shadows of War that sought to shine a light on the "harsh realities of living under invasion, apartheid, and occupation" in Gaza.However he says he was met with setback after setback with both publishers and platform holders reportedly rejecting the title and even banning it in some instances.Despite those challenges, he successfully launched Liyla but has struggled to make a living in the game industry ever since. Abueideh says publishers and investors feel supporting a Palestinian is "too risky" or "controversial," but is determined to find a way to turn Dreams on a Pillow into a reality."Dreams on a Pillow holds the ambition and dreams of a Palestinian who was denied the right to make games like the rest of the world could, but persists regardless. It cannot be made with traditional games funding, because such funding cannot be accessed by a Palestinian," reads the project page."It cannot be made with traditional crowdfunding, because most popular crowdfunding platforms do not recognize Palestine. To tell this story, to fulfil this impossible dream, to bring together a team of veteran game developers and incredible local creators."Abueideh estimates he will need roughly $495,000 to realize his vision for Dreams on a Pillow. The cash raised through LaunchGood will be used to move into a production state and create "a few core levels" while plotting out and prototyping the entire experience."This will ensure the mechanics and narrative work together to tell this powerful and sensitive story. Prototypes and 'vertical slices' will have ensured all pipelines have been tested, all required talent is on-board, and few (if any) risks remain to the production process," adds an explainer."At that point, Rasheed and his team will endeavour to raise additional funding with a far more advanced version of the game in handa much more viable prospect."You can learn more about Dreams on a Pillow on LaunchGood.

President Biden issued an executive order today aimed at speeding the development of AI data centers in the US. It directs theDepartment of Defense (DOD) and Department of Energy (DOE) to lease federal sites to private companies building gigawatt-scale AI data centers and clean power facilities. It also tells federal agencies to prioritize and speed up permitting of AI infrastructure. The measure could create categorial exclusions to speed environmental review under the National Environmental Protection Act.Developing new AI tools is an increasingly energy-hungry endeavor. Nevertheless, the Biden administration seems to think its worth the risk of further derailing US climate goals and putting additional pressure on already stressed power grids. Developing new AI tools is an increasingly energy-hungry endeavorWe will not let America be out-built when it comes to the technology that will define the future, Joe Biden said in a statement today.Prior to the announcement today in response to reports that the White House was considering measures to fast track data center development environmental and consumer advocacy groups as well as Democratic lawmakers had urged the White House to avoid exempting AI from typical permitting procedures andenvironmental standards.We urge you to reconsider any potential executive action that could lead to increased pollution and costs for consumers, says a letter sent by senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Peter Welch (D-VT) to the Biden administration on December 17th. We are the United States of America; there is no doubt that we can win the AI race while accelerating our decarbonization efforts, it reads. Electricity demand from data centers has tripled over the past decade, according to estimates published by theLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) on December 20th. Its likely to double or triple again by 2028, according to the report. Data centers used about 4.4 percent of US electricity in 2023, which could rise to as much as 12 percent by 2028.RelatedThat rise in demand is the result of the tremendous compute power needed to train AI models. Utilities are already extending the lives of polluting coal and gas infrastructure to try to meet skyrocketing electricity demand. Customers also face rising electricity bills as a result.Developers building new AI data centers on federal land will be requiredto pay all costs of building and operating AI infrastructure so that this development does not raise electricity prices for consumers, according to the White House. That includes constructing the data center itself, as well as power facilities and transmission lines. Companies will be responsible for sourcing electricity that data centers use from new sources of clean electricity. Theyll also have to assess the security implications of AI models developed at federal sites and purchase an appropriate share of American-made semiconductors. In the race to dominate AI, we cant lose sight of the very real race to stop the pollution thats warming our planet and harming our health, Johanna Neumann, a senior director at the Environment America Research & Policy Center, said in a December 19th statement. Neumann arguedThe government already leases federal lands for energy production, including fossil fuel exploration and renewable energy projects. Under the executive order, by February 28th, the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy are supposed to find at least three sites each to host new AI data centers on land that their departments manage.

Every other Tuesday we get anUnreal EngineFab marketplace giveaway and this Tuesday is no exception. You can get three free game development assets during the next two weeks, all of the assets work in Unreal natively (there are no Unity specific assets this week). If you are using a different game engine or tool we have guides below that instruct you on how to export from Unreal Engine to other engines such as Godot, Blender or Unity for example.This Months free assets include:Vista Modern House EnvironmentParry Attack SystemModular Bakery ShopYou can see all of these assets in action in thevideobelow. If you are interested in getting these assets into other game engines, check out our various guides available here:

Following Uncharteds 2022 cinematic outing and The Last of Us hit HBO show, it was only a matter of time until Sony announced that Horizon was coming to the silver screen. PlayStation Studios and Columbia Pictures recently formally confirmed that a movie adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn is in the works, which will bring to life both Aloys origin story and the video games vibrant, machine-filled world. And while development of the movie is only in the early stages, Im already pretty confident that it could be Sonys first major video game win at the box office if it stays true to the games. The last few years have seen several video game success stories grace both the small and big screens. The Super Mario Brothers and Sonic films, both skewed for family audiences, are the gold standard in terms of both critical reception and box office numbers. On TV, Sonys own The Last of Us show sits alongside the likes of Netflixs Arcane and Amazon Primes Fallout as fan favourites. And even adaptations that have had more middling reviews from fans and critics have been able to come out on top at the box office; the Tom Holland-led Uncharted movie grossed more than $400 million. But while its true that the days of the video game curse are mostly long gone, there are still issues that persist in this field. Uncharted may have found its audience, but it is not the faithful adaptation of the original games fans were hoping for. More recently, we have seen poor critical and box office performance for the likes of last years Borderlands film and Amazons Like a Dragon: Yakuza series. Both seemed completely uninterested in staying faithful to the storylines, lore, or even simply the tone of the games they were built upon. They simply did not accurately depict the world of the games that fans fell in love with. Horizon's unique robotic ecosystems would be incredible to witness on the big screen.While such failures can occur in video game adaptations, they are part of a wider issue with adaptations in general. Netflix's The Witcher has taken considerable liberties with its source material, significantly changing the original books events and characters, plus shifting the overall tone. While adaptations often need to make changes to fit their new medium, these examples feel like they have become different things entirely. And for fans of the original texts the pre-baked audience that should be the first in line to watch a new adaptation this can be not just incredibly disappointing, but also signal the projects eventual downfall. That brings us back to Horizon. The recently announced movie isnt actually the first attempt at bringing Horizon to screens. Back in 2022 Netflix announced it was developing a series based on the game, and rumours began to circulate about a Horizon 2074 project that was to be set during the pre-apocalypse period, perhaps trying to fill in some of the backstory the games touch upon and skirt around. This direction, while ultimately never confirmed by Netflix, certainly proved polarising for the game's fanbase, who are clamouring for a story that is faithful to the one that made the original game such a resounding success. Plus, of course, they want to see huge robot animals, which a pre-apocalypse setting would naturally not feature. However, such fans need not worry: whatever the plans were for that show, the project is no longer in development at Netflix and Horizon is now being reworked into a cinema release. Given the heavy CGI effects that any Horizon adaptation would need to realise its iconic visuals, this is a smart move, as the increased budget of a Hollywood movie is one of the keys to realising the story and worlds potential and make them shine on the big screen.If Horizon is given the same kind of treatment afforded to The Last of Us on the small screen, there is no reason it cant be PlayStations first big cinema win. But theres much more to Horizon than its incredible robotic creatures. Consider the success of Fallout, Arcane and The Last of Us in the past few years. These adaptations were praised for being worthy extensions of their source material and for their faithfulness to not just the visuals, but also the tone and stories of their original game franchises. Gamers care about adaptations having an authentic story. The Last of Us did, of course, craft new storylines that deviated from its source material, but most of the show stayed true to the narrative structure of the games. The result was a show that sailed on the proven strength of the game, which resonated with both fans and newcomers. And so if Horizon is given the same kind of treatment afforded to The Last of Us, Arcane and Fallout on the small screen, there is no reason it cant be PlayStations first big cinema win. Remaining faithful to the original game isnt something to do just for the sake of fan expectation, though. Horizon Zero Dawn received the Best Narrative award at the The Game Awards in 2017, as well as the Outstanding Achievement in Story award at the 2018 DICE awards, which shows how highly regarded the games story is. It is a tale worth staying faithful to. Set in 31st century North America, it follows Aloy, a member of the Nora Tribe, as she explores the mystery surrounding her origins and how they link to an old-world scientist, Elisabet Sobeck, who is Aloys perfect doppelganger. These characters and the world they exist in are captivating: Aloy in particular is a brilliant anchor, and her allies Erend and Varl are easy to root for thanks to relationships that are massively fleshed out across Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel, Forbidden West. Further depth is added through the examination of how attempts were made to save Earths climate, with a rogue AI expanding to create the creatures that now populate so much of the Earth. Complimenting this is the mysterious Sylens, a constant presence and an enigma we want to get to the root of. The unique cultures of Horizon's world could prove as compelling as Avatar's Na'vi tribes.The intricacy of each community and settlement Aloy uncovers along her journey makes for an expansive, immersive world that feels completely unique. This worldbuilding is fuel for a compelling film franchise. Much like how James Camerons Avatar series has explored the culture and traditions of Navi tribes, a Horizon film could dig into the ways tribes like the Nora protect themselves from Earths robotic hunters. The unique combat encounters are a highlight of both Horizon games, and with the likes of the saber tooth tiger-like Sawtooths, the towering Tallnecks, and sky-bound Stormbirds, theres the potential to litter the landscapes with impressive visuals. Alongside rival tribes and those loyal to the rogue AI Hades, these creatures ensure the games are full of action and suspense. Those same elements would provide interesting challenges for Aloy and her allies in a movie adaptation, too. All combined, Horizon is a rich source of creative and visually-rich storytelling that needs very few changes to suit the current cinematic landscape. Horizons story is compelling from the offset, and if followed faithfully, I believe its film adaptation could be, too. What makes Horizon stand out from other would-be franchises is the diligence in its story, crafting a world that is unique, timely, and fresh with an aesthetic that feels distinctly cinematic. There are so many nuances to the world and the storytelling that it is easy to imagine a Horizon adaptation being a resounding success both critically and at the box office. And with the more expansive story of Forbidden West, there is a huge canvas for the franchise as a whole to work with if adapted carefully, this could be a long-term proposition for Sony. There is a huge opportunity to make a film franchise that can match the success of its source material, which has proven to be tremendous success across the last two generations of PlayStation consoles, captivating gamers worldwide. If the film can take the ingredients that have made the game such a success and keep them intact, then the basics are in place for a compelling adaptation. And with more Sony titles set to become film and TV franchises, such as Ghost of Tsushima and Helldivers 2, such an approach would set PlayStation up for success in an entirely new medium. But forgetting what made Horizon great in the first place or, even worse, purposefully diverging away from it could put Sony not only in the firing line of negative fan feedback, but also the same kind of financial difficulties suffered by Borderlands. Bad adaptations have been overwhelmingly rejected by fans, and as a result often audiences as a whole. Lets hope that Sony (plus the writers and directors it chooses) recognise what they have on their hands and do right by Horizon. Chris Connor is a coffee and whisky driven culture wordsmith, with work published at NME, Radio Times, Yahoo, and others.

Happy new year!33 Immortals is back for Xbox Insiders with a third playtest starting January 28. The playtest will be available for 10 days and end on February 6. Thunder Lotus Games incorporated more updates and is excited for Xbox Insiders to try them and to get your feedback. Limited space is available so be ready to join on January 28 to experience this co-op action-roguelike for 33 players.About the Game:Play a damned soul, and rebel against Gods final judgment. Dive straight into epic 33-player co-op battles with instant pick-up and raid matchmaking. Cooperate with your allies to survive against hordes of monsters and massive, challenging bosses. Expand your arsenal and equip powerful new relics to permanently upgrade your soul. Face the Wrath of God in a fight for your eternal life.If you want to learn more, please sign up on the 33 Immortals Website!Updates and Fixes:First Time User experience:New cutscene has been added to welcome players to the game.Dialogue has been streamlined.New dialogue added.New compendium entries have been added with updated UI.Other:Relics can now be rerolled in the Relic Inventory.Meta currencies (Eternal Shards, Paragons, Stardust) totals will now appear when collected during a run.Reduced the speed of a player being revived while in soul form.Players will now be healed for a % of HP instead of a flat number when using Bone Shrines.Adjusted the difficulty of Inferno Wrath of God phases to allow them to scale in difficulty in later maps.For a full list of updates, please see our patch notes.Playtest Times:Start: Tuesday, January 28, 7:00 AM PT (10:00 AM ET / 2:00 PM GMT)End: Friday, February 7, 7:00 AM PT (10:00 AM ET / 2:00 PM GMT)How to Participate:On January 28, sign-in on your Xbox Series X|S console or Windows PC andlaunch the Xbox Insider Hubapp (or install the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)Navigate toPreviews > 33 ImmortalsSelectJoinWait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store and install 33 Immortals BetaNOTE:Limited space is available and offered first-come first-served.NOTE:This playtest is available on Xbox Series X|S consoles and Windows PC.How to Provide Feedback:If you experience any issues while playing 33 Immortals Beta, dont forget to use Report a problem so we can investigate:Hold down the home button on your Xbox controller.SelectReport a problem.Select theGamescategory and33 Immortals Beta subcategory.Fill out the form with the appropriate details to help our investigation.Other resources:For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at@XboxInsiderand this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on theXbox Insider SubReddit.

Design team (and married couple) Heather and Matt French never thought they would leave the home they had built from the ground up. But when their only child, Isla, switched schools and the commute ballooned to nearly an hour each way, the Frenches knew they needed new place. What they found was a house that was well over their budget and "very 1950s, but not in a good way." It was, however, only three minutes from school. The couple's lowball offer was swiftly declinedand then, three weeks later, accepted, giving them a budget for a remodel. "We were like, 'Oh shit, we've got to figure this out,'" Heather says. Jenna PeffleyHeather French collects flowers with Birdie, her two-year-old Bernedoodle.With Matt's construction expertise and Heather's joyful design instincts, the duo set out to reconfigure the house as a comfortable space for their family, where they could also entertain their "Friday night crew" of friends. "For the first time in our lives, we were able to do everything we wanted for our familyand to play with color and pattern without limitations," Heather says.The Frenches started demoing without a plan, removing nearly every wall downstairs and relocating a whopping 26 plumbing fixtures to create a blank slate. "We did all the things we tell our clients not to do," Heather says. They kept the home's original eight-foot-high ceilings, preserved the kitchen as a separate space (though otherwise overhauled its design), and left intact the step-down living room with its cavernous 16-foot ceiling. Once Matt was done putting the walls back up, Heather brought her signature style to the reconfigured rooms.We really wanted to put the soul back into this home.In the formal dining area, the couple carved out space for a large three-sided banquette wrapped in an espresso floral tapestry, with mustard-colored mohair cushions. The space is complemented by a beautiful arched entry and is now "where the adults hang out," Heather says. Their daughter's favorite spot is the Red Room, the entry and library lovingly named for its striking built-ins. The ceiling is covered in a rich, Venetian-inspired marbleized paper and it has become the homework-to-hangout zone. "I feel like houses have souls, and its important to honor that," Heather says. "This home felt dead before, but now its taken care of."GatewayJenna PeffleyFramed by potted flowers and mature greenery, a custom gate designed by the Frenches welcomes guests to their midcentury, Territorial Revivalstyle home.The EntryJenna Peffley"I love a red library, and I wanted drama when you enter our home," Heather says. "We spread out at the table: I research design books, and Isla studies." Wallcovering: Centered by Design x Isidore Leroy (ceiling). Dining chairs: Coley Home. Paint: Carriage Red (built-ins), Benjamin Moore. Rug: Pelican House. Mirror: Cooper Classics.Jenna PeffleyA view to past the dining area and into the living room.Living RoomJenna PeffleyHeather used 80 yards of fabric for the drapes, placing the valances and blinds below the beams to bring down the scale of the lofty space. "It makes it cozier and quieter," she says. Pendant: Visual Comfort & Co. Chairs: Hickory Chair.The DenJenna PeffleyBathed in blues, this room is the gathering spot for family time and informal TV-watching dinners. Roman shade fabric: Soane Britain. Wallpaper: Elizabeth Eakins (ceiling). Paint: Admiral Blue, Benjamin Moore. Art: Slim Aarons.KitchenJenna Peffley"I wanted an eat-in kitchen, but it wasn't until we made the call to delete a window and put the range on that wall that everything fell into place," Heather says. Island: vintage, with Soane Britain skirt fabric. Hardware: Modern Matter. Flush mounts: Visual Comfort & Co. Rails: Devol. Wallpaper: Sister Parish (ceiling).Dining RoomJenna Peffley"For me, this room is all about togetherness and showing that you're making an effort. I always try to make it pretty," Heather says. "If we order takeout, I still put it on our nice china." Pendants: Beata Heuman. Banquette fabric: Schumacher (back, skirt) and Clarence House (cushions). Chairs: Hickory Chair.Powder RoomJenna PeffleyA not-so-petite privy is wrapped in a whimsical blush-colored mural from Kravet. Sink: Etsy. Faucet: Waterworks. Mirror: Cooper Classics. Wallcovering: Elizabeth Eakins (stairwell). Pendant: Visual Comfort & Co.Primary SuiteJenna PeffleyA Coley Home bed is tucked into a nook between custom closets. The diamond cutouts use leftover drapery from a client. I stapled it in myself, Heather says. Bed pillow fabric: Soane Britain (throw) and Schumacher (lumbar). Drapery fabric: Beata Heuman.Daughter's RoomJenna Peffley"Isla wanted it to feel like a sunset and a sunrise," Heather says. Her daughter created a Pinterest board of florals, peaches, and yellows, and a muralist painted a ceiling border based on Isla's sketches. Bed: vintage. Drapery fabric: Schumacher and Pierre Frey (valance). Lamp: Arteriors. Nightstand: Ralph Lauren.Guest BedroomJenna PeffleySubdued yellow and sky blue are a soothing palette for guests. When unoccupied, the space doubles as Isla's sewing room. Wallpaper: Galbraith & Paul. Paint: Lemon Freeze, Benjamin Moore.Primary BathroomJenna PeffleyJenna Peffley"I love checks and stripes mixed with florals, so I just went for it," Heather says. Tile: Country Floors. Wallpaper: Soane Britain. Paint: Nantucket Gray, Benjamin Moore (cabinetry). Hardware: Modern Matter.Daughter's BathroomJenna PeffleyThe ceiling mural and the star-studded tile on her bathroom floor echo her bedroom's sunrise/sunset celestial theme.The GardenJenna PeffleySurrounded by a year-round vegetable patch, this relaxed, grassy dining area is where everyone gathers when the party is outdoors. Plates and vases: Mrs. Alice. Tablecloth: Sister Parish.Chairs: vintage, Chairish.PatioJenna PeffleyThe brick-floored outdoor area off the kitchen and great room was original to the home. Today "it's kind of like the hub of the house" says Heather. "When it's really, really hot in the summer, that's where a lot of people will hang out."Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. 9to5Mac Daily listeners can exclusively save 30% and get a $100 Savings Card.New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel