Read all about the latest happenings in animation and motion graphics.

Adobe unveils new features coming to After Effects and Premiere Pro 2018

In anticipation of the IBC trade show in Amsterdam, Adobe has released details about the new features coming to After Effects and Premiere Pro 2018, likely to be released later this year.

The next version of After Effects will see data-driven animations for the creation of graphs and infographics. Other additions include GPU acceleration for more effects and a visual shortcut key editor.

Premier Pro is set to feature Mettle's Skybox tools for 360-degree video editing, which Adobe bought in June 2017. You’ll also be able to copy and paste between multiple projects that are open at once.

Chaos Group releases V-Ray 3.6 for Maya

Chaos Group has announced that its Hybrid Rendering Technology is now available in V-Ray 3.6 for Maya. This means you can render on NVIDIA CUDA GPUs, CPUs, or a combination of both.

“High-performance CPUs and GPUs can be limiting if they don’t work together,” says Vlado Koylavoz, Chaos Group co-founder. “With V-Ray Hybrid, artists can maximise their GPUs and CPUs in studio or in the cloud.”

There is also a bunch of new and improved features such Full Light Select Render Element, Cryptomatte, NVIDIA NVLink, MDL materials, and Viewport 2.0 improvements.

Adobe drops sneak peak of Curvature Pen tool for Photoshop

Adobe has posted a short video on its YouTube channel showing how a new and improved version of Illustrator’s Curvature Pen tool is coming to Photoshop.

The pen can be accessed under the current Pencil tool and will allow artists to add points that automatically form a smooth, curved shape.

Its unveiling is part of the build-up to a major new release of Creative Cloud coming later this year, which Adobe has been promoting with several tutorials.

Apple’s new iPhone X features augmented reality “animoji”

Thanks to Apple’s Face ID hardware, the new iPhone X will enable users to interact with each other as real-time rendered 3D cartoon characters called “animoji.”

Recorded and sent through the iPhone X’s native messaging app, animoji take data from the user’s face and voice to create expressions and automated lip syncing.

This augmented reality relies on Apple’s True Depth camera system, which features a dot projector, infrared camera, and flood illuminator.