[Gfx-cafe] GFX Cafe Seminar Friday Nov 2, 2007

GFX Café Seminar Friday November 2, 2007
12noon, ECE118

Food will be served

TITLE:
Application of signal processing techniques to reflection mapping
by Pradeep Sen, Advanced Graphics Lab

ABSTRACT:
Since Ramamoorthi et al.'s seminal paper in 2001 which proposed a signal
processing framework for analyzing the reflection from complex surfaces,
researchers have been building on these ideas to solve problems in a
wide range of areas, from inverse rendering to real-time rendering. In
this talk, I will present an overview of recent approaches that try to
model reflection in an efficient manner by leveraging this framework. We
will examine the use of spherical harmonics and wavelet methods for
representing the object's bidirectional reflectance distribution function
(BRDF), and see how they can be applied for both the efficient encoding of
the irradiance map and for precomputed radiance transfer. The talk will
cover the work done at Microsoft Research by Peter-Pike Sloan and at
Stanford University by Ravi Ramamoorthi and Ren Ng.

BIO:
Pradeep Sen is a new faculty member in the Dept. of Electrical & Computer
Engineering with a joint appointment in Computer Science. He is a
researcher in the Advanced Graphics Lab, which investigates the science
and technology of computer graphics, visualization, computer vision, and
imaging.

--
Pradeep Sen
Assistant Professor
Advanced Graphics Lab
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of New Mexico
_______________________________________________
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Maratini: Ecotone Marathon Performance today | tonight

WHAT: Maratini: A Twelve Hour Improvisation Marathon
with Ecotone Physical Theatre
WHEN: Friday, October 26, 2007, noon to midnight

WHERE: 516 Central Avenue SW, between 5th & 6th Streets, Downtown Albuquerque

IMAGES: Please contact Suzanne Sbarge, 505-242-1445

PUBLIC INFO: 516 ARTS: tel. 505-242-1445, www.516arts.org

HOW MUCH: Free

516 ARTS is pleased to host a twleve hour Improvisation Marathon with
Ecotone Physical Theatre. The pubilc is invited to view the
performance for any amount of time through the front windows of 516
ARTS on Central Avenue in Downtown Albuquerque. The group will perform
continuous improvised materials for twelve hours straight. Ecotone
merges dance, music, technology, video and drama into a style of
theatre all its own.

--
For more information about NM Media-related Events, visit:
http://nm-media.blogspot.com/
--

Eric Renz-Whitmore, Program Coordinator
ARTS Lab
505-277-2253
http://artslab.unm.edu

[Gfx-cafe] GFX Cafe Seminar Friday Oct 26, 2007

GFX Café Seminar Friday October 26, 2007
12noon, ECE 118

Food will be served

TITLE:
Scale Invariant Raster Image Representation Through Topological Encoding
by Warren Hunt, graduate researcher, Advanced Graphics Lab

ABSTRACT:
Raster images have proved themselves to be a pervasive and necessary
medium, however their fixed resolution and band-limited "digital" nature
impose significant limitations. Vector graphics formats achieve resolution
independence and can represent discontinuous image features, but at the
cost of real-time performance. A desire for interactive and real-time
performance, coupled with a need for scale invariant rendering, drives the
search for improved 2D and 3D dataset imaging techniques.

This work leverages a topological encoding of a dataset to attain scale
invariance from a rasterized representation. This technique, called IStar,
is a novel application of topology that captures the semantic
characteristics in a graph-like structure. This structure, along with a
reparametrized and sampled representation of the segmented dataset, is
packaged as a standard raster image which can then be substantially
downsampled and compressed. To view or render an IStar image, the encoded
image is upsampled and the topological structure is used to reconstruct
the original dataset. Unlike traditional raster approaches, this
representation can preserve sharp discontinuities at any level of
magnification, much like scalable vector graphics. Because this technique
is raster-based, it is well suited to the real-time rendering pipeline.
This technique is demonstrated, along with several extensions of the
rendering function made possible by the topological encoding.

This work was done in collaboration with Joe Kniss and Pradeep Sen.

BIO:
Warren Hunt is a New Mexico native with a diverse professional background.
Originally trained in communications, Warren has worked as a television
broadcast technician, disk jockey, and video editor. While working in the
Los Angeles Post Production industry, Warren's clients included Walt Disney
Studios and several television shows. His background also includes
designing and building contemporary hardwood furniture, and serving
champagne as old as he is, in some of New York's finest restaurants. While
completing his Masters degree in Computer Science, Warren develops and
supports visualization software at Sandia National Laboratories. His
research interests are in Scientific Visualization and High Performance
Computing. Warren is the father of two children and enjoys living close
to the Rio Grande river.

--
Pradeep Sen
Assistant Professor
Advanced Graphics Lab
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of New Mexico
_______________________________________________
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NALIP Documentary Workshops @ NHCC, Nov 16-18

This looks like another solid opportunity for NM Filmmakers, especially those planning or working on documentary projects...

NALIP (the National Association of Latino Independent Producers), the National Hispanic Cultural Center, LPB, IAIA, the New Mexico Film Office, KNME, New Mexico Office of African-American Affairs, the NMFI and Albuquerque Hispano Chamber, in association with ITVS, NBPC, PIC, CAAM and NAT Present

Doing Your Doc: DIVERSE VISIONS, REGIONAL VOICES

A Weekend Seminar to Kick-Start Your Documentary
DOING YOUR DOC: DIVERSE VISIONS, REGIONAL VOICES

Don't miss this unique chance to work with story consultant Fernanda Rossi, the Documentary Doctor, author of the book "Trailer Mechanics", plus receive project mentoring on your proposal, trailer or documentary idea. This intensive 3-day workshop is right for you, whether you are just beginning, have already shot footage, or are seeking finishing funds.

"Doing your Doc" is designed especially for media makers in the diverse communities of New Mexico, preparing you to receive production funding and apply to national professional programs while developing your unique stories and views.
Do you have a personal documentary idea, or social change community project that needs development?

Are you considering public television funding sources or need R&D $$??

Join us in Albuquerque – November 16 - 18 – Friday night through Sunday at 5 pm

REGISTER at www.nalip.org

Questions? Call 310.395.8880

Doing Your Doc: 3-day Workshop Fee
Early Registration by November 15 - $100; Student w/ Valid ID -- $50
Includes lunches, workshop materials, books & private project mentoring
At the door Registration -- $125; Students -- $75
Venue Address: 1701 4th St. S.W., Albuquerque, New Mexico
SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR NEW MEXICO RESIDENT FILMMAKERS
See Registration Page Online for Details!

--
For more information about NM Media-related Events, visit: http://nm-media.blogspot.com/
--

Eric Renz-Whitmore, Program Coordinator
ARTS Lab
505-277-2253
http://artslab.unm.edu

ARTS Lab Related Events This Week (10/22-26)

There's a whole bunch!

First, ARTS Lab is a long-time organizational sponsor of High Desert Venture Camp which produces workshops for students and 'emerging' entrepreneurs and helps start tech-oriented business here in New Mexico.

Our latest event with HDVC is the Advance Invention to Venture Workshop from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance -- it runs November 28th through December 1st at UNM. Interested? Want more information?
Visit our website at: http://www.highdesertventurecamp.com
or come by during our information session this Wednesday (10/24) from 5:00 - 6:30 PM at the UNM Student Union (Mirage / Thunder Room)

On Thursday (10/25), we're part of the Albuquerque IGDA Chapter's Membership Kick-Off event from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Sauce/Raw downtown with special guest, Radical Entertainment CEO Kelly Zmak. For more info, visit the chapter site at: http://www.igda.org/albuquerque or sign up at: http://artslab.unm.edu/igda

Interested in working with green screens? Our ARTS Lab Fridays kick off this Friday (10/26) with a session for indie filmmakers and others interested in doing green screen work for film, events and... can you come up with other interesting possibilities?
For more info, visit our events page at: http://artslab.unm.edu/newsevents (and please sign up if you're coming!

Interested in other ARTS Lab and local events? Visit our news and events page, this blog, or sign up for our events listserv by emailing us at artslab@unm.edu (or do all three, several times a day).

[Gfx-cafe] GFX Cafe Seminar Friday Oct 5, 2007

GFX Café Seminar Friday October 19, 2007
12noon, MECH 208

* NOTE THE CHANGE OF ROOM *

Food will be served

TITLE:
Immersive Experiential Content: Hologram to Holodeck
by Pete Rogina, WorldScape

ABSTRACT:
The Star Trek Holodeck is often heralded as the holy grail of
immersive media. Join Peter Rogina, President of WorldScape, for an
interactive discussion on the driving vision and technical challenges
of enabling real world-based immersive imaging. This talk will cover
topics ranging from fundamental enabling technical concepts to
practical considerations for the proliferation of experiences to the
in-home masses.

BIO:
Peter Rogina received a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Stevens
Institute of Technology in 1984. He is an accomplished holographer,
stereo photographer, and has spoken at and/or chaired numerous
industry events related to Virtual Reality as a catalyst for human
comprehension. During the early days of his transition from being a
holographic artist to developing a medium based upon real-world
experiences, Mr. Rogina realized the importance of both burgeoning
compression technologies and advanced computing technologies and
architectures. In January 2000, he began full-time efforts with
WorldScape, a company he formed in 1994 to pursue real world-based
immersive imaging.

Prior to WorldScape, Mr. Rogina was with Hewlett Packard where he
was, among other things, responsible for starting and managing a
telecommunications systems business in the U.S. that grew to over
$100M. Upon leaving HP in the late 90's, he ran a publicly trading
wavelet compression company and then was President of Cambridge
Parallel Processing, a SIMD computing company.

WorldScape has gone on to secure numerous government contracts
totaling over $6 Million for the development and demonstration of
advanced image, signal, and sensor processing hardware and
software. Complemented by private investment and other commercial
business, WorldScape has been developing a real-world capture system
based on large arrays of high-resolution imagers and a real-time
scene reconstruction engine based on scaled-SIMD technology. The
goal is to capture and deliver photorealistic immersive
experiences. With an initial focus on the enabling technologies for
practical hardware implementations, the Company established it's
logo, "If a picture's worth a thousand words, what's reality worth?"

WorldScape is expanding into New Mexico and expects to continue its
leadership in the areas of capture and processing hardware systems
for government and commercial applications. One of Mr. Rogina's
goals is to travel around the world and produce meaningful
experiences that leverage the power of the new medium to educate,
entertain, and catalyze social change.

--
Pradeep Sen
Assistant Professor
Advanced Graphics Lab
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of New Mexico
_______________________________________________
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gfx-cafe@lists.eece.unm.edu
http://lists.eece.unm.edu/mailman/listinfo/gfx-cafe

[Gfx-cafe] No GFX Cafe seminar this week

Hi everyone,

We will not be holding our weekly GFX Cafe seminar this week because
of Fall Break. Have a good break and see you next week.

-Pradeep

--
Pradeep Sen
Assistant Professor
Advanced Graphics Lab
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of New Mexico
_______________________________________________
gfx-cafe mailing list
gfx-cafe@lists.eece.unm.edu
http://lists.eece.unm.edu/mailman/listinfo/gfx-cafe

Best in the SW @ the Embassy Suites

Sometimes it's good to get out of the office -- and great to see the group that's attending the Best in the SW animation and motion graphics conference/event.

Su Hudson has over a dozen students out from the Public Academy of the Performing Arts, Half-Life Digital is on hand helping out, as is Brad Stoddard, and it's always good to see the folks from the Art Center Design College.

Yesterday at the session I attended, Chris Georgenes showed quite a lot of Flash techniques that were over my head, but enough tips and tricks to get me excited about getting into Flash again. Even more exciting was this morning's talk about some of the capabilities likely in the next version of Flash -- looks like some of the tools in After Effects like Inverse Kinematics will now be available inside Flash, and really enhance its already formidable abilities for animation.

Best in the SW, Wednesday Night @ ARTS Lab

Hi.

ARTS Lab is helping with Best in the SW this week -- and as part of all that we're having a reception at the ARTS Lab Garage this Wednesday night from 8PM - 10PM (the ARTS Lab Garage is at 131 Pine St., NE) with some food, some dome content, light show, music from Soma and CK Barlow, and more...

Tickets are required, but we'll put a list out if you're interested -- and I'll see you as soon as the Shins show is over!

e

--
For more information about NM Media-related Events, visit: http://nm-media.blogspot.com/
--

Eric Renz-Whitmore, Program Coordinator
ARTS Lab
505-277-2253
http://artslab.unm.edu

Bob Dylan has a message for you, from ERIC

Hi ARTS LAB, You have been sent a message from ERIC. Click on the large text above to retrieve it. NOTE: You will need Flash to view the message – if you do not have flash you can click here to download it.

IGDA Chapter Membership Meeting 10/25

Hello everyone... We're please to announce the membership kick-off meeting for New Mexico's first Independent Game Developers Association (IGDA) on October 25th.  With the success of film and digital media in New Mexico, we're seeing more and more interest in building a local game development cluster, and we believe this new IGDA chapter can help make that happen.  We hope you'll join us on the 25th.

More info to follow, but big thanks meanwhile to Abalone Studios' Glyn Anderson for lining up our speaker
and to Global Haptics' Mike Wallace for securing the venue...

Please pass this along as widely as possible!

RADICAL ENTERTAINMENT CEO TO SPEAK AT IGDA KICK-OFF

Radical Entertainment CEO Kelly Zmak will speak at the Albuquerque Independent Game Developers Association (IGDA) chapter kick-off event on Thursday, October 25th. Founded in 1991, and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Radical Entertainment has grown to become one of North America's largest developers of interactive entertainment. Radical is dedicated to bringing creativity and innovation to every aspect of its business from technology to philanthropy, gaining press recently for the highly anticipated game, "Prototype".

Reflecting New Mexico's small but growing game development community, IGDA organizers include more traditional game companies, but also educators and people working in training, modeling and simulation development at the national labs. The kick-off event will help connect local game developers; it's scheduled to run from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at Sauce in downtown Albuquerque.

To learn more about IGDA and the local chapter, attend the membership kickoff event or visit http://www.igda.org/albuquerque/
People interested in being part of the organizing team can visit us at http://groups.google.com/group/riogrande-igda?hl=en

For more information about Radical Entertainment, visit http://www.radical.ca/index.cfm

WHAT:        IGDA Membership Meeting & Kick-Off Event
WHERE:     SAUCE/RAW Nightclub, 405 Central Ave., NW
WHEN:       Thursday, October 25th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
WHO:         Professional and Aspiring Game Developers from age 18 and up

###

--
For more information about NM Media-related Events, visit: http://nm-media.blogspot.com/
--

Eric Renz-Whitmore, Program Coordinator
ARTS Lab
505-277-2253
http://artslab.unm.edu

GFX Cafe Seminar Friday Oct 5, 2007

GFX Café Seminar Friday October 5, 2007
12noon, ECE 118

Food will be served

TITLE:
Visualizing Uncertainty
by Joe Kniss, Advanced Graphics Lab


ABSTRACT:
Visualization users are increasingly in need of techniques for assessing quantitative uncertainty and error in the images produced. Statistical segmentation algorithms compute these quantitative results, yet volume
rendering tools typically produce only qualitative imagery via transfer function-based classification. This paper presents a visualization technique that allows users to interactively explore the uncertainty, risk, and
probabilistic decision of surface boundaries.

Our approach makes it possible to directly visualize the combined "fuzzy" classification results from multiple segmentations by combining these data into a unified probabilistic data space. We represent this unified space, the combination of scalar volumes from numerous segmentations, using a novel graph-based dimensionality reduction scheme. The scheme both dramatically reduces the dataset size and is suitable for efficient, high quality, quantitative visualization. Lastly, we show that the statistical risk  arising from overlapping segmentations is a robust measure for visualizing features and assigning optical properties.

BIO:
Joe is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science an member of the Advanced Graphics Lab at UNM.  His research focuses on interactive visualization of large datasets, light transport, and computer graphics.   His current research investigates methods for capturing and displaying uncertainty introduced by the data processing pipeline, and frameworks for representing non-linear features in band-limited raster image data.

Please subscribe to the GFX Cafe mailing list if you haven't already:
http://lists.eece.unm.edu/mailman/listinfo/gfx-cafe

--
Pradeep Sen
Assistant Professor
Advanced Graphics Lab
Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of New Mexico
_______________________________________________
gfx-cafe mailing list
gfx-cafe@lists.eece.unm.edu
http://lists.eece.unm.edu/mailman/listinfo/gfx-cafe


--
For more information about NM Media-related Events, visit: http://nm-media.blogspot.com/
--

Eric Whitmore, Program Coordinator
ARTS Lab
505-277-2253
http://artslab.unm.edu