BROOKLYN, NY – July 30, 2009 – Kickstand LLC, an innovator of advanced character animation and custom pipeline technology, today announced the worldwide availability of StretchMesh 1.5 software for Autodesk¨ Maya¨ software. For a limited time, StretchMesh 1.5 is being offered at the introductory per-seat price of $199.

A powerful surface deformation plug-in designed to seamlessly integrate with Maya 3D modeling and animation software, StretchMesh introduces new techniques into the character pipeline and gives polygonal geometry a “stretchy” quality for better control over the movement and skin elasticity of 3D modeled characters.

Implemented as a standard deformer in Maya software, StretchMesh 1.5 features advanced relational vertex and shape preservation technology, offering animators and technical directors working in feature film, broadcast and game development the ability to create smooth character deformations using Maya software.

StretchMesh 1.5 takes advantage of multi-threading in Maya 2009 software, and incorporates several new features for advanced character animation, including:

• Greater flexibility and performance when animating collisions with primitive sphere and primitive curve colliders.
• The ability to paint an influence on a collision object for per-vertex control over collision behaviors.
• Curve attractors provide the ability to pull vertices toward the closest point on a curve.
• A “Scale Safe” mode which allows users to scale a mesh while safely preserving its initial shape.

StretchMesh 1.5 is priced at $249 (USD) per seat, but is being offered at an introductory per-seat price of $199 (USD) through September 30, 2009. Educational pricing and site licensing is also available; please contact Kickstand for more details. StretchMesh supports Autodesk Maya version 8.5 or higher on Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. For more details, please visit www.kickstandlabs.com/tools or call 1-888-KCK-STND (1-888-525-7863).

About KickstandKickstand LLC is an innovative character research and development company producing custom animation and pipeline technology for leading visual effects and film studios worldwide. Founded by experts in feature animation, video game development, television, and commercial production, Kickstand specializes in commercial and custom software development for advanced 3D modeling and animation and offers consultation services to help solve complex production pipeline issues, create technical assets, and develop specialized tools for 3D modeling and animation. For more information about Kickstand, please visit www.kickstandlabs.com or call 1-888-KCK-STND (1-888-525-7863).

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Company Contact:
Rob O’Neill
rob(at)kickstandlabs.com
888-525-7863

Media Contact:
Kelly Dove
kdove@kgkdpr.com
512-394-8789

Download high-resolution images at the URLs below:

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Images with Kickstand logo:

http://kickstandlabs.com/news/pressreleases/kickstand_sm_release_skinning.jpg

http://kickstandlabs.com/news/pressreleases/kickstand_sm_release_characters.jpg

BROOKLYN, NY – July 9, 2009 – Character animation research and development company Kickstand today announced new features in StretchMesh 1.5, an innovative surface deformation plug-in that streamlines the creation of realistic character animation in Autodesk¨ Maya¨ software. Designed for animators and technical directors working in feature film, broadcast, and game development, StretchMesh 1.5 incorporates a fast algorithm for relational vertex knowledge, which shares polygonal knowledge with neighboring vertices to speed the process of creating smooth character deformations in Maya.

“StretchMesh 1.5 completely reinvents the character deformation pipeline,” said Daniel Dawson, director of Character Technology, Kickstand. “Character skin is very elastic and difficult to animate. By giving polygonal meshes an inherent ’stretchy’ characteristic, StretchMesh removes the time-intensive process of manually tweaking skin weights to streamline rigging of complex body and facial movements.” With StretchMesh 1.5, the existing feature-set has been improved to offer substantial new features, including a major speed enhancement via multi-threading in Maya 2009. Other new features include:

• Improved flexibility animating collisions using primitive sphere and primitive curve colliders. Primitive sphere colliders behave like mesh sphere colliders, but with far more robust performance. Primitive curve colliders provide an array of radius values along the length of a curve to define a collision tube or capsule, offering significantly better performance than equivalent mesh colliders.
• The influence of a collision object can now be painted, giving users per-vertex control over a collision and impact.
• Curve attractors provide the ability to pull vertices toward the closest point on a curve. This technique is useful in facial rigging, for example, where the vertices of an eyebrow need to be pulled toward a target curve.
• A new “Scale Safe” mode allows users to scale a mesh and safely preserve its initial shape.

Purchase StretchMesh and receive a free upgrade to StretchMesh 1.5 upon availability, summer 2009. StretchMesh is priced at $249 per seat; educational pricing is also available. StretchMesh supports Autodesk Maya version 8.5 or higher on Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems. For more details, please visit www.kickstandlabs.com/tools or call 1-888-KCK-STND (1-888-525-7863).

About KickstandKickstand LLC is a research and development studio committed to delivering innovative character animation and game production technology. Founded by experts with backgrounds in feature animation, video game development, television, and commercial production, the company’s mission is to bring sophisticated tools and character technology to the forefront. Kickstand specializes in commercial and custom software development for 3D modeling and animation programs, and works with studios to solve complex problems, create technical assets, and develop specialized tools. For more information about Kickstand, please visit www.kickstandlabs.com or call 1-888-KCK-STND (1-888-525-7863).

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Company Contact:
Rob O’Neill
rob(at)kickstandlabs.com
888-525-7863

Media Contact:
Kelly Dove
kdove@kgkdpr.com
512-394-8789

BROOKLYN, NY – June 4, 2009 – Kickstand LLC, a character animation research and development studio committed to moving animation beyond the imagination, opens its doors today in Brooklyn, New York. The brainchild of seasoned technical directors (TDs) with experience working in fast-paced production environments such as DreamWorks Animation and Charlex, Kickstand is creating commercial software products and offering consulting and product development services for the visual effects, game production, feature film, and television industries.

“Our team is committed to delivering innovative technology that maximizes productivity in all stages of the production pipeline,” said Rob O’Neill, executive producer, Kickstand. “We believe artists and animators need to spend their time being creative, not worrying about how to streamline workflow.”

With commercial software for surface deformations and workflow enhancement currently in development, Kickstand plans to enhance character animation using Autodesk Maya software. In addition to commercial software development, the company also offers custom plug-in creation, pipeline research and development, 3D content and asset design, character modeling and rigging, and pre-production and pitch development services.

Clients such as Curious Pictures, Thornberg & Forester, and The Third Floor rely on Kickstand to keep productivity at its peak. “Kickstand is helping us improve our quality of work by automating time-intensive tasks, ultimately saving countless hours in the production pipeline,” said Eric Carney, CFO, The Third Floor. “Every studio strives to eliminate downtime and streamline productivity, which is why we rely on the experts at Kickstand to help solve our most challenging technical problemsÑeven the ones that can bring production to a standstill.”

Experience Drives Innovation

With more than 30 years combined industry experience, the Kickstand founders understand the demands of working in feature film, commercial, broadcast and game production.

Leading the Character Technology Division at Kickstand is Daniel Dawson, whose character technical director experience at companies such as DreamWorks Animation and Sega Sports kept him pushing the limits of character technology. Dawson received a technical achievement award for the development of a hair animation and simulation system for DreamWorks Animation, and has been deeply entrenched in the character development of animated feature films such as DreamWorks’ Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Monsters vs. Aliens.

Driving the Studio Tools Division at Kickstand is Greg Elshoff, whose experience streamlining workflow led him to develop a patented pipeline for Launch, New York, to improve the companyÕs speed and flexibility when testing commercial productions. An Autodesk Masterclass presenter, speaker, and educator, Elshoff has created numerous tools and pipelines for 3D-character animation, game cinematics, and online 3D home interior design applications.

Spearheading the Research and Development Division at Kickstand is Rob O’Neill, whose background as character TD at DreamWorks Animation placed him directly in the production pipelines of Shrek 2 and Madagascar. He later joined the Pratt Institute as director of the Digital Arts Research Lab. OÕNeill holds a BA in Anthropology from Brooklyn College and an MFA in Digital Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design in New York. He frequently lectures to global audiences about character technology and improving animation workflow.

About Kickstand Kickstand LLC is a research and development studio committed to delivering innovative character animation and game production technology. Founded by experts with backgrounds in feature animation, video game development, television, and commercial production, the company’s mission is to bring sophisticated tools and character technology to the forefront. Kickstand specializes in commercial and custom software development for 3D modeling and animation programs, and works with studios to solve complex problems, create technical assets, and develop specialized tools. For more information about Kickstand, please visit www.kickstandlabs.com or call 1-888-KCK-STND (1-888-525-7863).

###
Company Contact:
Rob O’Neill
rob(at)kickstandlabs.com
888-525-7863

Media Contact:
Kelly Dove
kdove@kgkdpr.com
512-394-8789

[Download Press Release in PDF format]

• Covers the theoretical issues, foundational algorithms and research that go into the development of digital characters for game and film.

• Provides an overview of the anatomical considerations, control structure, motion systems, deformation systems, face setup and other aspects of digital character creation and animation.

• Includes exercises for professors and students.

Reviews of “Digital Character Development”

Digital Character Development: Theory and Practice – is exactly that. Rob has managed to put together for the first time an in-depth history of the life of the digital character. His explanation of anatomy and its relationship to the modern Character TD is indispensible for anyone wanting to create convincing digital characters. In addition, his pipeline and methodology share some of the best-kept secrets used currently in character intensive productions. This book isn’t a how manual, it’s a why manual. I could only wish I had this earlier in my career. It would have saved many hours of mistakes and research. That being said, there is something here for everyone, even the most seasoned Character TD may learn something.

Tony Barbieri, Lead TD, Psyop Inc.

Computer animation is a field that blends the highly technical with the highly artistic. Digital Character Development covers topics that are incredibly valuable to professionals across the entire spectrum. Subjects are always discussed through the prism of a real production environment and the requirements that such an environment imposes. Although computer animation is a relatively young industry, it benefits from the wealth of knowledge and study that exists in related fields. No other text presents this information and does it in a way that is approachable by programmers and artists alike. Digital Character Development is important for those just starting out in the industry, as well as established professionals interested in a deeper understanding of character technology. Modelers, character technical directors and artists from many related disciplines will benefit from this book.

Daniel Dawson, Character Technology, Kickstand

This book is great and goes in depth into areas of theory. It goes well beyond the simple “here’s-the-button approach” and talks about the actual theory and the “why’s.” Knowing this content will help you to create your own robust rigs regardless of your software and move away from tutorials into full understanding of just how things work. Rob has managed to make a volume worthy of textbook status.

TJ Galda, Maya Master & CG Supervisor, Electronic Arts

Please also visit the companion site for the book, http://charactertechnology.com