The Pixel Farm updates

The Pixel Farm has released Universal updates to its applications, including PFTrack 3.5 for advanced camera tracking and motion analysis software, PFClean 2.1 for automatic image clean-up, and PFMatch 2.1 for embedding tracking in Apple's Shake digital compositing system. PDFTrack 3.5 features a new, more sophisticated camera solver, segmented shot solving, improved geometry tracking and extensive UI and workflow improvements as well as Universal Binary support for native operation on Intel-based Macs and full 64-bit implementation. The company said that the new camera solver in version 3.5 can now produce better results, with greater speed and on a wider range of shots--up to 400 percent faster than the current version.

Users of PFTrack are also able to define distinct camera motions for specific sections of a shot so allowing the optimum tracking to be applied to each segment resulting in the best possible ‘solve’. It is a free update; licenses start at $5000/€3000.

The Pixel Farm has also released a Universal version of PFClean and a new film restoration extension pack. PFClean 2.1, a free update, is designed for use with scanned image data prior to the commencement of the VFX and DI process, or for the restoration of achieved film and video. Version 2.1 adds support for the new set of film restoration tools as well as offering even better performance.

The PFClean Restoration Pack is designed to extend PFClean’s core functionality to address problems found in very damaged film and with achieve restoration projects. The tools fit seamlessly into the PFClean environment and operate using the benefits of the PFClean non-destructive workflow. It contains a number of additional tools including, tear repair, frame repai, automatic RGB channel alignment, color balance, color correction, and de-warp.

PFClean runs on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.4.7 or later. Pricing starts at $24,000 with a 50 percent discount on batch node rendering.

Finally, the company also released PFMatch 2.1, which incorporates technology form the tracking and analysis system PFTrack to provide both Shake and Digital Fusion users with a fully integrated 3D camera tracking environment. The company's 3D camera tracking engine offers Shake 4.0 users access to advanced 3D camera tracking technology: compositors will be able to track shots the determine 3D camera motion and metric and uses these within their applications. It features export of 3D cameras, including Shake MultiPlane camera, full UI integration with Shake 4.0,/4.1 and Digital Fusion 5.1, and Universal Binary support for Shake 4.1 users. It is available for £450.

by MacNN Staff