Company looking expand on app visuals?

Apple has hired a noted Quartz Composer developer, a report says. Christopher Wright is formerly of Kineme Interactive Media, and has been responsible for creating a variety of apps and plug-ins based on Composer, as well as consulting on the topic. Quartz Compositions are used throughout Mac OS X; these form the basis of visualizations in iTunes, transitions in iMovie, and special effects applied in apps like Photo Booth. A WebKit plug-in inserts Compositions into webpages and Dashboard widgets.

The exact interest in Wright is unclear, but it is speculated that he may be involved in creating tools for adding dynamic content to iTunes LP, iTunes Extras and websites. One plug-in produced by Wright allows importing 3D models which can be animated and rendered using Quartz's fog, particle and lighting techniques. Other examples of his code enable Composer to send and receive data from external consoles and lighting systems, or for Compositions to become independent apps.

Because Composer is also used by Apple for displays at events and retail stores, it is thought that Wright could become involved in producing software to sell to other retailers. Independently Composer is sometimes used to accompany live art or music, which could make for another market if an advanced Quartz program was produced.

by MacNN Staff