“Toon” in to Duncan Brinsmead at AEAF 2007

The Australian Effects & Animation Festival 2007 will feature a keynote presentation from Autodesk principal scientist Duncan Brinsmead.

The creator of Maya Paint Effects, Maya Hair, and Maya Toon, Duncan Brinsmead has also worked extensively on development of Maya Fluids and Maya nCloth.

Gain a privileged insight into the challenges of computer graphics and the future of 3D in his special presentation at Digital Media Festival 2007. Duncan will be performing a live demo of bizarre and unnatural uses of nCloth using Autodesk Maya 2008.

The first module to use the new "Nucleus" solver framework, nCloth is capable of a wide range of effects work beyond clothing simulation. You will see realtime simulations of deforming metal, water filled balloons, confetti, paper airplanes, curtains on sliding hooks, vacuum formed bubble packs, flesh, falling leaves, zippers, tearing cloth, chopping cake, pouring water and swirling vortices.

Duncan will also demo a unique air vortex simulation method that was added to Nucleus in Maya 2008. It creates the look of a 3D fluid dynamics solve without requiring a full fluid simulation and can provide very natural looking air-cloth interaction. There will also be some unusual techniques presented using Maya fluids, from hurricanes to a foam topped cappuccino.

In addition to his work as a developer, Duncan likes to help users with the software he has developed and frequents the many Maya forums on the web. He will present several examples that are available for free download from his blog "Duncan's Corner" which is full of dozens of tutorials.

There will be many tips and tricks discussed but the primary focus will be on how to have fun creating computer graphics.

Duncan began working at Alias in 1990 and developed the Power Animator shading user interface, digi optiFX and particle system. Much of the work he has done since then has been focused on rendering and dynamic simulations of natural phenomenon.

In 2006 Alias was acquired by Autodesk. Following the acquisition, Duncan continues to work closely with Jos Stam on Autodesk’s research team. Before working at Alias, Duncan was an animator at Cinescan, primarily producing educational programming for TV Ontario.

In the early 1980s Duncan’s desire to create a form of visual music led to an interest in computer graphics. At that time, he was also doing freelance work in various orchestras on the French horn, as well as auditioning for full time orchestra positions. As fate would have it, Duncan interned at the New York animation company Judson Rosebush, just off Times Square.

During this time, Duncan also had access to a brand new computer lab at Princeton filled with first generation SGI computers. There was no animation software in the lab at that time, so Duncan developed his own and used it to create the animation Fractal Fantasy which appeared in that year’s Siggraph Art + Video show.

While his undergrad degree was split between The Curtis Institute of Music in Philly and University of Toronto Music Performance program, Duncan completed his Master’s degree in Music Performance at Juilliard and enjoys playing piano as well as creating digital realizations of symphonic works in his spare time. The nuances and sensibilities from his musical background certainly find expression in all aspects of his work.

Full AEAF program online at http://www.digitalmedia.com.au/AEAFprogram