Press Release

PFPLAY 2.0 – Disk Based DI Review, Approval And QA
PFPlay 2.0 is set to become a key tool in the DI workspace, providing a cross platform, resolution independent disc-based playback system for pre-output QA, directorial review and approval and complete project preview.
The release of PFPlay 2.0 is a major upgrade to this already powerful application and includes a comprehensive new suite of networked project and media management tools, client login, batch processing, higher bit depth internal handling as well as new view and manipulation options. PFPlay is by far the most flexible and powerful solution for every stage of film preview, review and approval and the first system to offer a truly multi-platform collaborative working environment. Unlike other solutions PFPlay 2.0 always maintains performance when operations such as 3D LUTS are applied and never drops frames.
PFMatch 2.0 for Shake
PFMatch 2.0 incorporates technology from the market leading tracking and analysis system PFTrack to provide Shake users with a fully integrated 3D tracking environment to complement Shake 4.0’s new 3D environment and the ability to export 3D cameras, including the Shake camera to other 3D environments. The addition of The Pixel Farm’s 3D tracking engine to Shake 4.0 gives Shake users access to the best 3D tracker in any current composting system on any platform.
Using PFMatch 2.0 Shake users will be able to track shots to determine 3D camera motion and metric, used within Shake when compositing. For many shots this will end the need for external match moving and allow data to be generated for use with The Pixel Farm camera plug-ins.
PFCLEAN – Automatic image clean up system for DI and Post-Production pipelines
PFClean is a fast and flexible image clean up system designed for use with scanned image data prior to the commencement of the VFX and DI process. Built on The Pixel Farm’s extensive research in the areas of optical flow analysis and real-time play back technologies, PFClean features a comprehensive set of resolution independent tools to clean up and prepare plates for the VFX process such as dust busting, scratch removal, stabilisation, and rig removal.
PFClean operates flexibly in an ever-changing VFX environment, working as a manual, fully automatic or hybrid system, allowing the user to define plates or anomalies to be fixed in a non-destructive environment. Image sequences can then be processed immediately or committed to The Pixel Farms tightly integrated cross platform batch processing engine, PFFarmer.
All fixes, whether applied automatically or manually, are executed via a per frame meta data map. Fixes, right down to individual paint strokes, are stored in the meta data stack for later modification if required. This provides real time control over any image modification and effectively provides the user with an unlimited number of non-sequential undos. The data is maintained throughout the process and notes can be added to each meta data tag to inform processes later in the VFX process.
PFClean will be available in late 2005 and will support Mac OX 10.4, Linux and Windows XP and SGI Prism.
PFClip 1.0 – Ram based cross platform DI review, approval and QA
PFClip 1.0, a RAM based clip player, offers unrivaled performance of 2K 10-bit uncompressed footage on all platforms thus allowing a clip to be viewed in context using a simple drag and drop interface.
PFClip is a simple and cost-effective, resolution independent solution for review or presentation of single or multiple image sequences using Smart Cache™ RAM based playback. Using optimised GPU operations, full performance can be attained with standard hardware, allowing playback performance without a ‘workstation’ level graphics card.
Smart Cache™ is a new caching technology developed by The Pixel Farm that allows cached clips to be reused any number of times. For example, once a clip has been cached it can be reused in another sequence and it will still be cached so speeding up performance. Unlike other systems, there is no need to re-render clips when performing operations such as 3D LUT adjustments. PFClip allows artists to quickly view clips in context on the desktop using the same robust and highly optimised playback engine found in PFPlay.
This low cost solution is supported on all platforms (Windows, Mac, and Linux workstations), with full cross platform floating licensing available.
PFClip is the only digital film and effects clip player fully developed and optimised for all platforms including Windows, OSX and 64-bit Linux ensuring maximum possible performance and availability of features on all operating systems.