SIGGRAPH 2013 Highlights from Anaheim

Anaheim marked the 40th annual SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition.

SIGGRAPH 2013, the world's premier conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, celebrated its 40th anniversary by welcoming 17,162 artists, research scientists, gaming experts and developers, filmmakers, students, and academics from 77 countries around the globe to Anaheim, California this week. In addition, 180 industry organizations exhibited at SIGGRAPH 2013 representing 43,850 sq. ft. of exhibit space. A total of 15 countries were represented on the show floor, which represented 38% of the floor being from outside the United States.

Mk Haley, SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference Chair

""No matter where SIGGRAPH is held, the gathering of tribes across such a wide range of industries and backgrounds always makes for an educational, inspiring, and delightful experience." said Mk Haley, SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference Chair from Disney Research. "SIGGRAPH 2013 was certainly no different. The content, the connections, the experience will live on through to Vancouver 2014. We want to personally thank everyone who participated or contributed in any way. Our plan is to use SIGGRAPH 2013 as a launching pad to extend the conference out beyond today’s closing through the creation of SIGGRAPH University and posting the entire 2013 Keynote session online amongst other initiatives."

In all, more than 1,354 speakers and contributors participated in the conference through a variety of talks, sessions, panels, papers, presentations, tutorials, and screenings.

Highlights from SIGGRAPH 2013 included:

The entire SIGGRAPH 2013 Keynote Session is available online here.

Nine Distinguished Animation Directors Share Their Complex Paths to Success at SIGGRAPH Keynote SIGGRAPH 2013, in collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented “Giants’ First Steps.” The panel was moderated by Randy Haberkamp of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and included notable directors: Ron Clements, Pete Docter, Eric Goldberg, Kevin Lima, Mike Mitchell, Chris Sanders, Henry Selick, David Silverman and Kirk Wise.

The panel explored the issues unique to the world of animation. The session was a part of the Marc Davis Lecture Series, which was established to provide a forum for film experts to explore the challenges of creating animation for feature films. The entire session is available online here.

The Project Skye blimp entertained attendees before the Computer Animation Festival.

The Computer Animation Festival presented the world's most innovative, accomplished, and amazing creators of digital gaming, film, and video. The Festival received more than 500 juried submissions in 2013. In addition to film screenings, the Festival included interactive sessions and exclusive learning opportunities to gain industry secrets and advice from some of the most successful professionals in the field. In all, there was a more than 10% increase in accepted films resulting in 8 additional hours of content for Daytime Selects. Also, the Electronic Theater returned with a total of 33 accepted pieces.

The Visuals Effects of Marvel's "Iron Man 3" was a popular session.

There was also a very deep set of 15 Production Sessions and a Real-Time Live! program that attracted major crowds.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Computer Animation Festival award winners were dominated by European films including:

Best in Show Award: À la Française

Directed by Morrigane Boyer, Julien Hazebroucq, Ren Hsien Hsu, Emmanuelle Leleu, and William Lorton, Supinfocom Arles; France

Jury Award: Lost Senses (Zmysły Prysły)

Directed by Marcin Wasilewski, Grupa Smacznego/GS Animation; Poland

Best Student Project Prize: Rollin’ Safari

Directed by Kyra Buschor, Anna Habermehl, and Constantin Päplow, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg; Germany

Best Student Project Prize Runner-Up: Sleddin’
Directed by John Pettingill, Texas A&M University; United States

Best Student Project Prize Runner-Up: Harald

Directed by Moritz Schneider, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg; Germany

Technical Papers, the premier global forum for presenting groundbreaking research from today's leading experts. The SIGGRAPH 2013 Technical Papers program featured 115 Technical Papers, selected among 480 submissions. The Technical Papers detailed new advances across many fronts, including 3D printing, creating water and snow with particles, deformation and distortion, and more.

The SIGGRAPH 2013 Art Gallery: XYZN: Scale presented exceptional digital and technologically mediated artworks that explored the existence of wonderment, mystery, and awe in today’s world of mediating technologies and abundant data. From nearly 400 submissions, the Art Gallery jury selected 16 pieces to be featured.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Emerging Technologies presented innovative technologies and applications of the latest developments in several fields, from 3D displays and interactive input devices to collaborative environments and robotics, and technologies that apply to film and game production. The Emerging Technologies program provides attendees a unique hands-on opportunity to interact with select innovative technologies before they become hot topics in the mainstream media and blogs.

This year marks the debut of “SIGGRAPH University” where four 2013 Courses were recorded onsite and will be posted to the internet this year and free to watch. More content will follow from SIGGRAPH 2014.

Evan Hirsch,  Business Symposium Chair

The third annual SIGGRAPH Business Symposium was held on Sunday, featuring keynote speaker Captain Thomas Chaby, executive officer at the Naval Special Warfare Center who spoke on disruption in the battlefield. The objective of the event was to provide tactics for leaders in the industry to move beyond disruption.

Click here for access to SIGGRAPH 2013 photos.

Day 4 just flew by! Here's a quick recap of all the incredible activities including Pixar teapots, contest give-aways, Production Sessions, Computer Animation Festival, Electronic Theater, Dailies, and SIGGRAPH "After Dark", which featured outdoor viewings of "Toy Story" and "Jurassic Park".

SIGGRAPH 2013 Real-Time Live Chair, Abe Wiley, discusses the amazing world of Real-Time Live, what the program is all about, and what content was shown at this year's show.

The Pixar walking teapots have been distributed at SIGGRAPH for 10 years. This popular tradition of the conference has attendees lining up early to collect one of only 1,000 teapots that are each of the three days of the SIGGRAPH Exhibition. Learn more from the designer of the teapots, Dylan Sisson.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Presents the Full Length Keynote

In conjunction with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, SIGGRAPH 2013 presented the Marc Davis Lecture Series as its Keynote Presentation.

Nine distinguished animation film directors shared their experiences along complex paths to filmmaking success. The Marc Davis Lecture was established to provide a forum for film animators and other experts in the craft to share their experiences as well as to explore with colleagues the challenges of creating animation for the screen.

The panel, entitled "Giants' First Steps", explored the student works and early careers of the participating directors. Clips from their student films were shown as part of the session. Among the panel participants were several Oscar® recipients and nominees including: Ron Clements, Pete Docter, Eric Goldberg, Kevin Lima, Mike Mitchell, Chris Sanders, Henry Selick, David Silverman, and Kirk Wise. The panel was moderated by Randy Haberkamp of the Academy.

The Academy's first Marc Davis Lecture took place in 1994 with Davis himself, one of Disney's "Nine Old Men", as the inaugural participant in this lecture named in his honor. Davis' association with Walt Disney and the Disney Studio began in 1935.

Among the characters to whom Davis gave shape and life were "Bambi", "Brier Rabbit", "Cinderella", "Tinkerbell", "Maleficent" and "Cruella DeVil." He also did extensive preliminary work on a number of the attractions featured at the New York World's Fair, Disneyland, Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, including "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "It's a Small World" and "The Haunted Mansion."

Marc Davis died in Los Angeles after a brief illness on 12 January 2000, at the age of 86. His work continues to inspire new generations of artists.

SIGGRAPH Day 3: More Sizzle Less Sleep

 Join the Scoop team as they take you on a brief recap of all the content, activities, and action at day 3 of SIGGRAPH 2013 in Anaheim. From morning to night, there is nothing like a full day at SIGGRAPH.

Photos of the Day: Iron Man Maquettes Land @ SIGGRAPH 2013

Marvel's official "Iron Man" maquettes make an appearance at SIGGRAPH 2013 in Anaheim.  Photo credit: N. Matesowicz.

Attendees of Wednesday's Production Session "The Visual Effects of Marvel's 'Iron Man 3'" were treated to unexpected guest appearances by the "Iron Man" maquettes. There was a mad rush by the attendees to get photos by their favorite. Check back here for much more photo and video coverage in the next few days.

"Iron Man" maquettes make an appearance during Marvel's Production Session.  Photo credit: John Fujii.

Check Out SIGGRAPH 2013 Posters and New Poster Videos

SIGGRAPH 2013 Posters Coordinator Kurt Luther provides a high-level overview of the Posters Program. Posters are a convenient method for presenting in-progress research, student projects, and late-breaking work. Poster topics range from applications of computer graphics to in-depth research in specific areas. They are on display for attendees to browse at their leisure. Poster authors meet and discuss their work with attendees during scheduled Poster Presentations.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Electronic Theater Time Lapse

A popular part of the Computer Animation Festival is the premiere screening of the SIGGRAPH 2013 Electronic Theater. Here's a time lapse quick clip of the Arena filling up before the show starts. We seemed to have filled the place!

SIGGRAPH Day 2: The Adventures Continue

Day 2 of SIGGRAPH 2013 is in the record books. Here's a great recap of a very full day and fun evening including the Awards Session, the Keynote, and the premiere showing of the 2013 Electronic Theater.

Take A Tour of the SIGGRAPH 2013 Emerging Technologies

SIGGRAPH 2013 Emerging Technologies Producer, Kristy Pron, takes you on a tour of this year's innovative advancements in several fields from displays and input devices to collaborative environments and robotics, as well as technologies that apply to film and game production.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Recap: Day 1

The 40th SIGGRAPH Conference kicked off on 21 July 2013 in Anaheim with the Business Symposium, Emerging Technologies, Art Gallery, Special Sessions and many other meetings and events. The day concluded with the immensely popular Papers Fast Forward closing out the night.

Take A Tour of the SIGGRAPH 2013 Art Gallery

SIGGRAPH 2013 Art Gallery Chair Victoria Szabo from Duke University, takes you on a high-level tour of this year's art exhibition in Anaheim  The Art Gallery’s 2013 theme, XYZN: Scale, draws attention to a key critical affordance of computer-based authorship: the ability to iteratively scale our digital representations at will: in-out-up-down, back and forth, + and -. These core functions enable us to change size and location over time, and at different degrees of resolution.  This is a great high-level tour of that content.

Hear from Attendees on What They Are Excited About @ SIGGRAPH 2013

SIGGRAPH's videography team (SCOOP) ventured inside and outside the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday (21 July) to ask our enthusiastic and sometimes slightly jet lagged attendees what they're looking forward to most at SIGGRAPH 2013.

iPhone/iPad Users: Make Certain to Download this App Prior to Electronic Theater

iPhone/iPad users attending any of the Electronic Theater screenings at the SIGGRAPH 2013 Computer Animation Festival pay attention - in order to fully enjoy robots and graphics meeting in mid-air, you need to download this Sky Wars app.

Brought to you by a research collaboration between ETH and Disney Research, Zurich, Skye combines the elegant and energy efficient flight of a blimp with the precise handling characteristics of a quadcopter.  Agile motion is supported by long flight duration, safe deployment around people, and an integrated camera system.  Inter LEDs are used for the creation of aerial visual effects.

Special thanks to PARAQLINX for providing video livestream.

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, iPad (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Computer Animation Festival Releases Statistics Prior to Open

SIGGRAPH 2013 Computer Animation Festival recently released interesting statistics about this year's new batch of amazing films. The Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award. This year’s selections will be featured through a series of daily Festival Screenings and the iconic Electronic Theater, allowing attendees to get a glimpse behind the making of computer-
generated effects, visualizations, and animations.

Fun Facts:

• More than 500 submissions
• 10% more content resulting in 8 hours of more content in Daytime Selects
• There are 104 pieces selected for the Computer Animation Festival this year
• The Electronic Theater is scheduled to show 33 pieces (18 of which are also screened in Daytime Selects)
• There are 89 pieces across 9 Daytime Select Categories which are:
• Advertising (18)
• Games (12)
• Demoscene (10)
• Shorts & Features (16)
• Traditional & Stopframe Animation (5)
• Student Films (12)
• Visual Effects (10)
• Music Videos (6)

These categories were developed to make it as easy as possible for the attendees to see the work that is most important to them since time is so valuable onsite. Thus planning on what to attend becomes far easier.

 

Want to have a taste of the films?  Click below:

 

 

More Fun Facts:

• There were 239 student submissions and most were of exceptional caliber according to Smith.
• There was an international outreach for content, specifically selected entries were from:
• 16% from Asia
• 49% from Europe
• 3% from Middle East
• 4% from Australia/New Zealand
• There were award winners from Germany, Poland, and France

“Every piece in the festival has something that made it stand out from the 40 hours of content submitted for this year’s show,” says Jason RM Smith, SIGGRAPH 2013 Computer Animation Festival Chair. “There's no other venue in the world comparable to the Computer Animation Festival; each year we're honored by the amazing number of high-quality entries and every year the show grows. This year we're screening 10% more content; as the quality continues to improve it becomes increasingly difficult to select the best of the best."

Get Ready For SIGGRAPH 2013

Ready or Not, Here Comes SIGGRAPH!

Image submitted by Massey Moto, who added: "Happy 40th Anniversary! My 20th.  My first was in Anaheim in '93 #SIGGRAPH2013 Time flys." Thanks Massey, we hope to see you at 20 more!

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to Anaheim! To stay up-to-date with everything SIGGRAPH while on site, be sure to follow SIGGRAPH 2013 on Twitter (check out the conference locator on site for all the official hashtags to join the conversation), like us on Facebook and bookmark this blog for exclusive content throughout the week.

With plenty to do and see at SIGGRAPH 2013, make the most of your trip with these tips and conference highlights. Also, when outside of the conference try to remember to remove your badge and store in it a safe place.  Nothing says, "I'm not from here" like someone walking around town with a registration badge on.

Getting There

Airport Shuttle Bus Discounts

SIGGRAPH 2013 has partnered with Super Shuttle to offer transportation to and from John Wayne Airport (SNA) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

To/From SNA
Shared Ride Van - $9 per passenger, one way (up to 9 passengers)
Town Car Service (to SNA) - $68 per sedan (up to 4 passengers)
Town Car Service (from SNA) - $75 per sedan (up to 4 passengers)

To/From LAX         
Shared Ride Van - $14 per passenger, one way (up to 9 passengers)
Town Car Service (to LAX) - $102 per sedan (up to 4 passengers)
Town Car Service (from LAX) - $108 per sedan (up to 4 passengers)

These discounted rates are valid from five days before the conference to five days after it closes.

Book by phone at 800.258.3826 (toll free) or +1.310.222.5500, extension 4. To receive the discount, you must mention the SIGGRAPH 2013 discount code: PK7AU. Or you can book online at the Super Shuttle web site. Drivers accept cash and all major credit cards for all transfers.

If you book your shuttle reservation through the SIGGRAPH 2013 web site, you earn miles on American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, and Frontier Airlines.

Cancellations or changes for Shared Ride Van transfers and sedan cars made 12 hours prior to the scheduled day of transfer will not incur a cancellation fee. Cancellation or changes made within 12 hours of the scheduled day transfer, or no-show, will be charged the estimated cost that was quoted at the time of the reservation (mini-buses need 72 hours for cancellation).

All reservations are the sole responsibility of the attendee.

Metrolink: Los Angeles to Anaheim
Round-trip train service several times per day from Union Station in downtown LA to Anaheim. View the schedule and prices.

Registration Hours

When you arrive at the Anaheim Convention Center, head to the registration area in the Arena Lobby to pick up your badge. Registration hours throughout the week are as follows:

Sunday, 21 July               8 am - 6 pm
Monday, 22 July              8:30 am - 6 pm
Tuesday, 23 July             8:30 am - 6 pm
Wednesday, 24 July        8:30 am - 6 pm
Thursday, 25 July            8:30 am - 1 pm

SIGGRAPH 2013 Online Scheduler & Mobile App

Personalize your schedule, connect with other attendees, find sponsors and exhibitors and more with the SIGGRAPH 2013 Scheduler & Mobile App.

Download the app to your phone or tablet or use your internet browser to:

• See other attendees who are coming to SIGGRAPH 2013
• Review the agenda and speakers, and create a personalized schedule
• Connect with other attendees by sending messages and setting up 1-on-1 meetings, while keeping your email private
• Find sponsors and exhibitors and review their brochures and videos before you go

You received an email with a link to download the App. Or, visit mySIGGRAPH.zerista.com and go to Log In. To set up a personalized account, use your Registration ID as your username and your last name plus “2013” as your password:

Username: Registration ID
Password:  LastName2013 (all lowercase)

Have a question or need help with the App? Contact support@zerista.com.

Wireless Access

Free wireless access is available in most areas of the Anaheim Convention Center via the "s2013" network. The “s2013-legacy” network is also offered to support 2.4 GHz-only wireless devices.

For assistance or further information, contact the SIGGRAPH 2013 GraphicsNet team in person in Room 204C, through email at graphicsnet@siggraph.org, or on Twitter at
@GraphicsNet.

Camera/Recording Policies

No cameras or recording devices are permitted at SIGGRAPH 2013. Abuse of this policy will result in the loss of the individual's registration credentials. SIGGRAPH 2013 employees a professional photographer and reserves the right to use all photos taken on site in future conference promotions.

Age Requirement For Exhibition Access

Children under 16 are not permitted in the Exhibition. Age Verification is required.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Evening Events

Technical Papers Fast Forward
Sunday, 21 July, 6 – 8 pm
Hall A

Hear an entertaining and illuminating a summary of the new ideas presented in the SIGGRAPH 2013 Technical Papers in this rapid-fire session. The author(s) of each paper just under a minute to wow you with their results and convince you to hear their complete findings later in the week.

Computer Animation Festival: Electronic Theater
Monday, 22 July, 6 – 8 pm  |  Tuesday, 23 July, 6 – 8 pm  | Wednesday, 24 July, 6 – 8 pm
Arena

Watch some of the finest achievements in animation, visual effects, and visualization at the Computer Animation Festival, a qualifying festival of the Academy Awards. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a “Best Animated Short” Academy Award.

Dessert Networking Reception - Sponsored by Walt Disney Animation Studios
Monday, 22 July, 8 – 10 pm
Arena Outdoor Plaza

Catch up with colleagues and friends from around the globe at SIGGRAPH 2013 Networking Dessert Reception. Nosh on delicious desserts and toast the past year’s success.

If you didn't purchase a reception ticket with your registration, they will be available for purchase in the Registration Area in Arena Lobby at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Real-Time Live!
Tuesday, 23 July 5:30 – 7 pm
Hall A

Get inside insight from the artists, engineers, designers, and technical director who developed the complex interactive, real-time sequences from games and scientific visualizations from companies like Beautypi; Epic Games, Inc.; NVIDIA Corporation; Square Enix Co., Ltd; Unity Technologies, and others.

Cut&Paste: Characterized@SIGGRAPH
Tuesday, 23 July, 7 – 8 pm
Hall A

Cut&Paste brings the CHARACTERIZED Tour to SIGGRAPH 2013. Presented by HP, CHARACTERIZED @ SIGGRAPH is a design competition focused on character creation, technique, and intent. Three teams throw down in rapid, live onstage rounds, revealing their digital design process and original character artistry. It's a dynamic mashup of character designers in Cut&Paste's experimental team format.

Dailies
Wednesday, 24 July, 6 – 8 pm
Room 304 A-D

Get the inside story on recent breakthroughs, frustrations and solutions directly from animators during these 90 second presentations. Peek behind the curtain at major studios
including Blizzard Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, Naughty Dog Inc., Pixar Animation Studios, Tippett Studio and academic labs.

SIGGRAPH After Dark
Wednesday,  24 July, 8 pm – 12:30 am
Grand Plaza

Kick back with friends new and old and end your day with blockbusters "Toy Story" and "Jurassic Park" screened under the stars.

Hotels

Still need to plan your stay in Anaheim? SIGGRAPH can help. Visit the SIGGRAPH web site for some available Anaheim hotels.  Rates* at official hotels may vary from the official conference rates as the housing deadline has passed.

onPeak provides onsite hotel and travel services at a housing desk at the Anaheim Convention Center during SIGGRAPH 2013 registration hours for inquiries and requests for assistance.  You may also call them at +1.714.765.2007. On 25 July (the last day of SIGGRAPH 2013), the desk is not staffed, and requests for assistance should be directed to the telephone numbers below: 800.631.5557or +1.312.527.7300

* Please note, all hotel rates have a 17% occupancy tax as well as California State tax added to the rate.

Discounted Attraction Tickets

If you haven't already, visit the Anaheim page to purchase discounted tickets to Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Disney California Adventure.

Weather Update

Fri

84°

64°

Sat

81°

66°

Sun

82°

68°

Mon

81°

66°

Tue

82°

66°

Wed

82°

68°

Thu

84°

63°

Fri

82°

64°

With lots to do indoors and out at SIGGRAPH 2013, be sure to check the weather in Anaheim before you pack to be prepared. As the temperature may vary in some of the session rooms and may become chilly, so be sure to dress in layers.

Attendees Experience New Technologies at the SIGGRAPH 2013 Studio

Studio sessions at SIGGRAPH 2013 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, offer a collaborative working environment and  give attendees a chance to come together to learn, experiment, and create.  Attendees can try out a wide range of new techniques and media in 3D printing, modeling, mobile devices, and animation software and get help from experienced hands.

“Studio is a stand-out program at SIGGRAPH year after year,” said Patricia Clark, SIGGRAPH 2013 Studio Chair from Arizona State University. “It’s an adult technology playground.  It’s more than just seeing the new technology and what it can produce, but attendees also have the chance to collaborate and work side-by-side with experienced professionals that they may not have ever had the chance to meet before.”

Below are a few highlights of each facet of SIGGRAPH 2013’s robust Studio sessions.

Studio Talks
Attendees get a behind-the-scenes look at Studio-related technologies, artwork, and concepts and have the chance to discuss the technologies with the presenters. Attendees can choose from a sampling of the offerings below or view the full list of Studio Talks here. 

Playing Audrey II: Creating a Digital Actor Through Game Technology
Monica Evans and Kathryn Evans, The University of Texas at Dallas

This talk discusses how a team of faculty and students used digital game technology, motion capture, and facial animation to create a fully realized digital actor (the man-eating plant Audrey II from the musical “Little Shop of Horrors”) that performed on-stage with live actors in November 2012.

The Bleeding Edge of 3D Printing and Digital Fabrication
Daniel Collins and Don Vance, Arizona State University; Robert Michael Smith, New York Institute of Technology; John William Penn, JWP Design

This presentation provides an overview of new directions in 3D printing and digital fabrication. It includes short video clips of a variety of different systems.

Red Ball - Performing With iPads
Marla Schweppe, Rochester Institute of Technology; Darren Stevenson, PUSH Physical Theatre

PUSH Physical Theatre, a Rochester-based group, added iPads to their traditional tools of magic, mime, and movement in the performance of Red Ball. They added five iPads to the mix, performing with graphics created by Marla Schweppe.

Studio Workshops
Attendees engage a series of in-depth, intimate workshops, taught by the best in the industry. Attendee highlights include the following, or see the full list of Studio Workshops here.

Make Mobile Apps Quickly
Gil Irizarry, Conoa, Inc.

Using a variety of free open-source tools, build mobile apps quickly and easily.

3D Scanning and Fine Tooning With FaceGen
Ketrina Yim, PhaseSpace, Inc.

Using high-resolution video capture and software from FaceGen, Autodesk MotionBuilder, and other vendors, Ketrina Yim works with attendees to create 3D characters from their own faces and animate them in real time with live expressions by building a facial rig inside MotionBuilder.

3D Data Capture
Daniel Collins, Aubrey Wigner, and Joseph Hudy,  Arizona State University; Dan Gustafson, NextEngine, Inc.; Denise Grauzinis-Bartels, 4D Dynamics Bvba; Chris Lane, 3dMD

A hands-on demonstration of the various 3D data capture devices in Studio 3D.

Studio Projects
Attendees get hands on experience with the following technologies.  See the full list of Studio Projects here.

Air Painting & More: Revolutionary New Ways to Paint!
Jeremy Sutton, Sutton Studios & Gallery

Experience air painting with the Leap Motion Controller and Corel Painter Freestyle, an exciting new digital-painting paradigm in which you control your brush strokes through finger movements in the air, plus the latest in photo painting with Corel Painter and painting on the iPad.

CUMOS+: Cubic Kaleidoscope Workshop
Minori Yamazaki, Keisuke Shuto,Junichi Kanebako, and Hiroko Uchiyama, Joshibi University of Art and Design

In this workshop for producing cubic kaleidoscopes, attendees draw pictures on a computer and use a cutting plotter to cut them into polycarbonate mirrors. Then they incorporate colorful light into the interior of the cubic kaleidoscope, using color-seal film and permanent-marker pens.

Pi Drums
Barry Moon, Hilary Harp, and Byron Lahey, Arizona State University; Miller Puckette, University of California, San Diego

PI Drums are ordinary drums transformed into programmable electronic instruments. Program your own interactive musical interfaces using the Pure Data graphical programming environment and Raspberry PI computers.

Romibo Robot Project
Aubrey Shick, Carnegie Mellon University

Social robot therapy is known to benefit individuals with autism, traumatic brain injury, dementia, and other social and emotional disabilities. The Romibo mobile robot allows attendees to enjoy participating in the evolution and development of this technology by contributing personal experiences and expertise through clever hacks.

Interactive Card-Weaving Design and Construction Yuki Igarashi
Jun Mitani, University of Tsukuba

An interactive system to assist design of original weaving patterns and their construction. Users can design the color of each warp yarn, the direction of four yarns passing through each card, and the direction and number of rotations of the cards.

You Are Going Where?

Many who are on the outside of SIGGRAPH 2013 looking in may now be asking you the question, "Where are you going for the next week?"  Well, here's a simple landing page you can send them with the following text:

"I'm going to a convergence place where some of the most brilliant and thought-provoking minds on this planet come together for five days of mind-blowing sessions, events, and activities.  It's basically a year squeezed into less than a week.  And, oh yeah, by the way, they actually make insanely brilliant, delightful, incredible content like this:"

Now, they still may not totally understand where you are going, but they will be jealous.  For those that are SIGGRAPH veterans: safe travels, sleep on the plane, and see you soon.  For those that are coming and are new to SIGGRAPH, be sure to attend this or stop by the SIGGRAPH 2014 booth for advice or ask a student volunteer (look for the "Ask Me" button).

SIGGRAPH 2013 Exhibits Fast Forward Provides Quick Summary of Show Floor

Come to the Exhibits Fast Forward to hear from exhibitors before the show floor even opens.

SIGGRAPH 2013 (21-25 July) at the Anaheim Convention Center in California will feature a new session: Exhibits Fast Forward, where attendees have the opportunity to hear a one-minute highlight of what is new from participating exhibitors.

“This diverse session gives attendees a taste of the Exhibit floor in a very condensed format,” said Mk Haley, SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference Chair from Disney Research. “Even though this is the first year for this event, we anticipate this becoming a favorite, just like Technical Papers Fast Forward. It is a very efficient and entertaining way to hear the latest and greatest from a variety of exhibitors. ”

Based off of the perennially popular Technical Papers Fast Forward, Exhibits Fast Forward gives presenters less than a minute to impress the crowd with their product or service and entice them to hear the complete story at the exhibitor booth later in the week. Attendees can expect entertaining and enlightening presentations from many exhibitors including:

• Mcor technologies
• zSpace, Inc. 
• Avere Systems 
• Prefixa International INC 
• French Pavilion by Cap Digital  and Imaginove
• Lightcraft Technology 
• ForgeFX 
• Vancouver Film School 
• Esri 
• Kobold Charakteranimation 
• ARM 
• Korea Creative Content Agency 
• Siliconarts, Inc. 
• Bleank 
• Vicon Motion Systems
• BZP PRO 
• The CGAL Project
• WorldViz 
• SpeedTree - Interactive Data Visualization, Inc.  
• Qt by Digia  
• Integrated Media Technology Inc. 
• Leopoly  - Leonar3Do International Zrt. 
• Lightwork Design Ltd  
• AMD 
• CADA
• Faceware Technologies 
• Reallusion, Inc. 
• GreenButton Ltd.
• Beijing Noitom Technology Ltd
• Dimensional Imaging Ltd
• Christie Digital Systems
• British Columbia Ministry of International Trade 

The session will take place on Monday, 22 July starting at 3:45pm in Ballroom AB and is open to full conference, select conference, exhibitors, exhibits plus, and exhibits-only badge holders.  Check back to this page for exhibitor updates to this list.  And for those attendees only at SIGGRAPH for Sunday and Monday, this just might be a "must attend" event, so get there early.

SIGGRAPH 2013 Announces Evening Experiences

A typical SIGGRAPH conference day never ends at 5pm. Anaheim at dusk pictured above.

So..... planning to rest in the evening after a mad day of SIGGRAPH-awesomeness?  Not bloody likely!  SIGGRAPH has expanded its evening offerings to keep your conference value growing and pack even more into an already incredible experience.

Announcing the SIGGRAPH Evening Experiences for 2013:

Technical Papers Fast Forward
Sunday, 21 July, 6-8 pm, Hall A
 #siggraph #techpapers

Entertaining 30-second summaries of the world’s most advanced research in computer graphics and interactive techniques, including super-realistic depictions of complex phenomena, futuristic 3D printing technologies, and real-time navigation of medical and scientific data. Authors entice attendees to hear their complete paper presentations later in the week.

Registration Level:
F Full Conference
S Select Conference

Computer Animation Festival
Monday, 22 July-Wednesday, 24 July, 6-8 pm, Arena
Thursday, 25 July, 10:45 pm-12:30 am, Arena
#siggraph #caf

An eclectic mix of this year’s finest achievements in animation, visual effects, and visualization. The Computer Animation Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a “Best Animated Short” Academy Award.

Registration Level:
F Full Conference
S Select Conference

Real-Time Live!
Tuesday, 23 July, 5:30-7 pm, Hall A
#siggraph #realtime

Powerful demos of extremely complex, interactive, real-time sequences from games and scientific visualizations, created by Beautypi; Epic Games, Inc.; NVIDIA Corporation; Square Enix Co., Ltd; Unity Technologies, and others. Each demo is presented live on a computer or game console by the artists, engineers, designers, and technical directors who developed the project.

Registration Level:
F Full Conference
S Select Conference

Dailies
Wednesday, 24 July, 6-8 pm, Room 304 A-D
#siggraph #dailies

Animators share their recent achievements, frustrations, creative breakthroughs, and technical solutions in an evening of 45 fascinating, 90-second, behind-the-scene stories about the production process at major studios (including Blizzard Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, Naughty Dog Inc., Pixar Animation Studios, Tippett Studio) and academic labs.

Registration Level:
F Full Conference
S Select Conference

SPECIAL EVENTS:


Characterized@SIGGRAPH
Tuesday, 23 July, 8-10 pm, Hall A

Cut&Paste brings the CHARACTERIZED Tour to SIGGRAPH 2013. Presented by HP, CHARACTERIZED @ SIGGRAPH is a design competition focused on character creation, technique, and intent. Three teams throw down in rapid, live onstage rounds, revealing their digital design process and original character artistry. It's a dynamic mashup of character designers in Cut&Paste's experimental team format.

Registration Level:
F Full Conference
S Select Conference
E+ Exhibits Plus

SIGGRAPH After Dark
Wednesday, 24 July, 8-12:30 am, Grand Plaza

Famous movies in the Grand Plaza at SIGGRAPH? Fabulous idea!

Two blockbuster films, "Toy Story" and "Jurassic Park", in an after-dark film show on a giant outdoor screen is a great way to end your day at SIGGRAPH 2013. Visual treats, audience participation, and good conversation with friends old and new.

Open to All

SIGGRAPH Mobile App & Scheduler Now Available

Maximize and customize your experience at SIGGRAPH 2013 with our mobile app and scheduler. Personalize your schedule, connect with other attendees, find exhibitors, investigate job fair participants, and more!  Use your phone, tablet, or internet browser to:

• See other attendees who are coming to SIGGRAPH 2013.
• Review the agenda and speakers, and create a personalized schedule.
• Connect with other attendees by sending messages and setting up 1-on-1 meetings (while keeping your email private).
• Find exhibitors and review their profiles before you even get onsite.
• Provide feedback for each session you attend.

"It is great to offer a platform that should absolutely enhance the SIGGRAPH experience from both a networking and planning perspective," said Mk Haley, SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference Chair from Disney Research. "We listened intently to our audience's wishes for a platform of this nature and we are excited to have delivered this customized version in time for the 2013 conference."

Shortly after you register for SIGGRAPH 2013, an account to access all of the features of the mobile app will be created for you.  You will then receive an email with a link to activate your account. Or, click here and go to "Log In". To set up a personalized account, use your Registration ID as your username and your last name plus “2013” as your password:

Username: Registration ID
Password:  LastName2013 (all lowercase)

Why create an account? To personalize your event schedule, request meetings with others, access real-time event information, and more!

Please note that the App system may not recognize you immediately after registering for SIGGRAPH due to the time required to transfer your data. For assistance with the app, contact support@zerista.com

Also after the conference ends, be sure to complete the post-conference survey with any suggestions that you have for next year's SIGGRAPH mobile app and scheduler.

SIGGRAPH Conference Chair Offers Her Top 10 Tips for Tackling SIGGRAPH

The Anaheim Convention Center at dusk.

Mk Haley - SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference Chair

New to SIGGRAPH or just need a refresher on how to best go about tackling the enormous breadth of the SIGGRAPH experience?  Read Mk Haley’s pointers on how to go about getting the most out of your conference experience.  She is after all an expert …  this will be her 25th SIGGRAPH.

1. Plan ahead – use the Schedule at a Glance page to help try and prioritize your days in Anaheim.
2. Try to stay for more than a day – otherwise, trying to pack in the full SIGGRAPH experience in just one day can be maddening.
3. Don’t be shy – one of SIGGRAPH’s huge strengths is its welcoming and friendly people.  You meet people at SIGGRAPH that literally will change your life.
4. If you are completely new to SIGGRAPH be sure to attend the first-time attendee Birds of a Feather Session: Ready, Steady, SIGGRAPH!, Sunday, 21 July 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, Anaheim Convention Center - Room 201 C
5. If you really, really, really want to get into a session, GET THERE EARLY.  Due to fire codes we are only permitted to allow a certain number of bodies in every room, so if you arrive only a few minutes early, you may not get in.
6. When in doubt, ask a volunteer.  You can always find volunteers around the SIGGRAPH 2014 booth that are anxious and eager to help out.  Pop by the booth for advice or just to chat about your favorite SIGGRAPH experiences.  Or you will find our wonderful student volunteers spread throughout the convention center.  They will all be wearing red t-shirts with “Ask Me” buttons on them.
7. Explore SIGGRAPH People - Add yourself to the gallery of SIGGRAPH People and browse and discover other SIGGRAPH attendees who will be in Anaheim.
8. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a light jacket and a hunger for everything that is awesome.
9. Collaborate with other attendees – whether that is in the Studio, at networking events, or anywhere else that people gather together during the week.
10. Get the new SIGGRAPH App to help you maximize your time onsite – it includes session feedback features, schedules, maps, exhibitor info, and an ability to connect with other attendees. Only registered attendees get full access to the content, scheduling and networking features of the app. Over the next few days, registered attendees should receive an e-mail message with a unique url to set up their profiles and begin using the app.  Questions about the app can be directed to the app provider, Zerista via email: support@zerista.com

SIGGRAPH Mobile Presents Latest Advances in Handheld Technology

Sphero Augmented Reality: When Balls Become Beavers

Now in its second year, the SIGGRAPH Mobile program presents the latest advances in mobile technologies, graphics, and apps. In talks, workshops, panels, and demonstrations, mobile innovators from around the world explore powerful new graphics techniques, game production for handheld devices, visualizations with augmented reality, and how mobile games can help save the world's rainforests.

Lars Erik Holmquist

“We are very excited about this year's SIGGRAPH Mobile program. We are seeing a lot of innovation in graphics as well as mobile applications, and it is clear that mobile is now an established part of SIGGRAPH,” said Lars Erik Holmquist, SIGGRAPH Mobile Chair and Principal Research Scientist at Yahoo! Labs. “Some of the top companies in mobile graphics hardware will present their latest technologies, including ARM, NVIDIA, Intel, and QUALCOMM.”

According to Holmquist, some of the interesting application areas include mobile games for positive change, augmented reality for museums, and new ways to take digital photographs. There will also be workshops and talks about how to make mobile graphics and apps across many platforms. Plus, there will be a theatre group that uses iPads in live performances and a toy robot anyone can control with a mobile phone in addition to a hands-on, interactive area.

SIGGRAPH Mobile Highlights:

Challenges With High-Quality Mobile Graphics
Sam Martin, Geomerics Ltd.; Marius Bjørge, Sandeep Kakarlapudi, Jan-Harald Fredriksen, ARM Holdings, plc.

Click on image to enlarge.

This talk identifies and explores potential solutions to the challenges that exist in bringing AAA-quality graphics to mobile, including the new features exposed by OpenGL ES 3.0, the trend to high-resolution screens, and a novel "on chip" deferred-rendering technique for Mali GPUs.

Mobile Visual Computing in C++ on Android
Yun-Ta Tsai, Orazio Gallo, David Pajak, Kari Pulli, NVIDIA Research

Click on image to enlarge.

This workshop teaches the basics to get started quickly with your visual-computing project on Android using native C++ code, from setting up tools to running your first native application, and it dives into deeper topics, including computer vision with OpenCV, camera control on FCam, and performance tuning.

New Directions and Developments in Mobile GPU Design
Eric Demers, QUALCOMM Incorporated; Barthold Lichtenbelt, NVIDIA Corporation; David Blythe, Intel Corporation; Dave Shreiner, ARM Inc.; James McCombe, Imagination Technologies Limited; Anand Shimpi, AnandTech, Inc.

This panel is designed for advanced programmers who want to learn more about taking full advantage of the latest GPU design and implementations to deliver the most advanced graphics for smartphone and tablet users.

Red Ball - Performing With iPads
Marla Schweppe, Rochester Institute of Technology; Darren Stevenson, PUSH Physical Theatre

Click on image to enlarge.

PUSH Physical Theatre, a Rochester-based group, added iPads to their traditional tools of magic, mime, and movement in the performance of Red Ball.  They added five iPads to the mix, performing with graphics created by Marla Schweppe.

Social Reform Through Mobile Gaming (Seed.Genesis)
Alexis Polanco, Danielle Esmaya, Nathaniel Martin, Bradley Chun, Mateusz Mrowiec, Joseph Hewitt, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Click on image to enlarge.

Team Seed believes that mobile games provide the level of immersion required to renew society's interest in protecting our rainforests.

Sphero Augmented Reality: When Balls Become Beavers
Jonathan Carroll, Fabrizio Polo, Orbotix, Inc.

Click on image to enlarge.

The moving robot “fiducial” takes augmented reality on mobile devices to an entirely new level.

The Collaborative Composite Image, the MAG Project
Susan Lakin, David Halbstein, Rochester Institute of Technology

Click on image to enlarge.

A collaborative project involving students and faculty in the School of Photography and the 3D Digital Design Department of the School of Design at Rochester Institute of Technology with the curators of the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) in Rochester created an augmented-reality experience using paintings from the MAG's permanent collection.