Bring your models to life with iClone

For the next month, Reallusion (the makers of the excellent iClone rendering system) is running a contest to see who can do the best job of bringing their SketchUp models to life. Prizes include an Apple iPad and a Sony Cyber-shot camera.

So what is iClone? Their site says: “Real-time animation evolves with 3D Video FX, motion paths, HDR and rapid drag & drop creation inside iClone4. iClone4 combines real-time filmmaking & video production inside one powerful engine. The result is a streamlined production tool for motion graphics, 3D animation, video compositing and 3D stereo creation.“

To explain a bit better, they’ve created this video that shows off some of the great stuff that you can do with it:

If you’re interested in entering the contest, you have to produce a handful of items (YouTube video, images, etc) — full details are on the Reallusion site. The deadline is December 15, so get to work!

(via Google SketchUp Blog)


London Cycle Hire Timelapse

Oliver O’Brien, a Research Associate here at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis has updated his excellent London Cycle Hire map to include a historic view of the last 48 hours.


As Ollie states over on his Suprageography blog, the distinctive weekday commuting patterns are easy to spot, with the morning rush into the centre, followed by the evening rush back out to the edges and the station terminals. Distribution vehicles movements can be inferred, particularly during the wee small hours when there is little other activity.

You can run the animation direct via the Cycle Hire Dock Visualisation Map.

Also check out A Day in the Life of the London cycle Hire Scheme by James Cheshire.