LabVIEW 8.5

Early this month, National Instruments launched its 13th annual NIWeek by introducing LabVIEW 8.5. This latest version of the company’s graphical programming environment includes advances in multicore and real-time programming. With multicore processors increasingly becoming the standard, there is a growing need for parallel programming languages that can take advantage of faster multiprocessor speeds. With its inherent multithreaded architecture, LabVIEW is claimed to fit the bill.

With the parallel dataflow language of LabView, users can easily map their applications to multicore and FPGA architectures for data streaming, control, analysis and signal processing. Building on the automatic multithreading capability of earlier versions, LabView 8.5 scales user applications based on the total available number of cores and delivers enhanced thread-safe drivers and libraries to improve throughput for RF, high-speed digital I/O and mixed-signal test applications.

LabView 8.5 also includes a new statechart module to help engineers and scientists design and simulate event-based systems using familiar, high-level statechart notations based on the Unified Modeling Language (UML) standard. The new software also allows users to integrate existing PLC-based industrial systems, with more advanced programmable automation controllers (PACs), adding high-speed I/O and complex control logic to their industrial systems.

For more details visit http://www.ni.com/labview85/

Autodesk Animation Academy 2008

'Autodesk Animation Academy' is the premier visual communication program for secondary schools wishing to bring mathematical, technical, scientific and artistic subject matter to life. 'Autodesk Animation Academy' curriculum is already being taught in secondary schools throughout North America, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The team-based curriculum teaches students sophisticated 3D visualization and animation skills with the same technology that is used by professionals in the media and entertainment industry.

The curriculum was developed specifically for secondary schools by experienced educators and technical experts. It encourages students to explore specific topics, such as the physics of planetary motion, archeological reconstruction of the Parthenon, the digestive system and more. Students then use the 3D animation technology of Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya to demonstrate and present what they have learned.

Today the company has released the 2008 version of the 'Animation Academy'. The 2008 release is available globally for both the 3ds Max and Maya 3D modeling, animation and rendering software products. Animation Academy for 3ds Max is available to Windows operating system users. Animation Academy for Maya is available to secondary schools teaching on the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

One of the new features of the curriculum is the Capstone Project which is intended for an independent study class that simulates the experience of a real-world 3D design job. Students begin with a "client" interview to determine how the client's job could be made easier with the use of 3D visualization. Students then bring the client's vision to life using 3D design technology from Autodesk.

To learn more about Animation Academy, visit http://www.autodesk.com/animationacademy