Welcome to the fourth issue of the Turtle newsletter!

If you don’t already know what you’re in for, the Turtle newsletter is basically about whatever we find interesting or exciting or earth-shattering at the given moment – whether it’s tech developments, espresso chugging contests, Elvis auctions, or whatever else strikes our fancy. Naturally, we also include lots of information to help you get the most out of the incredibly cool tool Turtle.

So read and enjoy and let us know if you have any input for future issues. Happy reading!

More Turtle for the People!

Turtle 4 is now available for download as a Release Candidate complete with its own test license and everything. Turtle 4 contains all the cool stuff from Turtle 3, but even better.

Turtle 3’s advanced PTM (Polynomial Texture Map) functionality, for instance, has now evolved into a generalized light baker, which can be controlled by LUA. You can collect static, as well as dynamic diffuse light, and store this information in virtually any function. There are also a number of predefined output options for all non-programmers, making effects like Directional Occlusion Mapping, Radiosity Normal Maps, and Spherical Harmonics available to first time users.

Check out the new Turtle 4 product sheet to read more about the new, advanced baking functionality and other features at: http://www.illuminatelabs.com/turtle/product-sheet

Get your hands on the Release Candidate of Turtle 4 at: http://www.illuminatelabs.com/turtle/trial

New Tutorials, Still Shrink-Wrapped and Shiny New!

If you haven’t already noticed, the Turtle website has now been updated with brand new tutorials that will help you get the most from your Turtle experience. In addition to being extremely cool looking, they’re also quite useful, explaining in easy terms how to squeeze every last drop form your Turtle. All the new functions in Turtle 4 are covered, including Advanced Baking, Advanced Global Illumination, Image Based Lighting, and Advanced Motion Blur.

Do and learn at: http://www.illuminatelabs.com/support/tutorial-folder

Happenings in the World of Turtle

ENTER THE BEAST

After much heated debate and lobbying of words, we have finally decided upon a new name for our "platform independent pipeline baker". Drumroll please… And it shall be called Beast.

We are currently working with our launch client, who has integrated Beast into Unreal Engine. Beast will be marketed on a per game-production and number of SKU basis.

For more information about Beast, contact: sales@illuminatelabs.com

ILLUMINATE LABS AT NORDIC GAME

We’re happy to announce that we will be attending the Nordic Game conference in Malmö, Sweden on the 15th and 16th of May. Please feel free to swing by and visit us for a chat, a demo, to query our developers or just to pick up a cool Turtle t-shirt of your very own. It’s best to reserve your t-shirt (avoiding the feeding frenzy) by emailing your name, company, and size (S-XL) to: sales@illuminatelabs.com

For more info, log on to: http://www.nordicgame.com

LOTS OF WARM AND FUZZIES FOR TURTLE 4 AT GDC

A warm Turtle thank-you to all of you who visited us during GDC in San Francisco. We were especially happy to see how interested people were in the new, advanced baking functions found in Turtle 4. Our developers’ hearts swell with joy.

THE STUDIOS BEHIND GOD OF WAR AND RATCHET & CLANK CHOOSE TURTLE!

The studios behind God of War and Ratchet & Clank have both recently decided to use Turtle in their production chain! We are extremely pleased to announce that both Sony Studios in Santa Monica and Insomniac Games have found Turtle to be the best option for their needs.

"Our artists evaluated several alternatives for our lighting pipeline and Turtle was a winner in terms of speed, quality, and ease of use," says Christer Ericson, Director of Tools and Technology at Sony Computer Entertainment, Santa Monica.

"Turtle has proven by far to be the best option in our pipeline and I'm really happy that we're using it now. I'm also really pleased with the clear and concise responses we've received from Illuminate Labs' tech support," says Damon Iannuzzelli, Lead Character Artist at Insomniac Games.

TURTLE IN KILLZONE: LIBERATION

Turtle is being used in tons of cool games. Check out, for example, how Guerrilla Games has used Turtle in its PSP title Killzone: Liberation.

Check out: http://www.illuminatelabs.com/turtle/case-studies/guerrilla-games

ALOHA FORUM!

In the Hawaiian language, the word Aloha means both Goodbye and Hello (as well as love, compassion, and mercy, but that’s another story).

So we’re saying Aloha (in both the goodbye and hello sense of the word) to the Turtle Forum. Goodbye to the old forum and hello to a brand new and improved Forum. The new Forum will include improved design and graphics and – in addition to the functions of the old Forum – make it possible for users to upload their own images, showing and sharing all the cool stuff they’ve done with Turtle.

Naturally you can still chat and discuss with other Turtle users and share helpful tips and tricks. Enjoy! And Aloha!

See you at: http://forum.illuminatelabs.com

Happenings in the bigger world outside of Turtle

Cool stuff, interesting stuff, educational stuff and other just plain stuff:
(Where our developers are surfing right now)

Spreading the Love

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