Welcome to the third 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!

The Turtle’s D... The launch of Turtle 4

We know that we said that Turtle 3 was like the best ever and all that, but it turns out that we’re gonna be proven wrong. It seems that our developers have found time between espresso guzzling contests and pizza wrestling (don't ask) to develop Turtle even further. So get ready, 'cause in March we're releasing Turtle 4, which will feature all the cool stuff from Turtle 3 plus the fastest, easiest-to-use baking functionality ever for Next-Gen game developers.

Turtle 3’s advanced PTM (Polynomial Texture Map) functionality 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 basis of your choice. There are a number of predefined output options for all non-programmers as well, making effects like Directional Occlusion Mapping, Radiosity Normal Maps, and Spherical Harmonics available to first time users.

Turtle 4’s Surface Transfer takes normal mapping to the next level, generating high quality maps from complex models in just a few clicks. Surface Transfer can generate normal, ambient occlusion, light, and most other maps required by next generation console development. The user-friendly interface and instant viewport previewing enable a high degree of fine-tuning and experimentation, which makes it easier to get precisely the look you’re after for your production.

And if you can’t wait until March to get a peek, there’s even a Beta version of Turtle 4 available for selected test-driving.

To participate in the limited Beta program, please contact: sales@illuminatelabs.com

Turtle Technology made platform independent

And if creating Turtle 4 wasn't enough, we’ve also been working on making the technology behind Turtle platform independent. We are now proud to introduce the first fruits of our labor.

We can now present a fully platform-independent baker that utilizes the fbx-file format, making it easy to add extremely complex baking functionality, such as GI/Spherical Harmonics/PTM etc., to your internal tools. In addition to just being really cool, this will make life a lot easier for your art department.

For more info, please contact: sales@illuminatelabs.com

Happenings in the World of Turtle

ILLUMINATE LABS AT GDC

Illuminate Labs will of course be participating in GDC in San Francisco between March 7th and 9th of this year. We’d be thrilled if you could make it by to visit us in the Nordic Game Pavilion, Booth Number 5320 in the North Hall. Come by for a look-see, meet our senior developers, chat, try to stump us with tricky questions, and get a free demo of Turtle. After all, seeing is believing and all that. We look forward to seeing you there!

For more info, log on to: www.gdconf.com

NEW TURTLE RESELLERS

Illuminate Labs is proud to welcome Rahul Commerce as our Turtle representative in India. Rahul Commerce is a leading Distributor of Software & Systems covering applications in Film, Video & Post Production, Animation, Special Effects, Industrial Design, Virtual Reality, and so on. The company’s head offices are situated in Mumbai and Pune. Rahul Commerce is also represented via its associates in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Banglore. We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Digital By Design as our new reseller in Australia. The company, which has its headquarters in Queensland, was named the Australian Autodesk Media & Entertainment Reseller of the Year. We’re thrilled to have Digital By Design on the Turtle team.

For more info, log on to: www.rahulcom.com and www.dbd.com.au

PELIGROSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ILLUMINATE LABS

Illuminate Labs is happy to announce the formation of a partnership with Peligroso, a company that provides consultancy services to the Scandinavian gaming industry. “At Peligroso we love both games as well as the business of games and we really appreciate working with people that feel the same way and who contribute to better game experiences. The breakthrough technology provided by Illuminate Labs is something that any serious game developer should look into,” says Tobias Sjögren, CEO. “With this partnership – and with Tobias’ long experience in the gaming industry, including heading the DICE Stockholm office – we are gaining valuable industry knowledge and access to Peligroso’s extensive network of industry contacts,” says Magnus Wennerholm, CEO of Illuminate Labs.

www.peligroso.se

THE TURTLE TEAM GROWS

The Illuminate Labs' development team welcomes Jens Olsson to their ranks. "Jens' experience as an artist, in combination with his extensive mathematical and programming skills, makes him a perfect addition to our expanding team," says Magnus Wennerholm, CEO of Illuminate Labs.

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)

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