ENTERTAINMENTENGINEERING TE C H N OLOG Y | C R E AT I V IT Y | F U N
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WTC CUSTOM BEACON
Building one of the brightest beacons in the world.
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“REMNANT KINGS” REVAMP F2P cloud based MMORPG reveals redesign, enhancememts.
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POWERFUL GAMING TECHNOLOGY Collaboration produces highperformance game development packages.
Volume 10 Issue 7
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ANALOG Z-DRIVES
Powerful tools for motion control.
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HYBRID SPORT TRACK TECHNOLOGY
Enabling robotic camera systems to follow sports action.
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Vice President, Media Solutions & Sales markw@entertainmentengineering.com
Terry Persun | 360-379-6885 E: terry@entertainmentengineering.com Bruce Wiebusch | 440-503-3013 E: bruce@entertainmentengineering.com Verv Creative | www.vervcreative.com Dan Cook, Ph.D.,
Program Coordinator, Entertainment Engineering and Design, UNLV
Joe Gillard, Gerald Braude, S. Korobeinik Richard Mandel, Mark Persun
Greg Hale, VP Advanced Technology Disney Parks and Resorts Kevin Russelburg, Sr. Project Engineer, ITW Pancon John Lewis, Sr. Writer, Cognex Corp. Mark Wiebusch | 440-835-9733
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WORLD TRADE CENTER, CUSTOM BEACON Building one of the brightest beacons in the world— the one that will shine from the top of the new One World Trade Center tower in lower Manhattan—is the kind of challenge that comes around once in a lifetime. J. R. Clancy, Inc. was at the top of the must-hire list when Ballantyne Strong, the entertainment lighting and projection system company, was selected to create the beacon for the World Trade Center. Strong worked closely with lighting designer Claude Engel through the preliminary phases of the project. “Clancy was always our first choice,” said Glen Thor, director of Strong Lighting. Mike Murphy, Clancy’s president, and Strong’s engineering team got together on the project over a 13 month period of engineering work, and were able to get the job to the finish line in less than half that time. The energy-efficient beacon shines at 1,740 feet above the streets of New York, just below the 1,776-foot total height of the new tower. “The antenna structure is approximately 400 feet tall, and consists of 18 separate segments,” explained Tom Trytek, P.E. of TDK Engineering, the firm Clancy chose as its partner in completing the project. “Our component, the beacon, is in the last segment.” The light itself is made up of 16 suitcase-sized petals, each containing 11 modules of LED lights. The bottom 4
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petals each contain an array of 22 LED modules. Each module produces 1,200 lumens on its own, for a cumulative total of 316,800 lumens—a light that will be seen easily from Manhattan to New Jersey, even on a foggy night. “The petal array is housed in a stainless steel structure with large mirrors located between the LED modules to maximize and direct the light across the city,” said Bridget Cox, J. R. Clancy director of project management. “The mirrors themselves are not actually glass, but are specialized laminated assemblies of honeycomb board with a custom reflective aluminum surface,” she said. The light sources remain stationary, while the mirror assembly rotates on a small, motorized turntable. A computer supplied by Barbizon Lighting sends a signal to the J. R. Clancy motor control cabinet, turning the beacon turntable on an hour before dusk every day, and shutting it off an hour after sunrise. The motorized turntable, mirror assemblies, and electrical components were built by a manufacturing team led by Clancy, with the assistance of Blair Construction and Fabrication in Auburn, NY. The team paid special
“THE ANTENNA STRUCTURE IS APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET TALL, AND CONSISTS OF 18 SEPARATE SEGMENTS,” attention to reducing the potential for maintenance and repair issues. “The entire beacon is exposed to the elements, so it had to be designed to withstand New York City heat in the summer, cold in the winter, and precipitation,” said Cox. “There’s a special enamel paint treatment used for all of the parts that could not be made out of stainless steel. The stainless steel motor control cabinet can withstand the summer heat intrinsically, but if the temperature drops below 40 degrees, internal heaters kick on to keep the control components at a relatively constant temperature. The turntable motors are also equipped with heaters to help avoid condensation.”
Maintenance at 1,700 feet
Designing a super-bright lighting fixture is challenging enough, but the fact that this beacon lives above 1,700 feet required the design team to think through every aspect of maintenance and repair. “The specifications from the architect were that the beacon was to be fully capable of being dismantled and replaced in place,” said Trytek. “The beacon is segmented, so every component can be removed individually and replaced.” Clancy and TDK examined every aspect of the original design to determine the best ways to simplify and ruggedize the structure, reducing the likelihood of a mechanical breakdown. They took a 180-degree approach to the methodology of turning the system. The turntable structure involves a slew ring bearing—a single large, circular bearing with a projected life of one billion revolutions. “It turns as fast as a second hand, and it operates roughly twelve hours a day,” said Trytek. “With proper maintenance, it could last almost forever.” Just to be safe, though, Clancy built a second gear motor into the turntable to provide a redundant motor drive system, so the beacon would still operate in the event that one of the motors malfunctioned. “The slew ring is so much simpler, with an infinite lifespan, and it’s very easily serviceable,” said Thor.
Even with all of these precautions, the team knew that service personnel would need to access every part of the beacon for routine maintenance and repairs—both for the beacon itself, and for the components above it. “Through the center of the mirror system is an access ladder,” said Trytek. “Just above the beacon on the tower are four FAA lights, as well as a light at the very top of the antenna. So we had to be sure that a maintenance person could pass through without interfering with the mirror, to reach the lights at the top of the tower.” While some of the mirror panels are fixed to the frame of the beacon housing, the center panels can be removed, “sort of like a leaf in a table,” Trytek explained. “Each of the leaves of the mirror system can be stored to the left and right sides of the mirror frame. So you have an unobstructed way to get to the upper and lower petals of the LED system.” With the beacon soon to cast its light across Manhattan, Thor is quick to praise the expertise the Clancy team brought to the project. “Clancy’s role has been instrumental; we couldn’t have done it without them,” he said. For More Information Click Below:
J. R. Clancy Home > Ballantyne Strong Home > TDK Engineering Home >
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REMNANT KNIGHTS REVAMP F2P cloud based MMORPG reveals new buildings and redesigned courtyards, plus UI enhancements and debut of Remnant Knights on popular gaming portal Miniclip.
The free-to-play anime MMORPG Remnant Knights had introduced revamped starting zones and an improved UI. Players visiting the Owl and Dragon School starting zones will find that school buildings have been re-imagined, and the surrounding areas have been expanded. “For the last several updates we’ve been focusing on adding or revamping higher level zones,” said Mike Suh, Remnant Knights’ Lead Producer. “Now it’s time for a new look and feel for the starting players, too.” The starting zone revamp coincides with Remnant Knights’ launch of the recently released cloud-based browser version of the game on Miniclip. The Remnant Knights re-launch and re-branding is meant to reach younger players through the Miniclip partnership. Players are now able to discover RK on MiniClip under
numerous game categories including Action, Adventure, MMO, and Multiplayer. In addition to revamped starting zones Remnant Knights introduces a new feature allowing players to preview the appearance of equipment drops possible from dungeons prior to entering them. Players will also notice a streamlined and cleaner UI that frees up additional gameplay space on the screen by reducing borders and implementing mouse-over transparent windows, among other things.
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Remnant Knights Home > Miniclip Home > Remnant Knights on Miniclip >
POWERFUL GAMING TECHNOLOGY Collaboration produces high-performance game development packages. ALT Systems is a systems integrator and workflow solutions provider. Recently they have collaborated with HP, Autodesk®, Epic Games, and PNY Technologies to offer game development packages designed specifically to support Autodesk and Unreal Engine users. The systems are said to optimize pipelines with a new combination of tools for the professional gaming community. Systems have been tested by Autodesk and Epic Games, and two versions are available through ALT Systems. The systems will be available on three platforms: the HP Z820 and Z620 workstations, as well as the HP Z1, 27-inch, all-in-one workstation. ALT Systems will work with customers to configure systems to their needs, as well as supply the technical support necessary to operate with maximum performance. According to Jon Guess, president of ALT Systems, “We are a longtime authorized Autodesk and HP integrator. This collaboration is a natural evolution for us to leverage our capabilities with these leading technology companies to support game developers and artists.” The collaboration provides the professional game development community with the opportunity to integrate GeForce® GTX 680 XLR8 Edition by PNY graphics cards into HP’s award-winning Z Workstations. PNY graphics cards are highly regarded for their performanceenhancing applications in advanced and competitive gaming, and photo and video editing, among other uses. A cornerstone of ALT Systems’ longstanding media and entertainment solutions is Autodesk’s Digital
Entertainment Creation (DEC) products. Over the past several years, ALT Systems has consistently been recognized as one of Autodesk’s Gold Partners, delivering Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Motionbuilder, Autodesk Flame, and Autodesk Flare to both large and boutique-sized facilities. With the addition of Autodesk Beast, Autodesk Navigation, Autodesk HumanIK, and Autodesk Scaleform, professional developers, artists, and creators have a full spectrum of powerful tools to help usher in the next generation of games. Epic Games’ industry-standard game engine brings cross-platform game engine technology to ALT Systems’ Game Developer Editions. According to a company spokesperson, Epic’s Unreal Engine is set to power the next generation of games, with high-end rendering, scalable cross-platform features, and revolutionary new tools for productivity. The HP Z Workstations combined with the power of GeForce graphics cards provides developers with high-performance technology that allows them to push the limits of their creativity and deliver incredible new experiences.
For More Information Click Below:
ALT Systems Home > Autodesk Home > PNY Technologies Home >
HP Home > Epic Games Home >
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ANALOG Z-DRIVES With outputs of nearly 5kW of peak power in a smartphone sized footprint, these analog Z-Drives become powerful tools for motion control. The analog Z-Drives from Advanced Motion Controls速 include 6 new models with increased current output of 60A peak and 30A continuous designed with the same footprint and pin functionality as the previous 40A versions. These servo drives provide 50 percent more power in the same space, making upgrades in power output a simple drop-in replacement. Included are models compatible with brushed and brushless permanent magnet servomotors, with current and velocity mode operation and options for +/-10V or PWM & Direction commands. New Models: AZ60A8, AZB60A8, AZ60A8DDC, AZBDC60A8, AZBH60A8, AZBE60A8 analog Z-Drives are plug-in style servo drives that mount directly to the PCB enabling fully integrated designs while simplifying wiring and installation. With a total of 72 models now available, Z-Drives come with a long list of options to meet every need including digital and analog architectures; CANopen, RS232/485, and
EtherCAT networks; commands over the network or with I/O; feedback that includes TTL encoders, 1Vp-p encoders, absolute encoders, and Hall sensors; 6-60A peak and 3-30A continuous operation; 40-175 VDC versions; and extended environment options.
For More Information Click Below:
Advanced Motion Controls Home > Advanced Motion Controls Servo Drives >
STUDIO SOUND ENGINEERING Alchemea College installs a Duality SE system to aid in creative media training. “DUALITY HAS ALL THE SONIC BASES COVERED, SO IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A CLEAN AND OPEN SOUND YOU CAN, BUT THE VHD MIC PRES ALLOW STUDENTS TO FATTEN UP THE SOUND AS WELL.”
Alchemea College is a creative media training college that specializes in full-time and short audio engineering, music production, live sound, and video courses. The college recently installed a Solid State Logic Duality SE studio sound engineering program to offer students a wide variety of skills to take into the real world for the different needs and challenges they will face. “When the time came to get a new console, we wanted a desk that was analogue, had full 5.1 mixing capabilities, and offered in-depth DAW control,” says Neil Pickles, director of short courses for Alchemea. “Looking at the current available analogue consoles, Duality appeared to have an advanced implementation of DAW control over other consoles we considered. Duality offers an industry-standard channel configuration with mic pre, EQ and dynamics, along with flexible routing and real 5.1 mixing. The brilliant A-FADA (Analogue Fader Accesses DAW Automation) system, which allows the DAW automation to drive the faders on the console, makes Duality the perfect teaching tool for advanced students.” The console lives in the Solid State Logic Duality
Control Room, Alchemea’s flagship studio, and is used for mixing and tracking. Capture is through a Pro ToolsTM HD system and a two-inch 24-track analogue tape recorder. The control room enjoys natural light during the day with complete climate control to promote a relaxed creative environment for working on Duality. Students also have access to a plethora of high-quality plug-ins and racks of outboard dynamics and effects units that are brought together through Duality. According to Pickles, “Duality has all the sonic bases covered, so if you want to have a clean and open sound you can, but the VHD mic pres allow students to fatten up the sound as well. The console also offers the classic RMS-style E/G compression and peak mode compression. Duality provides students with the feature benefits to help them understand the creative nuances of sound production.”
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Solid State Logic Home > Solid State Logic Broadcast Sound > Solid State Logic Support Products >
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HYBRID SPORT TRACK TECHNOLOGY The Sport Track technology enables robotic cameras to automatically follow live sports action, which cuts live sports production costs. As a leading provider of real-time graphics and robotic camera systems, Hybrid has developed Sport Track, an exclusive technology that enables robotic cameras to automatically follow live game action. The technology sends positional tracking data from the manned master camera to an unmanned slave camera so that it can follow the game’s movement. Sport Track enables sports broadcasters to reduce the number of manned cameras required to cover a live game, which not only reduces operating costs, but enriches the quality of the program because broadcasters and production companies can employ more cameras to cover the game while staying within increasingly tight, competitive budgets. Hybrid’s greatest challenge in producing the Sport Track was to create a robotic camera that could see and follow fast moving live game action like soccer or football in real-time. Hybrid discovered that a manned Cartoni motion tracking pan/tilt/zoom/focus (PTZF) camera could serve as the master camera, which is then networked to a Hybrid Titanium robot camera head. Using newly developed software and drivers from Hybrid, all of the camera data—including position, angle, distance, and speed—could be optically tracked, encoded, and transmitted by the Cartoni camera over to the Titanium robotic camera head. The corresponding coordinates tell
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the Titanium (robotic slave) camera head how and where to move to follow the game action precisely. The idea for Sport Track was originally inspired by Host Broadcast Systems (HBS), who approached Hybrid with a need for the technology in the coverage of their live soccer championships. The company also found interest in their automatic camera system when talking with sports broadcasters and producers who wanted to increase the number of cameras for a more visually interesting live game without increasing operating costs.
For More Information Click Below:
Hybrid Home >
Hybrid Products >