Cgarena Volume 2, Issue 5 Aug - Sep 2007

8/3/2019 Cgarena Volume 2, Issue 5 Aug - Sep 2007

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Get Attention in the Computer Graphics Community

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5 AUG - SEP 2007

PHOTOSHOPSpiderman

AFTER EFFECTSHeat Shimmer

3DSMAXCut or Slice

GALLERYShowcase o latest 3d inspiring art

INTERVIEWMassimo Righ

CGArena

MayaWrapping & Animating Gras


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05InterviewMassimo Righi

16PhotoshopSpiderman

20Ater EectsHeat Shimmer

243ds MaxCut or slice

31MayaWrapping & Animating Grass

35GalleryShowcase o latest 3d art

Magazine Edited: Ashish RastogiMagazine Cover Image: Vaclav Krivanek


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industry news

Photo Mapping -Te creation o photorealistic images o three-dimensional models is centralto computer graphics. Photon mapping, an extension o ray tracing, makes it possible to ecientlysimulate global illumination in complex scenes. Photon mapping can simulate caustics (ocusedlight, like shimmering waves at the bottom o a swimming pool), diuse inter-reections (e.g.,the bleeding o colored light rom a red wall onto a white oor, giving the oor a reddish tint),

and participating media (such as clouds or smoke).

With photon mapping, light packets called photons are sent out into the scene rom the light source. Whenever a phton intersects with a surace, the intersection point, incoming direction, and energy o the photon are stored in a caccalled the photon map. Ater intersecting the surace, a new direction or the photon is selected using the suraces birectional reectance distribution unction (BRDF). While Photon Mapping is an ecient algorithm, it is neverthelmuch slower than ray tracing alone. A good understanding o the eects o each o the numerous parameters that cotrol its operation is necessaryn order to get the best tradeo between a desired quality and an acceptable render tim

Buzzword o the Month

Autodesk Signs Denitive Agreement to Ac-quire Skymatter, Makers o Mudbox

Autodesk, Inc. an-

nounced that it hassigned a defnitive agree-ment to acquire sub-stantially all the assetso Skymatter, Inc., thedeveloper o Mudbox3D modeling sotware.

Tis acquisition willaugment Autodesks o-ering or the flm, television and game market segments,

while oering additional growth opportunities or otherdesign disciplines. Autodesk anticipates that the transac-tion will close in the next two months.

Mudbox users include leading visual eects and gamedevelopment companies, such as: Weta Digital, EpicGames, Cinesite, Blur Studios, Radical Entertainment,... and many more!

source: www.autodesk.com

Sony Online Entertainment in pact withVirgin or game on Ramayan

Online Gaming Major

Sony Online Entertainment(SOE) and IP PowerhouseVirgin Comics are combin-ing orces to collaborate oncreating an MMO Videogame (PC) based on VirginComics Ramayan 3392 AD.Te deal was announced by John Smedley, President oSOE and Sharad Devarajan,Co-Founder and CEO o Virgin Comics.

Ramayan has inspired the lives o millions o peothrough the ages. Te re-imagining o this great ancieepic through the creativity o a game platorm re-arthe act that Ramayan is one o the greatest stories evtold added Deepak Chopra, Co- ounder o Virgin Coics.

Page 3 Issue 5 Aug - Sep 20
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=9931455&siteID=123112http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=9931455&siteID=123112


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http://www.cgarena.com/ccount/click.php?id=142


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interview

Q. Hello Massimo how are you and howz your animals in the computer, could you tell us a bit about yoursel ayour background in CG?

Hello, frst o all I want to thank you or the opportunity. Im born in Italy in1972 and actually living in Forl, a quiet and pretty small town in the Northo the coutry. I am a sel-thought CG Artist and I work as reelancer withmy soul mate and now also co-worker Silvia Puli (just celebrated 15 yearstogether, well, not bad though;))...I always loved visual arts rom photogra-

phy to traditional drawing and airbrushing. Silvia has an art degree. I starteddoing 3D as a hobby in 1999 and till 2005 it has been a growing passion thatmade me decide to sell my bookstore and give it a try as a proessional... andhere I am...

Q. So, you are a reelancer, please tell us what diculties a reelancer haveto ace in getting the work?

Well, at the beginning is never easy...What I think make the dierence isthe passion or this kind o work. At frst I started building my portolio sothat people started to know me, than I began answer to works oers romguru.com to craiglist and made some great experiences. Now, twoyears later, I no longer need to look or work, I can consider my-sel lucky because is the people that used to contact me.

Q. Ater watching your portolio we came to know that youare an animal lover but there is any another special reason orcreating those? Italy is known or the design but we have notseen any architectural or abstract designing in your portolio,

any plan?

Yes, I love them, is it so evident?:) ill the animals and naturekeep inspiring me, I will model them.

Yes, Italy is known or the design , but I think is all about choic-es...For example, I never liked too much modeling cars but Iended up making some work as third party or Volkswagen. Tis

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Massimo Righi



interview

work is umpredictable, I learned to keep my mind open to everything as long as are interesting projects. Who knothe uture, maybe I will model buildings one day...

Q. What is the main reason o choosing Maya in your arsenal? Will you like to see any change in the uture versioo Maya like more modeling options, better renderer or anything?

My frst 3D sotware was Rhino3D. It helped me a lot understanding all the Nurbs modeling (I still think it s the bNurbs modeling sotware), than I started learning polygonal modeling and when I tried out Maya PLE it was lovefrst sight. o be honest ater Maya I stopped looking or other 3D tools.

I think at Autodesk and beore at Alias have great developers, well, I believe in their work and I m sure the utreleases will be more and more improved.

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Massimo Righi


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interview

Q. Please tell us in detail about your latest work Trapped and Lunchtime,what problems you encountered in creation and how you achieve such real-ism?

I made both o the images ater my recent trip in the south-east o Asia. What Iwould like to do is to pick o the animals the characteristics that more catch myattention.

For rapped I just fnished a brie Making o . You can view it here on cgare-na.

About Lunchtime well, I ve always been ascinated by giraes. I had in mind

some unusul camera angle and unexpression. Ater many angle vitests I went or this one.

I used Maya 8.0 or modeling, aMentalRay or rendering.Te is polygonal (no Maya ur) I us

HRDI/FG and Do. Te backgrouis a photo taken in Borneo and been rendered within Maya. Tis not postwork, I only enhanced tcontrast and the color gamma wPhotoshop, used also to paint ttextures.

About realism, I always try to ke

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Massimo Righi



interview

things simple, I use ew lights, andadd more o them only i reallyneed. Te texture work is also veryimportant. I needed some qual-ity reerence material or achievedecent result. I used some photostaken at the zoos and spent manyhours on that using a wacom tab-let. I mainly use custom patternsand brushes as painting tools.

Q. Have you ever tried modela human being in 3d? Everyonesaid women are the most dicultto model in 3d, we all know verydicult to understand the wom-

en but really dicult to modeltoo, what your view on this?

O course I tried many times andI like to model humans. Workingas reelancer I oten provide com-missioned models o humans. Irecently created a magazine cover(PSD Magazine) , inspired by anold photo o Audrey Hepbourn.

We have many examples o talent-ed artists and beautiul artworksrapresenting women, as I told youis all about choices, but I will suredo more humans in the uture, ex-pecially women :)

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Massimo Righi


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interview

Q. What other interests do you have that help infuence your work and keep you motivated?

I have many interests, rom photography to music but the thing I cant live without is travelling, as much as I can. I lto visit wild places but also big cities. that defnitely keep me inspired and motivated...

Q. O all o your artwork, which piece is your personal avorite and why?

Looking back on them I always eel I could improve them in some way... Green Frog has been the frst work I submted to various online galleries and that gave me a lot o satisaction.

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Massimo Righi



interview

Q. Whats the most useul thing you have learnt in 3d?

Im always learning. In this work everyday you can achieve better results or undertstand something new.

Q. What advice would you give to uture wanna be modelers and reelancers out there?

Is always tough at the beginning but with training and passion I think everything is possible, so dont give up, ...Jufnd your own way and try to identifcate yoursel with what you do.

Q. Are you working on any projects currently? I so, what are they?

I am working on many parallel projects. I am doing models or commissions and reverse engeneering market. Abo

personal project, I wish I do something great with my 3D animals, just thinking what...

Q. Anything you like to add? It is your chance now to state your opinion about anything?

I would like to thank people that has believed in my work and that has awarded my images. I am thanking to 3DoCGSociety, galleryo3d, highend3d, Raph.com, reddi , cgitalia, 3Dcyborg, 3DValley, 3Dworld Magazine, Psd Magzine...o course CGArena and many others.

Tanks a lot Massimo or taking out sometime or us rom your busy schedule.

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Massimo Righi


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http://www.ambientlight.co.uk/


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CGArena is proud to present Vehicle o the Future (3D Challenge), 05 June 2007 - 03 Sep 20sponsored byNpower Sotware. Express your creative ideas in a new and interesting way.

Your Mission

Create an image which justiy the theme o Vehicle o the Future using Power Nurbs Pro. Tis Challenge is a WoIn-Progress Challenge -- all contestants are required to post their work-in-progress images or community to critiqcomment in order to qualiy.

How the Challenge will be Run

Tis challenge will be a WIP (Work in Progress) Challenge. Each challenger is required to submit Work In Progr(WIP) images, rom the initial concept sketch to the fnal render. to the post production on regular intervals. Te ppose is that everyone can learn rom each other, oer eedback and critiques.

1. Enter the Challenge byregistering yourselon CGArena orum.2. Download the ully unctional demo version o Power Nurbs Pro plug-in rom www.npowersotware.com. Npowplugin is available only or 3ds max so you can use only Autodesk 3ds max or creation o the image.3. Submit your work in progress images in orum on a regular basis. otherwise will be disqualifed.4. Participate in the community bycritiquing other challengers works in the respective threads.5. Submit your fnal entry till 03rd Sep 2007, midnight 00:00 GM.6. Tere will be 3 winners. CGArena, Npower decision will be fnal and no participant allowed to contact spons

regarding the challenge or asking reasons or disqualifcations.7. You have to submit the fnal 3ds max fle with image or verfcation process.8. You are allowed to use any type o post -production in the fnal image to make image better and richer.

erms and Conditions

1.) Entrants agree to give permission to the sponsor to use all or any part o the artwork entered in this contest, (heinater, the Work) in the Companys demonstration tapes (reels), promotional materials (ads, PR, etc.), booth graphand presentations or the promotional purposes.

2.) Entrants will retain all rights to the Work. In addition, the Company will not sell or proft any materials or de

challenge

Modelled by Mark Rademaker in Power Nurbs Pr


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reels containing images or animations submitted by the Entrant.

3.) Te Company, in exchange or this release,will provide a credit or the Work within thematerial in which the Work is used.

4.) Submissions must be the sole Work o theentrant and not require approval o any otherentity.

5.) Entrants will not receive fnancial remuner-ation or their Work.

Final Image Size

- Your fnal image dimensions should be print resolution. Do not send in a low-resolution.- A guideline is minimum 2800 pixels wide and/or 2048 high, JPG, 300 DPI.- Send your fnal image in zip or rar ormat with your name, complete shipping address, email, telephone number itext fle on email address [email protected] subject Vehicle o the Future.

First Prize - $995 USDPower Nurbs Pro - Power NURBS unique hybrid approach uses the next generation NURBS surace constructitechnology with the industrys leading Solids modeling technology bringing an unparalleled modeling experiencethe 3ds Max Platorm. Power NURBS modeling environment is designed to provide artist intuitive access to compadvanced modeling tools allowing you to expand your creative potential beyond the polygon world.

Second Prize- $695 USDPower Solids - Until recently NURBS based-Solids modeling technology has been confned to high end non-arttic engineering applications; however, nPowers Power Solids or 3ds Max changes everything. Power Solids provid

designers and artists an exceptional intuitive modeling environment with unrestricted access to Solids geometry.

OrPower Suracer - Power Suracing intergrates the worlds leading edge NURBS surace modeling technology inthe heart o Autodesks 3ds Max.

Tird Prize- $695 USD

Power Solids - Until recently NURBS based-Solids modeling technology has been confned to high end non-arttic engineering applications; however, nPowers Power Solids or 3ds Max changes everything. Power Solids provid

designers and artists an exceptional intuitive modeling environment with unrestricted access to Solids geometry.

OrPower Suracer - Power Suracing intergrates the worlds leading edge NURBS surace modeling technology inthe heart o Autodesks 3ds Max.
http://www.npowersoftware.com/



photoshop

In this Photoshop tutorial we will create a text as seen in 2007 summer blockbuster Spiderman 3. Hope you will likand send me your creations and suggestions to improve.

Step 1: First Download the Spiderman ont rom this address http://www.daont.com/spiderman.ont and instalby copying in the Fonts older o your Control Panel (Windows). Now run the Photoshop and create an 800 x 6document in Photoshop and fll the background layer with black.

Step 2: Now select the Spiderman ont and create a text o your choice, keep the size little big around 90 and comust be white.
http://www.dafont.com/spiderman.fonthttp://www.dafont.com/spiderman.font



photoshop

Step 3: Click on the Add Layer Style button and choose Inner Shadow or double click on the side o the text layor Layer options.

Step 4: Choose (Check) the Inner Shadow option in the let panel and change the ollowing settings in the rigpanel:

Blend Mode: ScreenColor: White

Angles: 90 degree (uncheck Use Global Light)Distance: 3Size: 3



photoshop

Step 5: Ater doing the previous step you will notice that nothing happens on the text visually but when you do thstep then lot o change you will notice. Check the Gradient Overlay in the let panel and change the ollowing setings.

Opacity: 100%Gradient: Click on Gradient and change the Swatches colors o Let to (C:0,M:0,Y:0,K:80) and Rig(C:0,M:0,Y:0,K:20)Check the Reverse checkbox

Step 6: Create a new layer below the text layer. Ctrl + Click on the text layer or making the selection. Ten GoSelect > Modiy > Expand and enter 5 pixels.



photoshop

Step 7: Fill the selection with white color (Alt + Backspace) on the newly created layer.

Step 8: Click the Add a layer style icon and Choose Bevel and Emboss and choose the ollowing settings

Enter 390 or depthCheck the anti-aliased checkboxSelect Ring graph under Glass Contour.

Step 9: Choose Outer Glow and select color as Black and mode to multiply. In-cease the Spread size to 35 and Press OK. Hope you are still selected so Now choosea large sot edge black (C:0,M:0,Y:0,K:90) brush and paint rom top to bottom on

every character. Deselect and your eect is ready.

- Andy [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]



after effects

I you live in the hot areas you have probably seen heat shimmer coming o the road. A heat shimmer is an extendtime interval o abnormally and uncomortably hot and unusually humid weather. o be a heat wave such a perishould last at least one day, but conventionally it lasts rom several days to several weeks.

In this Ater Eects tutorial we will try to create a same eect using par-ticles. So, launch Ater Eects and create a new composition by pressingCntrl + N.

Step 1: Drag the image on which you like to simulate this effect.

Step 2: Create a New Layer by pressing Cntrl+Y on the PC. Name the

layer Particles. Color of the layer doesnt matter.

Step 3: Choose Effect >Simulation>CC Particle World. (Cycore Effectswhich ship with AE need to be installed).

Heat Shimmer



after effects

Step 4: Twirl the Physics property and choose the Fire Animation Preset from the dropdown.

Step 5: Open the Producer property and enter a value in the Y position to set the particles on the ground. In my cathis 0.36. Also widen the particles on the ground to cover the area using X radius. I have chosen a value of 0.50

Step 6: In the Effect Controls Panel, increase theBirthrate to 4.0.

Step 7: Also Change the Longevity value accordingto the length of the particles to cover the scene.

Step 8: Finally, twirl down the Particle property andchange the Birth and Death colors to the same shade

of red.

Step 9: Press Cntrl + D to duplicate the layer andchange the Birth and Death colors to the same shade

of green. Lower the Birthrate to 3.0 and the Longev-

ity to .6 or as per your scene in the new duplicate

layer.



after effects

Step 10: Now create a new adjustment layer and apply a Fast Blur with 5 pixels value.

Step 11: Select adjustment layer and both the particles layers and Pre-Compose the layers (Layer > Pre-compose) amove into new composition.



after effects

Step 12: Now turn off the visibility of pre-compose layer.

Step 13: With the Background layer selected, choose Effect > Distort> Displacement Map. The Displacement Meffect allows you to use color channels from one layer to displace pixels in the current layer. Because the Heat shimm

layer contains Red and Green particles, distortion amounts can vary and not look rigid.

Step 14: With the Background layer selected, choose Effect > Blur & Sharpen > Compound Blur. In the Effect Cotrols Panel, select the Heat shimmer layer as the Blur Layer, and decrease the blur to 5.

Thats it, make the RAM preview and enjoy the heat.

- Suzane [email protected]

Click Image to Play Video

Divx/Xvid Required


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Cut or Slice

You have seen various times in movies like Ghost Ship, Revolution where cuts object by a thin line and ater ew seonds object is dropped on the ground with the dripping blood. In this tutorial we try to simulate a same type o eusing premade model without dripping blood. Tere is nothing max version specifc; you just required a Boolean whis available in any version o max. So, without wasting a time lets get started.

Step 1: Create an object, open or import your model in the scene.

Step 2: Now create a thin box which intersects the object properly rom all the sides where you like to show a slor cut. Tinness o the box depends on which type o cut you like to shown, like sword attack will be thin and cuttia wood through machine then cut will be broader.


3ds max


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Step 3: Select your main object and go to Create > Compound > Boolean and in Operation select Subtraction (Amust be selected. Ten click on Pick Operand B and then select the box. You will notice a fne cut on the object.

Step 4: But in this tutorial we also animate this cut too, so go into Modiy> Boolean

> Operands and in the Display/Update box Operands radio button must be selected soyou can see the operand once again which was hidden in previous step when you clickthe Pick Operand B. Now animate your box rom top to bottom or side to side as peryour choice. In simple words, turn on Animate and set a key or box on rame 0 thenmove to rame 30 and drag it down so it slices down. Beore doing the Boolean dont tryto animate, i you dont believe me then try it out and check the results.


3ds max



3ds max

Step 5: Now apply an Edit Poly modifer on the object and select Element. Now select the object part which ylike to drop on the ground or animate.

Step 6: Apply Xorm modifer on that selected part, Go into the Gizmo mode and now you can animate the obje

Step 7: But have you noticed the texturing on the cutout area,

which is totally disturbed. (Or i that is hollow area then createa surace by selecting the edges) So, again apply Edit Poly andselect the polygons o that area. Apply UVW Mapping modiferand select planer rom the mapping list.



3ds max

Step 8: Now apply the Edit Mesh modifer and apply the dierent texture you prepared or that cutout area becautexture will be totally dierent in that area. Render the scene and everything is fxed. Tere are various or say unlimitpossibilities o this technique. So, send me your suggestions and critiques, i any query or can be improved more. Saynara.

- Ranjan [email protected]


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winners

In July 07, your mission was to create a 3D image on oon theme and sponsored byambientLigh

First Prize

Following are the winners...

Baiculescu Ovidiu Nicky, [email protected]


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Second PrizeGaurav Mohan, [email protected]


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www.cgarena.comCGArena brings you latest news and happenings 24 hours a day.

Plus, join in our interactive forums to showcase your work, and get

Attention in the Computer Graphics Community
http://www.cgarena.com/http://www.cgarena.com/http://www.cgarena.com/http://www.cgarena.com/http://www.cgarena.com/



maya

Wrapping & Animating

Grass around objects

In this tutorial we will add a brush rom paint eect to Nurbs curve and then modiy various attributes such as colshadows to look attractive and animating growth o the grass over time.

Step 1: Create a cylinder or open your premade model for this tutorial. Select Object and from the main menu, chooModify > Make Live. This will make the object live so we can draw our curves easily on the surface.

Step 2: Choose Create > EP Curve Tool and start drawing on the object. Choose Modify > Make Not Live to bring object back.

Step 3: Choose Window > General Editors > Visor and from the various folder choose Plants folder and then choobrush of your choice. In this case I choose the vineGreyBud.mel brush.



maya

Step 4: Instead o painting, choose a previously drawn curve and rom the Rendering Menu choose Paint EectCurve Utilities > Attach Brush to Curve. Now your selected brush will be shown on the curve.

Step 5: Now we will do some modifcations. Select the brush and Open Attribute Editor and select strokesShape1 tIncrease the Sample Density to 2.0. Choose vine tab and change the Global Scale to 2.0 again. You can view the d

ferences in these and previous settings directly on the viewport.



maya

Step 6: wirl down the Shading option and change the Base and ip color o the ubes.

Step 7: Twirl down the Shadow Effects and select Cast Shadows

Step 8: Now twirl down the Tubes option and Check the Tube Completion checkbox and in the Creation subsectichange the width, randomness, thickness of the Tube.



maya

Step 9: Animating the growth o tubes can add dramatic movement to a scene. wirl down the Flow Animation otions and increase the Flow Speed to 1.00 and check ime Clip. Play the timeline and you will see the grass is growon the object but i you also like to grow rom bottom to op then check the Stroke ime too.

Render the scene and you can see the grass growing up and around the object you choose.

- Jazz [email protected]


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gallery



Beore StormVaclav Krivanek, Czech [email protected] Max, Zbrush, Photoshop
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Lost PalCarlos Ortega Elizalde, [email protected] 5 Pro, Photoshop




Street FighterNikita Volobuev, [email protected] Max, Photoshop



Kehel, El Warrior

Emiliano Calisti, [email protected], XSI, Photoshop


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IGUSalvo riolo, [email protected], Mudbox, Vray, Photoshop


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In PresenceSerkan Celik, [email protected] Max




Franctic FunairRichard Max, Slovakia

[email protected] Max, Final Render, Photoshop


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Labyrinth

Ziv Qual, [email protected] Max, Photoshop



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Cup o TeaNiao Ping, [email protected] XSI



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How to send

in your images.. .We showcase the cream o reader imagesin E-Zine and on website - heres how to get yours noticed

Upload Images through WebsiteFollow this link http://www.cgarena.com/submit.php

Tis is by ar the quickest and easiest way tosend your images to us.

submission
http://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.phphttp://www.cgarena.com/submit.php

Cgarena Volume 2, Issue 5 Aug - Sep 2007

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Transcript of Cgarena Volume 2, Issue 5 Aug - Sep 2007