Industrial Light & Magic's proprietary Saber
Encyclopedia
Industrial Light and Magic
's proprietary Sabre compositing technology
is actually based on Discreet Logic's Inferno and Flame. Several key innovation
s separate it from the 'off the shelf
' versions. Most important is the tools that accurately deal with logarithm
ic color conversions into and out of the system. Several node
s were also written to accurately process images in logarithmic color space
. Company folklore
states that the name Sabre was quickly created because Discreet Logic didn't want to offer a discount to ILM in exchange for use of their name in marketing materials.
Of much greater significance to the history of digital compositing would be ILM's proprietary
CompTime
application. It was written entirely from scratch by ILM programmers. It relies heavily on python programming
and is very customizable by artists with only a cursory knowledge of scripting
and programming. Still in use today, it has handled the majority of visual effects
shots created by ILM.
Industrial Light and Magic
Industrial Light & Magic is an Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and is owned by Lucasfilm. Lucas created the company when he discovered that the special effects department at 20th Century Fox was shut down after he was given...
's proprietary Sabre compositing technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
is actually based on Discreet Logic's Inferno and Flame. Several key innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
s separate it from the 'off the shelf
Commercial off-the-shelf
In the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract...
' versions. Most important is the tools that accurately deal with logarithm
Logarithm
The logarithm of a number is the exponent by which another fixed value, the base, has to be raised to produce that number. For example, the logarithm of 1000 to base 10 is 3, because 1000 is 10 to the power 3: More generally, if x = by, then y is the logarithm of x to base b, and is written...
ic color conversions into and out of the system. Several node
Node
In general, a node is a localised swelling or a point of intersection .Node may refer to:In mathematics:*Node , behaviour for an ordinary differential equation near a critical point...
s were also written to accurately process images in logarithmic color space
Color space
A color model is an abstract mathematical model describing the way colors can be represented as tuples of numbers, typically as three or four values or color components...
. Company folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
states that the name Sabre was quickly created because Discreet Logic didn't want to offer a discount to ILM in exchange for use of their name in marketing materials.
Of much greater significance to the history of digital compositing would be ILM's proprietary
Proprietary software
Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
CompTime
CompTime
CompTime: A proprietary digital compositing Software from ILM that is only for their in-house use....
application. It was written entirely from scratch by ILM programmers. It relies heavily on python programming
Python (programming language)
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
and is very customizable by artists with only a cursory knowledge of scripting
Scripting language
A scripting language, script language, or extension language is a programming language that allows control of one or more applications. "Scripts" are distinct from the core code of the application, as they are usually written in a different language and are often created or at least modified by the...
and programming. Still in use today, it has handled the majority of visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
shots created by ILM.