design process Archives

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

The Secret Weapon Behind the VFX of ‘A Minecraft Movie’

Director Jared Hess helmed "A Minecraft Movie," which emphasizes creativity and the struggle between freedom and oppression. The film features a villain named Malgosha, a Piglin ruler from the Nether, voiced by Rachel House, with motion capture by Allan Henry. Production VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon discussed the challenges of integrating live-action actors like Jason Momoa and Jack Black with animated characters while maintaining the game's aesthetic. The team developed a tool called "Bloktz" for achieving the distinctive "Minecraft" look, and twelve variants of the Piglin army were designed. The Creeper character, initially a coding error, underwent numerous design iterations to maintain its pixelated essence. Malgosha's design was inspired by characters like Emperor Palpatine and Mama Fratelli, with adjustments made for expressiveness. The film's conclusion features an improvised moment between Jack Black's character and Malgosha, highlighting the collaborative spirit of the production.

AppWizard

March 8, 2025

The sickest gun from Doom: The Dark Ages’ trailer is called the ‘Skullcrusher’ and does such horrible things to demons, the game’s lead dev boasts id has ‘the best gore in the industry’

Hugo Martin, the game director, and Marty Stratton, the producer of Doom: The Dark Ages, discussed the game's standout weapon, the Skullcrusher, which evolved from its initial name, Bonecrusher. The Skullcrusher is a spread minigun effective at both close and long range, designed for rapid fire and enhanced movement speed. It resembles the classic chaingun but offers a unique gameplay twist. The team has improved their demonic dismemberment technology, claiming to have the best gore effects in the industry. Another weapon, the Railspike, allows players to pin enemies to walls. Doom: The Dark Ages is set to be released on May 15.

Winsage

December 27, 2024

I’m still reeling from the knowledge that the Windows 10 desktop background is a real photo and not CGI

The iconic Windows 10 desktop background, featuring a blue light from a suspended Windows logo, was created through a collaboration between Microsoft and artist GMUNK. The design process involved using colored lasers and various light sources directed through a glass Windows logo suspended by wires, with billowing volumetric smoke to enhance the visual effect. This was captured using a high-speed camera, resulting in the final image. GMUNK has documented the project on his website, and a YouTube video showcasing the motion of the piece has been available for nearly a decade.

Winsage

December 4, 2024

2024 – A year in recap

The Windows Accessibility team is focused on making Windows 11 the most inclusive operating system by engaging with the disability community for feedback. Key improvements include enhanced performance for assistive technologies like Narrator and Voice Access, which now features quicker deactivation in scan mode, consistent performance during prolonged use, expanded language support, improved speech recognition accuracy, multi-monitor setup support, and the ability to issue commands through Voice Access. Users can create custom voice shortcuts for specific actions, and new keyboard shortcuts have been introduced for Narrator. AI-generated image descriptions are now more detailed, and users can request descriptions on demand. The team has prioritized reliability, addressing critical issues in assistive tools, and has improved the Spellings & Corrections experience. Users are encouraged to provide feedback and seek assistance through the Disability Answer Desk.

Tech Optimizer

October 2, 2024

How a large financial AWS customer implemented high availability and fast disaster recovery for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL using Global Database and Amazon RDS Proxy | Amazon Web Services

A financial institution collaborated with AWS to create a solution that enables sub-minute failover between Availability Zones and single-digit minute recovery times across AWS Regions for their wealth management customer portal. The solution utilizes automation for failure detection and failover, along with AWS-managed data replication, specifically employing the Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition and Amazon Aurora Global Database for cross-Region replication. Key components include canary outage detection via AWS Lambda, DNS redirection through Amazon Route 53, and control plane resilience using the Amazon Route 53 Application Recovery Controller. The architecture is based on a three-tier model, with in-Region failovers expected to occur in seconds and cross-Region recoveries within minutes. The architecture team aimed to reduce the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) from tens of minutes to seconds and established a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of under one minute. The failover process prioritizes speed, opting for immediate failover rather than controlled switchover. Testing confirmed that in-Region failover resulted in minimal disruption, while cross-Region failover could be completed in single-digit minutes. Recent enhancements to Amazon RDS Proxy and Aurora PostgreSQL have improved the architecture's efficiency and user experience.

AppWizard

August 13, 2024

3D app and game design platform Spline raises $10M and extends support to Android – SiliconANGLE

Spline Inc. has secured funding in its latest Series A round, led by Third Point Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Gradient Ventures, Firestreak, and angel investors Jorn van Dijk and Guillermo Rauch. The startup has launched Android support, expanding its platform's collaborative capabilities for developers. Spline offers a no-code 3D design platform that allows users to create 3D content without extensive coding knowledge, featuring tools for 3D modeling, animation, material layers, sculpting, a physics engine, and generative AI. It claims to be the first platform enabling no-code 3D design specifically for Android applications. New features include a "Real-time API" for dynamic 3D creations and support for webhooks, enhancing interactivity and allowing integration with third-party tools. Spline aims to use the funding to further develop its platform and integrate more AI design capabilities.

AppWizard

August 11, 2024

How We Make Minecraft Ep. 3: Adding a New Hostile Mob

A new episode of the "How We Make Minecraft" series has been released on the official Minecraft YouTube channel, focusing on the development of new hostile mobs, particularly the Breeze. The episode explores the design process of these creatures, their unique abilities, and the challenges they present to players. Developers share insights into the conception, development, and integration of these hostile entities into the Minecraft universe, enhancing the player experience with new challenges.

AppWizard

July 23, 2024

Blackmagic Camera for Android 1.1 Adds Support for More Smartphones

Olga Mill is a successful costume designer who emphasizes the importance of research, vintage finds, and modern pieces in creating costumes for period movies. She values strong choices early on in the design process but also values input from her team. Mill finds inspiration in unexpected places, such as a documentary about women bodybuilders in the eighties, and believes in finding the balance between different elements on set when creating costumes. She advises aspiring costume designers to surround themselves with trusted colleagues who can offer honest feedback and support.

AppWizard

June 25, 2024

Blackmagic Camera for Android is Finally Ready for Your Samsung and Google Phones

Bryan designed new looks for Jedi Knights by changing the color palette of their uniforms, incorporating turmeric and honey mustard tones.