August 8, 2018in News 41 Likes

Happy Anniversary from One Game Changer to Another

Happy Anniversary from One Game Changer to Another

 

In the summer of 1993, Jurassic Park was welcomed by critics and audiences alike as the latest summer blockbuster (and cultural phenomenon) from director Steven Spielberg, the man inextricably linked to the term “blockbuster” as a result of his previous summer successes Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Although pushing the boundaries of visual effects was key to each of these productions, the pre-release buzz surrounding Jurassic Park VFX was most deafening. This was no Godzilla picture. The promise was dinosaurs so realistic they would frighten audiences and appear as if they were actually sharing the screen with live actors, and thanks to CG wizards and the talented crew at George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic, Jurassic Park delivered.

Just three years following the film’s release, BOXX Technologies was born. Company co-founder and VP of Engineering Tim Lawrence recalls going to the movies and seeing films plagued by everything from damaged perforation and discolored prints, to poor audio and skips between reel changes. With the tremendous strides being made in VFX, animation, non-linear editing, and digital technology in general, he realized that the medium would one day morph into a completely digital format. Lawrence also knew that state-of-the-art computer hardware would be essential in facilitating this achievement.

Fast forward to today and BOXX is the leading innovator of high-performance computer workstations, rendering systems, and servers for VFX and animation studios, television networks, leading architecture and engineering firms, professional sports franchises, universities, and a host of other organizations. Our customers include names like Disney, PIXAR, HBO, FOX, NASA, (and many more) while BOXX solutions have been employed on countless blockbusters (including Jurassic World).

Noted concept designer Daniel Simon (TRON: Legacy, Captain America: The First Avenger, Oblivion) refers to BOXX systems as “industrial, like a real piece of machinery— elegant, heavy-duty machinery.” In other words, you don’t buy a BOXX to send emails or play video games. You buy it to go to work. And unlike commodity hardware manufacturers which build their systems overseas, BOXX solutions are designed, manufactured, and supported in the USA. Our performance specialists and tech support have expert knowledge regarding Autodesk, Adobe CC, Cinema 4D, DaVinci Resolve, V-Ray, Arnold, and other professional software applications, as well as the optimal hardware for your specific workflow. But don’t take our word for it. Consult independent product reviews or benchmark tests and you’ll discover that BOXX builds the fastest hardware solutions in the world.

Thanks for being a game changer, Jurassic Park and happy anniversary from all of us at BOXX. We hope to see you at our silver anniversary in 2021.

August 7, 2018in News 41 Likes

Is Augmented Reality an Option for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses?

Is Augmented Reality an Option for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses?

Recent trends in augmented reality (AR) have applications in marketing for businesses, but small- and medium-sized businesses may not realize that hiring a design team to develop an AR approach to marketing or securing a partnership within an already-built AR infrastructure is a real and useful possibility.

Partnerships

With Augmented Reality (AR), stories are being told, experiences are being had, and lives are being changed – all from behind a screen. AR consists of layering visuals and other digital information over what is currently being viewed on a digital device, allowing users to fully interact with a product or service without being fully immersed in an entirely new, virtual location.

The wildly popular go-to app for defining augmented reality, Pokemon Go, secured partnerships with large-scale companies such as Sprint and Starbucks during the height of its popularity, which has paved the way for smaller-sized companies to do the same.

Filters

It’s now easier and cheaper than ever to integrate AR into business practices. Using Adobe’s state-of-the-art design tools, AR filters can provide a highly unique, streamlined experience through posting on social media sites like Snapchat. Regular posting with AR enhancement can reel consumers into brand loyalty when carefully designed and integrated.

3D Models

Relevance is an ongoing challenge for companies who want to maintain or grow their profitability, even on the small scale. For construction and engineering firms, having to visualize an end-product using isolated 3D models is a long-held obstacle to streamlined planning.

Today’s most prolific 3D-modeling software, however, now integrates augmented reality options into the workflow. Small to medium firms can integrate augmented reality modeling into their processes to create a more thorough picture of what final products will look like.

Fitting Room

Small-to-medium sized clothing companies have the opportunity to build ecommerce structures that can support augmented reality. Through a sophisticated enough system, there is an opportunity for shoppers to use their tablet or smart phone cameras to align clothing with an on-screen image and virtually try on clothes, which could be just the boost in sales and customer retention needed to take a growing business to the next level.

Interior Design

Taking measurements of your living space before buying a couch is tedious, stressful, and sometimes confusing. Small-to-medium sized furniture design firms could benefit from the creation of apps that eliminate the need to measure for furniture.

It’s easier to integrate and design AR for a heightened user experience than one might think, and it’s more than just another simple marketing option for small-to-medium sized businesses – it’s success waiting to happen.