The annual SIGGRAPH Conference (ideal to present a 3D configurator) and Exhibition was held in Vancouver on Sunday 12 August 2018 and Thursday 16 August.

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Some of the highlights of the event are listed below:

Workshops – New this year are all-day Sunday workshops on topics related to future applications of computer graphics and interactive techniques. These include: major healthcare challenges, computer graphics for autonomous driving applications and truth in images, videos and graphics. There is a separate US$40 registration fee for these workshops.

Appy Hour – During Appy Hour, participants will have access to the latest mobile app creations to test the test drive and share their feedback with the independent app developers who created them.

Art Gallery – Building on an exciting and diverse selection of creative practices conveyed through technologies that represent the sophistication of our time, the SIGGRAPH 2018 Art Gallery will record the stories of indigenous communities near Vancouver and across Canada as a source of inspiration with the theme “Origins”. “The exhibition features contemporary media artworks, indigenous community artworks and other traces of technologically mediated Ludic practices.

Art Papers – The Art Papers programme aims to facilitate meaningful dialogue between artists, scientists, technologists and industry leaders. The program presents works that address all modalities of digital art, including works that connect and articulate with participants in the various SIGGRAPH communities and events, including Technical Papers, Art Gallery, Computer Animation Festival, Emerging Technologies, and the Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality program.

Birds of a Feather – Share your ideas and interests with a discussion about Birds of a Feather.

Business Symposium – The SIGGRAPH 2018 Business Symposium offers references from various industries and backgrounds an in-depth look at the future of innovation, design and technology. Participants will experience interdisciplinary cooperation through panels, discussions, roundtables, keynotes and interactive surveys.

Computer Animation Festival – The SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival began as an annual showcase for advances in computer graphics and has since celebrated the rise of computer graphics as a medium for storytelling, not only in animation, but also in visual effects for movies and games. In line with the conference theme “Generations” in 2018, this year’s Electronic Theater Line-Up will be a showcase for the next generation with 25 short films from over 400 submissions.

Although newer than electronic theatre, the Computer Animation Festival VR Theater 2018 promises to offer just as much punch. In its second year, VR-Theater presents daily screenings – expanded from 25 to 32 seats – as well as individual kiosk programs compiled from more than 30 global submissions.

Courses – SIGGRAPH courses are learning units in which experts from all areas of computer graphics and interactive techniques share their knowledge. Course presenters distil key concepts and indexes into self-contained lessons. Courses can be anywhere in a continuum, from conceptual and theoretical to practical and applied.

The courses are offered in both long (3.25 hours) and short (1.5 hours) sessions and may include elements of interactive demonstration, performance or other imaginative approaches in the classroom.

Educational Forum – A carefully designed program for educators. Many SIGGRAPH participants are educators and education is an enormously important part of the overall SIGGRAPH experience. The Education Forum is dedicated exclusively to content for educators at all levels, so you can make the most of your conference.

Emerging Technologies – SIGGRAPH 2018 shows new technologies that exponentially expand our human experience. The Internet of Things, the quantitative self, and immersive technologies have matured, and the new data systems that support these innovations make room for more invention and networking.

SIGGRAPH 2018 will showcase a variety of new research, including work that focuses on personal change, new products and systems that surround us in comfort and function, and new technologies that change the way we interact with sports, games and active vision.

Games – Games at SIGGRAPH 2018 will focus on the creators, visionaries and pioneers of the games industry with presentations from the world’s leading studios. Their results will be presented in sessions and demos on advances in real-time character development and asset pipelines, real-time character animation in video games, new solutions for game navigation, amazing advances in hardware-software collaboration, and more.

Job Fair – The Job Fair is absolutely the best place at SIGGRAPH 2018 where employers can meet thousands of jobseekers from around the world. Once again, the exhibitors at the job exchange will publish their jobs on the CreativeHeads.net and ACM SIGGRAPH job exchanges a month before the conference. This will allow SIGGRAPH 2018 participants to connect with employers through the CreativeHeads.net job board and candidate profile system before, during and after the conference.

Keynote – Rod Bredow, Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director and Head of Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), will give a unique understanding of how media and technological innovation can join forces to tell great stories and make groundbreaking experiences.

Panels – SIGGRAPH 2018 is a place where key voices come together, collaborate and engage in dialogue on the issues that matter in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH Panels are a place for questions and discussions, expertise and unique points of view.

Poster – The SIGGRAPH 2018 Poster Programme is a collaborative, collaborative framework in which professionals at all levels and in all forms present and discuss their research and ideas related to computer graphics, interactivity and beyond. The programme encourages feedback on recently completed work or provisionally new approaches.

Production Sessions – During 60-80 minute presentations, members of the production team will withdraw the forehand on some of the most compelling new releases and give SIGGRAPH participants an insight into the hard work behind the scenes. Participants can ask questions about production challenges and workflow problems in complex productions in CG animation, visual effects, gaming applications, virtual reality, theme entertainment, cultural exhibition, projection mapping and other computer graphics applications.

Real-Time Live – Real-Time Live is one of the highlights that makes SIGGRAPH 2018 a unique, indispensable event. See how the best of the best in real-time graphics and interactivity come together in a live competition and present their innovations. From mobile phone and console games to virtual and augmented reality, the development of state-of-the-art real-time graphics gives them an insight into the world of their creations and shares the techniques with which they achieve breathtaking results. A jury of industry experts will decide which presentation will win the 2018 Award of Best of Real-Time.

SIGGRAPH Next – SIGGRAPH has long been a pioneer in computer graphics research and new technologies. SIGGRAPH Next continues this tradition by offering a series of plenary lectures on topics related to “What’s Next” for the industry, such as artificial intelligence and other groundbreaking new trends.

Studio – The SIGGRAPH 2018 Studio is a place where collaboration and interactivity merge to create a unique experience. Using new and old technologies, SIGGRAPH participants are encouraged to roll up their sleeves and bring their wildest ideas to life. In addition to hands-on installations, workshops will be held by industry professionals on a variety of computer graphics and interactive techniques. These workshops are offered in graduated levels of difficulty. Begin with the basics and learn a new skill or get into an advanced level and finish a project you have worked on. Finally, the studio experience offers lectures on studio-based research projects.

Lectures – SIGGRAPH 2018 feature lectures that explore the full spectrum of computer graphics and interactive techniques, including case studies, academic research, technical developments, improved pipeline tools, education and curriculum, professional development, or social commentary.

Technical Papers – Technical papers submitted for SIGGRAPH 2018 meet the highest scientific standards and are selected through a rigorous peer review process. A high-calibre international jury of scientists selects the most visionary, innovative and significant contributions for the presentation. At the conference, the authors of Technical Papers give a brief overview of their work in “Technical Papers Fast Forward” and then have the opportunity to present their full contributions during one of the sessions.

Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality – While Virtual Reality (VR) is expanding into the consumer market and Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are preparing for prime time, SIGGRAPH 2018 is the place to get a deep insight into these new media. In 2018, a new space was presented: the immersive pavilion, which will be dedicated exclusively to these media.

The immersive pavilion is the place where you can experience, play with and experience the latest technological advances. It will house physical spaces to learn more about progress in immersive realities such as the Vrcade (games and experiences), the VR theatre (storytelling) and the Village (installations).

Thank you very much for your visit.