If you want to see the future of sci-fi and fantasy entertainment, you go to Comic-Con in San Diego. But if you want to preview the tools that enable the wild visual effects in those movies and TV shows, you go to Siggraph, the annual conference and exhibition on computer graphics and “interactive techniques.” Developers of 3D graphics software often use Siggraph to announce new products, and this year’s event, held July 24 to 28 in Anaheim, Calif., was no exception, as Autodesk and Maxon demonstrated major upgrades to Maya and Cinema 4D respectively.
