3d Studio Max Sets the Standard for Creating and Delivering 3D Animation
To the Web
SIGGRAPH, NEW ORLEANS, July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Discreet, a division of
Autodesk (Nasdaq: ADSK), today announced an aggressive drive to bring 3D
content to the Internet through expansion of its 3d studio max(R) animation
platform. Initiatives include a series of partnerships with Internet
technology innovators, a cooperative agreement with Intel and Macromedia, a
free Internet software bundle, and an expanded Open Source initiative.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000518/SFTH083LOGO )
3D studio max has driven 3D content creation for the web since 1995. After
announcing plans to expand 3D on the Internet as part of an ambitious new
corporate strategy last Spring, Discreet has launched a series of web
initiatives and continues to expand partnerships to deliver seamless and
engaging 3D environments to an increasingly demanding Internet community.
"The rapid increase in format compression and quality, bandwidth, and
client performance are combining to form an extremely ripe environment for 3D
to flourish on the web," said Phillip Miller, senior director for Discreet
software products. "Many talented companies are preparing for this convergence
and we are beginning to see leaders emerge for solving particular needs
-- with all of the leaders using 3d studio max as their primary content
creation platform."
Discreet is working closely with several of these companies to facilitate
the delivery of 3d studio max content to the Internet. At SIGGRAPH 2000
(Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, July 25-27), numerous
Discreet development partners are showing compelling 3D web capabilities that
3d studio max artists can employ today:
-- Vector movies of 3D animations with Flash (Macromedia)
-- Character Animation for online entertainment with Pulse3D (Pulse
Entertainment)
-- Telling and directing 3D streaming episodes with B3D (Brilliant Digital
Entertainment)
-- Intelligent, interactive objects for exploring products with Cult3D
(Cycore)
-- Highly realistic 3D that integrates over web pages with Metastream
-- Immersive, event-based environments with Nemo
-- In-store, online shopping experiences with RichFX
-- Java-based 3D rendering and interaction with Shout3D
A promising new initiative for bringing 3D to the web is Intel's new,
highly versatile 3D Internet technology with integrated support by
Macromedia's Shockwave Player. Discreet is proud to announce a cooperative
development agreement with both Intel and Macromedia to provide support of the
new format for the 3d studio max platform. The Shockwave Player's 137-million
installed base will give 3d studio max artists an extremely wide audience for
their rich 3D content.
Discreet's ongoing commitment to provide the most open 3D animation
platform available gives hundreds of developers what they need to enable their
technologies. As a result, the majority of 3D web format companies use 3d
studio max as their primary, if not sole starting point for bringing 3D to the
web. Following in this tradition, Discreet is now expanding its Open Source
initiative (first announced at GDC 2000) to allow these developers to
coordinate procedural 3d studio max methods within their web players and
greatly increase the richness of their media.
With more than 200,000 customers, 3d studio max and 3D Studio VIZ(R)
already serve the world's largest community of 3D animators and designers, and
a quickly growing percentage is now bringing their 3D animations to the web.
To aid this growing trend, Discreet is bundling a selection of 3D Internet
technologies for free with 3d studio max.
Beginning this week and for a limited time, customers purchasing new
copies of 3d studio max will also receive the Vecta3D(TM) Flash renderer from
Ideaworks3D Ltd., as well as publishing tools for the Pulse3D format from
Pulse Entertainment. Vecta3D renders 3d studio max scenes and animations into
compelling Macromedia Flash movies for the web. With the Pulse Producer
Plug-in for 3d studio max, animators can publish their characters directly to
a web page and then coordinate the behaviors of their 3d studio max scene for
web interaction with the latest version of Pulse Creator(TM).
"We are thrilled the enormous 3d studio max community will now have a
direct route for transforming their professional 3D work onto the web. studio
max developers will be able to deliver simulated 3D with Flash's
high-performance vectors, and deliver rich, interactive 3D with the upcoming
3D enhanced Shockwave Player," Diane Rogers, vice president of product
management of Macromedia.
Discreet is also offering a glimpse at an Internet-enabled future for the
3d studio max technology. Teaming up with Intel and Pulse Entertainment at
SIGGRAPH's web 3D Roundup, Discreet will demonstrate a selection of Internet
publishing approaches built on an upcoming version of the company's 3D
animation platform. The Web 3D Roundup will take place at the Convention
Center, July 26, at the close of the show.
About Discreet
Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in digital content
creation, management, and distribution tools. Discreet develops systems and
software for visual effects, 3D animation, editing, and production used in the
creation of digital moving pictures for feature films, video, HDTV, broadcast
graphics, interactive games, and the Web. Discreet products are used
extensively in film and video post-production, games and multimedia, broadcast
graphics, programming, and on-air event coverage. For more information,
contact any Authorized Discreet Reseller, call Discreet at 800-869-3504, or
visit http://www.discreet.com. Autodesk shares are traded on the NASDAQ national
market under the symbol ADSK.
NOTE: Discreet is a division of Autodesk, Inc. 3d studio max and 3d
studio VIZ are registered trademarks, and Discreet is a trademark, of
Autodesk, Inc./Discreet Logic, Inc. in the USA and/or other countries. All
other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective
holders.
SOURCE Discreet
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Related links:
http://www.discreet.com
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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467
CONTACT:
Megan Prest of Edelman, Silicon Valley,
650-968-4033, ext. 2730, or megan_prest@edelman.com, or Karen
Jezdinsky of Edelman, Toronto, 416-979-1120, ext. 252, or
karen_jezdinsky@edelman.com, both for Discreet
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