64-bit Technology Support with New and Optimized Features Delivers Greater
Speed and Workflow Efficiencies
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK), today announced Autodesk 3ds Max 9 software, the latest
version of its world-renowned 3D modeling, animation and rendering
solution. 3ds Max 9 supports 64-bit technologies, providing digital artists
with the tools for next-generation games development, design
visualizations, and film and television visual effects production. 3ds Max
has been used to realize countless breakthrough projects, including New
York City's Freedom Tower, games such as Assassin's Creed, Gears of War,
Guild Wars and Mass Effect, and film blockbusters such as Aeon Flux and
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 3ds Max 9 will be showcased at the
Autodesk booth #1706 at SIGGRAPH 2006, August 1-3 at the Boston Convention
Center.
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"With Autodesk 3ds Max 9, we've focused on addressing the challenges
our customers face when working with larger amounts of complex data, as
well as scaling to bigger production teams," said Marc Petit, Autodesk's
Media & Entertainment vice president. "Digital artists using 3ds Max 9 will
gain improvements in core performance, productivity and pipeline
efficiency. 3ds Max 9 enables artists to manage the increasing complexity
of 3D data sets characteristic of next-generation game, film, broadcast and
design development."
"Autodesk 3ds Max is the tool we use to create all the 3D models and
animations in our games, and we're excited about the advancements that 3ds
Max 9 has to offer," said Silicon Knights game studio president Denis
Dyack. "Since the early 1990s, 3ds Max has played a major role in the
visual success of all our company's games, including the hit titles Metal
Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Bloody
Omen: Legacy of Kain, Dark Legions and Fantasy Empires. 3ds Max is now
playing a crucial role yet again with our upcoming title Too Human, a
next-gen, third-person epic action game."
3ds Max 9 software's 64-bit architecture makes it easier to work with
the huge datasets required for next-generation digital content creation.
Rendering is also greatly improved with the mental ray 3.5 rendering core.
Robert Graves, 3ds Max 9 beta tester and creative director at GMJ
Design Ltd. in London, said, "We are in an era of increasingly visual
design communication. Autodesk 3ds Max 9 helps GMJ Design deliver visually
compelling content to our customers. The new architecture and design
shaders, enhancements to the daylight system and improved mental ray
rendering in 3ds Max 9, along with the superior tools to manage large
datasets, help us deliver the realistic content clients expect from our 3D
design visualizations." GMJ Design used 3ds Max to create city models of
London and Liverpool.
Autodesk helps 3D artists in game development, design visualization,
film, television, broadcast and graphic design focus on realizing their
ideas without being limited by production complexities. Autodesk's media
and entertainment 3D product portfolio is comprised of Autodesk 3ds Max 9,
Maya 8 (announced separately) and VIZ 2007 animation, modeling and
rendering software, as well as Autodesk MotionBuilder 7.5 character
animation software. Interoperability is achieved between these products via
Autodesk FBX, a free 3D file exchange format.
Autodesk 3ds Max 9 Key Features
Along with 64-bit support, new lighting, more shaders and accelerated
rendering, 3ds Max 9 offers the following features to maximize core
performance, productivity and pipeline efficiency:
-- A layered blending system that can be added to custom rigs and
controllers within 3ds Max
-- Optimizations in wireframe and edge display, enabling faster feedback
within the viewport
-- XAF files that can be saved and loaded onto bipeds, allowing for easy
transfer of information to and from custom rigs
-- Enhanced hair and cloth, including the ability to style hair in the
viewport
-- Improved file referencing and tracking of work-in-progress assets
-- Point cache 2, which allows artists to bake mesh deformations into a
file for faster rendering
-- Improved compatibility with Autodesk Maya via the FBX file format
For a complete list of new 3ds Max 9 features, please visit
http://www.autodesk.com/3dsmax.
With support from HP and Intel, a number of third-party developers in
the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) Sparks program have already produced
64-bit versions of their plug-ins to support 3ds Max 9, giving users
immediate access to a pool of 64-bit development tools.
Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that 3ds Max 9 will be available in English in
October 2006, and in additional languages in the future. The Autodesk
suggested retail price for 3ds Max 9 software is US $3,495. The Autodesk
suggested retail price to upgrade from 3ds Max 8 to 3ds Max 9 is US $795.
3ds Max Subscription
The Autodesk suggested retail price for 3ds Max Subscription is US $440
per year and is available for purchase simultaneously with the product
purchase or upgrade. Subscription customers qualify for access to the
latest software updates, valuable product extensions and e-learning
materials. For more information about 3ds Max Subscription, please visit
http://www.autodesk.com/subscription.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 company, wholly focused on ensuring
that great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users,
Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the
manufacturing, infrastructure, building, media and entertainment, and
wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create,
manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As a
result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage, become more
productive, streamline project efficiency and maximize profits.
Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California.
For additional information about Autodesk, please visit http://www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, FBX, Maya, Sparks and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. /Autodesk Canada Co. in the USA and/or other
countries. mental ray is a registered trademark of mental images GmbH
licensed for use by Autodesk, Inc. All other brand names, product names or
trademarks belong to their respective holders. We may make statements
regarding planned or future development efforts for our existing or new
products and services. These statements are not intended to be a promise or
guarantee of future delivery of products, services or features but merely
reflect our current plans, which may change. Purchasing decisions should
not be made based upon reliance on these statements. The Company assumes no
obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events
that occur or circumstances that exist or change after the date on which
they were made.
(C) 2006 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Shannon McPhee 514.954.2838
Email: shannon_mcphee@autodesk.com
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.autodesk.com
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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Shannon McPhee of Autodesk, Inc.,
+1-514-954-2838 or shannon_mcphee@autodesk.com
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