64-bit Technology Support and Multithreading Enhancements Offer New Levels
of Scalability and Speed
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK) today launched Autodesk Maya 8 software, the newest version
of its Academy Award-winning 3D modeling, animation and rendering solution.
Maya has been used by a variety of clients, including BMW, CNN, Disney,
Epic Games, Industrial Light & Magic, Midway Games and Weta Digital, to
create breathtaking 3D imagery for feature films, interactive games,
broadcast graphics and industrial design. Autodesk Maya 8 meets the demands
of next- generation productions by addressing the real-world production
challenges 3D artists are currently facing. Maya 8 will be showcased at the
Autodesk booth #1706 at SIGGRAPH 2006, August 1-3 at the Boston Convention
Center.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO )
Marc Petit, Autodesk's Media & Entertainment vice president, said, "3D
artists are tackling some overwhelming challenges right now, such as
dealing with huge, increasingly complex data sets while moving to
next-generation game development platforms and having to deliver even more
photo-realistic imagery. Teams are getting bigger and require sophisticated
collaboration and data management tools. Autodesk Maya 8 addresses these
production hurdles by combining a flexible platform with a highly optimized
software core, boosting productivity and improving pipeline efficiency."
Maya 8 offers a combination of 64-bit support, multithreading and
algorithmic optimizations that enable artists to load massive datasets and
interact with them more efficiently than ever before. Key areas of the
software, including skinning, draw tessellation, and subdivided polygon
proxy meshes, have been multi-threaded to scale with the number of
processors or cores available, thereby accelerating formerly time-consuming
tasks on today's workstations and those of the future.
"Autodesk Maya 8 software's 64-bit support has opened up a world of
possibilities by allowing our artists to manage very large scenes," said
Jack Brooks, VP Technology, Walt Disney. "Maya 8 is an integral element of
our 64- bit pipeline. We used the beta in pre-production for an upcoming
film. Being able to extend Maya's functionality through the API allowed us
to customize it to meet our demanding requirements."
Maya 8 offers a host of productivity advancements, particularly for
modeling and texturing. The Transfer Polygon Attributes feature enables
modelers to transfer UVs, color per vertex (CPV), and vertex position
information between surface meshes of differing topologies. This is
particularly useful when working with two different versions of an object
or character, e.g. one that is high-resolution and one that is
low-resolution. In addition, new and improved workflows and tools such as
Polygon Bridge, multiple edge loop insertion and enhanced UV layout help
maximize productivity for the most common tasks.
Maya 8 enables artists to better manage data when using multiple 2D and
3D packages within the production pipeline. This is achieved through
application programming interface (API) extensions, enhancements to
Autodesk FBX file exchange technology, the addition of interchangeable
geometry caching between Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max animation software, and
new interoperability with Autodesk Toxik collaborative compositing
software.
Emmanuel Valdez, chief creative officer at High Moon Studios in
California, said, "At High Moon Studios, we have artists from all types of
disciplines -- from animation to character modeling. They have to work
together and share 3D data, regardless of the software they're using.
That's why we've chosen to use Autodesk Maya, along with Autodesk 3ds Max
and MotionBuilder. These products are open and offer the industry's best
creative tools."
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 Maya 8, 3ds
Max 9 (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 Maya 8 Key Features
With Maya 8, Autodesk demonstrates its commitment to meeting the
demands of next-generation productions by addressing the fundamental
challenges artists face today. Maya 8 offers the following features to
maximize productivity and pipeline efficiency:
-- 64-bit support for Windows and Linux
-- Scalable multithreading to improve performance on multiprocessor
systems
-- Ability to override viewports with a user-defined renderer, such as a
game engine
-- Optimized mental ray 3.5 core for superior rendering performance and
memory usage
-- Polygon Bridge and Transfer Polygon Attributes
-- Support for high dynamic range (HDR) and floating-point images
-- Support for interactive viewing of native and custom mental ray shaders
-- Improved Autodesk FBX plug-in to provide tighter integration between
Maya and applications such as 3ds Max and MotionBuilder
-- Interchangeable geometry cache between Maya and 3ds Max, allowing for
the exchange of complex data between the two packages
-- Export of render layers to Autodesk Toxik software's database
For a complete list of new features in Maya 8, please visit
http://www.autodesk.com/maya.
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 Maya 8, giving users immediate
access to a pool of 64-bit development tools.
Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that Maya 8 will be available in English in August
2006, and in additional languages in the future. The 64-bit version of Maya
8 will be supported on Windows and Linux. The 32-bit version will be
supported on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. For a complete list of supported
operating systems, please visit http://www.autodesk.com/maya (Features &
Specifications -- System Requirements).
Autodesk suggested retail pricing for Maya 8 is US $1,999 for Maya
Complete (Standalone) and US $6,999 for Maya Unlimited (Standalone). The
upgrade price from Maya 7 Complete to Maya 8 Complete is US $899, and the
upgrade price from Maya 7 Unlimited to Maya 8 Unlimited is US $1,249.
Maya Platinum Membership
The Autodesk suggested retail price for Maya Platinum Membership starts
at US $1,299 per year and is available for purchase simultaneously with the
product purchase. Platinum Membership customers qualify for access to the
latest software updates, technical support case management, valuable
product extensions and e-learning materials. For more information about
Maya Platinum Membership, contact an Autodesk authorized reseller or visit
http://www.autodesk.com/maya-support.
Maya LearningTools
A variety of Learning Tools are available for Maya, ranging from
introductory to advanced skill levels. Learning Autodesk Maya 8 |
Foundation is a new book that enables users to quickly familiarize
themselves with Maya 8. It offers a hands-on introduction to key Maya tools
and techniques by enabling users to create and animate characters based on
the Sony Pictures Animation feature film Open Season. Learning Autodesk
Maya 8 | Foundation is priced at US $69.99. For additional details, please
visit http://www.autodesk.com/learning-tools.
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, building, infrastructure, wireless data services and media
and entertainment 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 by becoming more
productive, streamlining project efficiency and maximizing profits.
Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California.
For additional information about Autodesk, please visit http://www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, 3ds Max, Maya, MotionBuilder and Toxik are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other
countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences. 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: Roohi Saeed, 514-954-7296
Email: roohi.saeed@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:
Roohi Saeed of Autodesk, Inc.,
+1-514-954-7296 or roohi.saeed@autodesk.com
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