New Version Provides Real-Time Simulation Toolset and Enhanced
Interactivity for Director-Driven Virtual Cinematography and
Animation-Intensive Productions
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At SIGGRAPH 2008,
Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009
software, the latest version of its real-time 3D character animation
solution for games, film, and television projects. The 2009 version offers
high-quality visualizations within the 3D viewport, an intuitive toolset
for real-time simulation, and expanded scripting capabilities for tighter
pipeline integration. MotionBuilder 2009 will be showcased at the Autodesk
booth (#501) during SIGGRAPH 2008, at the Los Angeles Convention Center
Aug. 12-14.
"Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009 is one of the most significant releases of
the software since its inception," said Marc Petit, Autodesk's Media &
Entertainment senior vice president. "This version includes improved
workflows for technical directors, as well as an increased focus on
interactivity with capture, simulation and high quality rendering in real
time. It lets animators be more productive, and puts total creative control
into the hands of directors and cinematographers."
"Autodesk MotionBuilder has long been one of the most powerful and
reliable character animation tools on the market -- both for keyframing and
motion capture processing," said Petr Mores, senior animator at Crytek
GmbH, and MotionBuilder beta tester. "As an animator, I love the new rigid
body physics and Rag Doll solvers in the 2009 version, which help to
perfect a multitude of movements that would otherwise be quite painful to
capture realistically. Technical directors will also be happy to see the
new Python script editor and ability to create custom UIs, which will allow
them to fully integrate MotionBuilder into pipelines like ours."
Key Highlights of Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009
Real-time Simulations
Animators now have the ability to perform rigid body dynamic
simulations inside the software, giving them a more efficient workflow for
producing realistic animations. Support for real-time collisions prevents
interpenetration of characters, objects and other scene elements. This is
particularly useful for those looking to efficiently edit 3D animations
involving characters interacting with objects. Also, the addition of a Rag
Doll solver allows users to perform simulations dynamically, such as a
character falling and hitting the ground. Artists can control the behavior
of their character easily by layering animation on top of this simulation,
for increased realism.
Enhanced Pipeline Integration
MotionBuilder 2009 enhances support for industry-standard digital
content creation applications, so that both technical directors and
developers can integrate the software into a production pipeline and bring
data across, quickly and accurately. The Python scripting language now
includes a full script editor with syntax checking and command
highlighting, which enables technical directors to create custom tools and
scripts more efficiently. Enhanced support is also available for workflows
involving MotionBuilder and the Autodesk 3ds Max software's Biped system or
the Autodesk Maya software's Full Body Inverse Kinematics (FBIK) character
rig.
Real-Time Rendering in the Viewport
MotionBuilder 2009 provides support for advanced hardware shaders,
improving the quality of the real-time display in the viewport. New Normal
Mapping CG shader support allows artists to work with existing normal maps
created in Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max or Autodesk Mudbox software and
view them in real-time in the viewport. Furthermore, the new Light
Attenuation CG shader lets artists achieve greater levels of subtlety and
realism by giving them more control over the attenuation and fall-off of
their real-time lighting. Also, MotionBuilder now supports version 2.0 of
the CgFX library, enabling animators to take advantage of the latest CgFX
shader technology.
For a complete list of new features and enhancements in Autodesk
MotionBuilder 2009, visit http://www.autodesk.com/motionbuilder.
Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that MotionBuilder 2009 will be available in
October 2008. The software will be available for 32-bit and 64-bit
Microsoft Windows operating systems, now including the 64-bit Microsoft
Windows Vista Business operating system. The Autodesk suggested retail
price for MotionBuilder 2009 software is US$3,995*. The Autodesk suggested
retail price to upgrade from MotionBuilder 7.5 to MotionBuilder 2009 is
US$995*.
Autodesk Subscription with Gold Support is available for purchase
simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase. The Autodesk suggested
retail price Subscription with Gold Support for MotionBuilder is US$795*
per year. Subscription with Gold Support customers qualify for access to
the latest software updates, valuable product extensions, telephone and web
support, a comprehensive knowledgebase and e-learning materials.
*International pricing may vary.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment
markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has
developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping
solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.
Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize,
simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to
save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Maya, MotionBuilder, Mudbox and 3ds Max are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its
subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Python is
a registered trademark of Python Software Foundation. SIGGRAPH is a
registered trademark of the Association of Computing Machinery, Inc. All
other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective
holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and
specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for
typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
(C) 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact: Brittany Bonhomme, 514-954-7419 / Karen Raz, 310-450-1482
Email: brittany.bonhomme@autodesk.com / karen@razpr.com
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO)
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:
Brittany Bonhomme of Autodesk, Inc.,
+1-514-954-7419, brittany.bonhomme@autodesk.com; or Karen Raz,
+1-310-450-1482, karen@razpr.com, for Autodesk, Inc.
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