Autodesk Inc. announced that its media and entertainment systems and software are shaping more than 40 television shows for the 2005-2006 TV season. From returning favorites such as LOST and NIP/TUCK to provocative new shows such as PRISON BREAK and ROME, Autodesks technology is relied upon by broadcasters and post-production facilities.
Autodesks 3ds Max core software development team will provide two days of intensive training for game developers as part of Autodesk Universitys annual 2005 confab, with a special session presented by strategic partner Intel Corp. Held at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida, from Nov. 29-30, 2005. The 3ds Max Developers Conference will teach users techniques and practices to customize production pipelines, build MAXScripts, efficiently transfer scene data and take full advantage of the open 3ds Max framework.
On the heels of last weeks momentous Alias acquisition, Autodesk Inc. has begun shipping 3ds Max 8, the latest version of its award-winning 3D modeling, animation and rendering solution. Created to address growing 3D pipeline complexity with new data management, character animation and speed/performance advancements, 3ds Max software will better help customers realize their creative 3D ideas for game development, film and video production and design visualization.
Autodesk Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Alias for $182 million in cash. This acquisition will grow Autodesk's expertise and offerings for the design of consumer products and automotive, as well as in the media and entertainment markets. The merger brings the chief 3D software applications 3ds Max and Maya under one roof. Autodesk anticipates that the transaction will close within the next four to six months.
Autodesk Inc. announced that it has seen rapid demand for its Autodesk TV Suite from broadcasters and post-production houses around the globe. From Tokyo to Rome, the Autodesk TV Suite is being used to realize ideas for high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) television content.
Autodesk Inc. announced the 3ds Max 8 North American launch tour, titled What is Real, showcasing new software features designed to help customers realize their ideas to meet the demands of increasingly complex 3D production environments.
Autodesk 3ds Max 8 software, the latest version of the award-winning 3D modeling, animation and rendering solution, was announced at SIGGRAPH 2005. Designed to provide the most comprehensive and advanced 3D design tools and pipeline workflow, 3ds Max is one of the industry's most popular solutions for games production, film and video production and design visualization.
Autodesk Inc. released new versions of its visual effects, editing/finishing and digital color grading systems. Used to create high-value feature film and television content, Autodesk's systems have been used on such major projects as CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, FANTASTIC FOUR, SPIDER-MAN 2, THE SOPRANOS and the CSI franchise.
Autodesk Inc. will offer its 2005 SIGGRAPH Conference Master Classes for Autodesk 3ds Max, VIZ and Combustion software. Classes will be taught by leaders in the computer graphics, architectural visualization and visual effects industries hailing from award-winning facilities, including Frantic Films, tbdesign, cgtraining, The Orphanage and Blur Studios.
Rendercore announced that RenMan client 2.64 is supporting three new Autodesk products: Autodesk VIZ 2006, 3ds Max 6&7 Service Pack 1 and 3ds Max V-Ray 1.47.03.
Autodesk VIZ 2006 features include:* mental ray 3.3 The latest improvements to the most powerful rendering system are included.* Global illumination It automatically captures subtle lighting effects that add depth and realism to images.* Real-world lighting Viz 2006 supports physically based lighting in your scenes.
Autodesk Inc. announced plans to support Sony Computer Ent. Inc.'s (SCEI) next-generation PlayStation 3 unveiled at E3 last week. Autodesk also announced intention to support 3ds Max title developers who may rely on the Collada? format to streamline the complexities of next-generation game title development.
Leading game developer and publisher Midway will be using 3ds Max 7.5 to bring new levels of dimensionality and artistic quality to its next generation of game titles.
Midway has been a 3ds Max software customer for years, creating scores of successful game titles, including AREA 51 and the upcoming MORTAL KOMBAT: SHAOLIN MONKS and BLITZ: THE LEAGUE, out of its Chicago, San Diego, Austin and Los Angeles studios. The decision to advance its use of 3ds Max software comes as the company wraps up an intensive review of tools to drive future development.
Autodesk has begun deploying Autodesk 3ds Max 7.5 software to its base of subscription customers. Significant enhancements range from a robust integrated hair and fur system and the most current version of mental ray 3.4 together with eight satellite render node licenses to a new design toolset that combines the feature sets of 3ds Max and Autodesk VIZ software. 3ds Max 7.5 files are completely cross compatible with the current 3ds Max version 7 software.
Autodesk Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Colorfront Ltd., the leading developer of color correction technology for film studios and digital film laboratories, for $15 million. This acquisition will bring comprehensive new expertise in film laboratory processes, digital post-production, color science, image processing and hardware platform optimization to Autodesk. The transaction is expected to close in the next 45 days, and to be neutral to Autodesks earnings in fiscal year 2006.
Autodesk Inc. announced new versions of its Discreet Flint and Discreet Smoke systems. Running on a personal computer, the Flint 9.2 visual effects system and Smoke 6.7 editing system are high-definition (HD) capable, enabling customers to realize their ideas in both HD and standard-definition (SD). Autodesk is also introducing two suites: Autodesk TV and Autodesk Digital Intermediate (DI).
Autodesk Inc. has extended Autodesk Consulting services to the media and entertainment industry by creating a dedicated practice to help media and entertainment clients realize their ideas. Media and entertainment is the fourth market practice for Autodesk Consulting, joining manufacturing, building and infrastructure.
Autodesk Inc. has begun shipping combustion 4 software for Windows, the highly anticipated upgrade to its visual effects desktop software solution.
Combustion 4 software features a complete set of sophisticated tools for visual effects creation, including vector paint, particles, effects, animation and 3D compositing. Version 4 provides motion graphics and compositing artists new creative capabilities, interface improvements, new paint tools and enhanced interoperability with third-party applications.
Key new features include:
In order to unify its overall branding strategy, Autodesk has renamed Discreet to Autodesk Media and Ent. The division best known for 3ds max and other digital imaging software will continue to service the film, video, gaming and related media and entertainment markets.
This renaming ensures that the creative toolset from Autodesk Media and Ent. will stay on the leading edge of product innovation. Additionally, Autodesk Consulting is extending its organization by adding a dedicated media and entertainment division.
Discreet will introduce 3ds max 7.5 in mid-April, just in time for NAB, an upgrade exclusively for its 3ds max subscription customers that will deliver a broad range of new features and capabilities ranging from a robust integrated hair and fur system, the most current version of mental ray 3.4 by mental images and a new design toolset that combines the feature sets of 3ds max and Autodesk VIZ software.
With the kick off of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention in Chicago (June 10-12), Discreet announced that leading architectural firms are using its design visualization offerings for a competitive advantage in winning new commissions and securing approval for high-profile design concepts, including Perkins & Will, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Kohn Pederson Fox, Ellerbe Becket and Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum.
In June, Avid Technologies bought Softimage [AF 6/17/98], combining two powers of digital production and 3D graphics. Not to be outdone, in a similar yet reversed situation, San Rafael, California-based Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) has announced plans to acquire Montreal, Canada-based Discreet Logic (Nasdaq: DSLGF). Autodesk is the parent company of Kinetix, makers of 3D graphics and animation software such as 3D StudioMAX and Character Studio. The merger had some foreshadowing, as Kinetix and Discreet Logic announced a product integration partnership in March [AF 4/7/98].
