CompuServe Thread

The following information was released today, Wednesday, March 1. 1995 at 6:02 am EST. For your benefit, we have highlighted the key messages of the release below: 1) The 3D Studio Renderer is now available for SGI workstations; one of the fastest production renderers on the market is now even faster when running on powerful RISC-based workstations from SGI. 2) 3D Studio now represents a multiplatform solution that can benefit both PC- and SGI-based installations in the film/video, game development, and design visualization markets. 3) 3D Studio is the market leading professional 3D animation software, according to market research authority Robi Roncarelli Press Contact: Garth Chouteau, Autodesk, Inc. 415-507-6534 Autodesk's 3D Studio(R) Renderer Available for Silicon Graphics Multiplatform Solution for Professional 3D Graphics and Animation Production SAN RAFAEL, Calif.–March 1, 1995–Autodesk, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of the 3D Studio(R) Renderer for Silicon Graphics Workstations. Running on the Silicon Graphics systems based on the MIPS(R) 4000(R) and higher, the new 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics systems can be used either as a node on a mixed PC-and-Silicon Graphics network or as a stand-alone solution. 3D Studio, the leading professional animation software across all professional platforms, has previously been accessible only via Intel-based PCs. Robi Roncarelli, author of the Roncarelli Report on Computer Animation, believes that the development of the 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics will benefit both Autodesk and Silicon Graphics. "I've been tracking the phenomenal success of 3D Studio on the PC since its introduction in 1990. This bridge into the high-performance workstation arena should further entrench the product as the number one professional animation software by really opening up the high end of the market such as film studios and post-production facilities," said Roncarelli. "Conversely, this new renderer will let Silicon Graphics accounts expand their services and add seats via the PC and 3D Studio, at a very affordable price tag." "In the professional graphics and animation arena, customers' top goal is to use the 'best-of-breed' products in each phase of the production process, regardless of hardware platform," said Joe Fantuzzi, vice president of Autodesk's Multimedia Market Group. "The 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics will let our current and prospective customers in film, TV and video game production combine the extensibility and flexibility, of 3D Studio running on a PC with the cost-effective processing power of Silicon Graphics workstations." Already one of the fastest production renderers, 3D Studio is even faster on Silicon Graphics workstations. Initial tests indicate that a Silicon Graphics system based on the MIPS(R) 4400(TM) processor running at 150MHZ can render at double the speed of a Pentium(R) 90-equipped PC. Further, the open toolkit for the 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics is expected to ship in March 1995 to facilitate the creation of the 3rd-party plug-in effects that are enabled at rendering time, such as image processing, particle systems and procedural modeling. As with the complete PC version of 3D Studio, the 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics computes renderings in Super Truecolor 64-bit mode for maximum image quality. The underlying technology is a highly optimized scan-line rendering engine with full support for alpha channels and the ability to render to either fields or frames. True analytical antialiasing is performed by the renderer, as are additional features such as motion blur and ray-traced shadows. A wide variety of common raster formats can be created at any user-specified resolution (including film) from the 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics. When the 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics is used as a node on a multiplatform network, initiation of the rendering job is controlled by a PC running the full version of 3D Studio. A data screen on the Silicon Graphics workstation enables users to monitor the progress of each frame as it is being rendered. In stand-alone mode, the 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics can simply be given 3D Studio models to render on a command-line basis. System Requirements The 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics runs across the company's full line of binary-compatible systems, including the Indy(TM), Indigo2(TM) and Onyx(TM) workstations through the CHALLENGE(TM) network resource servers running IRIX 5.2 or later, with 32MB of RAM and 20MB free of hard disk space. A CD-ROM drive is required to install the Silicon Graphics Renderer. A copy of 3D Studio Release 4 for is also required, to access and direct the 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics. Autodesk 3D Studio Release 4 software runs on IBM(R) or Compaq(R) 486/Pentium-based computers or 100-percent compatibles equipped with MS-DOS(R) 3.3 or later, 8MB of RAM, a hard disk, Super VGA device and Microsoft(R) or SummaSketch(R)-compatible pointing device. Pricing and Availability The 3D Studio Renderer for Silicon Graphics is available immediately and can be purchased through Authorized Autodesk Multimedia Dealers, some of whom are also Value Added Dealers of Silicon Graphics products. A single site license permitting the use of the software on an unlimited number of Silicon Graphics workstations carries a suggested list price of US$4,995; a single-node version may be purchased for US$1,495. Price and availability may vary by country. For more information, call Autodesk at 800-879-4233 or enter GO ASOFT on CompuServe(R). Outside the United States, fax inquiries to 415-491-8311 or your local Autodesk office. Autodesk's Multimedia Market Group develops and delivers affordable digital media products for professionals such as film and video producers, video/computer game developers, architects, engineers and designers. The leader in PC-based multimedia tools, the Group provides a full range of products for the application development process, from 2D and 3D creation to assembly and delivery. Silicon Graphics, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of high-performance visual computing systems. The company delivers interactive three-dimensional graphics, digital media and multiprocessing supercomputing technologies to technical, scientific and creative professionals. Its subsidiary, MIPS Technologies, Inc., designs and licenses the industry's leading RISC processor technology for the computer systems and embedded control markets. Silicon Graphics has offices worldwide and headquarters in Mountain View, California. Autodesk is the world's leading supplier of computer-aided design (CAD) automation software and the fifth-largest PC software company. The company develops, markets, and supports a family of design automation and professional multimedia software and component technologies for use on personal computers and workstations. A global company since its founding in 1982, Autodesk markets products in 115 countries and 18 languages. Autodesk shares are traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ACAD. For more information on Autodesk, please call 415-507-5000 or type GO ADESK on CompuServe(R). # # # Autodesk, the Autodesk logo and 3D Studio are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. Silicon Graphics is a registered trademark, and Indy, Indigo2, Onyx and CHALLENGE are trademarks of Silicon Graphics. MIPS and R4000 are registered trademarks, and R4400 is a trademark, of MIPS Technologies, Inc. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. 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