Autodesk, Inc. has introduced Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 software - the latest version of its 3D modeling, animation and rendering product - offering nearly 350 additional features. The 2010 release provides innovative creative tools: a render-quality viewport display and at least 100 new Graphite modeling tools. It also offers powerful new capabilities that help artists manage complex scenes with greater ease and an unprecedented level of support for software interoperability and pipeline integration. Artists have used 3ds Max to create numerous award-winning entertainment projects, such as "Fallout 3," "Prince of Persia" and "Gears of War 2." "3ds Max 2010 is a feature-packed release that has generated a lot of excitement in the 3D community," said Marc Petit, Autodesk senior vice president, Media & Entertainment. "This version will help artists work faster than ever before, so they can explore more ideas, push boundaries, and create stunning work in less time." Jeff Hanna, senior technical artist at Volition, is a 3ds Max 2010 beta tester. His favorite new feature in the 2010 release is the xView mesh analyzer. "3ds Max 2010 software's powerful xView mesh analyzer will make it easier for us to ensure that every asset our artists create is correct and game ready," said Hanna. "The xView technology can quickly identify missing UVW coordinates, overlapping vertices, or open edges, among other things. With this tool, we won't have to worry about bad game data due to invalid geometry." Key Highlights of Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 Innovative Creative Tools
A new Graphite modeling and texturing system introduces at least 100 additional creative tools and helps artists explore and more rapidly iterate their ideas.
The addition of render-like effects in the viewport display - such as soft shadowing, exposure control and ambient occlusion - offers near photo-real quality for faster decision making. Powerful New Referencing and Scene Management Capabilities
Artists can create robust referencing workflows to help organize complex scenes more easily by treating multiple objects and scenes as a single Container object.
A new Material Explorer helps to simplify the way artists interact with objects and materials, making iterations much easier even in highly complex scenes.
The new multithreaded xView mesh analyzer technology helps to significantly reduce errors by providing in-viewport reporting on several types of mesh. Enhanced Software Interoperability and Pipeline Integration
3ds Max 2010 is the first animation package to integrate mental images' powerful mental mill technology. This allows users to develop, test and maintain hardware-agnostic shaders and complex shader graphs for hardware and software rendering with real-time visual feedback.
Enhanced OBJ support and ProOptimizer technology provide improved interoperability with Autodesk Mudbox software.
Additional support for C# and .NET gives developers the access they need to customize, extend and integrate 3ds Max into their existing pipelines. 3ds Max 2010 also includes all the features offered in the Creativity Extension for 3ds Max 2009, released in August 2008. A list of features in 3ds Max 2010 is available at www.autodesk.com/3dsmax. Videos of the new features in 3ds Max 2010 are available on the Autodesk YouTube Channel. To learn more about the software, also visit Autodesk's 3ds Max blogs by Ken Pimentel, director of visual communications; Shane Griffith, 3ds Max product manager; and Louis Marcoux, 3ds Max application specialist.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Autodesk Introduces 3ds Max 2010 Software at Game Developers Conference
Friday, October 24, 2008
Autodesk Signs Agreement with Avid Technology to Acquire Softimage
Acquisition to Accelerate Autodesk’s Games Strategy; Complements Digital Entertainment and Visual Communications Offering; Lets Artists Choose their Passion.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Oct. 23, 2008 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) and Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID), announced that they have signed a definitive agreement for Autodesk to acquire substantially all of the assets of Avid’s Softimage business unit for approximately $35 million.
Softimage was founded in 1986 by Daniel Langlois and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Softimage develops 3D technology for the film, television and games markets. Its flagship product is SOFTIMAGEXSI, an extensible 3D animation software solution used by leading media and entertainment companies, including Digital Domain, Ubisoft, SEGA Corporation, CAPCOM, Animal Logic and The Mill. Autodesk Media & Entertainment provides animation, visual effects, editing/finishing and color grading solutions for the 3D market, including entertainment and design industries.
Upon completion of the acquisition, Autodesk intends to continue developing and selling Softimage’s core product line, while integrating certain Softimage technology into future versions of Autodesk solutions and products. Autodesk plans to acquire and continue developing the following Softimage products:
• SOFTIMAGEXSI: Including XSI Essentials, XSI Advanced, XSI Academic, XSI Mod Tool and the XSI software development kit. XSI is production-proven 3D animation software for games, film and television. It offers a complete 3D modeling, animation, rendering and development environment for visual effects and custom tools.
• SOFTIMAGEFace Robot: A complete software solution for easily rigging and animating 3D faces. Face Robot enables studios to create life-like facial animation at incredible speeds.
• SOFTIMAGECat: This advanced character animation system is a plug-in for Autodesk 3ds Max software. It is intended to be integrated into the 3ds Max product line.
• SOFTIMAGECrosswalk: This interoperability solution is intended to be integrated with Autodesk’s own interoperability technology.
For further information please visit www.autodesk.com/softimage
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.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Autodesk Animation Academy
Autodesk® Animation Academy 2009 is an immersive, curriculum-based offering that delivers four powerful 3D applications for one affordable price. The bundle includes full versions of Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2009, Autodesk® Maya® Unlimited 2009, Autodesk® MotionBuilder® 2009 and Autodesk® Mudbox™ 2009. Students can create engaging 3D digital imagery, visualizations, scenes, and visual effects with 3ds Max or Maya and then easily animate and preview animations in real time with MotionBuilder and create detailed models with Mudbox. Introduce Autodesk Animation Academy to your classroom and watch your students reach their creative potential.
Autodesk Animation Academy includes a modular curriculum designed to help educators captivate students. Educators can expose them to the creative―and fun―aspects of animation technology while reinforcing a variety of core academic subjects. The innovative, project-focused Animation Academy curriculum encourages teamwork, planning, and thoughtful execution. Students can use the visual communication toolsets in 3ds Max, Maya, MotionBuilder and Mudbox to explore specific topics and present what they have learned. This standards-based, cross-discipline curriculum was developed specifically for secondary institutions by experienced educators and technical experts.
Autodesk Animation Academy Brochure (pdf - 119Kb)
Visit their website
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
News: Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Autodesk Technology Enhances Olympic Experience for Millions of Viewers
"Birds Nest" Stadium Visualizations, Olympic Mascots and TV Content All Shaped with Autodesk Software (August 22, 2008) Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) entertainment and design software was used to create cutting-edge content for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Leading digital content creators relied on Autodesk technology to deliver Olympic projects as diverse as stadium visualizations and mascot design, to broadcast graphics and commercials for global brands. China Central Television (CCTV) CCTV is China's largest national television network. CCTV created its Olympics One Dream, One World and Olympics Age packaging and promotions with the Autodesk Smoke finishing system. As well, the broadcaster is using Smoke daily for content production during the Olympic Games. Crystal CG Crystal CG is the official graphic design supplier for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Using Autodesk 3ds Max software, Crystal CG created architectural visualizations of the Beijing "Bird's Nest" Olympic stadium and related facilities. 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya software were also used on TV commercials and promotions, and an educational sports program. In addition, Crystal CG produced the five "Fuwa" Olympic mascot cartoons with Maya. Psyop/Stink Psyop/Stink used Autodesk Maya animation software to create three TV commercials for Adidas' "Together in 2008, Impossible is Nothing" Olympic Games campaign: Together, Zheng Zhi and Hu Jia. The spots include computer-generated crowds with a pencil-sketch look. "Almost every shot in these Adidas spots involved creating assets in Autodesk Maya, and compositing them with live-action footage," said Tony Barbieri, technical director at Psyop. "Using Maya, we quickly populated scenes with hundreds of varied cheering fans. There were about thirty variations of fans, all modeled and rigged in Maya. By using just one rig for each gender, we were able to capture motion and create custom animation cycles to populate the entire crowd." Psyop provides 3D animation, visual effects and digital content for the advertising market. Seven Network The in-house team at Australia's Seven Network used Smoke to deliver Olympics promotional materials for Channel Seven. "Smoke is the only system capable of handling the phenomenal amount of work accomplished at Seven. As our day-to-day, get-it-out system, Smoke is absolutely invaluable," said Suzique Doughty, senior editor, Channel Seven. suedlich-t Visual effects and animation studio suedlich-t relied on Maya and Autodesk Combustion software to shape Olympic trailers for the ARD and ZDF German public broadcasting networks. The trailers feature live-action footage of athletes morphing into 3D ink-strokes and ink-drops. Combustion was used for compositing and visual effects. suedlich-t used the Maya software's fluid and particle systems extensively for transitions between athletes and ink. 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 www.autodesk.com.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Autodesk HumanIK Middleware
Autodesk® HumanIK® animation middleware is a run-time solution that enables dynamic in-game character animation. Integrated within the game engine, animators and game designers can now alter animations on the fly, letting characters interact dynamically and realistically with their environments. Optimized for next-generation platforms, HumanIK consists of a run-time full-body inverse kinematics (IK) solver, as well as a run-time retargeting engine for characters of differing size, proportions and skeletal hierarchy. By providing integration with Autodesk® Maya® and Autodesk® MotionBuilder™ software, HumanIK delivers full-fidelity playback of content authored with the Autodesk 3D solutions. HumanIK enables truly compelling in-game animation, unlocking the potential for truly innovative next-generation gameplay. HumanIK is a highly modular, multi-threaded library, optimized for PlayStation® 3, Xbox® 360™, PowerPC®, PC, PlayStation® 2, and Xbox® platforms. HumanIK offers developers a modular component for the development of their animation tool-chain and run-time game engine.Saturday, August 18, 2007
Autodesk Technology heats up the big screen with Action, Adventure and Animation
Digital artists around the world relied on Autodesk Inc.'s (NASDAQ: ADSK) media and entertainment solutions to deliver this summer's blockbuster entertainment. Transformers, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Surf's Up, Pirates of the Caribbean: at World's End, Penelope and countless other feature films have been created using Autodesk technology.
Autodesk software offers creative solutions that help artists raise the bar, push boundaries and deliver visual masterpieces that make for a truly authentic movie experience each and every time, said Marc Petit, Autodesk Media & Entertainment senior vice president. This summer's blockbusters offer something for everyone, including surfing penguins, hammering llamas and transforming superheroes. We continue to support and applaud those artists who create magical images, transporting audiences to exhilarating new heights.
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his posse returned in the long-anticipated trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Post-production facility Asylum completed 315 shots with a visual effects pipeline that included the Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Toxik visual effects solutions, Autodesk Maya 3D animation software, and Autodesk Lustre digital color grading system.
In one scene shaped by Asylum using Flame, Sparrow is exiled to a desert purgatory where he begins to hallucinate and sees 20 clones of himself dressed as his crew. The Flame system was also used to create the climactic maelstrom backdrop along with computer-generated characters, mast extensions on miniature ships and track shots.
Toxik was used for compositing, color correction, and final tweaks.
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) was the main visual effects house for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. ILM used Maya and Flame as part of its proprietary SABRE visual effects system to create computer-generated characters and Maelstrom sequence.
Michael Bay's summer powerhouse Transformers exploded onto the big screen as evil Decepticons re-wage war on heroic Autobots. ILM used Maya and Inferno as part of its proprietary SABRE visual effects system to complete 460 shots for the film. Maya was used for all character animation, including the challenging opening sequence in which a robot attacks an American military base in the Middle East.
Autodesk Inferno was used on two key compositing sequences, including the Bonecrusher scene where a destructive 30-foot rollerblading robot shreds through a moving bus. The robot's bones were created using Maya and imported into Inferno, and were animated and combined with flying and burning debris.
Mark Casey, ILM's SABRE/Inferno artist, explained: Creating and combining production plates, particle elements, computer-generated elements, practical pyrotechnics, and lens flares all in one shot can prove challenging and intimidating; knowing that all these elements can be tamed in Inferno is all the reassurance any artist needs.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer soared on the big screen, showcasing a battle between the powerful Silver Surfer and the planet-eating Galactus. The Orphanage completed approximately 120 shots on the film, with the majority of shots involving Maya 3D animation software.
"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer presented us with an ever-changing array of challenges, from superpowers to surfboards. Maya was there for us at every step, allowing us to develop complex new effects easily and quickly," explained Stu Maschwitz, VFX supervisor at The Orphanage.
Up-and-comer surfer extraordinaire, Cody Maverick (Shia Labeouf), takes audiences on an animated journey in Surf's Up, from Sony Pictures Imageworks. The wizards at Sony Pictures Imageworks used Autodesk Lustre color grading system for the film's final grade. Also, a combination of software was used to create the final water animation, with much of it completed using Maya. Maya is the core of the front-end pipeline at Imageworks, explains Mike Ford, character set-up supervisor. It is used for modeling, layout, animation, and some effects work.
By leveraging the power of Maya Embedded Language (MEL) Python and Maya's API scripting, the Sony Pictures Imageworks team customized the Maya software to overcome many of the film's challenges. Comments David Schaub, animation director at Sony Pictures Imageworks, We never have the question, Well, can the software do that? Because if it doesn't, the way Maya is built allows us to create a tool that will do the job.Modern-day fable Penelope is the story of pig-nosed Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) and her family's secret curse. Double Negative turned to Maya to create the complicated computer-generated tree that helps tell the tale in the film's opening. The complex construction of the growing tree involved building the basic tree shape, including the trunk and main branch structure, using blend shapes to go from one small shape to one big shape, and using a combination of plug-ins to populate the smaller branches and leaves.
The Reaping, Are we Done Yet?, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, and Hairspray were films completed with EFILM using the EWORKS color grading system to complete the digital intermediate. The EWORKS system consists of a proprietary configuration of Autodesk Lustre and Autodesk Incinerator technology.
Other summer films created using Autodesk solutions include:
· Evan Almighty: Rhythm + Hues used Autodesk Maya to create computer-generated characters and CafeFX used Maya to model and animate sixty CG salt-water tropical fish
· 28 Weeks Later: Prime Focus London used Autodesk Flame, Inferno and Smoke to create all of the film's photorealistic 3D shots, including the napalm bombing sequence of London's Canary Wharf
· Live Free or Die Hard: Digital Dimension completed 182 shots using Autodesk 3ds Max to create 3D cars, 3D buildings, 3D crowds, 3D smoke and matte painting
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Autodesk To Acquire Skymatter
Skymatter is a privately held New Zealand-based company. Skymatter’s Mudbox software offers a new paradigm of 3D brush-based modelling, allowing users to sculpt organic shapes in 3D space with brush-like tools. Appealing to both traditional sculptors and digital artists, Mudbox provides a simple and fast toolset for creative modelling, prototyping and detailing. 3D assets created in Mudbox are often imported into Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya software for texturing, rigging, animation and final rendering.
“Entertainment and design markets are demanding more integrated technology workflows, as well as increased realism and sophistication,” said Marc Petit, senior vice president, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. “In order to create advanced digital characters and models, 3D artists are relying on Skymatter’s Mudbox software, along with Autodesk’s 3D solutions. By acquiring Skymatter, Autodesk will be able to offer a more complete solution for film, television and game pipelines, as well as new workflows for other design disciplines, such as automotive and industrial design.”
Mudbox is used by leading visual effects and game development companies, including Weta Digital, Blur Studio, Cinesite, Epic Games, Pandemic Studios and The Orphanage. The software has shaped photorealistic creatures for the blockbuster film King Kong, as well as upcoming films The Golden Compass, Fred Claus and Inkheart.
Skymatter founders Andrew Camenisch, Dave Cardwell and Tibor Madjar will join Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment business. These computer graphics veterans have production experience from Weta Digital and Electronic Arts, as well as design experience from Ford, GM and Mercedes Benz.
Skymatter’s Madjar commented: “We’re excited to join forces with Autodesk. Autodesk develops the most popular 3D modelling, animation and rendering software products in the world. Mudbox offers a strong complementary toolset and an innovative way to create 3D models. We look forward to working with Autodesk’s product teams to evolve the Mudbox capabilities to meet the expanding needs of a wide variety of digital artists and designers.”
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Spider-Man 3: Autodesk Technology Helps Web-slinging Superhero Conquer the Dark Side
Marc Petit, Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment Senior VP said, “With Spider-Man 3, the artists at Sony Pictures Imageworks have reached new heights in character animation and visual effects. We’re proud that they used Autodesk solutions to enhance characters’ performances with digital doubles and to generate detailed, photo-realistic sets. We congratulate them on this milestone film.”
Sony Pictures Imageworks used Autodesk Maya 3D animation software for modeling, texturing, rigging, match-moving, character animation and visual effects animation on approximately 50 percent of the shots completed by the facility. The Autodesk Flame visual effects system was used for character face replacements and to composite live footage of the main characters into fully computer-generated environments.
For the “Birth of Sandman” sequence, the most technically complex and dramatic sequence in the entire film, Flame technology was used. During the three minutes of on-screen magic, a pile of sand slowly gathers itself into a sentient being and poignantly transforms into the human that is Thomas Haden Church in the role of Flint Marko.
The first shot in the “Birth of Sandman” sequence is approximately three minutes long (2,672 frames), without a cutaway, starting with a few dozen grains of sand that gradually gather with billions of others as the creature is formed. The computer-generated Sandman was created at Sony Pictures Imageworks by a team led by Visual Effects supervisor Scott Stokdyk, Animation Director Spencer Cook and Digital Effects Supervisor Kee-Suk Ken Hahn. The work also highlights the talents of CG Supervisor Bob Winter, Sand Effects Supervisor Doug Bloom and Software Engineer Jonathan Cohen.
“The Sandman shots involved many paint-fixes to blend between different takes of sand simulations,” said Peter Nofz, Sony Pictures Imageworks’ digital effects supervisor for Spider-Man 3. “The Flame system’s versatility and speed enabled us to deliver extraordinary results. Overall, Flame was used in the final step of the production pipeline. It was the tool of choice for many difficult changes and fixes.”
In addition, Sony Pictures Imageworks used Maya to design the “venom” goo. The use of this software in the design of the evil, shape-shifting symbiote allowed animators to build goo-rigs on a shot-by-shot basis. The artists could then animate each shot with those rigs, retaining very precise control over the animation. The result is a powerful, alien-looking black silky goo that slithers and pulls itself along with dramatic fluidity.
“One of our most significant accomplishments on Spider-Man 3 was integrating character animation with effects animation, as they are were very closely related. The Autodesk Maya software‘s flexibility and adaptability made it possible for character animators to work concurrently with effects animators to produce seamless results” concluded Nofz.
