Tighter Interoperability with Other Autodesk Tools Helps Increase Productivity

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 1, 2011 – Autodesk, Inc. announced the release of Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 software, the latest version of the company’s 3D modeling, animation, rendering and compositing application. Mapping to the Excalibur (XBR) initiative – a phased plan for the restructuring of 3ds Max – the new version provides fundamental improvements in workflow, user interface and performance that will give artists enhanced creative capabilities and help them to be more productive.
Achieving a key goal of the XBR initiative, 3ds Max 2012 introduces a rewritten, multi-threaded graphics core that provides significant improvements to viewport performance and quality. In addition, new creative toolsets and enhanced iterative workflows help increase overall productivity. The 2012 version also features single-step interoperability with products contained in Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite Premium 2012, offering artists easier access to specialized tools for the task at hand.

“Artists are facing shorter deadlines coupled with increasing expectations for quality,” said Marc Petit, senior vice president, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. “3ds Max 2012 delivers powerful tools that take advantage of recent hardware advances, along with better interoperability with the other products included in our Entertainment Creation Suites. Together these enhancements help artists to make creative decisions early, validate them and deliver better results faster.”

“The first time I loaded a scene in 3ds Max 2012 I could see the soft lighting and shadows right in the viewport. This had the biggest impact on me. I suddenly felt more productive; like the barriers to my creativity were falling away,” said Stephen Lebed, 3ds Max beta tester and visual effects supervisor at MECHnology.

Key New Features in Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Software

• Nitrous Accelerated Graphics Core – Accelerated by modern GPUs and multicore workstations, Nitrous enables artists to iterate faster and handle larger data sets with limited impact on interactivity. Advanced scene management techniques, along with multithreaded viewport scene traversal and material evaluation, result in a smoother, more responsive workflow.

• Substance Smart Textures – Artists can achieve a vast range of look variations with a new library of 80 Substance smart textures and filters – tiny, multi-output, customizable and resolution-independent textures.

• mRigids Rigid-Body Dynamics – mRigids is the first module released in the new MassFX unified system of simulation solvers. Artists can use the multithreaded NVIDIA PhysX engine to create more compelling, dynamic rigid-body simulations directly in the 3ds Max viewport.

• iray Renderer – Using the newly integrated, NVIDIA GPU accelerated, iray rendering technology from mental images, artists can set up their scene, press “render” and get more predictable, photoreal results without worrying about rendering settings – similar to a “point-and-shoot” camera.

• Enhanced UVW Unwrapping – Artists can create better UVW maps in less time, with a new Least Squares Conformal Mapping (LSCM) method, enhancements to existing tools, and more streamlined workflows.

• Sculpting and Painting Enhancements – Artists can enjoy greater control over brushstrokes and their effects on geometry, thanks to new sculpting and painting workflows.

More information and new feature videos are available at www.autodesk.com/3dsmax. Also visit Autodesk’s 3ds Max blogs on AREA by Ken Pimentel, Shane Griffith and Louis Marcoux.

Pricing and Availability

Autodesk anticipates that 3ds Max 2012 will be available in English in April 2011. Autodesk expects to announce Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2012 software in late-March 2011. The Autodesk suggested retail price (MSRP) for an Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 stand-alone license is US$3,495.* The MSRP to upgrade from 3ds Max 2011 to 3ds Max 2012 is $1,745.* Autodesk Subscription is available for purchase simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase for $495* MSRP per year.

Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 is also expected to be available as part of the Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite Premium 2012. The Suite offers 3ds Max together with Autodesk Softimage 2012, Autodesk Mudbox 2012 and Autodesk MotionBuilder 2012 software for $6,495* MSRP, representing a 42 percent* cost savings compared to purchasing the software separately.

* International pricing and savings may vary.