64-bit Technology Support with New and Optimized Features Delivers Greater Speed and Workflow Efficiencies

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), today announced Autodesk 3ds Max 9 software, the latest version of its world-renowned 3D modeling, animation and rendering solution. 3ds Max 9 supports 64-bit technologies, providing digital artists with the tools for next-generation games development, design visualizations, and film and television visual effects production. 3ds Max has been used to realize countless breakthrough projects, including New York City's Freedom Tower, games such as Assassin's Creed, Gears of War, Guild Wars and Mass Effect, and film blockbusters such as Aeon Flux and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 3ds Max 9 will be showcased at the Autodesk booth #1706 at SIGGRAPH 2006, August 1-3 at the Boston Convention Center.

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"With Autodesk 3ds Max 9, we've focused on addressing the challenges our customers face when working with larger amounts of complex data, as well as scaling to bigger production teams," said Marc Petit, Autodesk's Media & Entertainment vice president. "Digital artists using 3ds Max 9 will gain improvements in core performance, productivity and pipeline efficiency. 3ds Max 9 enables artists to manage the increasing complexity of 3D data sets characteristic of next-generation game, film, broadcast and design development."

"Autodesk 3ds Max is the tool we use to create all the 3D models and animations in our games, and we're excited about the advancements that 3ds Max 9 has to offer," said Silicon Knights game studio president Denis Dyack. "Since the early 1990s, 3ds Max has played a major role in the visual success of all our company's games, including the hit titles Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Bloody Omen: Legacy of Kain, Dark Legions and Fantasy Empires. 3ds Max is now playing a crucial role yet again with our upcoming title Too Human, a next-gen, third-person epic action game."

3ds Max 9 software's 64-bit architecture makes it easier to work with the huge datasets required for next-generation digital content creation. Rendering is also greatly improved with the mental ray 3.5 rendering core.

Robert Graves, 3ds Max 9 beta tester and creative director at GMJ Design Ltd. in London, said, "We are in an era of increasingly visual design communication. Autodesk 3ds Max 9 helps GMJ Design deliver visually compelling content to our customers. The new architecture and design shaders, enhancements to the daylight system and improved mental ray rendering in 3ds Max 9, along with the superior tools to manage large datasets, help us deliver the realistic content clients expect from our 3D design visualizations." GMJ Design used 3ds Max to create city models of London and Liverpool.

Autodesk helps 3D artists in game development, design visualization, film, television, broadcast and graphic design focus on realizing their ideas without being limited by production complexities. Autodesk's media and entertainment 3D product portfolio is comprised of Autodesk 3ds Max 9, Maya 8 (announced separately) and VIZ 2007 animation, modeling and rendering software, as well as Autodesk MotionBuilder 7.5 character animation software. Interoperability is achieved between these products via Autodesk FBX, a free 3D file exchange format.

Autodesk 3ds Max 9 Key Features

Along with 64-bit support, new lighting, more shaders and accelerated rendering, 3ds Max 9 offers the following features to maximize core performance, productivity and pipeline efficiency:

• A layered blending system that can be added to custom rigs and controllers within 3ds Max
• Optimizations in wireframe and edge display, enabling faster feedback within the viewport
• XAF files that can be saved and loaded onto bipeds, allowing for easy transfer of information to and from custom rigs
• Enhanced hair and cloth, including the ability to style hair in the viewport
• Improved file referencing and tracking of work-in-progress assets
• Point cache 2, which allows artists to bake mesh deformations into a file for faster rendering
• Improved compatibility with Autodesk Maya via the FBX file format

For a complete list of new 3ds Max 9 features, please visit www.autodesk.com/3dsmax.

With support from HP and Intel, a number of third-party developers in the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) Sparks program have already produced 64-bit versions of their plug-ins to support 3ds Max 9, giving users immediate access to a pool of 64-bit development tools.

Pricing and Availability

Autodesk anticipates that 3ds Max 9 will be available in English in October 2006, and in additional languages in the future. The Autodesk suggested retail price for 3ds Max 9 software is US $3,495. The Autodesk suggested retail price to upgrade from 3ds Max 8 to 3ds Max 9 is US $795.

3ds Max Subscription

The Autodesk suggested retail price for 3ds Max Subscription is US $440 per year and is available for purchase simultaneously with the product purchase or upgrade. Subscription customers qualify for access to the latest software updates, valuable product extensions and e-learning materials. For more information about 3ds Max Subscription, please visit www.autodesk.com/subscription.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 company, wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the manufacturing, infrastructure, building, media and entertainment, and wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create, manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage, become more productive, streamline project efficiency and maximize profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For additional information about Autodesk, please visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, FBX, Maya, Sparks and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. /Autodesk Canada Co. in the USA and/or other countries. mental ray is a registered trademark of mental images GmbH licensed for use by Autodesk, Inc. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. We may make statements regarding planned or future development efforts for our existing or new products and services. These statements are not intended to be a promise or guarantee of future delivery of products, services or features but merely reflect our current plans, which may change. Purchasing decisions should not be made based upon reliance on these statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist or change after the date on which they were made.

    (C) 2006 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Contact:  Shannon McPhee 514.954.2838
    Email:    shannon_mcphee@autodesk.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
07/31/2006
NOTE TO EDITORS: 3ds Max 9 imagery is available on Autodesk's website at
www.autodesk.com/3dsmax-pressimagery.
CONTACT: Shannon McPhee of Autodesk, Inc., +1-514-954-2838 or
shannon_mcphee@autodesk.com/
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