SAN RAFAEL, Calif., July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today 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 enabled digital artists to realize their ideas on major projects, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man 2, The Sopranos and the CSI franchise. The new systems will be showcased at the Autodesk Booth (#1700) at the SIGGRAPH exhibition in Los Angeles, August 2-4, 2005.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO )

New versions include Autodesk's Discreet Fire 7.0 and Discreet Smoke 7.0 editing systems, Discreet Inferno 6.5, Discreet Flame 9.5 and Discreet Flint 9.5 visual effects systems, and the Discreet Lustre 2.6 digital color grading system. Autodesk's SGI-based Fire, Smoke, Inferno and Flame systems feature a new 64-bit architecture, delivering superior performance in handling the increasingly large and complex data sets of today's digital media creation.

Beta tester Brad Wensley, a Smoke and Flame artist at CBC Media's Studio 57, commented on his experience with the Discreet Smoke 7.0 system: "Autodesk has thought of everything for working in larger resolutions, including making the user interface on color correctors transparent over the larger frame sizes. Add to this their unbelievably intelligent keying technology and you've got a formidable artistic toolset. This kind of thinking makes the artistic side of the equation jump to the front row where it belongs, and puts technical details in the background, out of the artist's view." Long Island-based CBC Media is currently using its Smoke and Flame systems on a Nike television spot.

Key New Features in Fire 7.0 and Smoke 7.0
-- 64-bit architecture: Provides more addressable memory, enabling greater interactive manipulation of multilayered, uncompressed high-definition (HD), 2K, 4K images and higher resolutions (Available only for Fire 7.0 and Smoke 7.0 systems on SGI IRIX)
-- New, optimized Timewarp: Uses proprietary motion analysis technology from Autodesk's Media and Entertainment Division. Provides improved accuracy in frame interpolation; helps create crisper images, especially when calculating significant changes in timing
-- Clip History: Allows artists and editors to go back and make changes to the work they create with greater ease and efficiency. Clip History is stored with the media in the Clip Library and can be shared between Autodesk's editing and effects systems for improved interoperability and collaboration
-- Soft text in timeline: Create, edit and play back text directly in the timeline without rendering
-- Burn from the timeline: Users can now use Autodesk Burn to render effects remotely from both the timeline and the source area, improving workflow
-- Overlay user interface (UI) for color correction: A powerful new color-correction UI that enables the user to see more of the image full-screen without the visual distraction of a permanent interface
-- DPX keycode support: Keycode support allows conform of DPX film scans based on keycode information from the offline edit (Available only on Fire 7.0 and Smoke 7.0 DI on SGI IRIX)

Key New Features in Inferno 6.5, Flame 9.5 and Flint 9.5 Systems
-- 64-bit architecture: Provides more addressable memory, enabling greater interactive manipulation of multilayered, uncompressed HD, 2K, 4K images and higher resolutions (Available only on Inferno 6.5 and Flame 9.5 systems)
-- Motion Estimation Timewarp: New Autodesk motion estimation algorithms provide advanced time-warping capabilities for high-quality slow-motion and speed-up effects
-- Layer-based Paint: This advanced paint module provides users with a high-resolution paint system, offering more design flexibility for layer-based graphics creation within the Batch workflow

Key New Features in Lustre 2.6 System
-- New editorial metadata architecture and subsystem enables powerful new conform and editorial capabilities
-- XML-based cut files enable more transparent cross-vendor interoperability
-- Intelligent handling of problematic edit decision lists (EDLs)
-- Expanded film key code and video timecode handling
-- Expanded flags system and new integrated notes for greater project collaboration
-- Enhanced linear-mode primary color correction
-- User-selectable keyer source as pre/post input primary
-- Improved browser performance with fast parsing of huge clip libraries
-- Autodesk Stone Shared optimization increases real-time performance from centralized storage area network (SAN)

Availability and Pricing

The Fire 7.0, Smoke 7.0 and Lustre 2.6 systems are now shipping. It is anticipated that the Inferno 6.5, Flame 9.5 and Flint 9.5 systems will be available in late summer 2005 to customers covered by appropriate and valid annual Autodesk Media and Entertainment Division support or subscription contracts.

For additional product details, please visit www.discreet.com/products. For pricing, configuration and other information, please contact Autodesk Media and Entertainment Division's sales department at 800-869-3504.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With six million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media 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 by becoming more productive, streamlining project efficiency and maximizing profits.

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

NOTE: Autodesk, Discreet, Burn, Fire, Flame, Flint, Inferno, Lustre, Smoke and Stone are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

During the course of this communication, we may make forward-looking statements regarding future events and the future performance of the Company. These forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in documents we file from time to time with the SEC and specifically in our Annual Report and 10-K filed for the year ended January 31, 2005. These documents contain and identify important factors that may cause the actual results to differ from those contained in our forward-looking statements.

Additionally, 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.

CONTACT: Roohi Saeed of Autodesk, +1-514-954-7296, or roohi.saeed@autodesk.com.

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
07/21/2005
CONTACT: Roohi Saeed of Autodesk, +1-514-954-7296, or roohi.saeed@autodesk.com
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