Smoke Software Development Process Shaped by Extended Free Trial and Extensive User Feedback

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2012-- Endorsed by twenty five thousand Facebook fans, six industry awards and thousands of new users through the trial download and active forum communities, Autodesk, Inc., (NADSAQ: ADSK) announced that the new Autodesk Smoke 2013, professional video editing software is now shipping.

Autodesk Smoke 2013, professional video editing software, offers editing and visual effects tools within a single, efficient timeline-based workflow. (Photo: Business Wire)

“The anticipation for Smoke, since its thrilling announcement at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Vegas in April, has continued to build throughout the community of creative professionals. As a leader in high-end effects and 3D, Autodesk is committed to making that technology increasingly available to a new generation, and the new Smoke is case in point. The Smoke team has fielded thousands of inquiries and product recommendations in the process of developing Smoke 2013. I’m so excited to announce it’s here,” said Mark Strassman, Autodesk Media & Entertainment vice president strategy and marketing.

Smoke 2013 is designed to meet the needs of professional editors working in video production, corporate video, online video and other competitive creative environments where productions require editing and effects. The new Smoke offers editing and effects within a single, efficient timeline-based workflow, a sleek user interface and runs on a wide variety of Apple MacBook Pro and Apple iMac computers. Extensive customer research and feedback received during the pre-release trial actively helped drive the product development. New features which grew directly out of user recommendations include: ability to drag and drop a clip from the source player into the timeline; ability to expand/collapse the timeline FX pipeline area; and redesign and streamlining of the UI and interface elements to speed up workflows.

Key Features

• New Smoke User Interface (UI) — An intuitive all-in-one creative workflow that combines track-based editorial, industry-standard editing conventions and proven Autodesk creative tools
• ConnectFX — Powerful node-based compositing inside the timeline allows high-end effects and advanced compositing without leaving the editorial environment
• Creative Tools — A robust toolset with proven high-end finishing tools, Action for true 3D compositing, the Colour Warper for professional grading and color matching, the Master Keyer for one-click chroma keying and stereoscopic 3D editing and effects
• Flexible System Requirements — Runs on most Apple iMac and MacBook Pro systems using high-bandwidth Thunderbolt storage and IO bringing true high-end editing and effects to flexible desktop and mobile workflows

Autodesk revamped Smoke to address a growing niche for editors who need to do more than just edit. In a recent survey of over 300 active users of the trial download, over half of which were new to Smoke, many respondents called out the benefits of having an all-in-one package that integrates editing and effects. 51% called out ConnectFX as the top feature and one remarked, “My favorite thing about the new Smoke is the entire package as a whole. I think it's amazing that I can finally afford such an awesome suite of tools.” The Twittersphere has been equally enthusiastic about connecting editing and effects: “Smoke 2013 is a phenomenal game changer. Loving the open sandbox creativity one can explore with. #AutodeskSmoke,” tweeted Deelan Sital of The PPC in the UK.

Pricing and Availability

Autodesk Smoke 2013 is now shipping at a price of $3,495* SRP per license. For more detail, visit http://www.autodesk.com/smoke.

Join the Smoke Community

For in-depth features, benefits and video tutorials, see the Smoke product center, join the Smoke community, visit the Smoke Learning Channel, join the #AutodeskSmoke conversation on Twitter or friend us on Facebook.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries — including the last 17 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects — use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

* U.S. pricing only. International pricing may vary.

Autodesk, AutoCAD and Smoke are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and service offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2012 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20121217005252/en/

Source: Autodesk, Inc.

Autodesk, Inc.
Rama Dunayevich, 415-547-2472
rama.dunayevich@autodesk.com
Karen Raz, 310-450-1482
karen@razpr.com