Autodesk 3ds Max 9 software released

Autodesk has announced Autodesk 3ds Max 9 software, the latest version of its world-renowned 3D modelling, animation and rendering solution.
3ds Max 9 supports 64-bit technologies, providing digital artists with the tools for next-generation games development, design visualisations, and film and television visual effects production. 3ds Max has been used to realise 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 stand 1706 at SIGGRAPH 2006, 1-3 August at the Boston Convention Center.
“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 visualisations.” GMJ Design used 3ds Max to create city models of London and Liverpool.
Autodesk helps 3D artists in game development, design visualisation, film, television, broadcast and graphic design focus on realising 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, modelling 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.
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