Autodesk announces Connection Extension for 3ds Max 2010 software

[NewsMaker]

New Release Improves Interoperability with Popular Design Software and Simplifies Work with Complex Scenes

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 3, 2009 — At SIGGRAPH 2009, Autodesk, Inc., has announced the Connection Extension for Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010 modeling, animation and rendering software. The release makes it easier and more cost-effective to turn designs into more accurate, creative advertisements or realistic visualizations. This is achieved by delivering new levels of interoperability — based on intelligent data workflows — between 3ds Max and design packages from Autodesk and other third parties.

Connectivity and Intelligent Workflows
Improved interoperability with several popular applications helps artists to create compelling content more efficiently. The addition of new, high-fidelity data translators for SKP and SAT file formats, along with a rewritten OpenEXR translator delivers:

• Importing and exporting of SAT files for moving solids-based design data between 3ds Max and Autodesk Inventor Professional, the Alias family of products or certain third-party design products.
• More efficient, accurate importing of files from Google SketchUp sketching software — a common tool in the architecture and design communities — and support for reading the thousands of 3D objects in Google’s 3D Warehouse.
• Importing and exporting of multilayer OpenEXR files with advanced options for transferring extra elements (camera information, scripted data) to support high dynamic range (HDR) workflows with advanced compositing applications. This helps to reduce the number of iterations required to achieve the final result.

The Connection Extension for 3ds Max 2010 provides smarter, more effective workflows that help artists to deal with complex scenes through:

• Improved compatibility with advanced compositing applications via the enhanced OpenEXR plug-in, which helps artists take advantage of render passes to transport layered HDR data for relighting rendered 3D scenes without going back to the 3D application.
• An improved materials workflow that allows individual layers from an OpenEXR file to be used in a material.
• More optimal display and rendering of imported solid and NURBS-based bodies. Maintaining models’ procedural nature, rather than reducing them to triangles, can help to save time and prevent costly geometry clean-up work.
• Procedural, resolution-independent meshes give artists greater control over rendering performance versus quality.

Pricing and Availability
The Connection Extensions for Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010 are expected to be available for download to Autodesk Subscription customers in August 2009. The Connection Extension is not sold separately.

The Autodesk suggested retail price for a license of 3ds Max 2010 or 3ds Max Design 2010 is US$3,495*. The suggested retail price to upgrade from either 3ds Max 2009 or 3ds Max Design 2009 to 3ds Max 2010 or 3ds Max Design 2010 is US$895*. Autodesk Subscription is available for purchase simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase. The Autodesk suggested retail price for Autodesk Subscription for 3ds Max 2010 or 3ds Max Design 2010 is US$495* per year.

*International pricing may vary.



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