Just days after announcing intentions to acquire competitor Alias, Autodesk has announced that it is shipping 3ds Max 8, the latest version of its award-winning 3D modeling, animation and rendering software for video game, film and video production pipelines.
With this latest release, Autodesk has amped up its character animation toolset with advanced rigging tools, motion mixing and motion retargeting (non-linear animation). Modeling and texturing advancements include new UV pelt mapping designed to decrease the time and labor required to accurately texture a 3D model, as well as DirectX and .fx support to create real time shaders inside the 3ds Max viewport.
To address the need for 3D tools that can scale to manage rapidly expanding data sets and bandwidth/interaction requirements, 3ds Max 8’s comprehensive development framework promises to deliver improved software developer kit (SDK) tools and documentation, XML support that efficiently exchanges scene and animation data, an interactive MAXScript debugger and support for the Autodesk DWF Viewer, the free, downloadable application that offers review and approval collaboration for 3D data.
Autodesk, which pioneered the concept of unlimited network rendering with 3ds Max and Autodesk Backburner functionality, now introduces the industry’s first scalable, unlimited mental ray network rendering option specifically for 3ds Max. This proprietary addition gives valuable rendering flexibility to customers, allowing 3D artists to distribute rendering tasks (via Backburner) across a network using the integrated mental ray renderer without incurring additional costs. This then allows them to scale their mental ray rendering resources to the limits of their network or render farm capabilities.
In addition, 3ds Max 8 offers continued connectivity to third-party, industry-standard asset management systems, and further enhances complex data and asset management with the integration of Autodesk Vault, a full-featured data management and asset tracking solution.
Features released exclusively to Autodesk Subscription clients over the past year are automatically be included in 3ds Max 8, These include Cloth, Hair, Fur, mental ray 3.4 and eight satellite render nodes, along with an extensive collection of visualization features compatible with Autodesk VIZ 2006, including enhanced File Link, Autodesk Inventor import, radiosity and adaptive subdivision.
Autodesk 3ds Max 8 carries a suggested retail price of $3,495, with upgrades from 3ds Max 7 available for $795. For a complete list of new features, go to www.autodesk.com/3dsmax.
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