Computer Graphics World

September 2009 5 A number of digital content creation tool vendors unveiled new offerings during the annual SIGGRAPH trade show and conference, held in New Orleans last month. We have high- lighted some of the more signifi cant announcements here in our Product Spotlight sections and in our Products pages in the back of the magazine. Because so many upgrades and new offerings were released, we will continue to report on them in our next issue, as well. Meanwhile, be sure to go to www.cgw.com to read about all the major happenings at the conference. Also, be sure to check out our videos and blogs from SIGGRAPH. PRODUCTS: MODELING•ANIMATION At SIGGRAPH, Autodesk rolled out its Suites for Digital Entertainment Creation, which give artists, produc- tion facilities, and educators access to more creative tools at a cost savings of more than 35 percent when compared to purchasing each product license separately. "Autodesk is introducing affordable Suites of its popular 3D tools to better help artists create innovative entertain- ment in today's tough economic condi- tions," says Stig Gruman, vice president, Autodesk Digital Entertainment Group. Autodesk is introducing the Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suites and the Autodesk Real-Time Animation Suites for commercial use. The company has also launched the Autodesk Educa- tion Suite for Entertainment Creation for postsecondary educators, and Autodesk Animation Academy 2010 for secondary schools. The fl agship Autodesk Entertain- ment Creation Suites offer customers a choice of either Maya 2010 or 3ds Max 2010 software, along with both Mudbox 2010 and MotionBuilder 2010 software. Mudbox helps artists to sculpt highly detailed models more quickly and intuitively. MotionBuilder provides a real- time animation engine for more interac- tive creative feedback and effi cient handling of large amounts of animation data. With FBX 2010 data exchange technology, the Suites provide a cohe- sive, effi cient pipeline. The Autodesk Real-Time Animation Suites are designed for animation-inten- sive productions. These Suites also offer a choice of either Maya 2010 or 3ds Max 2010 software, in addition to MotionBuilder 2010 software. Motion- Builder provides animators with a real- time 3D engine and specialized anima- tion tool set to more quickly create, manipulate, and process large amounts of animation data. The Autodesk Education Suite for Entertainment Creation helps educa- tors prepare students for professional careers in the increasingly competi- tive 3D job market. The Suite includes access to fl exible learning resources and the same software used by top creative professionals: 2010 versions of Maya, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, Mudbox, Softimage, and SketchBook Pro soft- ware. The Suite is available for both institution and student purchase. Autodesk Animation Academy 2010 helps inspire secondary school students to explore careers in the arts, entertain- ment, and visualization fi elds. The Suite offers software and curriculum resourc- es that enable students to learn 3D technology while exploring new ways to visualize ideas. It includes the 2010 versions of Maya, 3ds Max, Motion- Builder, Mudbox, and SketchBook Pro software, as well as a Curriculum Resources DVD and access to online community resources. Animation Acad- emy is available exclusively for second- ary or high schools providing instruction for teenagers 11 to 17 years old. All four Digital Entertainment Creation Suites are expected to ship for the Windows operating system during the fall. The price for the Entertain- ment Creation Suite is $4995, while the Real-Time Animation Suite costs $4795. Autodesk Subscription can be purchased for the Suites. Autodesk Debuts New Product Suites PRODUCT: MOBILE WORKSTATION Dell and AMD joined forces to further power the mobile market, announcing the newest solution for content creators and CAD designers: the ATI FirePro M7740 graphics accelerator, set to power Dell Precision M6400 Mobile Workstations. The Dell Precision M6400 brings swift real-time graphi- cal rendering and color representation to the forefront of large model design work, while giving professionals the performance capabilities for multitasking and multi-threaded applications. The M6400 offers RAID storage options and memory scalability. The mobile workstation is also designed to meet the demanding needs of customers working with large models in Microsoft Direct X- or OpenGL-based applications. The starting price for the M6400 is $1759, which includes a $350 instant savings. Dell Rolls Out the Precision M6400

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