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- This information was released today, Monday, October 4th, 1993 at 9:31 am EST.
-
- For Immediate Release
-
-
- Contact:
- Garth Chouteau
- Autodesk, Inc.
- (415) 491-8853
-
-
-
- Autodesk Announces AutoVision(TM) 1.0
- New Tool for AutoCAD Customers Offers Photorealistic Rendering
-
-
- SAUSALITO, Calif., October 4, 1993 -- Autodesk, Inc. today announced
- AutoVision(TM) software, a still-rendering application with photorealistic
- image quality that operates within AutoCAD(R) Release 12 for DOS. An AutoCAD
- Development System(TM) (ADS) application from the Multimedia
- Division of Autodesk, AutoVision is designed to help AutoCAD users produce high-
- impact images and conceptual renderings. AutoVision combines exceptional
- rendering speed with high quality (including ray-tracing) and precise control
- of image details. AutoVision carries a suggested retail price of US$795 and
- ships in October, 1993.
-
- "The visualization needs of the typical AutoCAD customer continue to
- increase, and in any CAD-related field, photorealistic rendering is becoming a
- real competitive advantage," said Jack Strange, director of
- marketing for Autodesk Multimedia. "AutoVision delivers this capability in an
- intuitive way, through a familiar environment."
-
- In addition to photorealistic rendering, AutoVision enables easy migration from
- still rendering to broadcast-quality animation through 3D Studio(R) (.3DS) file
- compatibility. AutoVision software's compatibility with Autodesk 3D Studio
- Release 3, the premier PC software solution for 3D modeling, rendering and
- animation, ensures that as the needs of AutoCAD customers change, their
- investment in rendering software will be preserved.
-
- "AutoVision will enable AutoCAD customers to achieve very high image quality
- within AutoCAD, and then migrate to 3D Studio as their needs grow to include
- animation. It's another key piece of our commitment to deliver quality
- visualization products to our AutoCAD customers," Strange said.
-
- "With AutoVision AutoCAD owners can better communicate with clients by
- portraying designs as they would appear in the real world, facilitating the
- testing of product concepts prior to construction," said Teri Felix, AutoVision
- senior product manager. "Also, the tight integration of AutoVision with
- AutoCAD and 3D Studio means that AutoCAD files can be used from concept to
- drafting to manufacturing, and customers have the benefit of design
- visualization at every step of the process."
-
- AutoVision rendering occurs entirely within AutoCAD and rendering information
- is saved to the AutoCAD .DWG file. AutoVision software works with a broad
- range of video displays, from VGA to Truecolor and can output to screen or file
- at any resolution on 8-, 16-, 24- or 32-bit devices.
-
- AutoVision Features
- AutoVision software's powerful toolset allows the user to render multiple views
- of a drawing, each with different lighting effects, materials and surfaces.
- Features include:
-
- - Materials Editor -- Modify existing materials or create your own, to
- precisely model an object's appearance. Control color, reflection,
- transparency and ambient characteristics and surface texture.
-
- - Procedural Materials -- Algorithmically generated materials make it
- easy to create seamless wood, marble and granite surfaces, altering such
- characteristics as grain and color as desired.
-
- - Sun Locator -- Accurately portray the sun's intensity and angle at
- different times of the day and year using latitude and longitude coordinates
- and time of day or by selecting a location from one of the numerous regional
- maps included.
-
- - Lighting Control -- Create and adjust point, spot and distant
- lights using color, intensity, falloff and shadowing, to simulate real lighting
- conditions.
-
- - Compatibility with AutoCAD & 3D Studio Release 3 -- AutoVision
- reads and writes 3D Studio files, as well as 3D Studio material files (.MLI).
- AutoVision also reads information from Visual Link(TM) and AVE Render.
-
- - CD-ROM of Textures -- Hundreds of textures and materials can be
- applied 'as is' or modified within AutoVision's powerful Materials Editor.
-
- System Requirements
- AutoVision runs within AutoCAD Release 12 for DOS (386/486), and has the same
- system requirements: an IBM(R) or Compaq(R) 386/486-based computer or 100-
- percent compatible equipped with MS-DOS 3.3 or later, 8 MB of RAM, a VGA
- display, a math coprocessor, an AutoCAD-supported pointing device and one 1.2
- MB, 5.25-inch floppy disk drive or one 1.44 MB, 3.5-inch floppy-disk drive.
-
- Pricing and Availability
- AutoVision ships in October 1993, at a suggested retail price of US$795 (US
- domestic only) through Authorized Autodesk and Multimedia Dealers. For a
- limited time, owners of previous versions of AutoCAD can upgrade to R12 and
- receive AutoVision for a total of US$1,000, a savings of US$300 - $500. For
- more information, please call Autodesk toll free at 800-879-4233 or enter GO
- ASOFT on CompuServe(R).
-
- Autodesk is the world's leading supplier of desktop computer-aided design
- automation software. Autodesk, Inc. develops, markets and supports a family of
- design automation software products, as well as professional scientific and
- multimedia software for personal computers and workstations. Autodesk shares
- are traded on NASDAQ under the symbol ACAD. For more information, please call
- 415-332-2344 or type GO ADESK on CompuServe.
-
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- -30-
-
- Autodesk, AutoCAD and 3D Studio are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.
- AutoVision, the AutoCAD Development System and Visual Link are trademarks of
- Autodesk, Inc. CompuServe is a registered trademark of H&R Block. All other
- brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective
- holders.
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-