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 Pixar Announces RenderMan Pro Server With New Pricing Posted by: amigo
Source: Press Release
Date: Mon Jun 09 2003
EMERYVILLE, CA --June 9, 2003-- Pixar Animation Studios (Nasdaq:PIXR) today announced RenderMan(R) Pro Server, a new software package featuring an upgraded version of Pixar's RenderMan(R) 3D rendering software. RenderMan(R) Pro Server bundles several tools frequently used in film and video productions. The new release, priced at $3,500, showcases recent engineering efforts focused on increased rendering performance. Complex scenes using subtle lighting effects will see significant gains and a new rendering mode boosts throughput by automatically harnessing the full power of modern multi-processor systems.
RenderMan(R) Pro Server makes industrial strength rendering available to more studios than ever before while expanding what is possible in the realm of high-end special effects. "Anyone who gets a chance to see Finding Nemo will really be amazed by the incredible effects Pixar's own artists have created using RenderMan(R). It's great that these new rendering features are now available to our customers," said Ed Catmull, President of Pixar Animation Studios.
RenderMan 11.5 will be released in July 2003 and is entering beta-testing immediately.
Pixar's RenderMan(R) Pro Server Components
-- PRMan, Pixar's PhotoRealistic RenderMan(R) renderer
-- Irma, shading and lighting development re-rendering tool
-- AlfServer, enables distributed parallel rendering on server farms and idle desktops
-- Additional utilities formerly bundled in the RenderMan(R) Toolkit
New Features in Pixar's RenderMan(R) Release 11.5:
-- Multi-processor rendering allows multiple CPUs on the same machine to work on the same frame in parallel for faster throughput.
-- Sub-sample resolution z-stencil buffers enable new types of geometry blending and clipping effects.
Aggressive Acceleration
-- Sophisticated improvements in scene analysis which substantially reduce the time spent in shader execution for scenes with highly complex geometry and shaders.
-- New algorithms dramatically accelerate indirect illumination, ambient occlusion, and other effects associated with global illumination.
-- The shader compiler performs significant new code analysis to improve memory usage and rendering performance.
Enhancements
-- The quality of indirect illumination and ambient occlusion has been improved, especially for animation.
-- Particle effects render faster and with fewer artifacts due to improved RiPoints.
-- Motion blur has been enhanced for fast moving objects in scenes with a high depth of field.
-- Subdivision surfaces handle textures more accurately due to "facevarying" interpolation improvements.
"Deep Shadow" Improvements
-- More efficient for larger images
-- New API for custom control
About PhotoRealistic RenderMan(R)
Leading digital effects houses and computer graphics specialists use Pixar's RenderMan(R) because it is the highest quality renderer available anywhere and has been production tested through successful use in feature films for over ten years. Pixar's RenderMan(R) is stable, fast, and efficient for handling large scenes with complex surface appearances and lighting.
RenderMan's(R) powerful shading language and anti-aliased motion blur allow designers to believably integrate stunning synthetic effects with live-action footage. In addition, RenderMan(R) is backed by Pixar's technical staff who understand the challenges of creating digital effects.
For more information on RenderMan(R), including product descriptions, pricing information, and access to customer support and sales, please visit www.pixar.com.
About Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Animation Studios (Nasdaq: PIXR, www.pixar.com) combines creative and technical artistry to create original stories in the medium of computer animation. Pixar has created some of the most successful and beloved animated films of our time: Academy Award(R)-winning Toy Story (1995); A Bug's Life (1998); Golden Globe-winner Toy Story 2 (1999); and the Academy Award(R)-winning Monsters, Inc. (2001). Pixar's latest film, Finding Nemo, was released on May 30, 2003 to widespread critical acclaim. The Northern California studio's five films have earned more than $1.8 billion at the worldwide box office to date. Pixar's next releases are The Incredibles (November 2004) and Cars (holiday 2005). Pixar Animation Studios films are released by Walt Disney Pictures.
Related Links: Pixar Animation Studios website
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