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 Kaydara and Alias Announce MOTIONBUILDER 6 Posted by: amigo
Source: Press Release
Date: Tue Aug 10 2004
Los Angeles, CA � SIGGRAPH (Kaydara Booth 1300 / Alias Booth 1312) � Aug. 10, 2004 � Kaydara Inc., and Alias today announced the forthcoming release of MOTIONBUILDER 6, the newest version of the company�s award-winning character animation software.
Alias and Kaydara announced at the Alias Global Users Association (AGUA) on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2004 that Alias has signed an agreement to acquire Kaydara. The purchase is expected to close within 60 days, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions at which time MOTIONBUILDER will be rebranded Alias MOTIONBUILDER. Kaydara is a leader in character animation and motion editing solutions. Alias is the leading provider of 3D graphics technology and services for the film, video games, Web, interactive media, automotive, industrial design, education and visualization markets.
Heralded as the industry�s fastest 3D animation solution, MOTIONBUILDER 6�s improved usability, advanced keyframing capabilities and increased character animation controls make it the perfect solution for creating animated content quickly and easily for games, feature films and television series.
"MOTIONBUILDER 6 is our next logical step in building the best 3D animation software on the market,� said Michel Besner, president of Kaydara. �The new version includes many improvements that make it more powerful and easier to use, and is an ideal solution for even the most demanding keyframe artists."
Kaydara MOTIONBUILDER 6 is a next-generation solution for game development, feature film pre-visualization and layout, and television series. With unique features such as �smart� character technology (HumanIK), 3D story-timeline tool and real-time photorealistic rendering, MOTIONBUILDER 6 allows 3D artists to easily create high-quality, visually compelling animated content using a true WYSIWYG environment and without having to master difficult tasks such as building custom rigs and complex character setups.
"MOTIONBUILDER 6 delivers an unprecedented level of flexibility and a powerful toolset that makes it easy to develop high quality character animation in significantly less time," said R�mi Brun, senior motion capture supervisor at Attitude Studio. "We're using MOTIONBUILDER on "Renaissance," the first European fully motion captured feature film, and on our 26x26 TV series "Skyland," and it is making a tremendous difference in our team's ability to quickly and easily produce subtle and complex character animation - it's a huge asset for our overall productivity and workflow."
Exciting new features in MOTIONBUILDER 6 include:
Simplified User Interface includes a totally new customizable picking mode and toolbar, giving animators increased manipulation and workflow control, and a new screen layout that maximizes the size of the 3D viewer.
Enhanced Keyframe Animation Capabilities including improved IK/FK sync, autokey, animation path and trajectories, and MotionInspector: a revolutionary new way of managing motion curve dynamics.
Character Animation functionality includes multi-referential animation for characters and props; user defined character setups with built-in support for props; constraints and custom properties; and improved animation controls with degrees of freedom, pivots support and referenced properties.
Improved Story-Timeline includes increased flexibility and workflow, allowing users to easily edit 3D animation tracks in combination with audio, video and constraints. Independent camera track allows producers, special effects directors and 3D artists to work out camera shots and timing independently of the animation timeline for maximum flexibility.
MOTIONBUILDER 6 natively supports Kaydara FBX, an award-winning, platform-independent 3D authoring and interchange format that allows MOTIONBUILDER users to quickly and easily acquire and exchange 3D assets and media from a wide variety of sources. Kaydara FBX is widely supported by the industry�s leading software and hardware manufacturers, as well as film and game studios, including 2D3, 3Dwings, A&G Soluzioni Digitali, Alias, Apple, Ascension Technology, Autodesk, Darwin, Di-O-Matic, Discreet, Luxology, Maxon, Motek, Natural Motion, Newtek, NXN, Okino, Softimage, Strata, TurboSquid, Vicon and Virsys.
Alias to Acquire Kaydara
The strategic acquisition will add complementary technologies to Alias' existing product and service portfolio, and unite the top 3D product development talent in Toronto and Montreal. Kaydara products � most notably MOTIONBUILDER� and Kaydara FBX� � will continue to support all current industry platforms and will be sold as standalone products under the Alias brand name. In addition, the acquisition will bring even greater value to customers of both companies and the overall 3D industry. Operating under the Alias name, Kaydara will remain in Montreal and current President Michel Besner will stay with the company and join Alias' Executive Management Team.
For more information on the acquisition, visit the Kaydara or Alias Web sites at http://www.kaydara.com or http://www.alias.com.
Pricing and Availability
Kaydara MOTIONBUILDER 6 will be available September 2004 on Windows XP Professional and Mac OS X 10.3. MOTIONBUILDER 6 Standard is priced at $995 USD; MOTIONBUILDER 6 PRO is priced at $4195 USD and includes 12 months support and upgrades. Prices outside of North America may vary. For more information on features, pricing and upgrades, visit Kaydara�s Web site at http://www.kaydara.com.
About Kaydara Inc.
Over the course of the past decade, Kaydara has become a leader in the development of real-time character animation and motion editing solutions for the entertainment industry. Kaydara�s product portfolio serves a vast and varied range of clients in the TV, film, game development and Web content industries, including Sony Computer Entertainment of America, Midway Games, Ubisoft, Acclaim, Electronic Arts, Sony Picture Imageworks, Capcom and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Kaydara is headquartered in Montr�al, Canada, and has an international presence with sales offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information about Kaydara or its products, visit http://www.kaydara.com.
About Alias
As the world's leading innovator of 3D graphics technology, Alias develops award-winning software, custom development and training solutions for the film and video, games, web, interactive media, automotive, industrial design, education and visualization markets. On March 1, 2003, for the awards year 2002, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Alias|Wavefront� an Oscar� for scientific and technical achievement for the development of Maya� software, the professional 3D animation and effects package. Alias also offers a powerful range of services for new to advanced users in the most demanding environments. Learning Tools and training, support, and professional services help meet rigorous production deadlines.
Entertainment customers include: Acclaim Entertainment, Inc., CNN, Digital Domain, Disney, Electronic Arts, Industrial Light & Magic, Factor 5 LLC, Midway Games, Nintendo, Pacific Data Images (PDI), Pixar, Sega, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Square Enix Co., Ltd.,Warner Feature Animation and Weta Ltd. Design customers include AT&T, BMW, Boeing, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Italdesign, Kodak, Kwikset, Mattel, Price Pfister, Renault, Rollerblade, Sharp, Trek Bicycle, Teague and Timex.
Alias is headquartered in Toronto with a Custom Development Center in Santa Barbara. Please visit the Alias website at http://www.alias.com or call 1-800-447-2542 in North America. International contact numbers include: Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, +44 (0) 1494 441273; Germany, East & Southeast Europe, 0049 89 31 70 20; France, Spain and Portugal, +33 1 44 92 81 60; Italy, 39 039 6340011; Japan and other parts of Asia Pacific, 81 3 5797 3500 and Latin America, 770 393 1881.
Related Links: Alias Inc website
Kaydara website
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