Autodesk Integrates Craft Director Studio

Autodesk Integrates Craft Director Studio into 2011 Versions of its 3ds Max and Softimage Software!

Craft Animations™ and Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced the integration of certain Craft Director Studio™ plug-ins within the 2011 versions of Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design and Autodesk® Softimage® software. Based on cutting-edge research in autonomous control systems, Craft Director Studio provides interactive control and simulation of cameras and vehicles, which helps greatly reduce animation production times.

"Craft Director Studio provides artists with advanced, in-the-box, rigging and physics simulation capabilities, which helps them to animate cameras and vehicles more quickly and realistically," said Stig Gruman, Autodesk vice president of digital entertainment. "It also allows artists to use a variety of input devices to create on-the-fly animation, helping make 3D animation as easy as playing a game." Craft Director Studio is designed to help simplify the production challenges of 3D artists, industrial designers and architects working in the following areas:

*     Video Game Development – Artists can enhance in-game cinematics through a modular, configurable system that replicates a specific rig's animation within the game itself. Artists can then "drive" a vehicle within the creative environment, helping achieve a more realistic effect in less time.

*     Film and Broadcast Production - Animators can leverage more realistic and accurate vehicle behavior and traffic animation to more quickly complete visual effects shots.

*     Architectural Visualization – Architects can more easily create walkthroughs of architectural designs using unique camera angles and views.

"We are proud to provide animators with a new era of interactive animation tools," said Craft Animations CEO Deborah Lygonis. "By eliminating multiple step animation and design processes, artists utilizing Craft Director Studio will be able to create a more efficient production pipeline. Industry leaders Namco Bandai, Electronic Arts and Lockheed Martin have all experienced faster results using our tools. The integration of certain tools into 3ds Max and Softimage can provide a great boost to productivity, offering Autodesk customers a greater return on investment."

The Craft Director Studio plug-in bundle will be included, free of charge, on the Samples DVDs that will be shipped with 3ds Max 2011, 3ds Max Design 2011 and Softimage 2011 software. The bundle includes:

*     Craft SoftMotionCam

*     Craft ObserverCam

*     Craft MultiStateCam

*     Craft HumanizerCam

*     Four Craft Pre-rigged Models

The 2011 versions of 3ds Max, 3ds Max Design and Softimage software are expected to be available for purchase on, or after, April 7, 2010. Artists who install the bundle as part of 3ds Max, 3ds Max Design or Softimage 2011 releases will also be eligible for limited-time, special promotional pricing for a Craft Bundle Upgrade, offered by Craft Animations. For more information, visit www.craftanimations.com.

About Craft Animations

Founded in 2006 and based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Craft Animations™ AB is a leading developer of a new era of professional real-time 3D animation technology, Craft Director Studio™. Based on cutting-edge research in autonomous control systems, Craft Director Studio and its add-ons simulate the complex physical behavior of cameras and 3D vehicles such as helicopters, cars, airplanes, boats and motorcycles. Utilized by high-profile companies world-wide such as Disney, Pixar, Namco Bandai, Lockheed Martin, Ford and Toyota; Craft Director Studio streamline production, enhance realism and increase creativity for users in the visual effects, game development, forensic reconstruction and architectural design industries. For more information, please visit www.craftanimations.com .

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies — as well as the last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects — use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com/pr-autodesk.