The New Autodesk Maya 8 and Max 9

Autodesk has chosen SIGGRAPH2006 to release new versions of both 3ds Max and Maya. The double announcement was made today at the Autodesk User Group Meeting at the opening day of SIGGRAPH2006 in a balmy Boston. With the merging of Alias and Autodesk earlier this year, this meeting has become the one place where 3D artists and animators have gathered to hear the best, latest and most spectacular news about their popular products. They were not disappointed.



3ds Max 9
Highlighting the new 3ds Max 9 product, Autodesk has clearly focused its efforts behind the lifting of core performance of the software, and strengthening the pipeline efficiencies. Designed and optimised for the latest technology 64-bit workstations, 3ds Max 9 has been elevated with core animation and rendering tools developed to assist the artist more than earlier versions. Tighter control of shared files, tracking of project assets and increased pipeline customisation has been delivered to accelerate the creative workflow.

Files generated within 3ds Max 9 in the proprietary file format FBK, will continue to be transferable between different Autodesk products like Maya, Motionbuilder and others, while mental ray 3.5 also adds powerful rendering functionality to the 3ds Max rendering capabilities. Its simplified user interface is perfect for working with global illumination and SSS shaders, as well as a unified indirect lighting model that provides matching results when switching between different radiosity modes.

For any rendering job using the integrated version of mental ray, the user will be able to assign as many CPUs to the job as required. The integrated version of mental ray will then behave exactly as does the 3ds Max scanline renderer.

Autodesk 3ds Max 9 will be shipping in October 2006, with no changes to either the standalone or the network prices, while International prices may vary. US$3,495 (Standalone); US$3,995 (Network). Customers purchasing 3ds Max 9 will receive software for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems (Windows only). Both will use the same licensing so customers are able to use either 32-bit or 64-bit 3ds Max 9 on their workstation (hardware and OS must be present that supports this capability). The legacy program also remains unchanged.

Maya 8
The newest version of Maya is released almost immediately. An Early-access ‘upgrade-download’ for Platinum members is available in early August, and this will be shipping simultaneously for all platforms. At the moment, Autodesk now offer Maya Complete, Maya Unlimited and Maya 7 Personal Learning Edition. This Maya 7 PLE will continue to be available as a free trial from the web site.

A 64-bit version of Maya 8 is supported with Windows XP Pro x64, whereas the 32-bit version of Maya 8 is supported on Windows XP Pro (SP 2 or higher), Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 WS, SUSE Linux 9.3, Mac OS X 10.4.6, and Fedora Core 4 systems. Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited licenses are able to operate across Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms. Parallel Dongle support will also continue through all systems

Autodesk Maya 8 is scheduled to ship in August, with standalone and network pricing unchanged. Maya Complete (Standalone) is US$1,999, Maya Complete (Network) is US$2,999, Maya Unlimited (Standalone) is US$6,999, and Maya Unlimited (Network) is US$6,999. The upgrade price of Maya remains unchanged at US$899 for Maya 7 Complete and US$1249 for Maya 7 Unlimited. And as an added incentive, Autodesk would like to mention that they will continue to develop and support both apps for the foreseeable future, as they “see each product addressing different needs and workflows”. Further, “having a range of solutions to meet customer needs as opposed to a single ‘one glove fits all’ approach benefits customers and Autodesk’s business. There is a growing user base and market demand for both products.”

Also being launched at the same time, at the Autodesk UserGroup evening at SIGGRAPH, is the new web site for the Autodesk artist communit:.The Area

The purpose of the site is to create a central repository of 3D content created by the Autodesk 3D community. Autodesk will provide content as appropriate and support the ongoing development of the site, but the goal is for the community to generate and own most of the content.

The site will include:
Tips & Tutorials for beginner, intermediate and advanced users.
Downloads for product trials, textures and shaders, plug-ins and scripts.
Showcase that will include image and movie galleries, member portfolios and “Behind the Screenz”, a section containing stories focused on artists and developers.
Blogs – from Autodesk product development as well as community members.
Discussion forums – focused on various topics beyond technical support.
Features will include advanced search capabilities, profiles, and the ability to rate and comment on tips/galleries.