Autodesk Announces 2008 Launches For Latest Version High-End Visual Effects and Finishing Systems

Autodesk has unveiled the 2008 releases of the Autodesk Inferno, Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Flint visual effects systems, as well as the Autodesk Fire and Autodesk Smoke editing/finishing systems at IBC.
These new releases are offered on Linux-based PCs, making Autodesk's visual effects and editing/finishing products more accessible to both high-end and mid-range markets.
The new releases deliver open file systems, allowing for improved interoperability with third-party applications, as well as pledging 100% clip compatibility across the Autodesk visual effects and editing/finishing pipeline.
"Autodesk's new visual effects and editing/finishing releases will create new workflow possibilities, allowing customers to share media throughout their facility using either direct-attached storage, storage area network (SAN) or network-attached storage (NAS) configurations," said Stig Gruman, Vice President of Advanced Systems, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. "This ability to interoperate with all technologies present in the post-production facility greatly enhances collaboration and data management, which in turn, opens up new markets, including mid-range post production and broadcast."
Autodesk's visual effects and editing/finishing systems have shaped countless award-winning projects, films, and commercials.New toolsets and workflow improvements include:

• New standard file system support improves facility workflow, allowing systems and third-party applications to instantly share clips without the need for media duplication, and to work with media natively off a SAN or NAS storage device;
• Enhanced concurrent workflows between visual effects, editing and grading are now possible due to metadata handling and Infiniband networking improvements;
• OpenEXR software support and enhanced Autodesk FBX software support create powerful interoperability between Flame and Autodesk Maya software. The visual effects products can now import NURBS objects and artists have the ability to match their compositions with the 3D department by exporting camera data, as well as axis positions and 3D point clouds;
• 100 per cent compatibility between Flame and Smoke setups and clips enables round-tripping of clips and metadata between visual effects and finishing product lines;
• New multi-layer timeline and audio tools in Flame, Flint, and Inferno improve flexibility and interoperability with Smoke and Fire;
• New multi-layer timeline and audio tools in Flame, Flint, and Inferno improve flexibility and interoperability with Smoke and Fire
• Redesigned 16:9 user interfaces put more tools at artists' fingertips;
• New Smoke and Flame user interfaces allow a more intuitive switch from one application to the other;
• On-screen tool tips have been added to enhance the user experience.

Also the enhanced DVE 3D compositing environment in Fire and Smoke delivers more visual effects power and a look and feel that makes it easier for artists to switch back and forth between Smoke and Flame. New Expressions toolset eliminates manual keyframing techniques, allowing artists to quickly create animations.
Included in these releases are features that were originally introduced in the 2007 Extension 1 release, previously available only to Autodesk subscription customers. For a complete list of new features and enhancements in the 2008 versions of Autodesk Inferno, Autodesk Flame, Autodesk Flint, Autodesk Fire, and Autodesk Smoke.
Autodesk anticipates that its 2008 releases of Inferno, Flame, Flint, Fire and Smoke will be available in autumn 2007. New 2008 systems will ship on HP 9400 workstations running the Linux operating system.
Visit: www.autodesk.com
(SP)