AccelGraphics' new AccelSTAR 3D Accelerator Breaks $600 for Professional 3D; New product targets price sensitive 3D Professionals currently using 2D boards.SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 1996--AccelGraphics, Inc., the leading supplier of professional 3D graphics accelerators for Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. , today announced AccelSTAR, a new generation of graphics accelerators. The AccelSTAR family expands the company's award-winning line of high-performance 3D graphics products, providing advanced 3D capabilities at exceptional price/performance points. A new, broader base of users can now enter into the 3D realm -- virtually all 2D users can experience the productivity advantages of 3D. Starting at $595, the AccelSTAR accelerators offer hardware support for a robust set of 3D features including double buffering A programming technique that uses two buffers to speed up a computer that can overlap I/O with processing. Data in one buffer is being processed while the next set of data is read into the other one. , gouraud shading In 3D graphics, a technique developed by Henri Gouraud in the early 1970s that computes a shaded surface based on the color and illumination at the corners of every triangle. Gouraud shading is the simplest rendering method and is computed faster than Phong shading. , Z buffering and texture mapping In computer graphics, the application of a type of surface to a 3D image. A texture can be uniform, such as a brick wall, or irregular, such as wood grain or marble. The common method is to create a 2D bitmapped image of the texture, called a "texture map," which is then "wrapped around" . The built-in VGA (Video Graphics Array) The display standard for the PC. All PC display adapters support VGA, and Windows machines boot up in "VGA mode" before switching to higher resolutions. feature eliminates the need for an additional VGA card A display adapter that provides VGA resolution. All display adapters (graphics cards) for PCs provide base level VGA resolutions. See VGA. . These capabilities are available on both accelerator configurations: the AccelSTAR 4 and the AccelSTAR 8. The AccelSTAR 4 comes with 4MB of high performance SGRAM (Synchronous Graphics RAM) A type of dynamic RAM chip that is similar to the SDRAM technology, but includes enhanced graphics features for use with display adapters. memory and provides 8-bit double buffered color (256 colors) and 16-bit Z buffer at resolutions up to 1024x768. The AccelSTAR 8, with 8MB of SGRAM memory, also offers a 16-bit Z buffer, and can provide 16-bit double buffered color (65,536 colors) and resolutions up to 1280x1024. This combination of features, price point, and robust support for popular high performance API's such as OpenGL and Heidi makes the AccelSTAR a real breakthrough for the price sensitive, professional user. Niraj Swarup, vice president of Marketing at AccelGraphics, noted, "There are a large number of 3D designers who are working with high-end 2D accelerators which only offer modest levels of OpenGL support and acceleration. "Users of CAD applications such as AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop and animation applications such as 3D Studio MAX and Lightwave 3D will be very impressed with the enhanced 3D performance while paying about the same price as for a high-end 2D accelerator." The graphics engine in the AccelSTAR is based on a combination of the Delta and Permedia chip set from 3Dlabs. The Permedia chip is capable of drawing 600,000 bilinear bi·lin·e·ar adj. Linear with respect to each of two variables or positions. Used of functions or equations. Adj. 1. bilinear - linear with respect to each of two variables or positions texture mapped triangles per second without Z buffering, or 325,000 bilinear texture mapped triangles per second with Z buffering. The hardware is powered by custom AccelGraphics software which includes support for Windows NT, OpenGL and Heidi on systems with an Intel Pentium, Pentium Pro The sixth generation of the Intel x86 family of CPU chips. The term may refer to the chip or to a PC that uses it. Introduced in 1995 as the successor to the Pentium, models from 150 MHz to 200 MHz were released. or Digital Alpha AXP The brand name Digital gave to its first family of Alpha-based computers. In 1998, Digital was acquired by Compaq. See Alpha. processor. AccelSTAR will ship in December 1996 and will be available through AccelGraphics' distributors, dealers and OEMs. The suggested retail pricing is as follows: -0- AccelSTAR 4: $595 AccelSTAR 8: $695 -0- Special Bundle for AutoCAD Users AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop users can benefit from the unique, powerful combination of the recently announced AccelVIEW 3D 2.0 award-winning software and AccelSTAR. The bundle of AccelVIEW 3D 2.0 and AccelSTAR 4 lists for $695 and the bundle of AccelVIEW 3D 2.0 and AccelSTAR 8 lists for $795 -- only $100 over the price of the base hardware. When purchased separately, AccelView 3D 2.0 is $395. Much more than a viewer, AccelVIEW 3D brings true 3D capabilities to AutoCAD. It is fully integrated into AutoCAD, allowing full editing with sophisticated graphics features including smooth shading, Z buffering, lighting, and material properties -- all accelerated via the AccelSTAR hardware. AccelGraphics, Inc. AccelGraphics develops, manufactures and markets high-performance three dimensional graphics accelerators for computer-aided design computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), form of automation that helps designers prepare drawings, specifications, parts lists, and other design-related elements using special graphics- and calculations-intensive and engineering and other professional markets. AccelGraphics' 3D graphics accelerators enable technical professionals to visualize 3D data quickly and interactively, thereby dramatically enhancing user productivity when using 3D applications. AccelGraphics, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose and can be reached via phone at 800/444-5699. Fax: 408/441-1599. Internet: http://www.accelgraphics.com. Headquartered in San Francisco, Kinetix is a division of Autodesk. Visit Kinetix on the internet at http://www.ktx.com. -0- Note to Editors: AccelSTAR is a trademark; AccelGraphics and AccelVIEW are registered trademarks of AccelGraphics. OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics. Kinetix, ktx.com and 3D Studio Max are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks the are property of their respective companies. CONTACT: AccelGraphics, Inc. Niraj Swarup, 408/441-1556 E-mail: aginfo@ag3d.com or Sterling Communications, Inc. Carol Nash, 408/441-4100 E-mail: cnash@sterlingpr.com |
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