AccelGraphics expands product line with new AG500 advanced 3D graphics accelerator; new product targets high-performance 3D graphics for mechanical CAD and animation markets.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 14, 1995--AccelGraphics Inc., the leading supplier of PCI-based 3D graphics accelerators for Windows NT, today announced the expansion of its product line with the immediate availability of the AG500 graphics accelerator board.

The AG500 provides workstation-class, 3D graphics and imaging performance for PCI-based computer systems. Featuring 12.5 MB of on-board RAM enabling a large frame buffer and overlay support, the AG500 provides the high-end performance and features that were previously only available on expensive UNIX workstations.

The AG500 supports screen resolutions up to 1280x1024 with 16 bit double buffering, a 24 bit Z buffer, double buffered overlay planes, stencil planes and windows IDs. Full support for dual screen configurations is also provided, enabling customers to effectively double their screen real estate with high-performance OpenGL graphics available on both screens. These powerful features along with outstanding performance enable a PC equipped with the AG500 to deliver high-speed viewing and rendering in the popular Windows NT environment. This makes an ideal platform for visually intensive 3D applications, including animation, mechanical design, plant design and walkthrough, and scientific visualization.

Greg Milliken, vice president of marketing for AccelGraphics, stated, "The AG500 is the next step in the AccelGraphics product line. Following the successful AG300 product, the AG500 provides support for a number of sophisticated high-end capabilities like double buffered overlays, GL stencils, and Window IDs. Now, making it possible to run virtually any 3D application in the Windows NT environment -- especially in the areas of high-end animation and complex 3D design and visualization. In fact, the AG500 offers the best price/performance ratio in the graphics and animation industries. Designers and animators can now visualize, edit, and complete their design faster and easier, dramatically reducing time-to-market and increasing overall productivity.

In addition to its high-end 3D graphics features and performance, the AG500 is also capable of delivering a very powerful set of image processing features specifically targeted at the medical imaging and GIS markets. Application developers and system providers in the Medical and GIS markets now have the opportunity to write applications knowing that there is a board with advanced features capable of handling their image-intensive needs. With the AG500, medical imaging and GIS customers can gain the benefits of 24-bit true color, 8 and 16-bit double buffering, 8 and 16-bit greyscale with application-defined color mapping, smooth image panning and zooming, high-speed cinE loops, and hardware accelerated contrast enhancement, also known as "window and level." Hardware-assisted, smooth fractional zooming of 8 and 16-bit high resolution images (1K x 1K) is also made possible with AccelGraphics' patented bi-linear interpolation technology.

In addition to supporting popular CAD applications, such as Structural Dynamics Research Corp.'s I-DEAS Master Series (TM), Parametric Technology Corp.'s Pro/ENGINEER(R), and Bentley System's MicroStation(R), the AG500 supports other graphics-intensive applications, including AVS/Express(TM) from Advanced Visual Systems, JSpace Viewer(TM) from Jacobus Technology, and DesignReview(TM) from Intergraph Software Solutions. Future support of other animation, visualization, and CAD applications is expected to be announced in the near future. The AG500 ships with optimized drivers for Windows NT (which includes a highly-tuned OpenGL installable client driver), ensuring support and increased performance -- for thousands of other PC applications.

The AG500's powerful graphics processor is capable of up to 205K Gouraud shaded triangles per second and up to 750K 3D vectors per second. Furthermore, the AG500's innovative architecture allows performance to scale with the power of the main CPU. Faster processors deliver proportionately faster graphics, lengthening the useful life of the AG500 and providing investment protection in the fast changing computer industry. This is bolstered by AccelGraphics' aggressive strategy of supporting all popular Windows NT platforms, including those based on the Intel Pentium(R), Digital's Alpha AXP(TM) and SGI's MIPS(TM) processors. This ensures that a broad choice of platforms and exceptional price/performance is available with all AccelGraphics 3D graphics and imaging accelerators.

Pricing and Availability

The AG500, with a list price of $3,495 is available immediately from any authorized AccelGraphics reseller and distributor.

AccelGraphics Inc.

AccelGraphics Inc. develops, manufactures and markets high-performance 3D graphics and image processing accelerators for computer-aided design, imaging, animation and visualization markets. Sales distribution is managed through select VARs, OEMs and technical distributors with expertise in these target markets. AccelGraphics' 3D graphics accelerators enable technical professionals to visualize 3D data such as designs and models of mechanical parts and assemblies quickly and interactively, thereby dramatically enhancing user productivity when using 3D applications. AccelGraphics' line of higher-performance 3D graphics accelerators delivers high-end workstation graphics performance on platforms supporting the standard, high-bandwidth PCI bus. Supported systems include those based on Intel Corp.'s Pentium processor, as well as other processors such as the Alpha AXP and MIPS.

AccelGraphics Inc. is headquartered in San Jose and can be reached via phone at 800/444-5699. FAX: [phone]. Internet: [e-mail]. -0-

Note to Editors: AccelGraphics and AG500 are trademarks of AccelGraphics Inc. All other trademarks, service marks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

CONTACT: AccelGraphics Inc.

Greg Milliken, 408/441-1556 or Email: [e-mail]

or

Sterling Communications

Carol Nash, 408/441-4100 or

Email: [e-mail]