Alias/Wavefront Launches First Annual Global 3December Event.

Business Editors

TORONTO, CANADA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2000

Thousands of 3D artists unite in 30 cities to celebrate, learn and

network

Alias|Wavefront(TM), an SGI (NYSE: SGI) company, today announced that it has launched, in conjunction with HP(R), IBM(R), Intel(R) and SGI(TM)the first-ever annual, global event in celebration of the computer graphics (CG) community. Alias|Wavefront ambassador, Mark Sylvester, kicked off the 3December(TM)festivities in Wellington, New Zealand on Sunday, December 3, 2000 while the Western world slept.

Likewise, Sylvester will bring the event to a close in Los Angeles, Ca., 30 cities and 30 hours after its official opening. "3December celebrates artists," he explains, "artists who contribute to the movies we watch and the games we play; artists who design the cars we drive and the utensils we eat with. In a world where the artist is all too frequently under-appreciated, 3December will be a unique opportunity to celebrate with, and be inspired by, other creators from diverse backgrounds from around the globe. So much of our world is digital, virtual, and wired. It's good to be reminded every now and again that we're part of a flesh and blood community."

While each local 3December event has a unique flavor and focus, certain aspects of the event will remain the same throughout all 30 cities including workshops, guest speakers, contests, a 3D Pub(TM), and a chance to hear Alias|Wavefront product announcements and vision for the computer graphics industry. Key executives are personally delivering this vision message in many of the larger event locations including LA, London, New York, Tokyo and Toronto.

Says Alias|Wavefront President, Doug Walker: "As 3D becomes increasingly mainstream the CG industry will grow from a $5 billion industry today into a $25 billion industry in the year 2005. The community that has gathered at 3December is going to help drive this growth. Both the artists and the technology developers will make the next five years of this industry more exciting than the last 15 years of computer graphics history."

Learning

3December attendees not only have the chance to learn more about Alias|Wavefront and its vision for the industry, they also have an opportunity to become more familiar with the company'two major 3D packages, Maya(R) and Studio Tools(TM)Beginner and intermediate workshops on these products are being offered in nearly every city. In addition there will be presentations by customer speakers, giving in-depth details on some of the most current, high-profile design and entertainment projects and an opportunity to buy the recently released Alias|Wavefront book, The Art of Maya(TM).

"I am excited to have the opportunity to share with my fellow designers some stories and examples of CG design,"says Richard Walters, Sr. Designer/Project Manager, Brooks Stevens Design. "is one day when a community that does most of their work in darkened rooms and communicates primarily with email will come together in the flesh, eyes squinting, to unselfishly share their unique talents and knowledge. We at Brooks Stevens Design are thrilled to be a part of it!"

"I believe that this gathering of the 3D world at 3December will prove inspirational for many artists," states Digital Domain's Matthew Butler, CG Supervisor, How The Grinch Stole Christmas and a customer speaker at the London event. "Not only will they get to catch a glimpse of artwork generated from all over the world, they'll have an opportunity to extend their knowledge through workshops and networking with peers."

Announcements

Some key technology announcements have been made around 3December including news of the release of the 3D Paint FX plug-in for Maya 3 which becomes available as of today. (see press release) Other technology news includes announcements from Alias|Wavefront Conductor Partners: members of the company's third party developer program including Cambridge Animation Systems, Cycore, Pulse Entertainment(R), and REALVIZ.

Networking

3December also provides CG professionals and aspiring CG professionals with an occasion to network, recruit and job scout. Close to a thousand people have volunteered worldwide to assist at local venuesthis includes volunteer reporters who will capture the day's events so they can be posted on the (TM)website in near realtime. In this way participants and other interested parties can ""keep in touch with local event festivities as they occur around the world.

"3December is an unprecedented opportunity for the CG community to celebrate, learn and network," says 3December Manager, Peter Gambirasio, Alias|Wavefront, "Some of the most creative people in the world will be in attendance. Whether people are looking to recruit, find a job, augment their skills, or simply meet some of the people who make up the world of CG, 3December gives them that opportunity."

Annual Event

A pilot 3December event was held in the Dutch Academy of Film & Video in Amsterdam on December 3, 1999 attracting more than 1,200 attendees. 3December 2000 expanded this successful pilot project into an annual global event. It is expected that 3December 2001 will expand into more cities and see more involvement from the educational community, with many of the events being hosted within academic institutions. Registration for 3December 2001, via the 3December.com website begins Monday, September 3, 2001. Updates on the event will be available on this site as of mid April, 2001.

About Alias|Wavefront

Alias|Wavefront provides artists with open workflow solutions for creative advantage. As the world's leading innovator of 2D and 3D graphics technology, Alias|Wavefront develops software for the film and video, games, interactive media, industrial design, and visualization markets.

Entertainment customers include Blue Sky, Cinesite, CNN, Digital Domain, Electronic Arts, Industrial Light & Magic, Midway Games, Nintendo, Pacific Data Images (PDI), Pixar, Sega, Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Secret Lab, and Warner Feature Animation.

Alias|Wavefront design customers include AT&T, BMW, Boeing, Fiat, Ford, Honda, General Motors, Italdesign, Kodak, Mattel, Renault, Rollerblade, Teague and Timex.

Alias|Wavefront is a wholly owned, independent software company of SGI(TM)with headquarters in Toronto and technical centers in Seattle and Santa Barbara. Please visit the Alias|Wavefront website at or call 1-800-447-2542 in North America. Readers in Europe can call [phone] or 800 791 174 in Italy; 353 1 890 2244 in the Middle East and Africa; 81 3 3470 8285in Asia-Pacific; and 525 203 0030 in Latin America for the nearest sales office or authorized reseller in their area.

Alias|Wavefront, the Alias|Wavefront logo, the 3Dec logo, 3December, 3December.com, 3D Pub, The Art of Maya and StudioTools are trademarks of Alias|Wavefront, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited. SGI is a trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Maya is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc., exclusively used by Alias|Wavefront, a division of Silicon Graphics Limited. HP is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Pulse Entertainment is a registered trademark of Pulse Entertainment, Inc. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch(TM)Stole Christmas and The Grinch are trademarks of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All other products or companies mentioned are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Alias|Wavefront, 210 King Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 1J7, Tel: [phone], FAX: [phone].