Autodesk Ships Autodesk Animator Studio; The Complete 2D Creative Environment for Animating with Unlimited Color and Synchronized Sound.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 1995--Autodesk, Inc., today announced the immediate availability of Autodesk Animator Studio(TM) Release 1, a Windows(R) 3.1-based successor to the award-winning Animator Pro(R) 2D paint and animation software. Filling a technology gap between tools which create still imagery and tools which edit and assemble digital video, Animator Studio offers an artistic approach to the integration of paint, animation, and sound.

Autodesk Animator Studio offers a unique combination of 24-bit 2D paint and animation, digital video, and audio tools for creating and editing the media that comprise most interactive and multimedia applications. Even more importantly, the methods employed by Animator Studio for combining and merging these media are extremely "artist-centric." By applying time-based principles to the paint, motion, and sound capabilities in Autodesk Animator Studio, Autodesk has created the first tool that unites the productivity of a digital media studio with the creative environment of a traditional art studio.

"There are digital `paintbrushes,' like Photoshop(TM), and there are digital `film editing suites,' like Premiere(TM)," said Mark Gerhard, product manager for Animator Studio. "Until now, creating content for digital movies meant relying on a video source, or tediously painting still images and recording them sequentially. By animating the digital paintbrush, Animator Studio automatically creates a sequence of images that a Photoshop can understand, and a Premiere can consume."

Beta Site Reactions

Beta sites for Animator Studio have expressed considerable satisfaction with the first generation of the product. Among those to comment on their initial experiences with Animator Studio:

Cyberlab 7

"We're experimenting with Animator Studio in the creation of animated texture maps incorporating digital video, for use primarily in high-end music videos," said Dan Mapes of Cyberlab 7, an interactive media studio based in San Francisco. "In the past we've had to painstakingly apply digital video to each frame of an animation separately in PhotoShop, then record the frames sequentially on video. With the `paint over time' capabilities of Animator Studio, we can automate this process using keyframes, let Animator Studio do the `tweening,' and get the job done in a fraction of the time."

Sierra On-Line

"Animator Studio is a `must have' tool for computer game and multimedia developers. It provides a versatile set of features for paint and animation, as well as PC video and audio editing," said Jon Bock, art director for Sierra On-Line's Outpost game. "We are relying more and more on Autodesk tools as they approach the power and versatility of higher-end solutions. It's exciting to see such a powerful and flexible set of tools being made so accessible, from both a price standpoint and in terms of learning curve and ease-of-use."

Feature Categories

2D Paint and Animation--Animator Studio offers a comprehensive set of 24-bit, Truecolor tools for creating and manipulating digital imagery, with antialiasing and alpha-channel transparency on all tools. Use onion-skinning, airbrush and freehand sprite tools to paint across any number of frames, using a mouse or pressure-sensitive tablet. Stretch and/or rotate images in 2D or 3D over time, to create television optic effects. Animator Studio reads and writes all standard still-image file formats, as well as animation file formats.

Digital Audio--The product features an integrated studio for recording, editing, and synchronizing audio from sources such as CDs, tapes and external microphones. Sophisticated editing features include the ability to independently modify pitch and tempo to stretch or "squeeze" a sound track to fit an animation without changing its pitch.

Plug-In Architecture--Animator Studio can incorporate Adobe Photoshop-compatible filters, to be used as "inks," for animated image-processing effects. Until October, 1995, the product will ship with a special edition of Kai's Power Tools from HSC Software. A developer kit, which supports the open API of Animator Studio and thus enables users and independent developers to build plug-in inks, will ship separately in the second quarter of 1995.

VFW and QuickTime Support--Animator Studio can output files in a variety of formats, including .FLI, .FLC, .AVI, and QuickTime. A royalty-free run-time player lets users distribute their creations widely and easily via CD-ROMs, diskettes, on-line services, or as a component within any digital presentation.

Digital Clip Library--More than 400MB of professional-quality backgrounds, animations, and sound clips ships with Animator Studio on a CD-ROM delivered with the product. Customers can view, edit, and use these ready-made clips in their productions. The content may be distributed royalty-free.

On-Line Information System--Autodesk Animator Studio provides advanced on-line documentation for all aspects of the program. On-line Help features context sensitivity and hyperlinking, and provides sample animations with sound, modifiable how-to "recipes" to help customers use the product immediately, and the ability to build custom Help sections with the user's own notes and examples.

System Requirements

Autodesk Animator Studio software runs on IBM(R) 486/66 and Pentium(R)-based computers or 100 percent compatibles equipped with Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, 8MB of RAM, and a hard disk with 40MB of available space. A Hi-Color- or Truecolor-capable VGA or SVGA graphics card, CD-ROM drive, sound card, and 16MB of RAM are optional but recommended.

Pricing and Availability

Autodesk Animator Studio software has a suggested list price of US$795; pricing and availability may vary by country and territory, please contact your local Autodesk office or dealer for detailed information. Animator Studio is available in the US through Authorized Autodesk Multimedia Dealers as well as mail order services and major retail outlets. Educational pricing is available for accredited institutions.

Current Autodesk Animator(R), Animator Pro (version 1.0 or 1.3), or Multimedia Explorer(R) owners can migrate to Autodesk Animator Studio at the following prices:

From Animator Pro: US$295

From Autodesk Animator or Multimedia Explorer: US$395

For more information, call Autodesk at 800-879-4233 or enter GO ASOFT on CompuServe(R). Outside the United States, fax inquiries to 415-491-8311. Autodesk's Multimedia Market Group develops and delivers affordable digital media products for professionals, such as film and video producers, video/computer game developers, architects, engineers, and designers. The leader in PC-based multimedia tools, Autodesk provides a full range of products for the application development process, from 2D and 3D creation to assembly and delivery.

Autodesk is the world's leading supplier of computer-aided design (CAD) automation software and the fifth-largest PC software company. The company develops, markets, and supports a family of design automation and professional multimedia software and component technologies for use on personal computers and workstations. A global company since its founding in 1982, Autodesk markets products in 115 countries and 18 languages. Autodesk shares are traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ACAD. For more information on Autodesk, please call 415-507-5000 or type GO ADESK on CompuServe. -0-

Note to Editors: Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, 3D Studio, Multimedia Explorer, Animator Pro and Autodesk Animator are registered trademarks, and FLI and Animator Studio are trademarks, of Autodesk, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. CompuServe is a registered trademark of H & R Block. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT: Autodesk, Inc.

Cindy Dooling, 415/507-6532

Garth Chouteau, 415/507-5885