Kinetix opens second year with industry-leading sales, new plug-ins, and broad expansion in design visualization market; Company's '3D on the PC' focus drives 57 percent growth in software shipments.SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1997--Kinetix(TM) today marked the start of its second year as an independent business unit of Autodesk(R) Inc. with sweeping announcements that underscore The underscore character (_) is often used to make file, field and variable names more readable when blank spaces are not allowed. For example, NOVEL_1A.DOC, FIRST_NAME and Start_Routine. (character) underscore - _, ASCII 95. the worldwide success of its 3D product lines. In a series of announcements, Kinetix unveiled the availability of two new plug-ins for its flagship 3D Studio MAX(TM) software, and reported it is expanding its global presence in the 3D design conceptualization con·cep·tu·al·ize v. con·cep·tu·al·ized, con·cep·tu·al·iz·ing, con·cep·tu·al·iz·es v.tr. To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: and visualization Using the computer to convert data into picture form. The most basic visualization is that of turning transaction data and summary information into charts and graphs. Visualization is used in computer-aided design (CAD) to render screen images into 3D models that can be viewed from all market. Kinetix also announced that in less than a year, it has shipped more than 25,000 copies of 3D Studio MAX, the world's best-selling best·sell·er also best seller n. A product, such as a book, that is among those sold in the largest numbers. best 3D modeling and animation solution for PCs. "Kinetix is entering its second year at full speed, and we have no intention of slowing down," said Larry Crume, Autodesk vice president and general manger manger cattle trough which served as crib for Christ. [N.T.: Luke 2:7] See : Nativity of Kinetix. "People everywhere are using 3D to revolutionize rev·o·lu·tion·ize tr.v. rev·o·lu·tion·ized, rev·o·lu·tion·iz·ing, rev·o·lu·tion·iz·es 1. To bring about a radical change in: Television has revolutionized news coverage. 2. the way they work on PCs. Today's announcements will make it even easier for them to create workstation-class content on personal computers running 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. (R) and Windows 95(R)." New MAX plug-ins available Adding to the list of more than 120 plug-ins designed especially for 3D Studio MAX, Kinetix and Second Nature Industries today announced the delivery of HyperMatter(TM). HyperMatter revolutionizes the process of adding lifelike realism to creatures and other soft, non-rigid 3D objects. The new plug-in delivers to the affordable PC platform innovative animation capabilities that eclipse those of even the most powerful workstations and graphics supercomputers. The exclusive worldwide distributor of HyperMatter for 3D Studio MAX, Kinetix announced it is establishing a new distribution program for a limited number of plug-ins designed for its family of 3D software products, including 3D Studio MAX and Hyperwire(TM). The program, which Kinetix plans to extend to developers on a case-by-case basis, is intended to enhance the worldwide availability and marketing presence of strategic plug-ins and third-party products for Kinetix software. Kinetix today also unveiled Character Studio Release(TM) 1.1, an updated version of the award-winning plug-in application for 3D Studio MAX, now available for systems running Microsoft(R) Windows 95. The new version runs without modification on both Windows NT and Windows 95, thereby bringing the application to millions of animators Famous animators no longer living
Kinetix also announced that the creators of Character Studio's revolutionary BIPED(TM) component have been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. BIPED is Character Studio's exclusive, footstep-driven 3D character and animation system for animating an·i·mate tr.v. an·i·mat·ed, an·i·mat·ing, an·i·mates 1. To give life to; fill with life. 2. To impart interest or zest to; enliven: people and other two-legged characters. Global expansion into design visualization Also today, Kinetix announced that it is expanding its global presence in the 3D design conceptualization and visualization market. With the customer base of the 3D Studio product family topping 90,000, Kinetix has grown popular as a provider of 3D modeling and animation solutions for architects, engineers and other design professionals. With the MAX DWG (filename extension) dwg - The filename extension for Autodesk drawing files. http://faqs.org/faqs/graphics/fileformats-faq/part3/. (TM) plug-in and Designers Utility Pack, designers around the world are using 3D Studio MAX to turn 2D drawings and blueprints into dynamic and realistic, three-dimensional walk-throughs and animations. Kinetix customers include some of the world's largest and most innovative multinational design firms: Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK); Morphosis morphosis /mor·pho·sis/ (mor-fo´sis) the process of formation of a part or organ.morphot´ic mor·pho·sis n. pl. ; Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, American architectural firm founded in 1936 in New York City by Louis Skidmore (1897–1962), Nathaniel A. Owings (1903–84), and John O. Merrill (1896–1975). ; Parsons Brinckerhoff Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) is a planning, engineering, program and construction management organization. The company has been involved in planning and designing some of the world's largest public works projects, such as Boston's Big Dig, Britain's rail system Network Rail; ; Genzler Associates; Kenzo Tange Noun 1. Kenzo Tange - Japanese architect (born in 1913) Tange Associates; Ellerbe Beckett; URS URS Yours URS Ultimate Roulette System URS Uniform Reporting System URS User Requirement(s) Specification URS Undergraduate Research Symposium URS Unified Registration Statement URS Undergraduate Research Scholars Greiner; Perkins and Will  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . ; HNTB HNTB Howard Needles Tammen and Bergendoff (Architecture) HNTB Holland Nordic Basketball Tournament (Groningen, the Netherlands) HNTB How Not to Babble (Toastmasters Club) Architects; and NBBJ NBBJ Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johanson (Seattle, Washington Architectural & Planning Firm) . Kinetix continues MAX momentum Today, Kinetix also announced that its products are becoming the established tools of choice for 3D animation in the entertainment marketplace. Using 3D Studio MAX and Character Studio, Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. and several top computer animation studios are breaking new television ground with cutting-edge 3D animation segments that appear regularly on Hanna-Barbera's popular series, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest “Race Bannon” redirects here. For other uses, see Race Bannon (disambiguation). Jonny Quest (often referred to as The Adventures of Jonny Quest . Three major computer animation studios -- Blur Studio This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. , Sony Pictures Imageworks Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. is an Academy Award-winning, state-of-the-art visual effects and character animation company. Individuals at the company have been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with Oscars for their work on Spider-Man 2 and XAOS Inc. -- use Kinetix software to create one of the first 3D segments to be regularly featured in a major animated television series “Animated series” redirects here. For full information about animated series, see Animated cartoon. Animated Series are a television series produced by means of animation. . Since its introduction in April 1996, 3D Studio MAX has developed widespread acceptance throughout the world, with 25,000 copies shipped to customers in every part of the globe and in a variety of markets. With 3D Studio MAX, Kinetix's 3D Studio product family unit shipments grew 57 percent over the same period the previous year, when the group operated as Autodesk Multimedia. With 3D Studio MAX garnering more than 25 industry awards in 1996, Kinetix reported far-reaching acceptance among customers within its core 3D film, video and broadcast, and interactive game authoring markets. Meanwhile, the group saw tremendous growth in two strategic expansion markets: 3D design visualization and World Wide Web content creation. For Web content authoring, 3D Studio MAX integrates with Hyperwire, Kinetix's powerful tool for creating interactive 2D and 3D Web titles. Hyperwire allows Web site developers and Intranet administrators to extend and improve their existing content by making it available via the World Wide Web. About Kinetix Kinetix develops and delivers affordable content creation tools for professionals such as film and video producers, video/computer game developers, Web content developers, architects, engineers, and designers. The leader in PC-based 3D modeling and animation tools with more than 45 percent of the professional market, Kinetix provides a full range of products for the application development process, from 2D and 3D creation to assembly and delivery. 3D Studio MAX, the company's flagship product A primary product of a company, which is typically why the company was founded and/or what made it well known. For example, MS-DOS, Windows and the Microsoft Office suite have been flagship products of Microsoft. CorelDRAW is a flagship product of Corel Corporation. , won more than 25 industry awards in 1996. With headquarters in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , Kinetix is a division of Autodesk, the fourth largest PC software company in the world with three million customers in 150 countries. Visit Kinetix on the World Wide Web at http://www.ktx.com, or contact the company at 800/879-4233. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These include the timely development and acceptance of new products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and the other risks detailed from time to time in Autodesk's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. filed in December 1996. -0- Note to Editors: Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, and AutoCAD are registered trademarks, and 3D Studio MAX, Kinetix, ktx.com, MAX DWG, Character Studio and Hyperwire are trademarks, of Autodesk, Inc. Windows, Windows NT and Microsoft Internet Explorer See Internet Explorer. are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation (company) Microsoft Corporation - The biggest supplier of operating systems and other software for IBM PC compatibles. Software products include MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Microsoft Access, LAN Manager, MS Client, SQL Server, Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC), MS Mail, . HyperMatter is a trademark of One Picture Limited. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. CONTACT: Kinetix Melisa Bell, 415/547-2258 melisa.bell@ktx.com =================================================================== Kinetix and Second Nature deliver HyperMatter plug-in for 3D Studio MAX; Exclusive worldwide distribution arrangement marks launch of Kinetix initiative to sell third-party plug-in software Business Editors & Computer Writers SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1997--Kinetix(TM) and Second Nature Industries today announced the delivery of HyperMatter(TM), a new plug-in for 3D Studio MAX(TM) that revolutionizes the process of adding lifelike realism to creatures and other soft, non-rigid 3D objects. HyperMatter is available today exclusively as a plug-in for the award-winning 3D Studio MAX modeling and animation solution. HyperMatter delivers to the affordable PC platform innovative animation capabilities that eclipse those of even the most powerful workstations and graphics supercomputers. Kinetix also announced that it is the exclusive worldwide distributor of HyperMatter for 3D Studio MAX, and plans to strike similar arrangements with a select number of plug-in developers. With an extensible software architecture that makes plug-in application development simple, 3D Studio MAX -- the world's leading 3D modeling and animation application for PCs -- has attracted more than 120 third-party products ranging from modeling and character animation Character animation is a specialized process of the animation process, concerning the animation of one or more characters featured in an animated work. It is usually as one aspect of a larger production, and often to complement voice acting. systems to video compositing and hardware acceleration In computing, hardware acceleration is the use of hardware to perform some function faster than is possible in software running on the normal (general purpose) CPU. Examples of hardware acceleration include blitting acceleration functionality in graphics processing units (GPUs) and boards designed to drive workstation-class 3D graphics and animation features. "HyperMatter joins the growing family of remarkably unique animation software designed for 3D Studio MAX, including the patented and award-winning Character Studio(TM) for animating 3D characters," said Larry Crume, Autodesk(R) vice president and general manager of Kinetix. "With HyperMatter, animators for the first time have the ability to accurately simulate the fluid, elegant movements of pliable objects and real-world interaction. Running on PCs with 3D Studio MAX, HyperMatter does what no other commercial software has been able to do -- at any price and on any platform." HyperMatter redefines computer animation by simulating the reactions of animated non-rigid objects, allowing them to do almost anything real objects can. By adjusting variables such as elasticity and gravity, HyperMatter can also create outlandish out·land·ish adj. 1. Conspicuously unconventional; bizarre. See Synonyms at strange. 2. Strikingly unfamiliar. 3. Located far from civilized areas. 4. Archaic Of foreign origin; not native. and often humorous distortions. HyperMatter equips objects with real-life properties and then uses physics-based computations to animate them, giving animators complete control of an object's characteristics and behaviors. For instance, animators can squash, deform, stretch, wobble wobble /wob·ble/ (wob´'l) to move unsteadily or unsurely back and forth or from side to side. See under hypothesis. wob·ble n. 1. , twist and bend objects while retaining all of the article's real physical attributes. With HyperMatter, people, pillows, balls, marshmallows, clouds, curtains or any soft object can swing, drop or stretch, or hang by their corners. These objects can also be bounced off of walls, floors or even each other. HyperMatter also allows animators to apply realistic movements to human hair or animal fur -- a capability previously found only on expensive, proprietary graphics solutions. Because HyperMatter's real-time simulations are physically correct, an object's actions and reactions match their behavior in the real world. Kinetix launches distribution initiative With the delivery of HyperMatter, Kinetix announced it is establishing a new distribution program for a limited number of plug-ins designed for its family of 3D software products, including 3D Studio MAX and Hyperwire(TM). The program, which Kinetix plans to extend to developers on a case-by-case basis, is intended to enhance the worldwide availability and marketing presence of strategic plug-ins and third-party products for Kinetix software. "We are delighted to name Kinetix the exclusive worldwide distributor for HyperMatter for 3D Studio MAX," said Blair Harrison, software designer and founder of Second Nature Industries. "The revolutionary nature of HyperMatter and the shift in animation paradigm it represents required an architecture of extreme depth and flexibility. After years of evaluating animation platforms, we found in 3D Studio MAX a system that not only fulfilled our needs, but also enabled us to provide a real-time, interactive implementation of HyperMatter." 3D Studio MAX installs third-party plug-in applications seamlessly as part of the main application interface. Installation is as simple as dragging and dropping a plug-in icon into the 3D Studio MAX plug-in folder. Once installed, the plug-in application appears as a built-in function of the software platform. Breakthrough physics-based technology HyperMatter incorporates breakthrough, physics-based software technology to distort and animate soft 3D objects and creatures in real time. While existing frame-by-frame techniques can produce relatively realistic movement of rigid objects, they remain unable to recreate the elegant and fluid movements of a non-rigid object, such as a Sumo sumo: see wrestling. sumo Japanese form of wrestling.A contestant loses if he is forced out of the ring (a 15-ft circle) or if any part of his body except the soles of his feet touches the ground. wrestler falling to the floor, a sea lion sea lion, fin-footed marine mammal of the eared seal family (Otariidae). Like the other member of this family, the fur seal, the sea lion is distinguished from the true seal by its external ears, long, flexible neck, supple forelimbs, and hind flippers that can be playing on a beach, or a bowl of Jello salad Jell-O salad, or congealed salad is the common name for a molded salad made with flavored gelatin, fruit, or, more rarely, vegetables. Other ingredients may include cottage cheese, cream cheese, marshmallows, nuts or pretzels. being set on a picnic table A picnic table (or sometimes a picnic bench) is a modified table with benches expressly for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors (picnicking). In the past, picnic tables were typically made of wood, but modern tables can be made out of anything from recycled plastic to . By employing the laws of physics, HyperMatter provides an accurate underlying physical model to produce a natural resulting motion. As a result, animators can simulate the subtleties of the movements associated with soft objects. With two mouse clicks HyperMatter automatically adds a real-life simulated effect to an existing animation. HyperMatter features include: -- Real-World Attributes: Allows users to rubberize rub·ber·ize tr.v. rub·ber·ized, rub·ber·iz·ing, rub·ber·iz·es To coat, treat, or impregnate with rubber. rubberize or -ise Verb [-izing, or elasticize objects, as well as apply the forces of gravity and friction, and the effects of density. -- Dynamic Simulation Dynamic Simulation is similar to a physics engine, the technology used in many powerful computer graphics software programs, like 3ds Max, Maya, Lightwave, and many others to simulate physical characteristics. : Precisely simulates the dynamic movements found in the real world like balls bouncing, coat tails flying, or flags waving. -- Real-time Interactive Performance: Enables animated objects to interact with each other in real time, with physically realistic results. -- Full Collision Detection See CSMA/CD and collision avoidance system. (networking) collision detection - A class of methods for sharing a data transmission medium in which hosts transmit as soon as they have data to send and then check to see whether their transmission has suffered a collision with Between Deforming Objects: Allows animators and game developers to coordinate collisions and reactions among 3D elements. -- Complete Control Over Object Behaviors: With an infinite number infinite number a number so large as to be uncountable. Represented by 8, frequently obtained by 'dividing' by zero. of variable combinations, animators can precisely tune the look of an object in motion. HyperMatter is available today as a plug-in application for 3D Studio MAX and is U.S. list priced at $800. HyperMatter is available exclusively from Kinetix. 3D Studio MAX also is available now and is U.S. list priced at $3,495. About Second Nature Second Nature Industries is an independent software development company based in London, England. Second Nature develops tools for Computer Animation and Computer Generated Imaging. Its team of software developers, animators and artists are committed to providing the most original, innovative and unique tools for those who create digital content. Started in 1995, Second Nature's first product is the revolutionary HyperMatter for 3D Studio MAX. The company intends to continue developing intuitive and elegant solutions to the most challenging problems in computer graphics and multimedia. About Kinetix Kinetix, the leader in PC-based 3D modeling and animation tools with more than 45 percent of the professional market, develops and delivers affordable content creation tools for professionals such as film and video producers, video/computer game developers, Web content developers. Visit Kinetix on the World Wide Web at http://www.ktx.com, or contact the company at 800/879-4233. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These include the timely development and acceptance of new products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and the other risks detailed from time to time in Autodesk's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-Q filed in December 1996. -0- Note to Editors: Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, and AutoCAD are registered trademarks, and 3D Studio MAX, Kinetix, ktx.com and Hyperwire are trademarks, of Autodesk, Inc. Windows, Windows NT and Microsoft Internet Explorer are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. HyperMatter is a trademark of One Picture Limited. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. --30--rn/sf kvc/sf CONTACT: Kinetix Melisa Bell, 415/547-2258 melisa.bell@ktx.com =================================================================== Character Studio from Kinetix moves to lower-cost PCs running Windows 95; Revolutionary footstep-driven animation system earns U.S. patent Business Editors & Computer Writers SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1997--Kinetix(TM) today unveiled Character Studio(TM) Release 1.1, an updated version of the award-winning plug-in application for 3D Studio MAX(TM), now available for systems running Microsoft(R) Windows 95(R). The new version runs without modification on both Windows NT and Windows 95, thereby bringing the application to millions of animators using lower-cost PC systems. Kinetix also announced today that the creators of Character Studio's revolutionary BIPED(TM) component have been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. BIPED is Character Studio's exclusive, footstep-driven 3D character and animation system for animating people and other two-legged characters. "The launch of Character Studio on the Windows NT platform set a new standard for 3D character animation on the PC," said Larry Crume, Autodesk(R) vice president and general manager of Kinetix. "With Release 1.1, we are making this innovative, patented animation technology available to millions more animators, designers and artists who can create lifelike 3D animations on low-cost, Windows 95 systems." Character Studio integrates two breakthrough components: BIPED, the world's only footstep-driven character animation system; and Physique physique /phy·sique/ (fi-zek´) the body organization, development, and structure. phy·sique n. The body considered with reference to its proportions, muscular development, and appearance. (TM), a system that creates remarkably realistic character skins and musculature musculature /mus·cu·la·ture/ (mus´kul-ah-cher) the muscular apparatus of the body or of a part. mus·cu·la·ture n. The arrangement of the muscles in a part or in the body as a whole. . The result is a faster and more economical path to animating realistic 3D characters. "Character Studio greatly simplifies the task of setting up character animations, speeding the animator through the first 70 percent of the process," said David Stinnett, Co-Creative Director at Blur Studio, a Venice, Calif., animation and visual effects studio whose recent projects include lengthy 3D animations for several episodes of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest television series. "With the help of BIPED, the animator can spend less time dealing with the technical aspect of setting up character animations. He or she now can put that saved time toward more creative pursuits by fine tuning Fine Tuning is the name of XM Satellite Radio's eclectic music channel. The program director for Fine Tuning is Ben Smith. The channel is described as "A musical oasis for the sophisticated listener culled from every imaginable genre and country. and really giving life to animated characters." Character Studio's patented BIPED component lets animators place footsteps into a scene to create accurate and believable be·liev·a·ble adj. Capable of eliciting belief or trust. See Synonyms at plausible. be·liev  a·bil motion including walking, running, jumping, dancing or riding. BIPED allows animators to define different variables -- such as a character's physical attributes and the gravity under which it moves -- and then retains those details as the character "follows" footprints placed in front of them throughout the scene. BIPED automates physically correct movement, allowing animators to spend more time designing subtle characteristics and visual personality points for their animated characters. The patent, titled "Computer User Interface for Step-Driven Character Animation," covers any system that employs footsteps -- seen spatially in a "viewport (1) In the Macintosh, the entire scrollable region of data that is viewed through a window. (2) Same as window. " or temporally along a timeline -- as a means of either creating or editing multi-legged character animation. Character Studio was developed for Kinetix by Unreal Pictures, Inc. Based in Palo Alto Palo Alto, city, California Palo Alto (păl`ō ăl`tō), city (1990 pop. 55,900), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1894. Although primarily residential, Palo Alto has aerospace, electronics, and advanced research industries. , Calif., Unreal Pictures is led by award-winning animation researchers Michael Girard, Susan Amkraut and John Chadwick John Chadwick (21 May 1920 – 24 November 1998) was an English linguist and classical scholar most famous for his role in deciphering Linear B, along with Michael Ventris. . Character Studio Release 1.1 will be distributed free to registered Character Studio users. Character Studio is available now as a plug-in application for 3D Studio MAX and is U.S. list priced at $995 from Kinetix, as well as its dealers, resellers and distributors. 3D Studio MAX is U.S. list priced at $3,495. About Kinetix Kinetix, the leader in PC-based 3D modeling and animation tools, develops and delivers affordable content creation tools for professionals such as film and video producers, video/computer game developers, Web content developers, architects, engineers, and designers. Visit Kinetix on the World Wide Web at http://www.ktx.com, or contact the company at 800/879-4233. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These include the timely development and acceptance of new products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and the other risks detailed from time to time in Autodesk's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-Q filed in December 1996. -0- Note to Editors: Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, and 3D Studio are registered trademarks, and 3D Studio MAX, Kinetix, ktx.com, Character Studio, BIPED and Physique are trademarks, of Autodesk, Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. --30--rn/sf kvc/sf CONTACT: Kinetix Melisa Bell, 415/547-2258 melisa.bell@ktx.com =================================================================== Top animators use 3D Studio MAX, Character Studio to create 3D segments for Hanna-Barbera's Jonny Quest series; ground-breaking cartoon series A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs created or adapted for television broadcast with a common series title, usually related to one another. mixes three kinds of animation Business Editors & Computer Writers HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1997--Using powerful PC-based tools from Kinetix(TM), Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. and several top animation studios Animation studio can refer to:
Three major computer animation studios -- Blur Studio, Sony Pictures Imageworks and XAOS Inc. -- are using 3D Studio MAX(TM) and Character Studio(TM) from Kinetix to create one of the first 3D segments to be regularly featured in a major animated television series. Over the course of the series' first season, which began airing in August of last year, Hanna-Barbera commissioned a total of 90 minutes -- or some 162,000 frames -- of 3D content. Because the production involved a mixture of three distinct animation styles -- traditional cel, digital ink-and-paint, and cutting-edge 3D animation -- Hanna-Barbera producers hired several computer animation studios to collaborate on the CGI/3D animation segments of Jonny Quest, an updated revival of the 30-year-old action/adventure classic. Kinetix's 3D Studio MAX, the world's best-selling 3D modeling and animation application for PCs, and its revolutionary Character Studio character animation system, have been the tools of choice for authoring most of the 3D segments. "The sheer scope and schedule of the 3D project dictated that we locate and work with studios and tools that would create character animation in great volume, as well as maintain the look and feel that we envisioned for the series," said Karen Ferguson, Visual Effects Supervisor for Jonny Quest. Regularly appearing in half of the show's 52 episodes during its first year, the 3D spots transport viewers to "Questworld," a virtual reality-style, immersive environment in which the show's youthful main characters -- Jonny and his best friends Hadji and Jessie -- face supernatural phenomena and evil-doers. Each Questworld segment varies in length, with the longest segment running 12 minutes. "With its marriage of different animation techniques and its commitment to making 3D a regular feature on the show, Hanna-Barbera is exhibiting the same kind of vision that has helped it establish some of the world's favorite animated classics," said Larry Crume, Autodesk(R) vice president and general manager of Kinetix. "Kinetix is proud to have a hand in to be concerned in; to have a part or concern in doing; to have an agency or be employed in. See also: Hand creating the three-dimensional look and feel of this remarkable series." The award-winning 3D Studio MAX delivers several capabilities found only on expensive applications available for costly UNIX UNIX Operating system for digital computers, developed by Ken Thompson of Bell Laboratories in 1969. It was initially designed for a single user (the name was a pun on the earlier operating system Multics). (R) platforms. With an extensible plug-in architecture, 3D Studio MAX has attracted more than 120 plug-ins from over 200 software developers. Character Studio, the award-winning plug-in application for 3D Studio MAX, incorporates a revolutionary and patented footstep-driven 3D character and animation system for animating people and other two-legged characters. About Hanna-Barbera Since its founding in 1957, Hanna-Barbera has remained committed to the cultivation of new talent and innovative production of new product. Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. produces cartoons related to the studio's classic characters and creates new cartoon stars of the future. Hanna-Barbera has produced more than 3,000 half-hours of animated programming, creating such classic characters as The Flintstones, The Flintstones, The family life in the Stone Age. [TV: Terrace, I, 271–273] See : Domesticity Jetsons, Yogi Bear Yogi Bear character with insatiable appetite; always stealing picnic baskets from visitors to Jellystone Park. [Am. Comics: Misc.; TV: Terrace, II, 448–449] See : Gluttony , Huckleberry Hound Huckleberry "Huck" Hound is a fictional cartoon character created by Hanna-Barbera, and the star of the late 1950s animated series The Huckleberry Hound Show, Hanna-Barbera's second series made for television after The Ruff & Reddy Show. and Jonny Quest. Hanna-Barbera, Inc. was acquired in 1991 by Turner Broadcasting System Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (often abbreviated TBS Networks or TBS, inc.) is the company managing the collection of cable networks and properties started by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner from the mid-1970s to the late-1990s. , Inc., and in 1996 Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was acquired by Time Warner Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), formerly known as AOL Time Warner, is the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in New York City, with major operations in film, television, publishing, Internet service and telecommunications. . About Kinetix Kinetix, the leader in PC-based 3D modeling and animation tools develops and delivers affordable content creation tools for professionals such as film and video producers, video/computer game developers, Web content developers, architects, engineers, and designers. Visit Kinetix on the World Wide Web at http://www.ktx.com, or contact the company at 800/879-4233. -0- Note to Editors: Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, and 3D Studio are registered trademarks, and 3D Studio MAX, Kinetix, ktx.com and Character Studio are trademarks, of Autodesk, Inc. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. --30--rn/sf* kvc/sf CONTACT: Kinetix Melisa Bell, 415/547-2258 melisa.bell@ktx.com |
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