Alias Wavefront Ships Maya Fusion 2

 

 

 

 

Integration of Advanced Maya User Interface Features Speeds Workflow

 TORONTO, March 8 -- Alias|Wavefront, an SGI (NYSE: SGI) company, announced the shipment of Maya(R) Fusion(TM) 2, the second major release of its Windows NT(R)-based compositing and special effects software. By incorporating Maya software's UI (user interface) technology with Fusion's proven, award winning tool set, Maya Fusion 2 offers compositors, special effects artists and other digital content creators more creative control and increased productivity in their workflow. This new version makes Fusion's powerful features easier to access via advanced UI technology originally developed for Maya software.

High-end compositing and special effects creators recently joined the desktop revolution. To stay ahead of the competition, these artists must continually create sophisticated, compelling imagery faster and cheaper. Maya Fusion software makes this job easier by providing creative control and interactivity.

"Maya Fusion totally changed the way we work at Digital Muse, providing us with unmatched creative flexibility and sheer production power," said Rony Soussan, Visual Effects Supervisor at Digital Muse. "Maya Fusion 2 is hitting all the right issues with even more productive workflow and faster throughput," he added.

"We've found that customers want a Windows NT-based compositing solution that offers tight compatibility with Maya and other applications for unprecedented 2D and 3D workflow," said Shai Hinitz, Product Manager at Alias|Wavefront. "With the release of Maya Fusion 2, we are seeing improved functionality, integration and extensibility of what is already a winning product for us."

 Maya Fusion 2 marks the continuation of Alias|Wavefront's technology partnership with eyeon Software of Toronto, Canada. Maya Fusion is based on eyeon Software's award winning Digital Fusion POST software for Windows NT, which has a proven track record in professional film and episodic television production.

Key Features in Maya Fusion 2

  • -- Maya Marking Menus - patented UI technology offers fast and intuitive workflow
  • -- Maya TimeSlider - enables several time-related parameters to be viewed and edited simultaneously
  • -- Maya UI navigation - includes dynamic panning and zooming of views
  • -- Maya space bar toggle - expands and collapses UI panels quickly
  • -- UI tabs - offers quick and easy access to all sections of UI
  • -- Image data streaming - allows any image sequence to be played from system disks, assists in media management and clip visualization
  • -- Dynamic Tracking - enables precise tracking in difficult situations
  • -- Fringe color correction - added to all keyers for cleaner more convincing compositing results

Pricing & Availability Maya Fusion 2 for Windows NT is priced at $ 5,000 USD. Customers who have purchased Maya Fusion software from Alias|Wavefront or its authorized resellers will receive a free upgrade to Maya Fusion 2. (International prices will vary outside of the US.)

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.

Alias|Wavefront's film and video customers include Blue Sky, Cinesite, CNN, Digital Domain, Dream Quest Images, Industrial Light & Magic, Pacific Data Images (PDI), Pixar, Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Feature Animation.

Games customers include Acclaim Entertainment, Core Design, Electronic Arts, Factor 5, Kodiak Interactive, LucasArts Entertainment Company, Midway Games, Naughty Dog, Nihilistic, Nintendo, Rare Ltd., Retro Studios, Sega, Single Trac, Sony Computer Entertainment, Square, Timeline Studios, Valkyrie Studios, Relic Entertainment and Westwood Studios.

Alias|Wavefront is a wholly owned, independent software company of SGI(R) with headquarters in Toronto and technical centers in Seattle and Santa Barbara. Please visit the Alias|Wavefront web site at http://www.aliaswavefront.com or call 800-447-2542 in North America. Readers in Europe can call +800 4125 4125 or 800 791 174 in Italy; +353 1 890 2244 in the Middle East and Africa; 8 1 3 3470 8282 in Asia-Pacific; and 525 203 0030 in Latin America for the nearest sales office or authorized reseller in their area.

About eyeon Software
eyeon Software prides itself on providing the industry with professional tools and quick responses to user needs. With a background in visual effects and production, the creators at eyeon developed Digital Fusion(R) software in 1988 to meet the increasing demands of post-production work. The next generation product, Maya Fusion 2 joins eyeon's suite of award winning software.

SOURCE Alias|Wavefront Web Site: http://www.aw.sgi.com