Alias/Wavefront Announces Maya Fusion

 

 

 

 

(March 11, 1999) Alias|Wavefront, a Silicon Graphics Inc. company, today announced a technology partnership with eyeon Software of Toronto, Canada to develop Maya(TM) Fusion, a revolutionary new compositing and effects solution for professional digital content creators using Windows NT(R). Maya Fusion will be previewed at The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) tradeshow in Las Vegas, April 19-22, 1999, Sands Convention Center, booth S2425.

An Open Solution Offers More Flexibility

Content creators searching for an affordable, professional off-line compositing and effects solution for broadcast video, HDTV, film and short- format video production will want to include Maya Fusion in their production work flow for its incredible compositing speed and broad support of open industry standards.

As a native Windows NT application, Maya Fusion will provide outstanding compositing and video effects performance with its high-speed, multi-threaded architecture designed for Intel(R) processor-based workstations. As an open solution, Maya Fusion will support industry-standard plug-ins, such as the Ultimatte Corporation's Ultimatte(TM) and 5D Limited's Monsters. For integration with leading animation and video products, including non-linear video editing applications working on different computing platforms, Maya Fusion will also support cross-platform production file formats, such as EDL, QuickTime(R) 3, and OMF.

Bridging the Gap Between 2D and 3D
Maya Fusion will introduce new production techniques for blending live-action 2D video with 3D character animation, including interactive "Z depth" compositing of 3D rendered images, for quick and accurate placement of 3D objects in relationship to live video elements.

"Maya Fusion brings all the graphics elements together by providing an easy way to composite live-action video with 3D characters and visual effects," says Jim Dudman, imaging product manager at Alias|Wavefront. "The extremely fast compositing capabilities of Maya Fusion provide professional artists with the perfect tools to integrate video finishing with 3D visual effects. It's another solid reason for professional artists to move up to Maya and stay ahead of the crowd."

The Partnership with eyeon Software
Maya Fusion will be based on eyeon Software's award-winning Digital Fusion Post(TM) software for Windows NT, which has a proven track record in professional film and episodic television production. Maya Fusion will extend this advanced technology by incorporating tight 2D/3D workflow integration with Maya Complete(TM), Alias|Wavefront's software for 3D character animation and visual effects for Windows NT.

"eyeon's Digital Fusion interface makes sense without sacrificing high-end features," says John-Mark Austin, senior technical director at Rhythm+Hues [LIVE] - The boX. "The combination and integration of these features with the Maya tool set promises to set new standards in digital production. Frankly, we can hardly wait!"

"The technology partnership with Alias|Wavefront allows eyeon to accelerate the development of creative post-production solutions for the digital content creation marketplace," says Steve Roberts, CEO of eyeon Software. "The workflow enhancements in Maya Fusion will provide outstanding integration and greatly streamline the production process."

Pricing and Availability
Maya Fusion for Windows NT will be priced at $5,000 (US) and will be available exclusively through Alias|Wavefront and its authorized resellers. [Price is indicated in US funds and will vary outside of the US.] Customers purchasing Maya Fusion from Alias|Wavefront authorized resellers will receive a free upgrade to Maya(TM) Fusion 2 in Q2, 1999. The Maya(TM) Fusion Lite Edition, a simplified version of Maya Fusion that does not include advanced compositing features, ships with Maya Complete and is included in the Windows NT version only.

 

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