Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 Breaks the Rendering Barrier

Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 Breaks the Rendering Barrier
Producing Higher Quality Imagery and Animation Is Now Faster and Easier

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 9, 2010 - Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced
Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 software - the latest version of its modeling,
animation, rendering and compositing application. A new node-based material
editor, innovative hardware renderer and full-featured compositor are new
features offered in the 2011 release to help accelerate the creation of
compelling imagery and entertainment content.

"Our first priority with 3ds Max 2011 was to make artists more productive
in common everyday workflows," said Stig Gruman, Autodesk vice president of
digital entertainment. "We have re-architected core parts of the software,
introduced a much requested node based material editor streamlining
workflows and added new features, like the painting tools and the
Quicksilver hardware renderer, to help customers meet or beat their
deadlines without compromising either creativity or quality."

Key New Features in Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 Software
Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 has the following new and enhanced features:
o Slate, a new node-based material editor that enables artists to more
easily visualize and edit material component relationships
o Quicksilver hardware renderer, a new multithreaded rendering engine that
uses both the central processing unit (CPU) and the graphics processing
unit (GPU), and can achieve up to 10 times faster rendering than
traditional techniques on common graphics cards
o Ability to view many 3ds Max texture maps and materials in the viewport
to help develop and refine scenes in a higher-fidelity interactive display
environment - without the constant need to re-render
o Extended Graphite modeling and Viewport Canvas toolsets for 3D and 2D
painting of textures directly in the viewport, along with the ability to
paint with object brushes to help create geometry within a scene
o Ability to non-destructively layer local edits on top of referenced
content, helping artists to collaborate more efficiently
o 3ds Max Composite, a full-featured, high dynamic range (HDR)-capable
compositor, based on technology from Autodesk Toxik software


From March 11-13, 2010, visit the Virtual GDC event on the AREA to watch
3ds Max 2011 product demonstrations and customer presentations live from
the Autodesk Game Developers Conference booth. More information is also
available on Autodesk's 3ds Max blogs by Ken Pimentel, Shane Griffith and
Louis Marcoux. Videos of the new features in 3ds Max 2011 are available on
the Autodesk YouTube channel.

Beta Tester Feedback
"The new Object Paint tool and the updated Viewport Canvas are like gold
for game artists," said James Haywood, senior technical artist at Bungie.
"Those two things alone are going to save tons of time creating our game
assets. And the fact that we can save back to version 2010 means that we
can safely make the jump to 2011 midproject without the usual upgrade
jitters."

"The new release is packed full of great new features and refinements to
existing tools," said Martin Coven, founder of Launch Studio. "Building
complex materials is a breeze with Slate. Workflow enhancements in Graphite
tools and the inclusion of 3ds Max Composite put the cherry on top of
2011."

Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that 3ds Max 2011 will be available in English in
April 2010. Autodesk expects to announce Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011
software in late-March 2010. The Autodesk suggested retail price (SRP) for
an Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 stand-alone license is US$3,495.* The SRP to
upgrade from either 3ds Max 2010 or 3ds Max Design 2010 stand-alone to 3ds
Max 2011 stand-alone is $1,745.* Autodesk Subscription is available for
purchase simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase for $495* SRP
per year.

Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 will also be available as part of the Autodesk 3ds
Max Entertainment Creation Suite 2011. The Suite offer customers 3ds Max
2011, together with Autodesk Mudbox 2011 and Autodesk MotionBuilder 2011
software. Artists and production facilities have access to a range of
powerful creative tools at more than 35 percent** cost savings, compared to
purchasing each product separately.

*International pricing may vary.
** International savings may vary.

About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and
entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction,
and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD
software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas
digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies Ø as well as the
last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects Ø use Autodesk
software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time
and money, enhance quality and foster innovation for competitive advantage.
For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, MotionBuilder, Mudbox, Toxik and 3ds Max are registered
trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or
affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered
trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other
brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective
holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services
offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and
is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in
this document. © 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.