January 22, 2007

Autodesk Announces Maya Version 8.5

San Rafael, Calif. - Autodesk Inc. has announced Autodesk Maya 8.5, the latest version of its Maya 3D animation, modeling, and rendering software. Now shipping, Maya 8.5 gives artists enhanced creative control, enabling faster completion of complex animations and simulations.

Maya Nucleus features technology developed by Autodesk's Academy Award-winning Principal Research Scientist Jos Stam. This unified simulation framework allows artists to create elements that interact, in a 3D animation, with other dynamic objects such as fluids, cloth, and rigid bodies.

Maya 8.5 includes Maya nCloth, which is the first module of Maya Nucleus. With Maya nCloth, artists can direct and control a range of simulations, including cloth, plastic, metal, and other materials. Believable cloth-on-cloth simulations with complex cloth collisions, such as a cape over a jacket, can be created more easily. A unique air-pressure model enables artists to use any geometry -- whether a closed, sealed volume such as an inner tube, or an open volume such as a balloon -- to create an inflatable object with internal and external pressure.

Python scripting is also new in Maya 8.5. This open-source programming language helps accelerate facility-specific custom script development and plug-in prototyping, extending and automating Maya production pipelines. Python scripting offers a powerful alternative to Maya software's native scripting language, MEL, while featuring the same deep level of integration with the Maya command engine. Python scripting gives scriptwriters the ability to efficiently manipulate, customize and automate the software.

Maya 8.5 is available as a Universal application release for Intel- and PowerPC-based Macintosh computers (announced separately), as well as on the Microsoft Windows and Linux platforms. The software includes a number of new artist-driven features and performance optimizations.