August 12, 2008

Autodesk Announces MotionBuilder 2009 3D Character Animation Software

Autodesk Inc. announces Autodesk MotionBuilder 2009 software, the latest version of its real-time 3D character animation solution for games, film, and television projects. The 2009 version offers high-quality visualizations within the 3D viewport, an intuitive toolset for real-time simulation, and expanded scripting capabilities for tighter pipeline integration. MotionBuilder 2009 is being showcased at the Autodesk booth (#501) during SIGGRAPH 2008.
Animators now have the ability to perform rigid body dynamic simulations inside the software, giving them a more efficient workflow for producing realistic animations. Support for real-time collisions prevents interpenetration of characters, objects, and other scene elements.
MotionBuilder 2009 enhances support for industry-standard digital content creation applications, so technical directors and developers can integrate the software into a production pipeline and bring data across, quickly and accurately. The Python scripting language now includes a full script editor with syntax checking and command highlighting, which enables technical directors to create custom tools and scripts more efficiently. Enhanced support is also available for workflows involving MotionBuilder and the Autodesk 3ds Max software’s Biped system or the Autodesk Maya software’s Full Body Inverse Kinematics (FBIK) character rig.
 
MotionBuilder 2009 provides support for advanced hardware shaders, improving the quality of the real-time display in the viewport. New Normal Mapping CG shader support allows artists to work with existing normal maps created in Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, or Autodesk Mudbox software and view them in real-time in the viewport.
Autodesk anticipates that MotionBuilder 2009 will be available in October 2008. The software will be available for 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows operating systems, now including the 64-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business operating system. The Autodesk suggested retail price for MotionBuilder 2009 software is $3995. The Autodesk suggested retail price to upgrade from MotionBuilder 7.5 to MotionBuilder 2009 is $995.

Autodesk Subscription with Gold Support is available for purchase simultaneously with the product or upgrade purchase. The Autodesk suggested retail price Subscription with Gold Support for MotionBuilder is $795 per year. Subscription with Gold Support customers qualify for access to the latest software updates, valuable product extensions, telephone and web support, a comprehensive knowledgebase and e-learning materials.