SAN FRANCISCO, Game Developers Conference, March 25, 2009 - Autodesk, Inc.,
(NASDAQ: ADSK) and NaturalMotion Ltd., today announced that the companies
are working to build an advanced integration between their respective
popular game development products - Autodesk Kynapse artificial
intelligence (AI) middleware and morpheme animation middleware engine.
"Animation and AI have become increasingly linked in modern game
development, said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. "Pathfinding
algorithms, for example, require reliable execution by the animation
network; in turn, believable motion requires precise timing and steering by
the AI system."
"Autodesk and NaturalMotion believe there is tremendous potential to
simplify the interaction between AI and animation for game developers, and
to significantly enhance the user experience," added Marc Stevens, Autodesk
vice president, Games Technology Group.
NaturalMotion's morpheme is robust animation middleware designed to give
developers and animators unprecedented creative control over the look of
their final in-game animation by allowing them to author and preview
blends, blend trees and transition graphs in real time. Since its launch in
2007, morpheme has seen rapid adoption in the games industry, including
customers such as BioWare, Eidos, Disney and many other leading publishers.
The latest version, morpheme 2.0, adds natively integrated physics support
for flexible addition and authoring of character dynamics. Morpheme is
designed to integrate with euphoria, NaturalMotion's revolutionary motion
synthesis engine which recently debuted in "Grand Theft Auto IV" and "Star
Wars: The Force Unleashed."
Autodesk Kynapse middleware is a world leading AI solution for games. This
unique, high-performance, AI engine supports 3D pathfinding in destructible
environments, including large-crowd pathfinding in complex terrains. It
also delivers dynamic 3D topology analysis, team co-ordination, and
efficient tools that help automate production. Kynapse has been adopted for
more than 80 AAA titles, including "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning,"
"Fable II," "Alone in the Dark 5," "Crackdown," "Medal of Honor: Airborne"
and "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel." Autodesk also offers Autodesk HumanIK
middleware, a solution for procedural motion adaptation and correction that
helps to enhance existing animation engines.
About NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion Ltd. is a leading entertainment software company with offices
in Oxford (England) and San Francisco (California). The company produces
the widely-adopted animation technologies euphoria, morpheme and endorphin,
used across the game and movie industries by companies such as Rockstar
Games, LucasArts, Disney, Bioware and many others. Backbreaker, the
company's recently announced first in-house game is scheduled for release
later in 2009.
For further information please visit NaturalMotion's website
www.naturalmotion.com
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment
markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has
developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping
solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.
Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize,
simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to
save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, HumanIK and Kynapse are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in
the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or
trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right
to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice,
and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may
appear in this document.
© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
(NASDAQ: ADSK) and NaturalMotion Ltd., today announced that the companies
are working to build an advanced integration between their respective
popular game development products - Autodesk Kynapse artificial
intelligence (AI) middleware and morpheme animation middleware engine.
"Animation and AI have become increasingly linked in modern game
development, said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. "Pathfinding
algorithms, for example, require reliable execution by the animation
network; in turn, believable motion requires precise timing and steering by
the AI system."
"Autodesk and NaturalMotion believe there is tremendous potential to
simplify the interaction between AI and animation for game developers, and
to significantly enhance the user experience," added Marc Stevens, Autodesk
vice president, Games Technology Group.
NaturalMotion's morpheme is robust animation middleware designed to give
developers and animators unprecedented creative control over the look of
their final in-game animation by allowing them to author and preview
blends, blend trees and transition graphs in real time. Since its launch in
2007, morpheme has seen rapid adoption in the games industry, including
customers such as BioWare, Eidos, Disney and many other leading publishers.
The latest version, morpheme 2.0, adds natively integrated physics support
for flexible addition and authoring of character dynamics. Morpheme is
designed to integrate with euphoria, NaturalMotion's revolutionary motion
synthesis engine which recently debuted in "Grand Theft Auto IV" and "Star
Wars: The Force Unleashed."
Autodesk Kynapse middleware is a world leading AI solution for games. This
unique, high-performance, AI engine supports 3D pathfinding in destructible
environments, including large-crowd pathfinding in complex terrains. It
also delivers dynamic 3D topology analysis, team co-ordination, and
efficient tools that help automate production. Kynapse has been adopted for
more than 80 AAA titles, including "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning,"
"Fable II," "Alone in the Dark 5," "Crackdown," "Medal of Honor: Airborne"
and "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel." Autodesk also offers Autodesk HumanIK
middleware, a solution for procedural motion adaptation and correction that
helps to enhance existing animation engines.
About NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion Ltd. is a leading entertainment software company with offices
in Oxford (England) and San Francisco (California). The company produces
the widely-adopted animation technologies euphoria, morpheme and endorphin,
used across the game and movie industries by companies such as Rockstar
Games, LucasArts, Disney, Bioware and many others. Backbreaker, the
company's recently announced first in-house game is scheduled for release
later in 2009.
For further information please visit NaturalMotion's website
www.naturalmotion.com
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment
markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has
developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping
solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.
Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize,
simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to
save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, HumanIK and Kynapse are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in
the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or
trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right
to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice,
and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may
appear in this document.
© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
