Autodesk 3ds Max Software Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago, Autodesk revolutionized the computer graphics (CG) industry with the introduction of Autodesk 3ds Max software - then known as 3D Studio DOS - one of the first affordable 3D modeling, rendering and animation systems for the PC. Since then, Autodesk has continued to introduce innovative features to empower users in pushing the boundaries of digital entertainment and design visualization.Learn more about how this award-winning software application has enabled the creation of celebrated movies, video games, television shows and commercials at area.autodesk.com/maxturns20. Initially developed by the Yost Group for Autodesk, the first version - 3D Studio DOS r1 - shipped in October 1990, priced at a fraction of the cost of the dedicated workstations then required to create professional 3D animation. The software has since been used to help create Oscar-winning movies, record-setting video games and Emmy-winning television content. Notable entertainment projects include movies "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Hurt Locker"; video games "The Sims", "World of Warcraft" and "Halo"; and television content from the Dancing Baby featured on "Ally McBeal" to Oceanic flight 815‘s crash onto the island in "Lost" and the Emmy award-winning opening sequences of Super Bowls XXXIII and XXXVI. The software has also been used by architects, engineers and designers to help visualize designs before they are built, enabling them to make more informed decisions, communicate the story behind their designs and win more business. Some high-profile projects visualized with 3ds Max are One World Trade Center, the Dallas Cowboys stadium and the Las Vegas Sands Macau Hotel and Casino.

"It is incredible to see how far computer graphics have come over the last two decades and thrilling to think of what will be possible in another 20 years," said Marc Petit, Autodesk senior vice president, Media & Entertainment. "Today 3ds Max - used with our other Digital Entertainment Creation and design tools - is helping hundreds of thousands of 3D artists unleash their creativity and work more productively. Our development teams will continue to look to the future, so that what is not possible today may be possible soon." Autodesk has launched a 3ds Max microsite on the AREA - its online digital entertainment and visualization community - to kick off celebrations of the 20th anniversary. The site includes an interactive historical timeline, an image gallery showcasing 3ds Max art by users from around the world, a trivia game and a forum where users can post a wish for 3ds Max. Content on the site will be updated regularly and will soon include downloadable 3ds Max screensaversVisit area.autodesk.com/maxturns20. Autodesk will continue its 3ds Max anniversary celebrations at the SIGGRAPH computer graphics and technology conference in Los Angeles. On each day of the show, Autodesk will give 3ds Max anniversary T-shirts to attendees wearing old 3ds Max apparel. On Wednesday, July 28, from 5-6 p.m. local time at the Autodesk booth (South Hall, #500), top 3ds Max artists from various industries will share their expertise in a special 3ds Max Anniversary Tips & Tricks Extravaganza. Autodesk is also sponsoring the SIGGRAPH Blur Party to celebrate with the talented artists who use 3ds Max to create incredible 3D art.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Review

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460 delivers revolutionary levels of price/performance. With up to 4x the DirectX 11 tessellation performance of the competition*, GeForce GTX 460 packs highly detailed visuals into your games - without sacrificing high frame rates. And with NVIDIA® 3D Vision™, PhysX®, and CUDA™ technologies, GeForce GTX 460 powers all the incredibly realistic effects that your games can throw its way.

At the beginning of this evaluation, we received two reference cards from NVIDIA. We received one of each version of the GTX 460: a 1GB version and a 768MB version. Since they are both reference cards, they both come with the GPU clocked at 675MHz, the CUDA cores clocked at 1.35GHz, and the memory clocked at 3.6GHFrom the front, these video cards look identical. In fact, when we took them out of the box in which they were shipped, the only way we could tell them apart was that one of them has an NVIDIA logo sticker on the fan hub, and the other does not. In the first photo above, the GTX 460 768MB is on the bottom, and the 1GB version is on the top. On the back side, the 768MB model had significantly more stickers and looked clean and new. The 1GB version has just a few stickers, and it looks like it has been handled quite thoroughly.The GeForce GTX 460 looks like a very small version of the GTX 470. It has NVIDIA’s standard high-gloss black plastic heat-sink shroud complete with NVIDIA logos, and a large 80mm fan centered on the shroud. The video card features two 6-pin auxiliary power supply connectors and a single SLI bridge. Tri-SLI is not supported on the GTX 460, so there is some limits in place here with these more budget cards. On the business end, there are two Dual-Link DVI connectors and a single mini-HDMI port.Looking closely at the back of these video cards, there are a few small differences. First, the 1GB version says "Made in USA", while the 768MB says "PCB made in Hong Kong." This is probably just a difference in these reference cards, as we believe that the retail versions will be made in the same facility. Second the 768MB is missing some surface mount components on the back of the PCB, to the left of the GPU bracket, where the memory would be if it was a 1GB version

POGO gives kids a chance to feature as animated avatars with ‘Chhota Bheem

 POGO is offering kids a never before opportunity to be a part of their much loved show Chhota Bheem. The channel today announced ‘Bheem Ki Team‘, a nationwide contest that will give five kids a once in a lifetime opportunity to star as an animated avatar with their favourite hero Chhota Bheem and his friends in a special on-air vignette on POGO. Through an on-ground school contact programme kids will be invited to send in their reasons why ‘Bheem Ki Team needs him/her‘ and (five) kids with the wittiest answers stand to win this exclusive chance. "POGO‘s remarkable Desi Toon, Chhota Bheem is not only a rating rocker but also kids‘ favorite hero in India. Seeing the immense popularity that Chhota Bheem enjoys amongst kids, we decided to create this innovative initiative where ‘real-life‘ fans meet and star with their favourite ‘animated‘ hero. At POGO, it is our constant endeavor to provide and create multiple platforms for our viewers to interact and build a bond with characters they see on-air and the ‘Bheem Ki Team‘ contest is all about rendering this experience." said Monica Tata, Vice President and Deputy General Manager, Entertainment Networks, South Asia, Turner International India.
Besides promoting the contest on the channel, POGO teams will also be visiting around 500 schools across India to invite entries from kids aged between 4-14 years for the "Bheem Ki Team" contest. New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Kanpur and Allahabad are the cities that are part of this initiative. The contest will start from July 19, 2010 and children can participate by calling 58888388 and completing the line ‘Bheem Ki Team needs me because…‘. The contest will run until August 31, 2010. A strategic acquisition between POGO and Hyderabad based Green Gold studios - ‘Chhota Bheem‘ captured the hearts and minds of kids in the first year of its launch in April 2006. Creating a rating hatrick, the show for three consecutive years made POGO the No.1 channel with highest shares and viewer time spent during Chhota Bheem airing (CS 4-14 All India). Inspired by the legendary Bheem from the Mahabharata, Bheem stands for his strength and integrity. This fictional take revolves around iconic Bheem, as a nine year old brave and intelligent boy from an imaginary village Dholakpur, who loves to eat and always offers a helping hand to his friends and other villagers.