Autodesk Maya 2012 was introduced just in time for the latest GDC conference (Game Developers Conference) in San Francisco, February 28-March 4. Autodesk Maya 3D computer animation software is the industry standard used by all the major game studio's and 3D animators, bringing the best 3D graphics, visual effects and animations. Check out their latest vids introducing all the new feats (scroll down) and read up on some Maya history.
Maya History.
Autodesk was founded in 1981 by John Walker and Dan Drake who created the Marinchip Systems 9900 computer to run Mike Riddle's program called 'Interact' which was the first CAD system running on mainstream computer hardwear, used a.o. by the ARCO oil company to plan deep dives for offshore drilling rigs. Riddle started writing it in 1977. In 1981 he rewrote the program with Drake and Walker to run on the first IBM PC and created AutoCAD. Their company, known as the 'Marinchip software partners' turned into 'Autodesk'. Want to know the skinny? Read John Walker's 'The Autodesk File' (PDF)
Silicon Graphics, Alias research and Wavefront.
In the 1990's,several companies rivaled to bring the best visual effects and computer generated Imagery (CGI) for big budget Hollywood movies.There was Alias research and Wavefront Technnologies. There was also the French TDI (Thompson Digital Image), which was founded in 1986 from the French Ina d3D and Thomson CSF. TDI had innovated in the area of NURBS modeling (Non-uniform rational B-spline) and created their main software package called 'TDI Explore'. While Wavefront bought TDI in 1993, both Alias and Wavefront were acquired by Silicon Graphics (SGI) in 1995, creating the Alias/Wavefront company. Maya 1.0 for Windows was introduced in June 1998 as a result and collected the best of the three companies' products in one package.
Alias Research.Alias research, founded in 1983, had their 'PowerAnimator' software. It was used to create several famous effects for James Cameron's movies. The water creature in 'The Abyss' (1989) and the T2 model in 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day'. (1990) Steven Spielberg's 'Jurassic Park' (1993) is also an excellent example.
Founded in 1984by Bill Kovacs, former employee of 'Robert Abel and Associates'. RA&A pioneered in computer graphics and created some of the earliest digital FX, on 'The Andromeda Strain' (1971) and the powerfull 'Tron' (1982), which won Ken Perlin an 'Academy Award for Technical Achievement' 15 years later, in 1997.
Wavefront first created graphics for television with their 'Preview' software, used a.o. by ABC on their television series 'Knight Rider'. between 1988 and 1992 Wavefront developed several new powerfull programs: the 'Personal Visualiser' rendering software, followed by the 'Data Visualiser' and 'Composer'. In the 1990's they introduced 'Kinemation' (one of the first Inverse Kinematics packages) and 'Dynamation' (creating particle systems). Wavefront's Dynamation technology was used in many movies, like 'Twister' (1996), 'Starship Troopers' (1997) and also on 'Star Trek: Voyager' (1995).
Academy Awards.In 1998 Bill Kovacs reveived a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Science for his work on the advanced visualiser. Jim Hourihan also received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for the creation of 'Dynamation' (which he had based on a program called 'Willy'). In 2003 the Alias/Wavefront company received an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement for their Maya software.
In 2005, Maya was bought by Autodesk for $ 197 million Dollars. Two year later, it also acquired Skymatter Inc., developers of Mudbox. Autodesk continued it's acquisition of high-end 3D developers in 2008 when it bought Avid's Softimage, co. for $ 35 million Dollars. Beside AutoCAD, Maya, Mudbox and Softimage, autodesk also develops 3D modeling and animating package 3ds Max.
Autodesk Maya 2012
Beside Maya, Autodesk has announced new versions (2012) for Mudbox, Softimage, Motion builder and 3ds Max/3ds max design. Maya 2012 will be available in English in April, while other languages will follow later this year. Check out all the cool new gadgets at the Autodesk site or hang out and watch Maya 2012's ´What´s new´ introductory videos right here:
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