CAMBRIDGE, England, June 14, 2005 � ART VPS has released a new 64-bit version of its RenderDrive network system that can accommodate up to 48 of the company�s AR350 dedicated ray-tracing processors.
The new RenderDrive RD6400 provides off-line, final-frame rendering for an unlimited number of users. It can address model sizes of 30-million polygons or more at resolutions that exceed the capabilities of current display devices and printers. Faster I/O speeds are provided by a new gigabit networking system. RenderDrive RD6400 is available in configurations of 16, 32 and 48 AR350 processors.
�RenderDrive RD6400 creates nearly unlimited possibilities for ultra-photorealistic imaging,� says Brian Tyler, ART VPS CEO. �Designers and artists can transcend previous limitations of geometry size, resolution, or administrative problems associated with renderfarms and software rendering.�
The AR350 processor within RenderDrive is specially designed to provide raw performance that speeds up the ray-tracing process. RenderDrive enhances efficiency by assessing each frame and adapting ray depth requirements for specific sections of the image. The AR350 ray-tracing chips process 66 million ray-triangle intersections per second per core. Each AR350 has two cores.
Advanced materials for greater realism
The RenderDrive RD6400 is bundled with RenderPipe plug-in interfaces for current and past versions of 3ds max, Maya, Autodesk VIZ and CATIA. RenderPipe supports Windows and Mac OS platforms. It contains a library of advanced materials, lighting tools, ray tracing, radiosity, HDRI support, motion blur, and depth of field. RenderPipe will support global illumination in its next release, slated for early fall.
�The only solution�.�
ART VPS�s hardware ray-tracing technology is being used in a number of innovative new applications, such as producing computer-generated photographs of prototype cars that are indistinguishable from the real thing, and creating 3D animations with photorealistic quality.
Burrows, a design agency specializing in the automotive industry, uses RenderDrive for billboard-sized renderings and realistic animations of Ford and Mazda products. These images would be impossible to produce with software renderings, according to Derek Price, creative head at Burrows.
�Even though computers have advanced, an interior image that mimics real-life photography with 20 lighting sources, soft shadows and ray-traced shadows would virtually shut down the computer, even for a test render,� says Price. �RenderDrive is the only solution we�ve found that can handle the large CAD data sets we require and give us the highest level of realism for Ford�s automotive marketing materials.�
RenderDrive RD6400 is available immediately. For more information, or to download a free plug-in, visit ART VPS�s website: sweettoof.com.
With RenderDrive the number of details we are able to resolve and refine based on the rendering alone, without prototyping or making physical models, is remarkable.
