Undoubtedly with an eye on next-gen game development, NVIDIA has acquired Berlin-based mental images, whose core product is the Academy Award-winning photorealistic rendering software, mental ray. So imagine realtime rendering with raytracing, ambient occlusion and more on NVIDIA-equipped workstations.
According to NVIDIA's press announcement, "This strategic combination enables the development of tools and technologies to advance the state of visualization. These solutions are optimized for next generation computing architectures and create new product categories for both hardware and software solutions."
mental ray is the integrated rendering technology within such leading DCC and CAD software products as Autodesk 3ds max, Autodesk Maya, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, Autodesk's AutoCAD, Dassault Systems CATIA and Solidworks.
In addition, leading vfx companies and studios, such as Buf Compagnie, Digital Domain, DreamWorks Animation, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Rainmaker, The Mill, The Moving Picture Co. and The Orphanage, are among mental images's largest customers. In the automotive, aerospace, advertising and other industries, mental ray is used extensively for product simulation and visualization.
mental images is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of NVIDIA and operates under its brand and leadership team, including Founder Rolf Herken as the CEO/CTO, from its headquarters in Berlin, Germany, as well as its other worldwide locations in Europe, North America and Australia.
mental images has autonomy in running its day-to-day business and continues to serve its customers. mental images develops and serves new business opportunities with its software and solutions business, including mental ray, mental mill and RealityServer, the platform product for the deployment of 3D web applications and application services.
For more information, please go to www.nvidia.com and www.mentalimages.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
