EMBARGOED 11th August 2014, 10:00 PST (16:00 GMT) 
Lightworks announce alpha release of ray tracing plug-in; Iray+ for Autodesk 3ds Max

Lightworks (Lightwork Design Ltd.) the world-leading provider of 3D visualisation technology is pleased to announce the alpha release of Iray®+ for Autodesk® 3ds Max®, an intuitive and sophisticated ray tracing plug-in for the leading 3D design software.
 
We’ve built upon NVIDIA’s ray tracing technology, Iray, to create Iray+ for 3ds Max. The plug-in boasts enhancements and additions to the Iray version currently available in 3ds Max, whilst still giving users access to the first-class material technology and unbeatable photorealistic rendering capabilities of Iray.
 
Iray+ for 3ds Max enables users to render in Iray’s Interactive mode, which is not yet available in 3ds Max; Interactive mode allows navigation of rendered models in real-time with near photorealistic quality. We’ve developed a comprehensive library of high-quality materials and an intuitive editing UI, which enables the creation of materials in a process similar to those in real-world materials manufacture. And, we’ve developed Iray+ to support remote rendering enabling users to harness the unlimited GPU power of cloud rendering and render farms.
 
David Forrester, CEO at Lightworks comments; “I’m pleased we’re announcing the alpha release of Iray+ for Autodesk 3ds Max at this year’s SIGGRAPH. Creating a ray tracing plug-in for the market-leading design software [3ds Max] really shows our integration expertise –and highlights how our flexible [Iray+] SDK can be adapted and integrated into design workflows. I look forward to demoing the plug-in for the first time at SIGGRAPH and hope to speak to many users about how our ray tracing technology can enhance their design processes.”
 
With additional features including emissive light surfaces, instant scene update when using ActiveShade and configurable environments, we hope to give 3ds Max users the most sophisticated ray tracing tools available on the market encompassed in an intuitive and accessible workflow.
 
Lightworks will be demonstrating Iray+ for 3ds Max for the first time at SIGGRAPH, ‘The 41st International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques’, in Vancouver from 12-14^th August 2014. Please visit booth 916 and be one of the first to see the alpha release of the plug-in in action.
 
For more information on the product please contact us pr@lightworkdesign.com

 
Editors Notes
About Lightworks
Lightworks (Lightwork Design Ltd.) provide leading 3D visualisation technology to businesses worldwide; our exceptional reputation is built upon our expert integration services and excellence in software development.
 
Lightworks Iray+ combines first-class technology and our software development expertise. Our vision is to make world-leading visualisation easily accessible to all businesses and consumers; from concept design through to the point of sale, we give businesses access to photorealistic ray tracing throughout their workflows and applications. To find out more visit www.lightworkdesign.com
 
*Iray is a registered trademark of NVIDIA ARC GmbH, licensed for use by Lightwork Design Ltd.
 
About Autodesk 3ds Max
Autodesk helps people imagine, design and create a better world. Everyone—from design professionals, engineers and architects to digital artists, students and hobbyists—uses Autodesk software to unlock their creativity and solve important challenges. For more information visit www.autodesk.com

3ds Max® 3D design software provides a comprehensive modelling, animation, simulation and rendering solution for games, film and motion graphics artists. 3ds Max delivers efficient new tools, accelerated performance and streamlined workflows to help increase overall productivity for working with complex, high-resolution assets.3ds Max® 3D design software provides a comprehensive modelling, animation, simulation and rendering solution for games, film and motion graphics artists. 3ds Max delivers efficient new tools, accelerated performance and streamlined workflows to help increase overall productivity for working with complex, high-resolution assets.3ds Max® 3D design software provides a comprehensive modelling, animation, simulation and rendering solution for games, film and motion graphics artists. 3ds Max delivers efficient new tools, accelerated performance and streamlined workflows to help increase overall productivity for working with complex, high-resolution assets.3ds Max® 3D design software provides a comprehensive modelling, animation, simulation and rendering solution for games, film and motion graphics artists. 3ds Max delivers efficient new tools, accelerated performance and streamlined workflows to help increase overall productivity for working with complex, high-resolution assets.3ds Max 3D design software provides a comprehensive modelling, animation, simulation and rendering solution for games, film and motion graphics artists. 3ds Max delivers efficient new tools, accelerated performance and streamlined workflows to help increase overall productivity for working with complex, high-resolution assets.
 
*Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.
 
Iray+ for 3ds Max features:

• Rendering
  • Access to the Interactive and Photoreal render modes
  • Instant scene update using ActiveShade and interactive mode
  • Any renderer can be assigned to any viewport
  • Ability to switch engines independently between local and remote resources including cloud and render farms
• Materials
  • Native MDL support in the max slate and compact material editors
  • A library of high quality MDL materials
  • Support for multiple noise functions
  • Ability to add multiple layers to materials
  • Intuitive material editing UI
  • Ability to import MDL
• Lighting
  • Fast area lights with photometric distributions
  • Emissive materials to make any object emit light
  • Physically correct sky with cloud and atmosphere generation
  • Configurable IBL environments
• Intuitive workflow
  • Ability to tonemap on the fly while rendering
  • Simple controls for frame termination and optimisation