Game Developers Conference, San Francisco, CA - Booth #230 - March 9, 2005 - Alias announced today that its software developers kit (SDK) for FBX® is now available for free on the Alias website. The FBX SDK was previously priced at $3,500 USD. Alias FBX is a platform-independent 3D authoring and interchange format that provides access to 3D content from most 3D vendors and platforms. The FBX file format supports all major 3D data elements, as well as 2D, audio, and video media elements.

“FBX is a phenomenal success in solving problems around 3D data exchange,” said Geoff Foulds, global industry manager – games, at Alias. “Since Alias purchased Kaydara we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of 3D tools vendors and content creators in virtually every area of 3D, with games leading the way. The logical next step was to make the tools to extend FBX more readily available.”

FBX is the award-winning, platform-independent 3D authoring and interchange format, now supported by over 30 industry vendors, including Alias, Discreet®, Maxon, Softimage® and Strata™.

The FBX SDK is an easy-to-use C++ software development toolkit that allows developers to quickly add FBX support in their applications. This SDK can be freely used in both commercial software development as well as in-house software applications. FBX can be used in any kind of production environment including games development, film, video, broadcast, product and automotive design, architecture, visual simulation and medical visualization.

“The Alias FBX SDK has enabled us to write our own specific tools to extract just the information that we need, in precisely the format our game requires. The availability of the SDK was a determining factor in our choice of animation packages for our next game, as an effective art and animation pipeline is essential for modern game development,” says Peter Johnson, studio head at Venom Games.

Services to Support Developers

Alias is also launching new services in conjunction with the free FBX SDK. Single incident support is available for $149 USD* and allows developers to utilize the Alias hotline for a single incident with free follow up until the incident is resolved. The single incident support program is available to customers in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Additionally, the Alias Professional Services team is ready to provide custom support and consulting services specifically tailored to a client’s development and integration requirements relating to the FBX API. Such custom support provides clients with access to Alias’ world-class professionals on an annual basis – professionals who are equipped to provide API workflow and usage direction, issue evaluation and resolution and in-depth code review and analysis services. These services are available with defined response times and service levels, minimizing risk and ensuring rapid turnaround and minimal disruption to production or development projects.

About Alias FBX

Designed for animators working on state-of-the-art feature films, games, television series and commercials, FBX allows most 3D data types to flow effortlessly between different software applications. Supported data includes all major NURBS and polygon surface types, keyframe and motion capture animation, shapes and morph targets, materials and textures, lights, cameras, hierarchical information and character animation data including IK, envelopes and deformations.

“Professionals are requiring open environments to easily interchange content across multiple products and industries” says Bob Bennett, general manager, product management at Alias. “Alias is pleased to aggressively push the FBX initiative in making it the backbone for multi-application pipelines, content reuse and asset exchange across the entire graphics industry”

Availability

The FBX SDK is available for download today at www.alias.com/fbx.

About Alias

As the world's leading innovator of 3D graphics technology, Alias develops award-winning software, custom development, and training solutions for the film and video, games, web, interactive media, automotive, industrial design, education, and visualization markets. On March 1, 2003, for the awards year 2002, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Alias|Wavefront™ an Oscar® for scientific and technical achievement for the development of Maya® software, the professional 3D animation and effects package. Alias offers a powerful range of services for new to advanced users in the most demanding environments; Learning Tools and training, support, and professional services help meet rigorous production deadlines.

Entertainment customers include: CNN, Digital Domain, Disney, Electronic Arts, Industrial Light & Magic, Factor 5 LLC, Midway Games, Nintendo, Pacific Data Images (PDI)/DreamWorks SKG, Pixar, Sega, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Square Enix Co., Ltd., Warner Feature Animation and Weta Ltd. Design customers include AT&T, BMW, Boeing, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Italdesign, Kodak, Kwikset, Mattel, Price Pfister, Renault, Rollerblade, Sharp, Trek Bicycle, Teague and Timex.

Alias is headquartered in Toronto with a Custom Development Center in Santa Barbara and offices worldwide. Please visit the Alias website at http://www.alias.com or call 1-800-447-2542 in North America. International contact numbers include: Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, +44 (0) 1494 441273; Germany, East & Southeast Europe, 0049 89 31 70 20; France, Spain and Portugal, +33 1 44 92 81 60; Italy, 39 039 6340011; Japan and other parts of Asia Pacific, 81 3 5797 3500 and Latin America, 770 393 1881.

*International pricing may vary

© Copyright 2005 Alias Systems Corp. All rights reserved.

Alias, the swirl logo, and Maya are registered trademarks and the Maya logo and Alias|Wavefront are trademarks of Alias Systems Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. FBX is a registered trademark of Systèmes Alias Québec Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Discreet is a registered trademark of registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc./ Autodesk Canada Co. in the USA and/or other countries. Softimage is a registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Strata is a registered trademark of trademark and/or licensed by Vistedge, Inc. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Alias, 210 King Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 1J7, Tel: 416-362-9181, Fax: 416-369-6140.Alias

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Press Contacts:

Donna Teggart Heather Kernahan

Director, Global Communications Manager, Global Communications

416-874-8592 416-874-8288

dteggart@alias.com hkernahan@alias.com

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