Autodesk Ships CityScape with 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design 2011 Software

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Autodesk Inc. has announced that a modified version of PixelActive’s CityScape 1.8 will be shipped with Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 software, to provide users with rapid urban development capabilities within a more intuitive user interface.

“This version of PixelActive’s CityScape adds support for common GIS imagery and elevation formats, together with faster tools for modeling road networks and terrain, that will help enhance the existing capabilities of 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design software,” said Ken Pimentel, director of visual communication at Autodesk. “With CityScape, 3ds Max Design users can more quickly grab elevation data and satellite imagery from existing government sources and construct a more accurate context for a proposed building site. The combination of 3ds Max Design and CityScape will help customers save time and money.”

CityScape’s export to the Autodesk FBX 2010 data interchange format allows a more tightly coupled, off the shelf workflow between applications. Users can create richer urban environments in CityScape and then export them as FBX files for further development in 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design.

The combined package enables users to create, manage, share and visualize large urban environments. With PixelActive CityScape, detailed urban environments are readily accessible to 3ds Max 2011 or 3ds Max Design 2011 users, helping to significantly speed up environment planning.

“We use Autodesk 3ds Max on a daily basis and reference the software’s design in our own product development,” said Steve Rotenberg, CEO of PixelActive. “Having CityScape bundled with the 3ds Max 2011 products reinforces the value of CityScape as a professional 3D urban modeling program. This bundle will allow users to pick up CityScape and be productive immediately.”

[Ed Note: I hate posting press releases, especially old ones, but the videos I've seen for this were way cool. and seemed to add a great deal of value to the core programs, much like iLogic did for Inventor. I own 3Ds Max Design, but haven't upgraded as of yet, so a test will have to wait]