Cambridge, MA – April 7, 2010 – GenArts Inc., the premier provider of specialized visual effects software for the film, television and video industries, announced today that it will port its industry-standard Sapphire plug-ins to Autodesk Smoke on Mac. Based on Sapphire 5, GenArts Sapphire™ for Smoke on Mac offers the same great functionality as on the original Smoke platform, with all the cost advantages of Smoke on Mac. The new release will be available by the end of Q2 2010.
The Sapphire Sparks have been highly anticipated since Autodesk shipped its Smoke on Mac product earlier this year. Based on the award-winning Sapphire 5, this release offers the same perfect blend of creativity and productivity that have made GenArts products the industry standard. GenArts Sapphire for Autodesk Smoke on Mac features:
- GPU acceleration for blinding-fast renders and full interactivity at HD resolutions
- Full floating point support for amazing image quality and maximum dynamic range
- New effects, including TVDamage and Technicolor, as well as many new transitions
- A $3,999 price point, consistent with Autodesk’s pricing for the host system
“One of the key advantages of GenArts Sapphire over the years has been its presence on all the major host platforms we care about,” said Alexandre Domingue, President of Post Moderne in Montreal. “We know that we can count on Sapphire to not miss a beat as we integrate Smoke on Mac into our pipeline. We’re also looking forward to the significant performance and image quality benefits that we’ll get from the new features of Sapphire 5.”
“GenArts Sapphire is the must-have tool in the arsenal of the world’s best artists and editors,” said Steve Bannerman, CMO, GenArts. “We’re excited about the potential for Autodesk’s new Smoke on Mac product. As our customers shift their emphasis away from in-house visual effects development and toward a greater reliance on standardized tools from trusted vendors, cost-effective, integrated solutions are becoming key to that transition. We’re thrilled to extend the enhanced creativity and productivity benefits of Sapphire 5 to Smoke on Mac users as they embrace this new platform.”
Pricing and Availability
GenArts Sapphire Smoke on Mac will ship in Q2 2010 and will be priced at $3,999.
For more information on Sapphire for Smoke on Mac visit http://www.genarts.com/sapphire-autodesk-smoke-mac
