MUMBAI: Autodesk, Inc. has launched Autodesk Maya 2008 Extension 1 software, which introduces Maya Muscle functionality into the 3D modeling, animation, visual effects and rendering solution. This comprehensive muscle and skin system, recently acquired from Comet Digital, LLC, allows artists to create life-like skin motion through features that let them precisely direct muscle and skin behavior. The toolset integrates extremely well with the Maya architecture and overall workflow, enabling it to be used in isolation, interconnected with other Maya features, or customized and scaled as needed.

Maya Muscle provides technical directors and animators with the tools they need to create detailed skin articulation and animation. These include advanced muscle and skin sculpting and deformation tools, as well as extensive jiggle and weighting options, like slide, sticky and wrinkle weights.

In addition, Maya Muscle can increase artists’ productivity by taking advantage of familiar user interface and workflow features included in Maya 2008, such as the software’s brush-based interface. At the same time, it delivers a number of tools, including automatic rigs, real-time jiggle tweaking, and file caching, designed specifically to make the process of achieving secondary character motion.

Autodesk Maya 2008 Extension 1 is now available for download to Autodesk Maya 2008 Complete and Autodesk Maya 2008 Unlimited Subscription customers with Gold support. The Extension 1 is not sold separately.

Autodesk suggested retail pricing is US$1,999 for Maya 2008 Complete (standalone) and US$6,999 for Maya 2008 Unlimited (standalone).  The upgrade suggested retail price (SRP) from Maya 8.5 Complete to Maya 2008 Complete is US$899, and the upgrade SRP from Maya 8.5 Unlimited to Maya 2008 Unlimited is US$1,249. Subscription with Gold support for Maya 2008 Complete (standalone) is SRP $1,295, and subscription with Gold support for Maya 2008 Unlimited is SRP $1,495.