Dr. Dobb's | NVIDIA Makes Rendering Software Freely Available

NVIDIA Makes Rendering Software Freely Available

3D rendering software for design, animation, and postproduction

June 02, 2008
URL:http://www.drdobbs.com/embedded-systems/nvidia-makes-rendering-software-freely-a/208401440

NVIDIA has announced Gelato Pro 2.2 freely downloadable GPU-accelerated rendering software for professionals. Gelato software is a GPU-accelerated, final-frame renderer for creating computer-generated images using NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards. Originally developed to render film and broadcast visual effects and animation, Gelato software can be used with 3D software applications that require advanced rendering such as game development, CAD, industrial design, and architecture.

Features of the Gelato renderer include sub-pixel antialiasing, true displacement, high-quality motion blur, depth of field, support for NURBS, subdivision surfaces, particles, and ray tracing, including global illumination effects and ambient occlusion. The programmable Frantic Films' Amaretto plug-in provides advanced rendering functionality with Autodesk's 3ds Max software; complementing the Mango plug-in for rendering with Autodesk's Maya software.

"NVIDIA Gelato Pro 2.2 software is extremely powerful GPU-accelerated rendering software and we are excited to support the creative community by making it freely available," said Dominick Spina, senior product manager, Digital Film Group, NVIDIA. "Now all artists and designers with NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards can enhance their production pipelines with Gelato Pro -- without a licensing fee."

Gelato Pro 2.2 will be the final version of NVIDIA Gelato rendering software. Moving forward, the NVIDIA Gelato and mental images rendering teams will focus on the development of mental ray software, reinforcing NVIDIA's investment in, and commitment to, accelerated rendering.