Date: Wed, 23 Mar 1994 16:37:33 +0000 To: scivw@hitl.washington.edu From: Mike King Subject: RenderWare Status: OR Hi, Here is some information about RenderWare(TM). I've also arranged for a Windows demo to be emailed to you. We are starting a University program where RenderWare for non-commercial use is UK PDS 250. I'll forward more info. in the next couple weeks. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Regards, Mike King Criterion Software Ltd., 20, Alan Turing Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 5YF, UK. Email: mking@criterion.canon.co.uk Tel: (44) 483 44 88 00 Fax: (44) 483 57 43 60 *************************************************************** RenderWare - 3D for Windows +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Real-time 3D graphics on PCs" Opening a world of opportunity RenderWare is the 3D graphics API which delivers where it counts - on over 100 million desktops. Only RenderWare's breakthrough technology provides real-time 3D on out-of-the-box PCs. Only RenderWare gives multimedia and graphics software professionals access to 100 million desktops. Delivering where it counts :- Performance - Unparalleled 3D graphics performance without add-on hardware Functionality - Advanced shading and texturing Usability - Object-based API for clean, consistent, usable power Integration - Mix and match with existing 2D graphics and text Availability - On all popular platforms, including: Windows, Macintosh, OS/2, UNIX X11 Designed by Canon for real-time 3D multimedia applications, and available today for ISVs and OEMs. RenderWare Specifications ------------------------- RenderWare is a high performance, device independent 3D graphics API with a simple and elegant interface consisting of a small number of object types and a rich set of associated functions. Developers utilising RenderWare are able to dramatically reduce the development time for 3D applications. RenderWare is targeted at Independent Software Vendors and Corporate developers, as a tool to assist them with the development of 3D applications or to add 3D capability to existing applications. RenderWare API Features * Multiple directional, point and spot light sources * Multiple orthographic and perspective cameras * Texture maps * Environment maps * Object instancing and hierarchical models * Picking (scene, object, polygon, vertex) * Materials support (Ka, Kd, Ks, colour, opacity, texture) * Geometry sampling (vertex, edge, facet; i.e., point cloud, wirefame, solid) * Light source sampling (facet, vertex; i.e., flat or interPhong) * Debugging Kernel available to developers * Floating-point and Fixed-point versions available Typical RenderWare Applications * Multi-media * Visual Simulation * CAD * Virtual Reality * Presentation Graphics * Training/Education * Entertainment/games * Molecular Modelling * Visualization RenderWare Performance - RenderWare performance scales with CPU performance. Typical performance* at the application level is 40,000 polygons/sec on 486/DX @50MHz. * Calculated using a 4K polygon model (Utah teapot), transformed, lit, clipped, painted software double-buffered to the screen in a 400 x 400 viewport. Platform support - RenderWare is a software solution to interactive 3D graphics. It is written in C and has no operating system dependencies, thus it can be ported to any CPU with a C compiler. RenderWare software development kits are available for Windows 3.1 or later /DOS 5 or later, on 386/SX and upwards. Also for Macs and UNIX workstations (X11). OEMs who wish to port RenderWare to other platforms should contact Criterion. The RenderWare Software Development Kit is available today.It contains; * Development Library * Debugging Library * Documentation Set * Example code There is also a RenderWare Developers' Support Programme providing; * Priority e-mail technical support * Priority fax technical support * Exclusive telephone support * Regular Developer's Technical Notes * Early Access to Upgrades * Participation in new technology forum * Access to Developer Pricing Schedule ************************************************************* Industry endorsement "RenderWare is truly an impressive product, one that takes 3D graphics to new performance levels," said Paul Allen, chairman and CEO of Asymetrix Corp. and co-founder of Microsoft. "Asymetrix is looking forward to incorporating this new technology into future versions of our products and bringing more complete graphical solutions to our customers." ************************************************************** Recent Press releases about RenderWare. RENDERWARE BRINGS FULL-FEATURED 3D GRAPHICS TO THE PC ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE INDUSTRY Criterion announces the licensing of RenderWare by Velocity Development NEW YORK March 2, 1994--Criterion Software Ltd., the leader in interactive 3D graphics for personal computers, announced Wednesday that Velocity Development Corp. has licensed RenderWare(TM), the first interactive 3D graphics Application Programming Interface (API) for Windows. RenderWare provides interactive 3D graphics performance without the need for special 3D graphics accelerators. Velocity, a fast-growing company in the entertainment software industry, is well known in the PC and Mac markets for introducing Spectre, the best-selling 3D cyberspace action game, which was recently nominated for Best Action Game of the Year by the Software Publishing Association. Velocity has licensed RenderWare 3D graphics software to better focus its resources toward game content and game action. "For the entertainment software industry, RenderWare is the most important new breakthrough of 1994. We believe that in the future, there will be two kinds of games companies -- those that use RenderWare and those that don't," said Moses Ma, Velocity's chairman. "The former will be focusing on content, gameplay and increasing the entertainment value in their products, while the latter will still be using up their resources struggling with in-house 3D code." A major facet of RenderWare that makes it appealing to developers is its cross-platform support. This feature enables developers to maximize revenue from game titles without expending their own engineering resources. Cross-platform capability for games will become a vital issue when interactive cable systems begin supporting multiple set-top box standards. Game-players with different set-top boxes will be able to interact with each other, regardless of platform. According to Ma, "Someday, writing your own 3D code will appear as odd as writing your own MPEG drivers or your own compilers. Thanks to RenderWare, you can expect to see the next generation of high-energy 3D games from Velocity very, very soon." "RenderWare provides games developers on the PC and Mac with stunning 3D graphics performance, without compromise on the 3D functionality," said Mike King, Criterion's vice president of marketing. "It offers a fully interactive 3D environment, with texturing, lighting and hidden surface." "A major factor in our choice of RenderWare was the fact that it is backed by Criterion, a subsidiary of Canon," added Ma. "When you are relying on such a key component as the 3D graphics engine, then you need to get it from a supplier you know will be around for a long time." RenderWare is currently available for DOS, Windows and Mac, with development underway for Power PC and the next generation of games consoles and set-top boxes. RenderWare, a Criterion product, is marketed directly to games developers. Velocity Development Corp., based in San Francisco, is a leading developer of Virtual Reality action games for the PC and Mac. Criterion Software Ltd., a subsidiary of Canon, develops, markets and supports customer software products and technologies that expand the interactive 3D graphics frontiers on the desktop. The company licenses its products and technology to major software developers. Criterion Software is headquartered in the United Kingdom, and markets its products worldwide. ************************************************************** Criterion Introduces RenderWare -- the first interactive 3D graphics API for Windows; a milestone in the evolution of 3D graphics technology. NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Criterion Software Ltd. announced Wednesday that is has released RenderWare(TM), its first product based on the breakthrough 3D graphics software technology from its parent, Canon Inc. (CANNY-NASDAQ). With this software, interactive 3D graphics applications can be placed within the reach of the average personal computer user. RenderWare is the first interactive 3D graphics Application Programming Interface (API) for Windows. It provides Windows application developers with stunning 3D graphics performance, without the need for special 3D graphics accelerators. "RenderWare is 3D for Windows(TM), and provides, on low-cost personal computers, the 3D graphics performance and functionality of more expensive workstations," said Mike King, Criterion's vice-president of marketing. "This dramatically changes the dynamics of the multi-media market for PCs because it allows for mid-range workstation performance from a 486/DX at 50MHZ." Although targeted at low-cost PC and consumer platforms, RenderWare is strong on functionality, providing the developer with a device-independent 3D graphics API, a simple and elegant object-based interface consisting of a small number of object types and a rich set of associated functions, including advanced shading and texturing. "The object-based interface gives developers easier access to the underlying power of RenderWare," said Adam Billyard, Criterion's vice-president of research and development. "This reduces development time -- to an impressive degree -- and makes it easier to produce applications incorporating high-performance 3D graphics." RenderWare is totally software-based, so unlike 3D graphics solutions based on hardware accelerators, RenderWare's performance increases as processor performance increases, providing users with a simple growth path and protected investment. Developer investment in the RenderWare API is also protected, as RenderWare is available on other popular platforms besides Windows, including Mac, UNIX (X11) and OS/2. RenderWare is targeted at independent software developers and consumer device operating system developers who want to develop 3D graphics and multimedia applications for desktop, lap-top and hand-held PCs, and also PCs embedded in units such as kiosks, set-tops and other consumer platforms. "RenderWare is truly an impressive product, one that takes 3D graphics to new performance levels," said Paul Allen, chairman and CEO of Asymetrix Corp. and co-founder of Microsoft. "Asymetrix is looking forward to incorporating this new technology into future versions of our products and bringing more complete graphical solutions to our customers." Typical applications for RenderWare include: multimedia, visual simulation, scientific visualization, CAD, virtual reality, presentation graphics, entertainment/games, fashion software (3D GUIs, screen savers etc.)and education/training. "RenderWare is the 3D graphics API that delivers where it counts -- on more than 100 million PCs," said David Lau-Kee, Criterion's president. "RenderWare opens up new worlds of opportunity for high-quality, high-volume, 3D graphics solutions." RenderWare is sold directly by Criterion. RenderWare software development kits (SDK) are available immediately. Priced from $10,000, the SDK includes development library, debugging library, documentation, examples and demos. RenderWare requires Windows 3.1 running on a 386/SX or better with 4Mb RAM. Criterion Software Ltd., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), develops, markets and supports computer software products and technologies that expand the 3D graphics frontier on PCs and consumer devices. The company licenses its products and technology to major software developers. Criterion Software is headquartered in the United Kingdom, and markets its products world-wide. ************************************************************** Criterion Company Backgrounder Criterion Software Ltd., headquartered in Guildford England is a subsidiary of Canon set up to develop, market and support software products based on a major breakthrough in interactive 3D graphics technology. This new 3D graphics technology was developed at Canon Research Centre Europe (CRE) in Guildford, England, where 3D graphics algorithm research has identified a new approach to interactive 3D graphics processing. The new 3D graphics algorithms allo Windows-based personal computers, without special graphics accelerators, to deliver workstation-level interactive graphics performance. Criterion is the second UK company to be established from CRE, the first being Canon Audio in 1990. Canon Audio is a UK business based on wide-imaging stereo research from CRE. Criterion has been formed from the development team at CRE and has brought in sales and marketing expertise to strengthen the commercial side of the business. The executive directors of Criterion are Dr. David Lau-Kee, Managaing Director, Adam Billyard, Technical Director, both formerly of CRE; and Dr. Mike King, Marketing Director, formerly with Du Pont Pixel Systems. Hiro Negishi is the chairman of Criterion, and the board has non-executive directors from Canon. Criterion's first product is RenderWare (TM), an interactive 3D Graphics API for Windows. This OEM product is the first of its kind and is being marketed, world-wode to major software developers. ************************************************************** Commercial information RenderWare is an OEM product. Pricing for the Software Development Kit license starts at US Dollars 10,000. There is a runtime license fee of between 5% - 15% of the money you receive for your application. The % depends on RenderWare's contribution to your application. The % is further discounted with volume commitments. In addition there is an annual fee for the Developers' Support Programme Special pricing is available to Educational Establishments for non-commercial use of RenderWare. ************************************************************** RenderWare is a trademark of Canon Inc. 3D for Windows and the Criterion logo are trademarks of Criterion Software Ltd. All other trademarks are those of their respective companies. Copyright 1993, 1994 Criterion Software Ltd. All rights reserved Criterion Software - a Canon company. #EOF#