Autodesk looks to 3D gaming

One does not normally associate CAD kingpin, Autodesk , with games playing, so the news that the company has just acquired Swedish 3D gaming engine developer, Bitsquid, may at first seem strange. In practice, of course, the company already has a range of design tools aimed at games developers, so in some respects this is just one more.

But 3D visualisation of designs is, these days, going to be an important requirement for architects, engineers and designers. The ability to provide their customers with evermore realistic walkthroughs of projected designs – almost tangible representations of what the final product or project will be like to live and work with – will be a key part of every sale.

The acquisition therefore brings to Autodesk expertise in 3D game development and proven technology to enhance the company’s portfolio of tools for game makers through the development of a new 3D game engine. Multiple game developers have used the modern and flexible Bitsquid engine to create 3D games for next-generation consoles and PCs, and Autodesk will continue to work with many of these companies to develop the new 3D game engine. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

In addition to acquiring the Bitsquid game engine, the acquisition of the Bitsquid team and technology will enable Autodesk to create new tools that push the limits of real-time 3D visualisation for architects and designers, many of whom face challenges placing design data into real world contexts.

 The new technology will therefore be incorporated into solutions for customers outside of the games industry, including architecture, manufacturing, construction, and film. Autodesk plans to create new types of design exploration tools that allow visualisation and contextualisation of designs using the same fluid control and immediate feedback that exist today in modern console and PC games.

“Autodesk’s acquisition of Bitsquid will revolutionise real-time exploration of complex data. Imagine being able to walk through and explore any type of design, from buildings to cars, with the same freedom you experience in the open world of a next-generation console game. Game engine technologies will be an increasingly critical part of the workflow, not only for creating games, but also for designing buildings or solving complex urban infrastructure challenges,” said Chris Bradshaw, senior vice president, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. “The Bitsquid acquisition brings to Autodesk both the expertise and the technology that will enable us to deliver a groundbreaking new approach to 3D design animation tools, and we welcome the team and community to Autodesk.”

The updated Autodesk 3D game engine, which will complement Autodesk’s industry leading games portfolio of middleware tools and 3D animation software - including Autodesk Maya LT, Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max- will be available later this year.