Swift 3D MAX released!  
  For Immediate Release


ELECTRIC RAIN SWIFT 3D MAX PLUG-IN FOR 3ds max SETS A NEW STANDARD IN 3D VECTOR OUTPUT
New plug-in provides 3ds max users with the widest spectrum of vector output options, incredible rendering speed, and fully optimized files.

Boulder, CO - June 19, 2001 - Today Electric Rain, Inc.® announced the release of a plug-in version of their popular Swift 3D™ standalone product that offers Discreet 3ds max™ users the power to render 3D scenes directly from the 3ds max interface to a variety of vector-based file formats, including Macromedia® Flash™ (SWF) AI, EPS, and the latest XML based vector format SVG.

"Our goal in developing the Swift 3D MAX plug-in was to set a new standard in 3D-to-vector output by providing a full solution for the high-end 3D designers needing to re-purpose their 3D content," commented Mike Soucie, President of Electric Rain, Inc. "By supplying 3ds max users with an incredibly fast renderer and the widest number of vector rendering options, this plug-in is suitable for all 3D designers-from cartoon designers needing just outlined renderings to film studios requiring photo-realistic renderings with full gradient shading and shadows."

The Swift 3D MAX plug-in exports 3D scenes with supreme accuracy, while staying true to colors, lighting schemes, camera views and animations. With unmatched rendering speed, RAViX II renders up to 10x faster than other 3D-to-vector rendering products. It supports an extensive array of rendering options including 3 levels of outlines, 5 levels of cartoon shading, 2 levels of gradient shading, plus shadows, specular highlights, and a new preview window that allows users to see the results of each rendered frame.

Swift 3D MAX is able to handle models and objects containing well over 200,000 polygons, including complex intersecting and self-intersecting objects. The resulting files are fully optimized so users do not have to rely on outside applications (i.e. Macromedia Flash) to perform the optimization that competitive products require.

"One reason why 3ds max is the premier application of choice for 3D modelers and animators is its versatility and open technology that supports a vast selection of internal and third-party applications," said Dan Prochazka, Product Manager for Web 3D Products at Discreet." The Swift 3D MAX plug-in will extend the authoring power of 3ds max by giving artists the ability to re-purpose and export their 3D animations to SWF, AI, EPS and SVG vector file formats for distribution to the web or for print," said Prochazka.

"Macromedia is excited to see yet another quality 3D solution from Electric Rain" said Jeremy Clark, Flash Product Manager at Macromedia. "The Swift 3D standalone application has served as a complementary tool to Macromedia Flash for over a year now, and now Electric Rain Swift 3D MAX plug-in will only further extend the power of Flash by allowing high-end 3D designers to export directly to the Macromedia Flash (SWF) file format."

Swift 3D MAX is built around Electric Rain's proprietary rendering technology, RAViX II, which converts 3D models into vector-based 2D files. The most recent version that powers Swift 3D MAX touts significant improvements in both rendering speed and file size optimization over the first generation RAViX. Electric Rain is making the technology available for licensing by other 3D and technology companies.

Swift 3D MAX is available immediately on the Windows platform and is compatible with 3ds max versions 3, 3.1 and 4. The SRP for Swift 3D MAX is US $295, and is currently available from the Electric Rain website at www.erain.com. For more information on Swift 3D MAX or RAViX II vector rendering technology, please call Electric Rain at 1-888-613-1500.

About Electric Rain, Inc.
Electric Rain, Inc. is a fast moving 3D and multimedia software company with a vision of bringing easy-to-use 3D and multimedia tools to the masses. Through the release of its stand-alone application, Swift 3D v1.0, and the company's proprietary RAViX rendering technology, Electric Rain has quickly become the industry leading developer and supplier of 3D to vector solutions. The company is located at the base of the Flatirons in Boulder, Colorado. More information about Electric Rain and its products and technologies is available at www.erain.com.

Discreet and 3ds max are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc./ Discreet Logic, Inc in the USA and/ or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2001 All rights reserved.

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For More Information Contact:
Ed Wunsch - Electric Rain, Inc.
P (303) 543-8233
F (303) 543-8225
E ewunsch@erain.com