INTERCONNECTS

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- In an increasingly competitive marketplace, Alias/Wavefront(TM), a Silicon Graphics (SGI) (NYSE:SGI) company, is playing a pivotal role in the evolution of the automotive industry. Over the last 10 years, this industry has experienced significant change and with each manufacturer looking to gain even the smallest competitive edge, car companies are increasingly turning to technology to help shape both the future direction of their business, as well as the actual look and feel of the cars produced. Alias/Wavefront, a leader in 3D software for the design and entertainment markets, has been at the forefront of this shift as the use of its AutoStudio(TM) software continues to revolutionize the automotive design and marketing processes with every major automotive manufacturer in the world, including General Motors®, BMW®, The Ford Motor Company®, Honda®, Toyota®, and Daimler Chrysler, among others. Speeding to Market through Team Integration Alias® AutoStudio serves as the software tool kit for companies adopting a digital design process in the early stages of concept car development. Whereas companies once spent years using drawing boards and clay modeling to create and simulate auto prototypes, manufacturers now combine traditional tools with the use of advanced technology like AutoStudio software to speed up the process and funnel the ideation and creative design process from designer to modeler to engineer. With the average time-to-market rate (conception to production) dropping from between five to seven years to between 24-36 months over the last 10 years, automotive manufacturers are benefiting in many ways from a shortened production cycle. "AutoStudio allows design teams to cost-effectively look at an abundance of car concepts by using 3D simulation, funnel these ideas down to perhaps three to five major theme proposals, and collectively settle on implementing one idea," said Peter Mehlstaeubler, Vice President of Product Development, Alias/Wavefront. "Design is all about developing a common form and proportion language, presenting and critiquing concepts in an open environment, and then refining. By streamlining these processes with a common software thread, cars are better designed, and come to market much faster." "At BMW, Alias/Wavefront's AutoStudio software is being used for concept design projects, allowing for a maximum amount of flexibility during these processes," said Johannes Bayer, Manager CA-Styling and Visualization, BMW Group Design, Modelltechnik, Germany. "StudioTools' set of virtual tools for styling, modeling and visualization allows us to work effectively and fast, especially during the early concept phases of new car design. The use of Alias/Wavefront design tools has really broadened the design and visualization capabilities at BMW since successfully developing the new 3Series coupe with AutoStudio." Automotive software innovation empowers vehicle architecture teams to create unique concept vehicles with confidence that the new designs meet all the specified engineering requirements. An example of this is General Motors' commitment to AutoStudio as a core part of their design process. The Pontiac Solstice -- A Design Embodying the Best of what Pontiac Is -- And a Glimpse into the Future Within the General Motors design group, teams are given the freedom to conjure up the types of vehicles the corporation should consider bringing to market. Franz Von Holzhausen and Vicki Vlachakis, Senior Creative Designers for General Motors Design, have been given the opportunity to explore the realm of advanced concept work. And with the assistance of Nick Mynott, a math sculptor for General Motors Design, Mike Lyons, Pontiac's Project Engineering Manager, and AutoStudio, the new Pontiac® Solstice was born. "The Solstice is striking in its purity and simplicity," Von Holzhausen explained. "The exterior lines are strong, bold and clearly Pontiac -- but not over-the-top. The interior is focused on the essential elements of driving -- functional, precise and inviting, executed in a manner that exudes quality and tactile feel." "In its performance, we simply wanted to capture the true essence of what Pontiac brand character has historically been about -- a stunning amount of thrust, and handling that exceeds the bold promise of the exterior sheet metal," said Lyons. "This is youth marketing at its best and most elementary form -- no matter how old the buyer is." The program was executed in just under four months from the first sketch to the drivable vehicle. "The thesis is an affordable roadster that would sell for about $20,000," Lyons continued. "This would be very easy to build in a flexible manufacturing environment, and this was accomplished using existing components from the GM system." With the introduction of AutoStudio software, every member of the GM® team is armed with a creative tool and common language that sparks synergy between designer, sculptor and engineer. No longer is it the sole responsibility of design to simply deal with aesthetic and ergonomic issues and act independently of engineering. AutoStudio enabled the design team to execute things like empathic sketching, import it into AutoStudio, and then create a math model or AutoStudio surface with the same kind of passion as if it were created in clay -- all done more affordably and in a fraction of the time traditionally needed. "For the first time in the history of our business, a designer can sit down in a chair with a small tablet and a stylus and generate an inspired sketch directly over engineering data and see it full size instantly," added Mynott. "No running back and forth with tape in your hands and trying to work the math into the artistic equation. Having a common platform in place for discussions and data flow both ways -- between design and engineering -- makes us a stronger organization. That is a very powerful change for our business." The Pontiac Solstice -- from the dual port grille to the independent rear suspension -- had to look like a design that only the might of a major manufacturer could refine to the level that's been achieved. "The credibility of any design organization in today's business relies on maintaining solid connections with the engineering community," said Vlachakis. "When you're dealing with an organization the size of ours, if the design team does not know what the engineering community's intent is and vice-versa, we're never going to get ahead. I'm glad to say we made it happen with the award-winning Solstice design, and AutoStudio is the tool that made this possible." Marketing Magic In order to successfully launch a new design to the buying public, forward thinking car companies are now exploring different means in which to use the digital content created during the product development phases to support branding, advertising and other promotional marketing initiatives. Interaction between man and machine -- even if only simulated in cyberspace -- is often a key driving force that helps sell a car or capture brand loyalty. For many would-be buyers, the ability to connect with the look and feel of an automobile makes all of the difference in the world. As the video gaming market is exploding into a $10 billion business (eclipsing even U.S. box office movie receipt returns), cultivating brand loyalty by introducing new auto designs to 'gamers' at an early age is a tactic that savvy marketing professionals are beginning to master. With increasing frequency, auto companies vie for their cars to be featured in high-selling games like 'Gran Turismo'(TM) and, in many instances, a decision is made to give away the computer generated auto designs created through AutoStudio to game developers free of charge. Recognizing the promise that interactive visualization technology can have to potentially stimulate sales and build brand awareness among key target audiences, this form of marketing is still in its infancy but is expected to grow. Use of computer graphics technology in the auto industry also extends to more traditional marketing practices, as digital renderings of new cars are used extensively throughout most manufacturers' web sites. Prospective car buyers are often given the opportunity to 'build' a car model to their liking (e.g., changing interior and exterior colors, flipping from convertible to hard tops, etc.). Pre-launch marketing materials like sales brochures are flooded with digital renderings, and companies like Renault® have even used digital imagery in the production of full-length TV commercials to simulate a car speeding along a winding road -- before the car had even been built. " Alias/Wavefront is making a solid contribution to the auto industry in terms of helping to move design innovation from the boardroom to the showroom in the fastest time possible," said Alias/Wavefront's Mehlstaeubler. "Cars are something that stir passions within people. The automotive industry will continue to evolve into the 21st century and as the marriage between these design and entertainment nuances becomes even more evident, Alias/Wavefront will be hard at work delivering on the promise the future holds."