VISUALIZATION

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Fakespace Systems Inc., a leader in immersive visualization systems, and Alias|Wavefront(TM), an SGI (NYSE: SGI) company and leading provider of software for computer-aided industrial design (CAID), today announced that they are collaborating to advance interaction in design and virtual environments. The relationship will focus on the development and marketing of technologies to support intuitive interaction with computer-generated models in large-scale visualization environments such as the Fakespace Systems WorkWall(TM) and CAVE(R) On August 14-16, at SIGGRAPH 2001 (the International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques), the companies will have the first public demonstration of the new stereoscopic viewing feature of StudioTools(TM) 9.7 3D software operating on a Fakespace Systems flat wall display. The demonstration, in Fakespace Systems' booth (##2026), will illustrate the power of true stereoscopic visualization in sophisticated industrial design and modeling. "Fakespace Systems has a reputation for providing top quality immersive visualization systems and interactive devices for use in new product design," said Bill Buxton, chief scientist at Alias|Wavefront. "We believe that there is a great opportunity for synergy in combining our companies' efforts to further develop intuitive ways for designers and engineers to work with virtual models." Fakespace Systems provides a broad range of visualization solutions for working with virtual prototypes and visual simulations. These systems, which facilitate collaboration and better understanding of complex data, range from fully immersive room environments to depth-enhanced displays that fit in an average size conference room. At Siggraph, in addition to the stereoscopic debut of StudioTools on a WorkWall display system, other technology demonstrations will preview additional interactive visualization solutions. These include task-specific products such as a prototype virtual "tape drawing" system for automotive design, which mimics the traditional tape drawing technique for full-scale physical renderings of new car designs. The companies will also demonstrate a new Alias|Wavefront PortfolioWall product that supports design review, sharing and team awareness of sketches, animations and 3D models. Shown on Fakespace's 6-ft. by 7.5-ft. Portico(TM) WorkWall, it allows natural gestures, laser pointers, and other devices to be used to easily select, store and display groups of visual digital assets. The integration of the PortfolioWall and Portico WorkWall creates a "digital corkboard" that transforms the nature of collaborative design by simplifying the way teams access, view, present and manage visual content. "Alias|Wavefront developed its StudioTools software with a tremendous understanding of the industrial design studio workflow," said Dan Wright, president and chief executive officer of Fakespace Systems. "We are very excited about working with the company to make use of this knowledge in order to develop integrated solutions that will broaden the range of users that have access to visualization and increase productivity enterprise-wide." For more information visit www.aliaswavefront.com or www.fakespacesystems.com