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MindAvenue, a provider of technologies for interactive media, has announced the launch of its LightWave 3D Importer for AXELedge 1.5 for Mac. MindAvenue is offering demonstrations of the Importer at the NewTek booth, #3735, as well as the MindAvenue booth #927, during Macworld San Francisco, January 7-11, 2002.

Professional LightWave designers can import all content directly into AXEL, where they can take advantage of the only end-to-end Web authoring solution that requires no programming. AXELedge offers a strong set of interaction capabilities, as well as advanced animation, modeling, relations and constraints, previewing and publishing features--housed within AXEL's drag and drop technology for simple and high-impact interactive 3D Web content creation. Users working on a Mac platform receive the benefits of an Aqua-compliant user interface--a familiar interface that enables Mac artists to get up to speed faster.

"MindAvenue's new file format gives animators working in LightWave the flexibility to repurpose their content, providing an exceptional pipeline for delivering content to the Web in a highly interactive format," stated Benoit Cloutier, VP of Research and Development. "By harnessing the power of both products, LightWave artists will bring new levels of interactivity to projects, delivering high-impact and engaging content easily and at a price that keeps their costs in line."

"We are delighted that MindAvenue has chosen LightWave 3D as its first commercial 3D file format," stated Robert Hoffman, Director of Marketing 3D at NewTek. "LightWave artists working on a Mac can now deliver their content to the Web, adding interactivity without the need for programming."

LightWave 3D users will particularly enjoy AXELedge's new movie texture support. Offering the ability to import video and apply as textures, AXELedge 1.5 is a natural progression for a community already accustomed to working in 3D for television and video.

New features and benefits of AXELedge 1.5 for Mac:

• Movie Textures: Supporting Apple QuickTime, both editions enable users to import video and apply as textures to 3D content for more customized and vivid texture applications. Artists can push the boundaries of their imagination to the limit and maximize creativity.
• Cartoon and Custom Wireframe Rendering Styles: Cartoon rendering enables designers to imbue 3D images with primary colors, creating the whimsical look of traditional 2D cartoons without sacrificing the benefits of a Z-axis. Custom wireframes provide a mesh-like wireframe of objects on which designers can build an entirely new look.
• Enhanced User Interface: An intuitive, Aqua-compliant menu system and more familiar naming conventions allow artists to use more of their screens and accomplish more of their creative goals.
• New Import Formats: Importing EPS gives designers the flexibility to work with more material created in other programs. Through the Movie Texture feature, professionals can import all QuickTime supported formats.

MindAvenue's AXELedge 1.5 is available at Macworld San Francisco 2002 for $950 US MSRP. Educational price is $245 US MSRP. AXEL products can be ordered directly through MindAvenue authorized distributors, resellers, and on the MindAvenue website or by calling toll-free 1-866-MindAve. The preview of the LightWave 3D Importer will be available for download to registered AXELedge users in January 2002.