Cary, N.C. - Autodesk Inc. has become a member of Epic Games' Integrated Partners Program (IPP). As a result, Autodesk is integrating its Autodesk HumanIK animation middleware with Epic's Unreal Engine 3 (UE3).
Kynapse artificial intelligence (AI) middleware was also integrated with UE3. Publishers and developers licensing this game engine now have access to a production-ready solution for dynamic in-game character animation, as well as 3D navigation and spatial reasoning.
Optimized for next-generation platforms, Autodesk HumanIK middleware provides a run-time, full-body inverse kinematics (IK) solver, as well as a run-time retargeting engine for characters of differing sizes, proportions, and skeletal hierarchy. HumanIK allows animators and game designers to alter animations on the fly, letting characters interact dynamically and realistically with their environments.
Autodesk Kynapse is an AI solution for game development and real-time simulations. Designed to give nonplayer characters (NPCs) spatial awareness so that they can navigate digital environments, the high-performance engine supports dynamic 3D pathfinding, 3D topology analysis, and team coordination. Additional pathfinding capabilities include dynamic environment evaluation and support for large-crowd pathfinding in complex terrains.
Epic provides UE3 source code access and technical support to IPP members. Companies who join the IPP agree to provide a high level of technical support for UE3 licensees through Epic's established support channels, keep their implementations up-to-date with the latest engine versions, and collaborate with Epic on potential promotional and co-marketing efforts.