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Radius Introduces Thunder 3D - 08/1996
New Orleans, LA, August 5, 1996 -- Continuing to offer customers the best in digital image processing technology, Radius Inc. (nasdaq: RDUSC) is proud to announce their new Thunder 3D graphics card accelerator for PCI-based MacOS computers. Building upon the success of its Thunder Family PCI and NuBus graphics cards, Radius offers an ultimate tool for professional 3D modeling and visualization, layout, and design. Radius' new Thunder 3D offers on board QuickDraw and QuickDraw 3D acceleration, for lightning fast 2D and 3D graphics, unparalleled texture mapping capabilities, Super Resolution (both 1600 x 1200 and 1920 x 1080) and 30-bit full color graphics. These features combine to create the most comprehensive 3D graphics acceleration feature set available on the Mac OS for high end digital image visualization.
"Radius has always provided world class digital publishing products for the creative professional. With our strategic entry into the 3D graphics arena, Radius offers exceptional graphics acceleration for both 2D and 3D applications." said Chuck Berger, Radius President and CEO. "This card does for 3D, what the original Thunder did for 2D graphics, raising the bar for performance, features, and use ability."
HARDWARE FEATURES
- 2D and 3D Capabilities provide customers with lightning fast image processing in both dimensions.
- On Board QuickDraw 3D Acceleration offers optimized hardware performance.
- 3D Labs 500TX "Glint" Chip provides world-class 3D image processing. Delta Pipeline Processor for optimized 3D operations.
- Triple-Ported Memory Architecture creates an incredible frame rate performance that translates to smoother animation and faster model manipulation.
- Fast Clear Planes for smoother image control and fast performance.
- Large 24 MB Texture Mapping Memory provides customers with unmatched quality and texture size (2048 X 2048).
Radius' Super Resolution of 1600 x 1200, in 24-bit mode, nearly doubles the maximum built-in video resolution of 1152 x 870 available on some high-end Macintosh® and Power Macintosh® systems. Thunder 3D also offers enhanced resolution support for HDTV (16 x 9) aspect. Super Resolution displays 92 percent more pixels which provides creative professionals with the greatest image detail, smoother graphics and maximum desktop area available on the Macintosh today. Super Resolution will dramatically enhance the professional's view of intricate Quark, Illustrator, Acrobat and Freehand documents. The Super Resolution feature of the Thunder family is designed to complement Radius' line of high resolution monitors, the PressView 17 SR and PressView 21 SR. The combination of these products results in the ultimate color desktop solution that delivers the fastest drawing speed, greater desktop workspace, and accurate color matching for greater performance and productivity.
"Some of the most dazzling effects for television and motion pictures have been created using Electric Image products." said Matt Hoffman, Electric Image Director of Product Management. "Digital sculptors need the right tools to keep pace with their creativity especially in the competitive environment of broadcast video. With ElectricImage Broadcast's quality imaging and fast animation abilities, combined with the workstation class performance of Radius' Thunder 3D graphics accelerator, the world of motion based 3D animation for broadcast is open to professional artists using PCI-based Macintosh's."
The Thunder 3D graphics card incorporates ChromaFlow technology, which allows users access to a 30-bit color palette. This provides users with a palette of more than one billion colors which can virtually eliminate banding, and more accurately display subtle nuances in shadowing and highlights. ChromaFlow technology is a significant improvement, ideal for applications such as 3D modeling, visualization, photo retouching, medical and scientific image processing, where color accuracy is critical. This is available when used in conjunction with Radius' ProSense Display Calibrator.
"QuickDraw 3D enabled applications will obtain fluid interaction hither too only available on workstations thanks to Radius Thunder 3D accelerator" said Sean Zafreed, Apple Inc.'s QuickDraw 3D product manager.
CUSTOMER PROFILE
Thunder 3D is designed for creative professionals who specialize in high end animation and broadcast design who create 3D content for commercial video production, interactive authoring, game development, and professional visualization. With Thunder 3D's lightning fast texture mapping, developers of virtual reality products are able to quickly manipulate objects within their 3D environments. The new Thunder 3D card delivers excellent image processing speed and model visualization tools for quality conscious graphic professionals.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Thunder 3D graphics accelerator has a U.S. suggested retail price of $4,499. First shipments are scheduled for late this quarter.