Single NVIDIA Quadro GPU based system delivers 12x speed-up for ray tracing

CARLSBAD, CA - June 23, 2010 – BUNKSPEED, a leading global provider of 3D rendering and animation software for the design and creative industry, announced today the release of Bunkspeed SHOT™, a completely redesigned “interactive photograph for 3D data” software application.

Bunkspeed was first to bring interactive ray tracing to the market in 2007 which revolutionized rendering, by empowering anyone to create photographic-quality images, but it was limited to using only the CPU. The new Bunkspeed SHOT™ leverages the power of NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) and is built on the massively parallel computing architecture of NVIDIA CUDA™ to dramatically accelerate the user’s workflow. Even the most complex scenes render interactively, and in real-time.

Bunkspeed SHOT™ incorporates mental images’ innovative iray® technology to provide an interactive, 3D rendering solution that brings the power of the GPU to creative professionals everywhere, enabling rapid and fluid feedback. Bunkspeed SHOT™ provides stunning, photorealistic accuracy, and empowers users to intuitively create the highest quality image output without the steep learning curves required of other rendering products.

Bunkspeed SHOT™ with iray® also enables users to scale up rendering over multiple NVIDIA GPUs or machines. An entirely new level of performance and realism is now a reality at less than 20% of the cost for achieving the same level on multiple CPUs.

“As a user of the previous generation software from Bunkspeed, I knew the standard set at the time was tough to beat,” said Peter Crowther, a UK-based, computer graphic artist and illustrator. “Bunkspeed has done it again. Bunkspeed SHOT™ offers breakthrough usability, performance and quality, and is a pleasure to use. I went straight out and bought a ‘Personal Super Computer’ with a Quadro 5800 and three Tesla 2050’s for a total of 1584 CUDA to utilize what SHOT has to offer. The solution has dramatically accelerated my workflow. I am rendering at speeds unimagined just a couple of years ago, and for unbiased interactive rendering it's simply revolutionary. This truly is another revolution in power and performance and has increased my efficiency significantly.”

The re-imagined, all new interface of Bunkspeed SHOT™ further simplifies the rendering process. The workflow and user experience is more intuitive -- packed with more features, interactive lighting, superior shadows, and rendered images that require no quality settings.  Designers, engineers, marketers, and photographers, without expertise in rendering will be impressed with how fast and easy it is to create stunningly realistic images. Architects and interior designers will be equally amazed by how quickly they can render their ideas and designs.

“With the introduction of Bunkspeed SHOT™, the next-generation “3D interactive photograph”, we have eliminated the last of the traditional boundaries associated with 3D rendering by delivering a software solution that allows anyone with creative desire to easily create photo-realistic images from any 3D digital data”, says Philip Lunn, Bunkspeed founder and CEO.

"With its innovative new SHOT software, Bunkspeed is the first to integrate and bring our interactive iray® rendering technology to market,” said Rolf Herken, CEO and CTO of mental images. “SHOT combines unprecedented ease of use with the most accurate simulation possible. Leveraging the power of the GPU, iray® provides creative professionals with the simulated digital camera they could only dream of in the past."

“Only NVIDIA delivers the truly interactive ray tracing experience when running Bunkspeed SHOT™ with iray® technology,” said Jeff Brown, general manager, NVIDIA Professional Solutions Group. “Our collaboration with Bunkspeed has resulted in a solution that is designed for the growing community of professional designers and digital artists that demand real-time solutions that easily make their work flow.”

Pricing and Availability

Bunkspeed SHOT™ integrated with iray® rendering technology leverages NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics solutions to enable a combination of unprecedented power, elegance and accuracy. Bunkspeed is raising the bar once again, enabling users to continue to "Render them speechless"™. Bunkspeed SHOT™ is available today starting at $995.

For more information about Bunkspeed SHOT™, please visit www.bunkspeed.com/SHOT. For more information about mental images and iray®, please visit www.mentalimages.com/iray. For more information about NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics solutions, please visit www.nvidia.com/quadro.

Press Contact:

Bunkspeed:
Angela Smith
e-mail:  Email Contact
Telephone: +1 (760) 918-9780

About Bunkspeed

Bunkspeed, founded in 2002, is a leading global provider of visualization software for design, engineering, and marketing professionals. Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, our advanced visualization and rendering technologies leverage digital engineering assets and contribute to enlightened decision-making and efficient creation of marketing imagery in the digital design process. Our clients gain a cost effective way to deliver sales and marketing imagery, and realize significantly reduced product development costs. Bunkspeed’s customers include Nissan, Ford Motor Company, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Pininfarina, Chrysler, Frog Design, Smart Design, IDEO, Acushnet Company, Dell, Gillette, Gulfstream and many others. For more information on Bunkspeed’s products, or a trial copy of Bunkspeed SHOT, please visit: www.bunkspeed.com.

Trademarks

mental images and iray are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of mental images GmbH, Berlin, Germany, in the United States and/or other countries. NVIDIA, Quadro, and CUDA are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Bunkspeed and Bunkspeed Shot are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Bunkspeed, in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.”

Note: 12X speed-up for ray tracing is seen from 2.4 GHZ single CPU vs. single GPU.