3DVIA Speeds Up 3D Application and Game Development with the Release of 3DVIA Virtools 5

New Version of Powerful Middleware Platform to Debut at the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC)

CONCORD, Mass. & PARIS – Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D, today announced the latest release of 3DVIA Virtools 5, its 3D engine for rapid game prototyping and 3D application development. The new 3DVIA Virtools 5 features updates that significantly ease the development process and will make delivering high-quality 3D projects faster than ever.

While the new 3DVIA Virtools 5 will speed up the development process in several ways, perhaps the most important enhancement is the quick and easy transition from DCC software to 3D engine development. Character animations created in modeling and animation applications typically require hours of developers’ time to recreate in development platforms. This hassle and expense is all but eliminated with the addition of advanced blend shape support in 3DVIA Virtools 5. Now developers can easily import character animations directly into their projects without the previously required rework often associated with game and application development.

“We are excited to deliver such a significant update to the 3DVIA Virtools product line”, said Virgile Delporte, vice president of electronic entertainment, 3DVIA, Dassault Systèmes. “With the addition of features like Lua integration and blend shape support, game and other 3D application developers can create lifelike, real-time 3D applications quickly, without sacrificing quality.”

3DVIA Virtools 5 supplements the Virtools Scripting Language (VSL) with Lua support, making the product even more accessible to a larger group of developers. In addition, users now have access within Virtools 5 to the vast Lua behavioral libraries available online. Other 3DVIA Virtools 5 enhancements include improved usability, easy object manipulation and new libraries of professional quality 3D assets.

“The new 3DVIA Virtools features have helped us cut months off of our production cycle,” said Michiel Sala, CEO of Little Chicken Game Company. “In just 60 days we were able to create a game that would normally have taken 120 days or more.”

3DVIA Virtools 5 will be showcased at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco March 25-27, at booth number 5738 in the North Hall. 3DVIA will also be demonstrating 3DVIA MP, its next generation visualization engine for AAA game development and 3DVIA.com, its online community of 3D artists and enthusiasts and a resource to share game concepts and models.

For more details on 3DVIA technology, visit www.3dvia.com/fast3d.

About Dassault Systèmes
As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product - SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design - DELMIA for virtual production - SIMULIA for virtual testing - ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systèmes is listed on the Nasdaq (DASTY) and Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) stock exchanges. For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com

CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA, SolidWorks and 3D VIA are registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

About 3DVIA
3DVIA is Dassault Systèmes’ brand for lifelike 3D product experiences. 3DVIA extends 3D to new users, businesses and consumers in order to create new communities with 3D as the common language. With its open web services-based architecture, it enables high-performance distribution of 3D content. 3DVIA also delivers authoring products that revolutionize 3D product publishing and the Virtools platform for developing interactive, real-time applications.
For more information about 3DVIA, go to: http://www.3dvia.com.