Autodesk acquires rendering outfit, Solid Angle

Maya, Stingray, and 3ds Max creator Autodesk has expanded its toolset with the acquisition of rendering outfit, Solid Angle, for an undisclosed fee.

Solid Angle is the developer behind Arnold, a ray-tracing image renderer used to create high-quality 3D animations and visual effects. 

As part of Autodesk, Solid Angle will work on developing and improving Arnold, which will continue to be sold for the same price. 

Arnold will remain available as a standalone renderer for both Autodesk and third-party products, while 3ds Max and Maya will also continue to support third-party renderers. 

"We’re constantly looking out for promising technologies that help artists boost creativity and productivity," said Autodesk SVP, Chris Bradshaw. 

"Efficient rendering is increasingly critical for 3D content creation and acquiring Solid Angle will allow us to help customers better tackle this part of the creative process."

Autodesk recently expressed a desire to give developers more creative freedom by expanding Stingray VR support and streamlining character creation in Maya.