Autodesk Completes SkyMatter Acquisition

Design software developer Autodesk has completed the acquisition, initially announced on August 6th, of substantially all the assets of Skymatter Limited, the New Zealand-based, privately held developer of the Mudbox 3D modeling software. This acquisition expands Autodesk's offering for the film, television and game market segments, while providing additional growth opportunities for other design disciplines, such as 3D automotive and industrial design. Mudbox has shaped photorealistic creatures for the blockbuster film King Kong, as well as upcoming films The Golden Compass, Fred Claus and Inkheart. Additionally, under the terms of the agreement, Skymatter founders Andrew Camenisch, Dave Cardwell and Tibor Madjar have joined Autodesk's Media & Entertainment business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Marc Petit, senior vice president of Autodesk Media & Entertainment, commented, "Mudbox is complementary to the Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya software products, providing our customers with an additional suite of tools for modeling, prototyping and detailing."