Imagination Technologies enables mobile content creation across widest range of platforms; Launches PowerVR Insider SDK 1.9

August 1, 2006 -- Imagination Technologies - the leader in mobile and embedded graphics technologies – is launching the latest version of its Software Development Kit for content developers at SIGGRAPH 2006. The PowerVR Insider SDK is the most exhaustively proven and comprehensive toolkit for mobile and embedded content developers.

The launch of the SDK is another milestone in Imagination’s successful PowerVR Insider program which celebrates its first anniversary at SIGGRAPH with the launch of an extensive dedicated online resource for PowerVR developers.

PowerVR Insiders don’t just get access to the highest performance, most widely available gaming platform targeting the most content-capable new 3D handsets. They also get access to industry leading SDKs, Tools and dedicated Technical Support.

Registered developers are entitled to receive technical assistance from the largest and most experienced support team in mobile 3D. The PowerVR Developer Relations Team has over 10 years experience supporting developers across the PC, Console, Arcade and Mobile markets at all stages of application development.

The latest release of the PowerVR Insider SDK, version 1.9, is the biggest yet. It features over 30 variants supporting a wide range of platforms, from SoC applications processors such as TI’s OMAP2 and Freescale’s iMX31 to consumer products using PowerVR-enabled SoCs such as the Sony Ericcson P990/M600/W950 mobile phones and Dell Axim X51v PDA. A wide range of API and OS are supported too, including Khronos’ OpenGL ES and OpenVG APIs, as well as Microsoft Direct3D Mobile API, running on Symbian, Linux, and WinCE5.

A Beta OpenGL ES 2.0 SDK is available now to lead PowerVR Insider members. Developers with shader based embedded projects should contact their Imagination Technologies representative to ensure they are connected directly to PowerVR Insider’s shader experts.

Olivier Goguel of Bling Games says: “Developing ‘Bling My Ride’ to run on TI’s OMAP2420/2430 processors we soon found that we could push the ‘bling factor’ that really counts – 3D performance – up to 10 due to the PowerVR graphics core. The presence of geometry exporters for 3DStudio Max and an optimising compiler for vertex shader code didn't hurt either.”

PowerVR Tools and Utilities include: PC Emulation for OpenGL ES and Direct3D Mobile; PVRTextureTool; PVRTC Library; PVRMAXExport; and VGPCompiler.

The comprehensive PowerVR Insider SDK includes Tutorials, Source Code, Documentation, Extensions Specifications, Platform Abstraction Framework and a powerful and extensive Tools Library.

Developers wishing to target any PowerVR enabled processors can write their 3D code using OpenGL ES on PCs, which will allow content to port directly onto their target platforms.

With the advanced capabilities of PowerVR porting existing 3D content is low cost, due to the ability to reuse models and artwork, and low risk. These games are not just graphically rich, but also capable of high performance.

Says Peter McGuinness, Director of Business Development (USA), Imagination Technologies: “We value our relationships with leading 3D games developers and do all that we can to support developers in the creation of PowerVR-optimised titles for mobile, handheld, PC, and arcade platforms. PowerVR will continue to push the boundaries of features and performance so that games will always look better and play better on a PowerVR platform.”

For more information see: www.powervrinsider.com

PowerVR Tools In Depth
PowerVR Insider Developer Relations Team has developed a collection of utilities to help developers create exciting 3D content. These include a Texture Compression Tool, which enables texture data to be compressed down to 2 or 4 bits per pixel using the PowerVR Texture Compression (PVRTC) formats, an optimising Vertex Shader Compiler for the PowerVR VGP, an optimised 3DSMax Geometry Exporter and PC Emulation for both OpenGL ES and Direct3D Mobile allowing content to be developed on PC Platforms.

• PC Emulation for OpenGL ES and Direct3D Mobile
  A set of Emulation libraries which allow OpenGL ES and Direct3D Mobile applications to run directly on any Desktop PC with an OpenGL and DirectX9 compliant graphics accelerator. OpenGL ES is supported for both Windows and Linux, Direct3D Mobile is supported under Windows.


• PVRTextureTool
  Tool to convert bitmap files (e.g. BMP, JPG, PNG, TGA, etc.) to any texture type supported by PowerVR MBX hardware including PVRTC Compressed formats. Both a Windows and Linux version are supplied.


• PVRTC Library
  PVRTC Texture compression library – provided for both Linux and Windows – allows easy integration with custom artwork toolchains.


• PVRMAXExport
  Official PowerVR plug-in for 3D Studio MAX 6, 7 and 8 for Windows. Exports model data from 3D Studio in requested formats. Also supports special features such as tangent space generation and bone batching.


• VGPCompiler
  Command-line utility to compile VGP programs for use with the GL_IMG_Vertex_Program extension. Both a Windows and Linux version are supplied.

Imagination Technologies Group plc is a leader in SoC IP (Intellectual Property) and one of the world’s top ten semiconductor IP companies (source: Gartner). Imagination Technologies develops, licenses and supplies market-leading graphics, video and display cores, real-time multi-threaded DSP/RISC processors and communication and broadcast technologies for the mobile, consumer, automotive and PC markets. It supplies licensable IP supported by advanced development tools to leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies worldwide, including Centrality Communications, Sunplus, Frontier Silicon, NEC, Samsung, Sharp, Philips, Intel, Freescale, Renesas, and Texas Instruments.

Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG). See: www.imgtec.com.