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ARTVPS & mental images

What does it all mean?
 
Following the recent announcement that ARTVPS and mental images have joined forces and will be working together on the development of new ray tracing solutions, we have had many questions asking what exactly this means for you, the users.
 
We aim to answer some of your questions below:
 
 
What is the agreement between ARTVPS and mental images?
mental images have licensed intellectual property from ARTVPS and ARTVPS in turn will become an OEM partner of mental images for the integration of the mental ray 64bit standalone renderer.
What will be the benefit to ARTVPS customers?                
The main benefit to customers will be flexibility.  RenderDrives will provide support for fast mental ray rendering in addition to ARTVPS' RenderPipe
Will I be able to run mental ray on my current RD6400 RenderDrive?
Yes, the RD6400 series will be backward compatible to support mental ray.
How can I take advantage of this added functionality?
ARTVPS will release an upgrade for the RD6400 series which will enable it to run mental ray 64 bit standalone as well as RenderPipe. 
As an existing customer when can I upgrade my RD6400?
We will contact all RD6400 customers when the upgrade becomes available.
Should I wait for the new product instead of buying RenderDrive today?   
The upgrade will in effect add the functionality of the new product to your existing RD6400.  Buying today will enable you to take advantage of ARTVPS raytracing technology now with the flexibility of adding mental ray at a later date.
So, RenderDrive will now have two renderers.
Yes, the flexibility of two renderers in one hardware solution.
Will the upgrade work on earlier RenderDrive models like the RD3500 or RD5000?
No, unfortunately these systems cannot be upgraded.
 
Can I upgrade my PURE card to run mental images?
No, the PURE card will not be able to support mental ray.
Will mental ray and RenderPipe run simultaneously?
Yes, RenderDrive will run both renderers simultaneously or run either one exclusively.
Why would I need both?
ARTVPS and mental images both have extremely popular rendering technology, each of which have their  own strengths.  We have found that many of our customers use mental images for aspects of their work.  With the ability to render with two alternative renderers simultaneously, the user can use the one they feel most suited to a particular task.
If I renew my RenderDrive support will I get access to mental ray rendering
Renewing your support contract will continue to give you access to future versions of RenderPipe and the 3D application plug-ins, but will not give automatic access to any mental ray features. 
Does the collaboration with mental images mean the end of the AR350 processor?
No, definitely not.  The AR350 is the only processor specifically designed to accelerate ray tracing.  We will continue to use and develop the processor in ARTVPS ray tracing technology.