Gmax allows developers the ability to leverage 3ds Max 4 architecture in the game design and level-editing process; development and consumer versions are expected to be available late summer 2001. Said Paul Lypaczweski, executive vice president and general manager of Discreet, "We've all seen the massive popularity of mods to games like QUAKE and HALF-LIFE. With gmax, developers can enhance their workflow and give players the power to edit and create their own customized game content." Discreet showed its prototype game-pack editor for QUAKE III: ARENA at the GDC. The QUAKE III game pack will be provided to gmax development licensees in source-code format, offering a real-world example of how to implement gmax in any game production pipeline. The gmax QUAKE III game pack includes never-before-seen tools for QUAKE, such as QERadient and WorldCraft, which give the developer the ability to export brushes and polygon data at the same time. Discreet has also announced that it has reached a sponsorship agreement with id Software to sponsor a new competition called "gmax speed-mapping challenge" at this year's QuakeCon. Further details about the competition can be found at
http://www.quakecon.org
