Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 Posted by Jim Thacker

Autodesk unveils Scaleform for Unity and mobile


Autodesk’s presentation on Scaleform in Unity from GDC 2012. The UI middleware tool is now available as a Unity plugin for Windows, OS X, Android and iOS. Eval versions can be downloaded from Autodesk’s website.

Autodesk has announced new versions of Scaleform, its middleware tool for creating user interfaces for games, aimed at mobile and indie developers. The software, which Autodesk acquired last year, was previously the preserve of triple A titles.

Updated: As has just been pointed out in the comments, it’s also the preserve of users of the free Unreal Development Kit, thanks to a deal which precedes the Autodesk buyout.

Autodesk is now offering evaluation versions of its new mobile SDK – meant for integration into a game engine or standalone Flash platform – for Android and iOS; and its Unity plugin for Windows, OS X, Android and iOS.

The tools are due for a commercial release this summer, and unlike the price-on-enquiry full SDK, are expected to be available via Autodesk’s online store, at $295 per licence.

In related news, Unity Technologies has also announced that it is developing its own built-in GUI editor for Unity, although there is no definite release date yet.

PRESS RELEASE (Excerpts)
Autodesk has announced new versions of Scaleform for mobile game development, offering an Adobe Flash-based gaming and application platform, as well as a new Unity game engine plug-in.

Scaleform has helped game developers create immersive UI for at least 1,000 triple-A titles, such as “Gears of War,” “Crysis 2” and “Deus Ex: Human Revolution.” The new, affordable releases make this powerful technology accessible to developers creating iOS and Android platform games or apps with tighter production budgets.

“These new versions of Scaleform were created to address growing interest from outside of the triple-A games market. Inspired by innovative use cases of the technology, we first expanded the middleware’s mobile game toolsets and tutorials, and are now making Scaleform accessible to more developers,” said Marc Petit, Autodesk senior vice president, Media and Entertainment.

Developing Games and Apps with Autodesk Scaleform Middleware Autodesk Scaleform leverages the power of the Adobe Flash toolset and provides streamlined, artist-driven workflows that help developers create UI environments and full 2D games more quickly. There are three methods to develop mobile games and apps with the new releases of Scaleform:

  • Unity Game Engine
    Scaleform middleware’s new Unity plug-in provides an out-of-the-box integration that allows Unity developers to create triple-A-quality game UI and menu screens using Flash. This integration is designed to work as a native plug-in to the Unity engine and requires no C++ programming.
  • Third-Party and Mobile Engine
    The Scaleform software development kit (SDK) is supported by extensive documentation and can be easily integrated into a variety of third-party and proprietary mobile engines, to help developers create triple-A quality UI and menus more quickly.
  • Standalone Development Platform
    Scaleform middleware’s cross-platform, highly optimized Flash playback capabilities make it an ideal standalone solution for developing games and applications for iOS and Android devices. Additional product highlights are: rapid deployment of Flash content, ActionScript 3 and C++ programming for game logic, and a small memory footprint.

Pricing & Availability
An evaluation version of Autodesk Scaleform for Unity and mobile game development is currently available on the Autodesk website. The products are expected to be available in select countries on the Autodesk online store this summer. Scaleform will be licensed as a Unity Engine plug-in or as a mobile SDK for US$295 per platform, per seat. International pricing may vary.

Visit the Scaleform website