mental images Announces Plans for 64--bit Workstation Application to Support Intel's Merced™ Processor

Berlin, March 3, 1998 --- mental images GmbH & Co. KG announced today the company has been working with Intel on the development of a version of the mental ray™ rendering software product, ported and optimized specifically for Intel's Merced TM microprocessor, which utilizes the new EPIC technology and is the first processor in Intel's IA--64™ family. mental images' first product release for Merced workstations will support Microsoft's 64--bit Windows NT Operating System. Additionally, the mental ray product will be certified on workstations from a number of industry--leading vendors, including Compaq, HP, and others that have announced plans to have Merced--based systems available when the new processor is introduced in 1999. The combination of mental ray, the 64--bit NT O/S, and Merced workstations from leading vendors will result in a powerful platform with broad industry support.

As a recognized leader in providing rendering technology for use in DCC and CAD applications to render digital images, mental images said it has already been working closely with Intel as part of a developer program designed to ensure that key applications take full advantage of the performance of the Merced processor and are available when the processor is launched. mental images also acknowledged that as part of this program, it has already determined its code is IA--64 ready and that with minimal work, this code now runs on a pre--production Intel Merced--based simulator.

"The mental ray product will be available coincident with Merced systems production shipments at launch,'' said Mr. Rolf Herken, mental images' President and Director of R&D. "We are excited to be working closely with Intel at this early stage and expect the product to be fully optimized for the Merced processor.''

"IA--64 is a very important milestone and will deliver the extreme level of performance required by the very highest--end applications in DCC and MDA,'' said Anand Chandrasekher, General Manager of Intel's Workstation Products Division. "We are pleased to be working with mental images as a key application developer involved in our IA--64 ISV program and we're looking forward to the end result -- a mental ray application with superior performance on Merced--based workstations.''

About Intel. Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also leading manufacturer of personal computer, networking and communications products. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

About mental images. mental images, founded in 1986, is a recognized leader in providing rendering and surface approximation technology to the entertainment, CAD, scientific visualization, architecture and other industries where sophisticated images are required. mental images is a privately held company based in Berlin, Germany. The main product of mental images is the high performance, photorealistic rendering software mental ray, which is capable of running on a wide variety of platforms, ranging from workstations and networks of workstations to parallel supercomputers. Customers of mental images include original software developers such as Microsoft Corporation, Dassault Systemes S.A., and Autodesk, Inc., as well as major industrial end--users such as Mercedes--Benz.

mental images Coordinates

For additional information, please contact:

mental images GmbH & Co. KG
Attn.: Silvia Hanko
Fasanenstrasse 81
D 10623 Berlin, Germany
Telephone: **49 - 30 - 315 99 70
Telefax: **49 - 30 - 315 99 733
e-mail: office@mental.com

mental ray™ and mental images™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of mental images GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, Germany. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.