mental images Names Peter Mehlstaeubler VP of Business Development for Design Solutions and 3D Web Services;Seasoned Executive to Drive Key Initiatives Around RealityServer(R)Platform

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 2006--mental images(R), a global leader in the fast-growing market for high-end 3D visualization software, today announced the appointment of Peter Mehlstaeubler as Vice President of Business Development for Design Solutions and 3D Web Services.

In his new capacity, Mr. Mehlstaeubler will be responsible for positioning mental images's new RealityServer(R) software platform in several markets with a focus on product design and marketing. RealityServer enables 3D Web Services and applications that permit very large numbers of users to simultaneously access and remotely interact with original 3D content regardless of its complexity from any network enabled device.

Mehlstaeubler joins mental images in Berlin after a distinguished 22-year career in software development and marketing, with a special focus on 3D design. Most recently, Peter was Vice President of Product Development at Alias Systems in Toronto, a position he held from 2001 until March 2006. In his last position at Alias, he led customer-driven product development of the company's Academy Award(R) winning Maya(R) software as well as Alias Studio(R) and related products while maintaining key account relationships at a senior level, especially in the global automotive, aerospace and entertainment industries. He also helped oversee the recent acquisition of Alias Systems by Autodesk, Inc.

"We are excited to have Peter join mental images," said Rolf Herken, the CEO and CTO of mental images. "Peter's vast experience in the 3D design industry will serve us and our customers well as we are beginning to introduce the RealityServer platform on a larger scale for the development and deployment of 3D Web Services and applications in a wide range of markets."

"I am delighted to join mental images in this exciting period of growth," said Peter Mehlstaeubler. "My many years in development and marketing of 3D design software gave me a strong appreciation for innovative technologies and the business growth they enable. RealityServer is a unique platform with tremendous potential for tangible benefits to a wide range of industries where it can help unlock the value of their 3D assets. I am very pleased to become part of such an innovative and well respected team." Mr. Mehlstaeubler will take up his new position in September.

Prior to joining Alias in 1997, Mehlstaeubler worked at Control Data and ICEM Systems. He holds a Masters degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Munich (Dipl.-Ing. Univ.).

About RealityServer: RealityServer is mental images's new product that enables interactive manipulation and visualization of existing and newly created 3D content. RealityServer based applications permit thousands of users to simultaneously and optionally collaboratively access and interact with original 3D data. Since the original content remains on the server, access to data and user policies are easily secured and managed centrally. This benefit is especially important for industries that will increasingly rely on interactive collaboration but have a strong interest in maintaining control over their core data. Industries that stand to benefit from RealityServer include: remote maintenance and repair; online training and product support; collaborative product design and content creation; medical imaging; simulation and geophysical data analysis; defense and intelligence applications; interactive online gaming/entertainment; and e-Commerce.

About mental images: mental images(R), founded in 1986, is the recognized international leader in providing rendering software to the entertainment, computer-aided design, scientific visualization, architecture, and other industries that require sophisticated images. The company's main product is the Academy Award(R) winning photorealistic rendering software mental ray(R) which runs on a wide variety of platforms ranging from networks of workstations to parallel supercomputers, producing images of unsurpassed realism. mental ray was initially released in 1989 and has been used in the production of several hundred major motion pictures. Leading visual effects companies and studios, such as Buf Compagnie, DreamWorks, Lucasfilm Animation, Industrial Light and Magic, The Mill, and The Moving Picture Company are among mental images's largest customers. Additionally, in the CAD field mental ray is used by the world's leading automobile and aircraft manufactures to accelerate the design of new products.

mental images GmbH is a privately held company based in Berlin, Germany, with a wholly owned subsidiary mental images, Inc. in San Francisco, California and an office in Stockholm, Sweden. For more information, visit www.mentalimages.com.

--30--PG/sf*

CONTACT: mental images GmbH Silvia Hanko, +49 (30) 31 59 97-0 (Germany) office@mental.com fax: +49 (30) 31 59 97-33 www.mentalimages.com or Access Communications Jamie Beane, 415-844-6279 (U.S.A.) jbeane@accesspr.com