Avid Unveils SOFTIMAGE XSI v.5.0
August 02, 2005
Los Angeles, CA - Avid Technology unveiled version 5.0 of the company's flagship SOFTIMAGE(R)|XSI(R) 3-D animation software. With a starting price of $495, this latest version includes new tools that the company says set industry benchmarks for performance and creative flexibility.
As a key component of Avid's integrated computer graphics solutions, SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 introduces 3-D teams to innovative new features like Ultimapper, a map generation tool designed for producing cinema-quality maps in a few clicks; and GATOR, a unique property transfer system for merging fully textured and animated 3-D models. In addition to running on standard 32-bit CPUs, Avid says that SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 will also be available in a native 64-bit configuration, allowing users to model, animate and render extremely complex scenes in their entirety with billions of polygons and layers of 3-D, film, and video content.
"This latest edition of XSI proves how Softimage is setting the standard for next-generation game development. Ultimapper blows away existing map generation tools with its ability to easily create multiple map types. Building the necessary high-detail run-time content for next-gen games is suddenly a lot easier," said Steve Suhy, character modeling lead at FASA Studio, a division of Microsoft Game Studio. "Innovative additions like automatic property transfer and the highly intuitive and unique suite of organic modeling tools eliminate time-consuming, manual tasks and allow artists to concentrate on their creativity."
Advanced Character Tools and Maya Migration Features Improve Ease of Use
According to Avid, customers using SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 will discover that unique character rigs are easy to create and customize, streamlining the process for making modeling, texturing, and rigging changes to characters without re-constructing bones, bone weights or shape animation. SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 also includes a comprehensive set of migration tools for Maya users, such as a customizable user interface with new menu, keyboard and mouse navigation properties, all of which make it easy for Maya artists to use their current skill sets within the Softimage production environment.
64-bit Architecture Speeds Content Creation
The company says SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 has been re-architected to take full advantage of dual-core 64-bit CPUs, which can access large amounts of physical memory to effectively double production throughput during the CG content creation process. In addition, Avid reports that SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 is tightly integrated with version 3.4 of the 64-bit industry-leading mental ray(R) rendering software. RThe company says that now, users are no longer forced to reduce large scenes into smaller, individual pieces before rendering. Instead, they can create detailed environments with hundreds of lighting effects and shaders, as well as high resolution models with extensive hair and detailed skin textures and simply render the scenes in their entirety.
Nicholas Boughen, author and CG supervisor at Rainmaker Animation and Visual Effects, a Vancouver-based visual effects studio, added, "When creating visual effects and computer graphics for the film industry, every second is precious. Deadlines are tight, and artists are always looking to deliver a higher level of sophistication on each project. The power Softimage is bringing to the industry with a native 64-bit version that takes full advantage of the performance gains of today's latest hardware, plus a tight integration with 64-bit mental ray, will allow studios to 'turbo-charge' their pipelines - and I'm ready for a powerful ride!"
Avid states additional features in SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 include:
-- Native XSI Hair. XSI Advanced delivers a significant update to XSI Hair with a new grooming tool that gives artists precise creative control for creating and styling realistic content, such as hair, fur, grass and trees. A new instancing system allows users to quickly replicate this content throughout entire environments.
-- Syflex 3 advanced cloth simulation. XSI Advanced also offers the industry-leading technology of Syflex 3, which incorporates a fast, stable simulation engine that allows artists to create a broad range of cloth effects with ease.
-- High-performance rigid-body dynamics. With tight integration of the state-of-the-art AGEIA(TM) physX(TM) physics simulation engine, XSI v.5.0 delivers high-performance simulation, including precise actual-shape collision handling.
-- New dotXSI(TM) v.5.0 export & import with full source code. Using XSI v.5.0, artists can easily import and export the dotXSI v.5.0 file format for XSI models, materials, shaders, animation, skeletons and envelopes. Version 5.0 also adds support for shape morphing, subdivision approximation, and blind user-data.
Pricing & Availability
SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 is expected to be available in September 2005 for purchase in the following configurations:
-- SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 Foundation for $495 (USMSRP) from the Softimage website at www.softimage.com/store.
-- SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 Essentials for $1,995 (USMSRP) from authorized Softimage resellers.
-- SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 Advanced for $6,995 (USMSRP) from authorized Softimage resellers.
About SOFTIMAGE|XSI
SOFTIMAGE|XSI is a complete 3-D modeling and animation solution for the film, broadcast, post-production and interactive entertainment industries. SOFTIMAGE|XSI software is the creative engine behind the Avid Computer Graphics toolset, and an integral player in Avid's Make, Manage and Move Media(TM) strategy. It is the industry's first 3-D nonlinear production environment providing artists the freedom to make professional computer graphics, 3-D animation, and visual effects - from major motion pictures to CG features and commercials, to video games. Softimage is proud to count amongst its customers: Troublemaker Studios, CafeFX, Giant Killer Robots, R!OT, The Mill, Stan Winston Studios, Pixel Liberation Front, La Maison, Hybride, Janimation, Quiet Man, PSYOP, Cinepix and Nerd Corps.
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