XSI, now on version 2, was introduced two years ago (Broadcast, 24.5.00). There is also an upgrade path that allows customers to obtain a trade-in credit for Softimage 3D v4.0 towards the purchase of an XSI licence.Ĭraig-McFeely said there was still support and development for the 3D product which Softimage first launched in 1988 and pointed to the recent release of version 4 as evidence of this continued commitment. This is the second time Softimage has cut the price of 3D - it halved the price a year ago which means the product has fallen from $7,995 (£5,455) to $1,495 (£1,020) in less than 18 months. Softimage3D is a discontinued high-end 3D graphics application developed by Softimage, Co., which was used predominantly in the film, broadcasting, gaming, and advertising industries for the production of 3D animation. We are not going to cut the price of XSI but we do see space at the lower end without cannibalising the high end.' However, Softimage European business manager Richard Craig-McFeely said the difference between the two companies was that Softimage has two products - 3D and XSI - and that there is still growth in the market for XSI at the high end.Ĭraig-McFeely said: 'The landscape of 3D products has changed. Like Alias Wavefront, Softimage hopes the price reduction will help it sell to a wider range of customers such as students and the manufacturing, scientific and medical industries. The prices came into effect last Thursday (6 June). The latest version of Softimage 3D - version 4 - will now sell for £1,020 for the basic level and £1,700 for the 'Extreme' version. Original Reviews and Comments Copyright © 2000-2003 by Jeremy Birn.Softimage has halved the price of its 3D character animation and effects software Softimage 3D two months after rival Alias Wavefront slashed the price of Maya (Broadcast, 5.4.02), writes Barbara Marshall.
Microsoft later sold Softimage to Avid, in exchange for a portion of Avid's stock which Microsoft still owns. Softimage had been an independent company in Montreal, but was acquired by Microsoft in 1994, and became the first of the high-end programs that had been based on the SGI (IRIX) platform to port to Windows NT. The Softimage Creative Environment (the earlier name for Softimage|3D) was the first commercial package to support Inverse Kinematics and other animation break-throughs. (view screenshot) was a popular animation system used in many feature films. HISTORY: Before XSI, the earlier Softimage product called Softimage|3D The Rendering system also has the most complete support for customized render passes implemented in any package, and XSI now also includes an integrated compositing system. XSI comes with a seamlessly integrated copy of the popular Mental Ray renderer, and includes support for "render regions" which let artists drag a box over any part of any modeling window, and see a fully raytraced mental ray rendering of the corresponding part of the window, which updates as parameters are adjusted, such as moving a shadow when a light is moved, or updating with changes to the camera position or animation. To integrate/disintegrate the chm with the portabke app use regchm/unregchm command. The docs is in separate archive because of its size, really comprehensize like 3dsmaxs. Obviously they cant keep 3 competing 3d software in the same house. XSI's non-linear animation system sequences clips of animation, but also allows animators to blend and transition between different riggings, constraints, expressions, and externally referenced models. One of XSI version before Autodesk bought Softimage and kill it not long after.
Softimage did shine in more than one’s heart until it met its fate with Autodesk.
The software display includes the windows, a server bar at the top, two menu bars on the left and right sides containing menu cells, a wireframe colour box, a status bar made of three parts, and a playback control box. Softimage Has Been Killed, the Future of CG Softwares Is Now in TD’s Hands. The SOFTIMAGE 3D display is where you work. KEY FEATURES: Modeling in XSI is very strong when working with polygons, as well as multiple types of subdivision surfaces, although NURBS functionality is still very limited. This chapter describes all parts of the SOFTIMAGE 3D interface, often called the display. Softimage lost a lot of market share to Maya during the years that they were developing XSI, but have recently began gaining some ground back now that XSI has shaped-up as a formidable competitor to Maya. MARKET: XSI is the latest big player in the high-end 3D animation software market, and is being developed by the company that once ruled the market with their earlier Softimage 3D product. Autodesk Softimage is a 3D animation application comprising a suite of computer graphics tools. Softimage|XSI ( Softimage, owned by Avid) High-end 3D animation and rendering software