Wednesday 19 September 2007

New version of Softimage XSI

One of my favourite 3D modelling packages (and the one I mostly used for my Masters work) has been getting an update/rerelease... Softimage has announced the latest versions of its 3D animation software packages: SoftimageXSI 6.5 and SoftimageFace Robot 1.8.

Both will ship in the autumn, according to the company. The company also announced plans to "repackage its Essentials and Advanced versions of SoftimageXSI 6.5 software to meet the specific needs of artists and studios, respectively", essentially changing which features are in which version, and also the pricing, to appeal better to certain users. Both SoftimageXSI 6.5 Essentials and Advanced software will include more than thirty enhancements that were developed for creative companies such as Lionhead Studios, Valve, EA, Animal Logic, Nerdcorps, Pandemic and NCSoft (according to Softimage again).


New tools across both versions include HDR (high dynamic range) rendermap support, additional SDK APIs allowing programmers to extend the software's capabilities, UV editing enhancements, and enhanced audio support. SoftimageXSI 6.5 Essentials is now aimed at artists creating 3D characters and content for games, film and television. The Essentials version now includes Hair & Fur, and Syflex Cloth capabilities. The price for Essentials will increase to $2,995 (around £1,470); maintenance remains unchanged at $799 (£392), and upgrades remain unchanged at $999 (£490). XSI 6.5 Essentials will only be available to new customers and customers on active maintenance. SoftimageXSI 6.5 XSI Advanced on the other hand is aimed at technical directors and studio IT managers. It includes everything in the SoftimageXSI 6.5 XSI Essentials package, plus Behavior, a crowd and behavioral simulation system, as well as five additional XSI Batch rendering licenses. The price for Advanced will decrease to $4,995 (£2,450) and maintenance will decrease to $1333 (£653).

For more information, check the official Softimage site at http://www.softimage.com/

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