Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID), announced that its Softimage, Co. subsidiary has unveiled SOFTIMAGE|XSI 6, the latest version of its flagship 3D animation and character creation software. XSI 6 software introduces new solutions for accelerated animation that simplify working with 3D characters and motion capture data. A new collaborative framework in XSI 6 software also allows 3D artists to work together non-destructively, in a studio environment that provides easy integration with other 3D applications.
SOFTIMAGE|XSI 6 will support the .NET framework and include integrated C#, an object-oriented programming language, popular with next-gen 3D game developers. The software also offers support for Python, a preferred scripting language used by technical directors for setting up film and visual effects pipelines. In addition, Softimage is working closely with industry partners to offer support for DirectX 10 hardware that will operate on Microsoft Windows Vista once it is available.
“At Blur, our animations and stories are becoming more epic and definitely more complex. We chose to fold SOFTIMAGE|XSI software into our established 3D pipeline for our latest animated short film, `A Gentlemen`s Duel.` We needed a very organized structure for the complex 3D character rigging and a solid animation package,” said Tim Miller, President and founder of Oscar-nominated BLUR Studio. “By introducing XSI software into our pipeline, our artists were able to bring our characters to life while effectively managing over 1800 parts to each human rig. XSI performed like a champ,” added Miller.
Creating animated 3D visual effects, characters and 3D game titles for next-gen consoles – like the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PLAYSTATION 3 – is becoming increasingly complex. Because it is built on the newest code base of any comprehensive 3D application on the market, XSI software is best suited to operate with next-generation hardware and 3D game development and visual effects pipelines.