![]() ![]() Original Reviews and Comments Copyright © 2000-2003 by Jeremy Birn. 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. 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. 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. It was a genius 3D program that was ahead of its time, at one point of its life cycle, it reached new heights in the computer-generated images field. 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. The History of Softimage is the story of a 3D software that did not really find a home except in the hearts of the Artists who used it over the decades to create amazing pieces of artwork. 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. Softimage|XSI ( Softimage, owned by Avid) Anthony is a level 2 certified Softimage Instructor and has been teaching and using the software in production since 1994.High-end 3D animation and rendering software In 1995, Mesmer became a Softimage Authorized Training Center and now has training labs in Seattle and San Francisco. As Producer he headed up a team that produced interactive media content and products for Microsoft, Delta, Sierra Online, Softimage, Edmark, REI, and many other clients. Best of all, this guide shows you how to use Softimage the way the pros do.Ībout the Author: Anthony Rossano founded his company Mesmer fx in 1988. Inside Softimage 3D includes dozens of exercises, hundreds of insider tips and techniques, various interviews with notable experts, and page-after-page of fabulous imagery. You're taken from a tour of the interface, through modeling and material creation, to animation and rendering with the Mental Ray. The book's full-color presentation makes this complex software easier to understand and use. Written by Anthony Rossano, expert animator, artist, and instructor, this hands-on guide speaks to animation students studying Softimage as well as professionals interested in expanding their knowledge. Inside Softimage 3D takes animators deep inside one of the most powerful 3D animation and special effects packages available today. The definitive guide to creating 3D animation with Softimage ![]()
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