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 Side Effects Releases Houdini 7 and Houdini Escape Posted by: amigo
Source: Press Release
Date: Wed Sep 22 2004
Side Effects Software, developer of the award-winning Houdini family of 3D animation and visual effects tools, today announced the release of Houdini 7, the formal launch of Houdini Escape, third party rendering support for Houdini Escape, a scripting product for rendering and free access to the Houdini Developers Kit for all Houdini customers including Houdini Apprentice users.
Houdini 7 contains many significant features that improve workflow for the complete CG pipeline while giving animators, lighting artists and effects artists more freedom to focus on the creative process. Special attention has been paid to a streamlined animation workflow and advanced character rigging tools.
These new character and animation tools are available in Houdini Escape which is being launched for $1999. In addition to the character rigging tools, which are quickly being recognized as the most powerful in the industry, Houdini Escape provides an integrated environment for modeling, animating, texturing, lighting, and rendering.
�Houdini Escape is designed to be the workhorse of the CG pipeline� said Dr. Paul Salvini, CTO and VP Canadian Operations. �Houdini Escape has been tested in production and works seamlessly with Houdini Master, the industry�s leading visual effects solution, and the rest of the Houdini family. We are also pleased to offer a one-time upgrade to Houdini Escape for Houdini Select customers at no additional charge to integrate character work into their pipeline.�
A key new feature in Houdini 7 is enhanced RenderMan support. A new Shader building environment lets lighting artists create RenderMan shaders without having to write code, and Houdini's Interactive Photorealistic Rendering (IPR) now works with RenderMan directly. Third party rendering support for RenderMan and Mental Ray is native to Houdini Master and is available as an add-on to Houdini Escape for $2,499 for a floating license.
Also being released with Houdini 7 is a new render farm product called Rscript that generates rendering input files from Houdini. This product supports both Houdini Mantra's IFD and RenderMan RIB generation. A complement to HScript which lets you script all aspects of a Houdini scene, RScript provides a more economical alternative focused on rendering. RScript will be priced at $1399 for a floating license.
Side Effects Software is also pleased to announce that the Houdini Developer's Kit (HDK) is now free with all Houdini workstation products including the Houdini Apprentice Edition. The Houdini community has long expressed a desire to incorporate more custom solutions into their work. The free, community-supported, HDK will encourage new development and experimentation.
Visit www.sidefx.com/apprentice to join the Houdini Apprentice Program and download a non-commercial version of Houdini 7. This learning edition is a great way to experience firsthand what makes Houdini the best choice for all areas of the CG pipeline.
About Houdini
The Houdini family of animation software offers digital artists an unprecedented level of power, flexibility and control based on award-winning technology. The comprehensive feature set includes modeling, rigging, animation, particle effects, channel editing, compositing, integrated rendering, and much more. All Houdini applications work together seamlessly and are available for the Windows and Linux operating systems. Houdini has been used to create stunning digital animation in blockbuster films, including �XMen,� �X2: X-Men United,� �Daredevil,� �Spider-Man,� �The Sum of all Fears,� the �Harry Potter� series, the �The Lord of the Rings� trilogy, the �The Matrix� trilogy, and most recently �Day After Tomorrow,� �Chronicles of Riddick,� �Around the World in 80 Days,� and �Spiderman 2� among many others.
About Side Effects Software
Established in 1987, Side Effects Software is a world leader in the development of advanced 3D graphics and special effects software for use in film. Side Effects Software leads the field of non-linear animation with its unique, award-winning, Houdini technology. Houdini is used by numerous digital content creation leaders including Digital Domain, Disney Feature Animation, DreamWorks SKG, Electronic Arts, Framestore-CFC, Rhythm and Hues, and Sony Pictures Imageworks.
Related Links: SideEffects Software website
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