Monday, February 23, 2009

Autodesk Announces Softimage 7.5

Autodesk has launched Autodesk Softimage 7.5 software for visual effects and game production. With this release, Autodesk has renamed the SOFTIMAGE|XSI software — acquired from Avid Technology Inc. — Autodesk Softimage. The 7.5 version offers timesaving new features, such as UV unfolding technology, a multithreaded Syflex cloth simulator and an integrated mental ray 3.7+ renderer. Artists have used Softimage to create numerous movies, commercials and video games, including the Oscar-winning film “Happy Feet,” Coca Cola’s “Heist” Super Bowl ad, and the “Fable II” video game.

Key New Features in Autodesk Softimage 7.5

UV Unfolding Technology: Softimage now features UV unfolding technology that enables artists to unwrap polygon models with just a few clicks. This technology works well on complex organic models, which would be difficult to unwrap manually. Softimage 7.5 also provides a wealth of UV editing tools that help artists quickly create and edit UV maps.
mental ray 3.7+: Version 3.7+ of the mental ray renderer is now integrated into Softimage 7.5. Highlights include improvements to binary space partitioning for faster render times, multiple final gathering refinement passes and new motion-based displacement. These enhancements help users create high-fidelity images faster than ever before.
Multithreaded Syflex Cloth Simulator: The production-proven cloth simulator in Softimage is now multithreaded, enabling artists to use all the cores on their machine to iterate faster.

Scene Compatibility with Version 7.0: Scenes saved in Softimage 7.5 will load into version 7.0.

More information on new features

Known Issues and Bug Fix List for 7.5

Here are the known issues and bug fix lists for Softimage 7.5:

Softimage Migration promotion

Until April 15, 2009, existing SOFTIMAGE|XSI Essentials and Advanced customers, not on Maintenance, can receive up to 50 percent product discount and no back-subscription fees when migrating to Autodesk Softimage 7.5 with Autodesk Subscription. This offer is available only through Autodesk Value Added Resellers. Locate a reseller here.

* International pricing may vary.
** Conditions apply. International pricing may vary.

Changes to Softimage.com

You may have noticed a few things have changed here. This short guide will help you to find where information is:

Where do I get support?
Go here

How do I license Softimage products?
Go here and fill out the form

I’m interested in buying or finding out more information about Softimage 7.5. Who do I talk to?
Look for a reseller here, or call Autodesk at: 1-800-964-6432

Can I buy Softimage online?
Yes if you’re in the Americas and Japan. Buy here.