Softimage Co., originally known as Softimage Inc., was a pioneering company in the field of computer graphics and 3D animation software. Here are some key details:
- Foundation: The company was founded in 1986 by Daniel Langlois in Montreal, Canada. It aimed to provide tools for the burgeoning computer graphics industry.
- Early Products:
- Creative Environment, initially released as Softimage 3D, was one of the company's first products. It became popular in the film and television industries for its advanced features like inverse kinematics and non-linear animation.
- By the mid-1990s, Softimage had also ventured into the video game industry, providing tools like SOFTIMAGE|3D for game developers.
- Acquisition:
- Products under Avid:
- Softimage XSI (XSI standing for X3D Scene Interface) was introduced, which was a successor to the original Softimage|3D. It was known for its advanced modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing capabilities.
- Softimage continued to be a prominent name in visual effects and animation, used in films like Titanic, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings.
- End of Era:
- In 2014, Autodesk acquired Softimage from Avid. However, Autodesk decided to discontinue development and support for Softimage, with the final release being Softimage 2015.
Softimage Co. played a significant role in the evolution of computer graphics and animation software, impacting both the film and video game industries with its innovative technology.
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